Advocates: Julia McKenzie

Julia McKenzie CBE is an actor and director who has worked extensively in the West End, on Broadway and on television. Her performance as Diana in the television adaptation of Absent Friends led Alan Ayckbourn to cast her in the West End premiere of Woman In Mind, for which she won the Evening Standard Award for Best Actress.

Quotes

"Alan likes women, he understands women and he does write for women. You just feel with him that you could chat about any women's problems. He's in no way not butch, but I can natter on to him like I would to a girlfriend."
(2000)

"Alan was an actor, he knows our insecurities and how we need lots of pats on the back along the way and reining in."
(2011)

A Chorus Of Approval (1999)
In 1999, the Stephen Joseph Theatre held a special event to mark Alan Ayckbourn's 60th birthday. This was accompanied by a publication including tributes from some of the people he has worked with. This is a complete transcript of the contribution.

"A script arriving from Alan is manna from heaven. All you have to do is learn the text faithfully, follow his punctuation meticulously, and lo and behold, you gain a reputation as an Ayckbourn actress - and if he's directing you, sometimes win awards too."

Copyright: Julia McKenzie. All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd, please credit this website if reproduced.