Facing the Music: A Life in Musical Theatre

It is still one of the best kept secrets in showbusiness that Dame Patricia Routledge trained not only as an actress but also as a singer and had considerable experience and success in musical theatre, both in this country and in the United States. Her many awards include a Tony for her Broadway performance in the Styne-Harburg musical Darling of the Day and a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. Her one woman show Come for the Ride toured the UK in 1988 and in 1992 she played Nettie Fowler in the highly acclaimed production of Carousel at the National Theatre. In this fascinating encounter with the writer and broadcaster Edward Seckerson, she recalls this very special part of her career with access to some rare and treasured recordings. Writer and broadcaster Edward Seckerson is former Chief Classical Music Critic of The Independent newspaper and a founder member of The ArtsDesk.