In 2005 Mary Bartholomew wrote a short retrospective of her life for a Spotlight feature in the programme for the Rep's production of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. We reprint it in full below. 

"I joined the Rep in 1951 (an awfully long time ago…remember, George VI was still King). On that autumn night I entered the Ladie’s Dressing Room where I discovered a group of approximately twenty people assembled – the entire Rep company in those days! A play had been chosen – Arms and the Man – and then cast. Being extremely youthful, I was cast (in the Rep tradition) as Mother, ‘a woman over forty’.  The play ran for one week and that was the end of the 1951-52 season and also, seemingly, the end of my acting career. However, things did improve!

 

During the next two seasons I played a young housewife, a prostitute, a Greek matron and a zany American – no lack of variety there! The zany American was from the play To Dorothy a Son which was enormous fun and was the first play in which I acted with Humphrey Kennerell, a wonderful comic actor with flawless timing.

 

From 1954, I was at Bretton, Wakefield, for two years learning even more of the ‘Drama’ which meant that I was really not that involved with the Rep.

 

Since the sixties, I have been in countless plays and also directed a few. There ae a handful of plays that I remember with great affection. Working with Ken Lowe in Forty Years On, Ring Round The Moon (twice), Uncle Vanya and The Chalk Garden which was memorable for one particular scene which required the actors to be able to speak whilst dining. With Ken’s persistence and love of detail we did succeed, but believe you me, you can’t speak and eat lettuce at the same time!
 

Working with Peter Legge on The Rehearsal was another very special experience; as a cast we managed to build a rapport with each other which proved invaluable on the last night. Celebrating our success too early, we had little sleep and our concentration was challenged to the absolute limit, but we did manage to pull it off. We gave an electrifying performance, but please, youngsters of today, do not try it – you need your sleep.

 

The Rep has been a significant part of my life as I have met great people and made many long-lasting friendships.
 

 

Can’t be bad.”