So, I finished revising the script and had copies printed and bound. All I needed now was to gather the cast together and let the director (my wife Caroline) introduce them to each other and give them an idea of how rehearsals would work.

We made sure we had plenty of tea, coffee, biscuits and donuts for this initial meeting – we wanted to keep everyone sweet! It all went incredibly well.

We even managed to read some excerpts from the play to give the cast – who up till now had only seen audition pieces – would get a more rounded view of their characters and the plot.

I couldn’t have asked for a better group of actors for my play – and they all seemed to enjoy themselves which bodes well for future rehearsals. Which reminds me, I should be planning a schedule for those now!

The cast of ‘According to Claudia’ pick up their scripts. (PHOTO: PHIL MANSELL)