Meeting Richard.

On the 19th December 2001 we met the lovely Richard E Grant at the Wyndham theatre in the show "The Play What I Wrote". I had to go to school, which was a bit, annoying so I was unable to meet up with Elaine and Denise in the day. I annoyed all my friends by going on and on about hopefully meeting Richard. When I got home from school I run a bath and then my mobile rang, it was Denise all excited saying that Richard E Grant had rung her and had invited us back stage after the show to meet him in person. She had earlier explained that she aimed to write a note to ask Richard if we could see him after the show. I was calm when talking to Denise because I thought it was so amazing, but when I got off of the phone it was a different story, I was calling my mum telling her I was going to meet him and I was just so excited.

I waited for my dad to drive me to Leicester Square and when he arrived I was telling him and shouting "’‚m going to be late" it was 6.30pm and I was supposed to be there for 7.30pm.

Also when telling my father that I was meeting Richard he said "Oh get me an autograph and that he is so funny in Withnail and I. isn’t he gay?" of course I said no and looked at him in disgust. I was so nervous of meeting Elaine and Denise, because I didn’t want to give either of them the wrong impression, I am now 19 and sometimes I act really immature (I have younger friends and family so that might explain it).

I phoned Denise and told her that I was at Leicester Square outside the theatre and Denise told me that Elaine and herself would be there in 5 minutes and to wait in the foyer. Then my dad decided he would turn the car around while I waited so we drove around the back of the theatre and then he went the wrong way. Denise phoned me telling me that they were there and I explained that my dippy dad had lost his way and I would be there in about a minute.

When I finally arrived Denise greeted me, she grabbed me and pulled out her phone to show me Richard’s message, I was amazed that it was really him, I never would have thought he would personally phone. He sounded just like he does in the movies and said that we could come back as well as thanks for the mince pies. That is when Denise explained that she had sent Richard mince pies, ahh bribery.

Denise then asked me if I remembered my "Withnails"to which I was so horrified to realise that I hadn’t. She pulled a book and a card from her Harrods bag for my birthday and I was absolutely gob smacked. I now had something for Richard to sign and I was and still am so thankful to both Denise and Elaine.

We went to our seat and realised how far up we were, we had a good view of the stage and while we waited for the show to start we chatted.The first half of the show was very funny. Denise was laughing and so was Elaine. When the interval came we went to the bar and brought some drinks, talked for a bit and then the bell went for us all to go back in. I think that by this time we were all excited and waiting in anticipation for Richard to enter and light up the stage. He finally did while Toby Jones was impersonating him at the opposite end of the stage.

Elaine was looking through her binoculars and when I looked at both Denise and Elaine they had moved slightly forward in their seats. Hamish McColl and Sean Foley were calling Richard the impostor, which was so funny seeing as Toby is about 5’6" and Richard is of course over 6". Hamish and Sean explained that the real Richard couldn’t be him, as he did not have a Camberwell carrot at which Richard shouted "HOW DARE YOU!" The show went on with some awful dialog, which Richard acted with excellence and ease; I think that if it were someone else it they may not have done. A funny muck up happened when Richards head was supposed to be cut off by the guillotine, from where I was sitting the plastic head was visible, all Richard had to do was to push the head through at the right time so that the guillotine would seem to chop Richard’s head off but instead the head came off before the guillotine came down. Everyone started laughing and Sean exclaimed "Richard E Grant has a detachable head!"

Throughout the show Hamish and Sean kept calling Richard "Sir Richard" and as the curtain came down after the encores and a wonderful performance of "Bring Me Sunshine" Denise turned to me and said "Richard isn’t a sir, is he?"

Then the nerves started to kick in and I realised that we were definitely going to meet him. Denise led the way followed eagerly by myself and Elaine and after walking down lots of basement type stairs, we realised we were outside in the street. Then Denise spotted the stage door and we went over to it, Denise explained to the security guard that we were here to see Richard "I’m Denise Hale, Richard is expecting us." The guard gave us directions to the blue doors opposite and told us to find door number 8 and off we went. When entering the next building we were greeted by a lady who asked where we were going, once we explained she took us up to Richard and left.

Richard was standing drying his face with a towel; I thought oh my god he is tall and then wow his eyes are so blue, the first thing he said was "Who brought the mince pies?" Denise smiled and said "Oh I did".

"Oh they were lovely" he replied. Then Denise went on to explain "I made them, I don’t really like mince pies and we are a glucose free zone, but I made them anyway." I thought it was funny how Denise explained everything and I noticed that Elaine was paying great detail to everything that was going on.

From what I remember Richard was wearing a red and white stripped Rugby shirt and grey/black I think trousers and brown boots. I was hoping he wouldn’t be sitting there like you tend to imagine stars to be like, sitting looking in the mirror with a dressing gown on. Which he wasn’t he stood up the whole time we were there.

Then he proceeded to shake each of our hands and greet us with a beautiful smile, he seemed to know exactly who we each were when asking us, "So you are Denise, Elaine and Emma." Pointing before shaking. Then he noticed Denise’s Harrods bag and asked whether she had been shopping, she explained "my children have realised that mum and dad give the bigger presents and the stockings are done by Santa –" before she could carry on Richard interrupted "and you have had to go out and buy all the extra bits, oh I know what you mean, how old are your children?" "7 and 11‚ she replied "and your 11 year old still believes in Santa?" Richard questioned. "Well my 11 year old is sort of catching on" she smiled as she added and Richard finally said "yes mine is also catching on."

Then he turned to Elaine and asked if she had any children, she replied "Yes a boy" and he then asked if I had any, which I was slightly shocked and stated "No, I’m too young"

"How old are you? 19?" he asked very politely. "Yes, tomorrow" I said surprised.

Usually I get asked if I am 14 or 16 and there was a celebrity who I truly admire asking if I was 19.

"Wow" he whispered through clasped hands which covered him mouth and he added "So we have all just met, none of us know each other and we are all meeting for the first time, wow how weird, how did you meet?"

We all smiled and stated "Yes" Denise then explained "We all met on the REGiment" he seemed so shocked that we have just met and that we were here, the way he said "We have all just met" suggested that we were equal.

He asked "Did you all like the show? Oh the matinee this afternoon had about 95 old ladies and I was just ooohhh", then he demonstrated dangling his hands and pulling a bored face.

"The show was great" and I think either Denise or Elaine said "You worked hard." He then asked where we all came from and when we said, Camberwell, Cheltenham and Ealing, he just stood and stared and asked if we were all getting along. I looked at both Elaine and Denise and they were smiling and we were all looking at each other we were all getting along and meeting him was the biggest highlight for all of us.

Them Geraldine Somerville came in and Richard introduced us to her, and we shook her hand, I think then we felt slightly awkward we then asked for autographs Denise asked for her book to be signed as did Elaine and then I asked whether he could sign my birthday card, the book I received and the envelope for my dad, I told him that I was being a liberty and he smiled. Denise made him sign the picture of him in the book as well as the front.

Then we left, we got a bit lost but he showed us the way out. I think we were all stunned to meet him, because when we came out of the theatre we were smiling and I think just thinking about what had just happened, Denise apologised for talking so much, but I am sure that I would have just giggled and spoke nonsense, Elaine I think took great notice in the experience and was concentrating. Thanking him for seeing us.

All I can truly say about the day is that he is the most wonderful person I have met, show biz has not gone to his head and he is so down to earth, I have met other famous people and none of them are like him. He treated us like himself and was very kind, he didn’t have to meet us but he did, he made my birthday one to remember and I will never forget it. Thanks to Denise she made it possible and Elaine for being so kind.

Emma.