On the first day of rehearsals for Blithe Spirit we had a read through and when Angela chanted a spell as Madame Arcati, it sounded just like her chanting in Bedknobs and Broomsticks. My co-star Patsy Ferran and I locked eyes and melted.
Growing up, I knew Bedknobs and Beauty and the Beast. Only through working with Angela did I realise the extent of her incredible career. I was quite nervous beforehand: what will this person be like? Will they be difficult, will it be tense, is the focus going to be on her instead of the rest of us? All those things can cause an imbalance in a production that has star casting. She was like a rock star in the West End. There were queues every night and the response was incredible, an explosion of love and awe.
