Ashley Gillard
@ashgillard.bsky.social
Grumpy, fat, short bloke • Acts when requested, sings if required, dances with rejection
Saw her out and about earlier this summer! (I play in a brass band at her local village fête)
An extensive career playing, shall we say, caustic women of a certain age - from cutting her teeth in rep through to numerous telly appearances (one of the Talking Heads, of course), she was always great
An extensive career playing, shall we say, caustic women of a certain age - from cutting her teeth in rep through to numerous telly appearances (one of the Talking Heads, of course), she was always great
Stephanie Cole, Coronation Street and Open All Hours actor dies, aged 84
Stephanie Cole, Coronation Street and Open All Hours actor dies, aged 84
Cole won a British Soap award for her role in the soap, and appeared in many comedies, dramas and stage productions
Actress Stephanie Cole, best known for roles in Coronation Street, Waiting for God and Open All Hours, has died aged 84.
She also appeared in the prisoner-of-war drama Tenko, A Bit of a Do and Doc Martin. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
September 18, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Saw her out and about earlier this summer! (I play in a brass band at her local village fête)
An extensive career playing, shall we say, caustic women of a certain age - from cutting her teeth in rep through to numerous telly appearances (one of the Talking Heads, of course), she was always great
An extensive career playing, shall we say, caustic women of a certain age - from cutting her teeth in rep through to numerous telly appearances (one of the Talking Heads, of course), she was always great
Reposted by Ashley Gillard
"I want you all to get up...go to your windows...and yell 'Gitchy Gitchy Leslie Manville!'"
June 12, 2026 at 5:57 PM
"I want you all to get up...go to your windows...and yell 'Gitchy Gitchy Leslie Manville!'"
Reposted by Ashley Gillard
“Don't Cry for Me, Mona Lisa…”
Andrew Lloyd Webber has revealed he is working on a new musical about the theft of the Mona Lisa in the early 20th century.
Read more 👇
Read more 👇
Andrew Lloyd Webber teases new musical about Mona Lisa theft
www.thestage.co.uk
April 10, 2026 at 11:03 AM
“Don't Cry for Me, Mona Lisa…”
Reposted by Ashley Gillard
70 yrs ago today George Devine, with Oscar Lewenstein, Ronald Duncan & Greville Poke - with Jocelyn Herbert's counsel - founded the English Stage Company @royalcourt.bsky.social.
The Court gave me my first job. I'm in their debt. They keep the faith when Devine's values are under attack.
The Court gave me my first job. I'm in their debt. They keep the faith when Devine's values are under attack.
World Theatre Day. First, George Devine -
'You choose your theatre like you choose your religion.'
'Policy is who you work with.'
'The play is more important than the actors, the director, the designer.'
Plays should be 'uncompromising, hard-hitting, about the problems & possibilities of our time.'
'You choose your theatre like you choose your religion.'
'Policy is who you work with.'
'The play is more important than the actors, the director, the designer.'
Plays should be 'uncompromising, hard-hitting, about the problems & possibilities of our time.'
April 2, 2026 at 12:27 PM
70 yrs ago today George Devine, with Oscar Lewenstein, Ronald Duncan & Greville Poke - with Jocelyn Herbert's counsel - founded the English Stage Company @royalcourt.bsky.social.
The Court gave me my first job. I'm in their debt. They keep the faith when Devine's values are under attack.
The Court gave me my first job. I'm in their debt. They keep the faith when Devine's values are under attack.
🥹😭🥹😭🥹
Actor and Film United
Peter Purves, actor, and star of both the recovered episodes of Doctor Who, posses with the original can in which the 16mm film was found, and Film is Fabulous! founder, John Franklin.
Peter Purves, actor, and star of both the recovered episodes of Doctor Who, posses with the original can in which the 16mm film was found, and Film is Fabulous! founder, John Franklin.
March 13, 2026 at 8:13 PM
🥹😭🥹😭🥹
March 13, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Reposted by Ashley Gillard
I’m old enough to remember him doing this on Wogan in June 1988, protesting against the government’s homophobia. The targets change, the speech stays relevant…
Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again.
#Pinks #ProudBlue
#Pinks #ProudBlue
February 5, 2026 at 2:31 PM
I’m old enough to remember him doing this on Wogan in June 1988, protesting against the government’s homophobia. The targets change, the speech stays relevant…
Reposted by Ashley Gillard
The play is never done because it’s awful, a total mess, the work of at least 6-8 writers. This is the bit Shakespeare wrote. We know for sure because it’s in his hand. Even if we didn’t have that, though.. I saw it the only time it was on, I think - this scene leapt off the stage
February 5, 2026 at 1:39 PM
The play is never done because it’s awful, a total mess, the work of at least 6-8 writers. This is the bit Shakespeare wrote. We know for sure because it’s in his hand. Even if we didn’t have that, though.. I saw it the only time it was on, I think - this scene leapt off the stage
If you are currently on a train and randomly heard the thunderous opening to the Brahms first piano concerto, sorry, that was me. My headphones weren’t connected
February 1, 2026 at 5:38 PM
If you are currently on a train and randomly heard the thunderous opening to the Brahms first piano concerto, sorry, that was me. My headphones weren’t connected
Can't wait for people to find out what actually happens in Sunday in the Park with George
January 14, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Can't wait for people to find out what actually happens in Sunday in the Park with George
Seems like a crime to cinema that they never made a film together @letterboxd.social
January 2, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Seems like a crime to cinema that they never made a film together @letterboxd.social
Reposted by Ashley Gillard
Some international posters of the ultimate Christmas movie
December 24, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Some international posters of the ultimate Christmas movie
Reposted by Ashley Gillard
Full video is here: youtu.be/KIxAKyioXng
Happy Hanukkah
YouTube video by Zohran Mamdani for NYC
youtu.be
December 20, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Full video is here: youtu.be/KIxAKyioXng
Reposted by Ashley Gillard
Thanks to the great @oliviagiovetti.bsky.social, here’s the cricket bat speech. Henry has been asked to evaluate a play by a young guy fresh from prison, whom his very leftie wife has sort of adopted as a pet -
November 29, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Thanks to the great @oliviagiovetti.bsky.social, here’s the cricket bat speech. Henry has been asked to evaluate a play by a young guy fresh from prison, whom his very leftie wife has sort of adopted as a pet -
I hope A Question of Attribution - Alan Bennett's play about Anthony Blunt - gets re-shown on TV again following the death of the GREAT Prunella Scales, because, yes, headlines will justly focus on her Fawlty 'T work (genius), but just watch it - its an UNCANNILY precise and inhabited performance
October 28, 2025 at 4:46 PM
I hope A Question of Attribution - Alan Bennett's play about Anthony Blunt - gets re-shown on TV again following the death of the GREAT Prunella Scales, because, yes, headlines will justly focus on her Fawlty 'T work (genius), but just watch it - its an UNCANNILY precise and inhabited performance
Open the schools, for God’s sake #CelebrityTraitors
October 22, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Open the schools, for God’s sake #CelebrityTraitors