HAYLEY Mills was opening last night in what she described as one of
the best musical comedy roles of her career.
She stars as the frustrated Countess of Chell in a new musical version
of The Card which was one of Britain's comedy films in 1952 with Valerie
Hobson and Alec Guinness. When it eventually goes on tour, it will be
seen in Edinburgh.
Hayley, the daughter of Sir John Mills, was a child star in films such
as Tiger Bay and Whistle Down the Wind and appeared in her first musical
in 1972 at the Bristol Old Vic. She last went on tour in a production of
The King and I.
She said last night: ''I love musicals and this one is terribly
exciting so it is wonderful to be involved in one again. I am almost
awestruck because everybody in the company is so talented and is such
fun.
''We watched the film when we started rehearsing and Valerie Hobson
had such wonderful style as the Countess and Alec Guinness was superb.
But we have done a lot of rewrites on the script since and it has
changed a lot, so it has been quite hard work to get it ready.
''There was a charming benevolence about her where she has been put on
a pedestal but wants people to accept her.''
The show opened last night at London's Regents Park Open Air Theatre
with former Blue Peter star Peter Duncan in the Guinness role as the
working class boy who climbs the social ladder by sheer cheek.
Ms Mills said: ''He is a lovely character and Peter plays it
brilliantly because the character sees everyone as equals, which the
countess loves.
''It is an unashamedly capitalist musical about making pots of money
and climbing the ladder and I get to wear some wonderful costumes.''
The play has been adapted from the original Arnold Bennett novel by
Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall with music by Tony Hatch.
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