[spoilers] Nicola Walker

[DogSoSmall]

I've been avoiding the forum and reading speculations about Spooks S10 because I couldn't cope in the end with all the speculation and over-thinking (I am just wallowing in the orgy of Peter Firth loveliness that is the series so far!). However, I had to come back here to say that I saw Nicola in "Di and Viv and Rose" last night and it was overwhelmingly wonderful. It was a very beautiful, funny and moving play about a very realistic friendship and it was acted by three exceptionally accomplished actors. I can't describe just how amazing it was to be sitting six feet from this kind of talent. The play was long and wordy (those scripts must have been difficult to learn) but there was never a moment when it didn't seem utterly real. Those three ladies did not seem to be speaking lines - they were living lives. The characterisations were superb and I should imagine most people in the audience related to one or other of the characters. For me it was Nicola's character, Viv. She had a number of lines that really hit home for me. There was one moment when Tamsin Outhwaite made a very moving speech and judging by the sniffles coming from around the auditorium I wasn't the only one in tears. That has never happened to me in a theatre before. I was really lucky to meet Nicola afterwards. I was still feeling seriously overwhelmed by the experience so couldn't string a sensible word together, but she said something very interesting about a moment at the end of the play when she had been in tears. She said it wasn't supposed to happen (and the director might be cross!), but she had been very struck by a thought about Tamsin's character Di (can't say what in case people are going to see the play) and it had moved her to tears. What was so lovely was she was talking as Viv, thinking about Di, as if they really were those people. I think that is why it came across so truthfully to the audience. I know this performance is a sell out, but they do sometimes get returns and if you can, you have got to see this play. It was a privelege to be in the audience.

(It felt a bit insulting to even mention Spooks to Nicola after seeing her in such a wonderful piece of work, but I did just ask for a small piece of reassurance. She made me feel better!)