The Good Listening To Show: Stories of Distinction & Genius

"Hi-Diddly-Dee-An-Actors-Life-For-Me!" in the Company of Nicholas Collett: Multi-Talented Actor, Director, Theatre Producer & 'One Man Show Specialist', on his Journey Through Theatre, History, and Life's Vibrant Moments

• Chris Grimes - Facilitator. Coach. Motivational Comedian

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Step into the inspiring journey of Nicholas Collett, a multifaceted talent in the world of theatre. Nicholas shares his artistic evolution, highlighting his unique expertise in crafting compelling one-man shows. Together with collaborator Gavin Robertson, Nicholas unveils the comedic adventure spoof "Is that a Whip in your Hand?!," debuting at the Old Laundry Theatre. As we reminisce about our cherished memories together at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and the joy of Medieval Player tours, Nicholas’s storytelling prowess shines through, painting a vibrant picture of rural touring escapades and creative collaborations.

We also embark on a heartfelt journey through personal history, as Nicholas plays tribute to his father’s untold World War II experiences during the Atlantic convoys. This chapter captures the essence of resilience and the cathartic power of storytelling, weaving together service records and veterans’ accounts to piece together a long-overdue narrative. By preserving these fading histories, we honour those who served, with the narrative becoming a detective story to unearth hidden memories, urging listeners to embrace the legacy of their own family stories.

Rounding out this engaging episode, we explore the captivating world of theatre and the personal connections forged through family and sport. From the thrill of live performances to quirky encounters like an unexpected kiss with Jeff Goldblum, we celebrate the serendipity of life's moments. The joy of football fandom, particularly Sheffield Wednesday, illustrates the deep bonds sports can create, as we recall iconic matches and familial experiences. This episode is a tapestry of life’s vibrant moments, inviting listeners to reflect on their own stories and the simple pleasures that bring fulfillment. Tune in to celebrate the art of storytelling and the power of preserving life’s defining moments.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening!

Chris Grimes:

Welcome to another episode of the Good Listening To Show your life and times with me, chris Grimes, the storytelling show that features the Clearing, where all good questions come to get asked and all good stories come to be told, and where all my guests have two things in common they're all creative individuals and all with an interesting story to tell. There are some lovely storytelling metaphors a clearing, a tree, a juicy storytelling exercise called 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, some alchemy, some gold, a cheeky bit of Shakespeare and a cake. So it's all to play for. So, yes, welcome to the Good Listening To Show your life and times with me, chris Grimes, are you sitting comfortably? Then we shall begin.

Chris Grimes:

Ladies and gentlemen, men, men, men, welcome to a very, very auspicious and exciting day. They all are in the Good Listening To Show Cl show clearing. This is the show in which I invite movers, makers, shakers, mavericks, influencers and also personal heroes into a clearing or serious happy place of my guests, choosing to all share with us their stories of distinction and genius. And this is the captain, versatility pants personified mr nicholas collett, who's an actor, and he's an actor, director, producer, writer, a living testament to the versatility of what an actor can become using all of their transferable skills. He's also the king of one man shows and also two handers. That I know you do as well, so you're very, very welcome, nicholas Collett, to the Good Listening 2 Show Clearing.

Nicholas Collett:

Thank you very much for having me, Chris. It's lovely to see you.

Chris Grimes:

Lovely, and that was the sound of one man clapping. No extra charge. You're welcome, but obviously there are billions watching as we broadcast live across the globe. Marvellous, just to blow some extra happy smoke at you, we have the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in common in that we're both alumni and we both both left with the. I think it was the Peter Ackerman, I think you'll find comedy prize.

Nicholas Collett:

Uh, newton Blick, when I got it sorry, so go back a step.

Chris Grimes:

You're Newton Blick's comedy prize, yes, and I'm Peter Ackerman's comedy prize, so same difference. It means that we're both gifted comically, shall we say let's hope so also we.

Chris Grimes:

We did a tour together and I know that you're on tour at the moment. We're going to talk about ghost of a smile. That's happening in north nibbly. Indeed, I love the comedy of locations where rural touring shows go to. I once did a show probably with you in upton, come kexby, yes, and also, thanks to you, I've been to to Kinlochrbevi in Scotland. Do you remember going there? I do, yes, that was back in the day when we were on tour with the medieval players doing a show called Courage way back when.

Nicholas Collett:

Yes, indeed, and we saw seals in the harbour.

Chris Grimes:

We did and I'm glad you remember that's awesome. So you've been on my radar for quite some time to bring you into the clearing, because I perceive you, quite rightly, as being a natural-born storyteller, a very gifted clown and comic actor. If you lived in Bristol I'm sure you'd be in Instant Wit, my comedy improvisation company that I co-run with a wonderful person called Stephanie Weston, but I'm really really excited to have you here. So first, but I'm really really excited to have you here. So first of all, how's morale and what's your story of the day? Please, Nicholas Collett, the technical problems we've been having notwithstanding, Morale is good.

Nicholas Collett:

I am currently working with my dear friend and colleague, gavin Robertson with my director hat on at the moment as we push towards opening his new solo show. Is that a Whip in your Hand, which is, for the sake of clarity? It is a spoof of Indiana Jones Romancing the Stone, national Treasure, any sort of big adventure movie that you can think of.

Chris Grimes:

I'm so happy. It's not a sort of BDSM dungeon or something that's all great.

Nicholas Collett:

It's all sort of shoehorned into just over an hour and it's basically playing to Gavin's strengths. We don't have very much on stage. We have three metal frames that become all sorts of different locations and things and that's all part of the action. I'm sure quite a lot of your listeners, if they're of a certain age, would remember Thunderbirds, fab I was going to mention that.

Chris Grimes:

I saw that at the Edinburgh Festival. I hold him and his puppeteering mime in very high regard. I think it's amazing Hold him and his puppeteering mime in very high regard Amazing.

Nicholas Collett:

Well, yeah, so that's kind of the flavour of the show. So we're opening that tomorrow at the Old Laundry Theatre at Bowness on Windermere.

Chris Grimes:

Just say that lovely place again, the Old.

Nicholas Collett:

Laundry Theatre in Bowness on Windermere.

Chris Grimes:

Love that. That qualifies as a sort of equivalent of Upton Come Kexby. It's very close. So if people don't have a frame of reference, I know I've already blown some happy smoke at you, but what's your favourite way of avoiding or answering the question when someone says, oh hello, what do you do? So how would you describe yourself, nicholas?

Nicholas Collett:

I always say I'm an actor because principally that's what I do. But I'm an actor because principally that's what I do. But, as you mentioned, I do do other stuff as well. So I do. I mean, I do produce, I do direct and I do write.

Chris Grimes:

And sometimes I do one of them and sometimes I do all of them. And Waiting for Hamlet is a lovely title of one of your shows and that's an informal audience with Shakespeare in the pub, which I think is just such a lovely premise.

Nicholas Collett:

Ah, these are two separate things. Uh, wasting for Hamlet is a play that I do with my dear friend Tim Marriott, uh, but uh, the show that I do about Will in the pub is called your Bard ah, I love that.

Chris Grimes:

That's pub landlord. Right there You're barred. I see what you're doing there.

Nicholas Collett:

So yeah, so that's the show that I wrote in 2016. Yeah, some time ago now, but I had. That was kind of like a really lucky break. Gavin and I were offered a place on a writing retreat in Florida. So we went off to Seaside in Florida, which is sort of at the top of the panhandle, nestled between Panama City and Destin. For reference, it's where they shot the Truman Show with Jim Carrey. Yes, yes, so we were there for four weeks and our brief was basically write something. And I had wanted to write a piece about Shakespeare for some time and my wife, lorraine came up with the title. So once I had that and the context of it being in a pub, I was kind of off in a way. So I wanted to write something where Shakespeare kind of says actually, as for all these conspiracy theories, no, I actually did write them.

Chris Grimes:

Yes, to get rid of all that conspiracy theory nonsense. It was me, it was me.

Nicholas Collett:

So you know, and he plays some of his greatest hits. You know there's quite a lot in there about his family and he plays some of his greatest hits. There's quite a lot in there about his family, about Hamlet particularly, and about touring, and of course touring is very much an analogue art form and hasn't really changed in. I don't know however long people have been touring. Yes, certainly during Shakespeare's time. You say you're going to do a play. You turn up at the venue at the time that you said you were going to do it and you do it.

Chris Grimes:

And that's so relatable, the Upton Cumkexpies of the world. It's like you turn up to a dark space and then a light goes on on and, like moths to a flame, people arrive. I mean even in con, like a bevy. We were riffing back in there that you know there'd be a couple of sheep and a stoat watching, but about sort of 50 or 60 people turn up from all parts of the darkness.

Nicholas Collett:

They do fantastic they do. It is an amazing uh experience, uh, and for any uh performers who haven't done any rural touring, yeah, I heartily recommend that you do and, if I may, it makes you an even more quintessential sort of touring minstrel, because you're turning up with really versatile stuff.

Chris Grimes:

I mean, your one-man show, two-man show canon is pretty extraordinary. You're doing one uh called spitfire solo which you've re incorporated. You've reintroduced your canon recently, haven't you?

Nicholas Collett:

yes, um, yes, spitfire's doing some stuff, hopefully doing some more dates next year and which is the show?

Chris Grimes:

sorry to interrupt you with. How's the poignancy with your dad involved as well?

Nicholas Collett:

ah well, no, metal is the show that I've just started doing. Yeah, uh, a metal is about my dad's service on the atlantic convoys. So, um, like a lot of people, my dad didn't really talk about his service. There were some photographs around the house. Um, on my parents golden wedding anniversary, my sister and I turned up to surprise them and we had a boozy lunch and then my dad took me into the dining room at the back of the house, told me to sit down. I've got some things to tell you. So I'm sure a lot of people would react in the same way that I did. Which is what on earth is going on here? And he opened up and he told me some stories about his time in the Navy, and some of it was very funny and some of it was heartbreaking, but I kind of banked the stories. We didn't talk about it much after that, uh, and then much later on um the time.

Chris Grimes:

That's extraordinary. There was just suddenly a need to overspill, it would seem just to, I think, just to sort of let me know.

Nicholas Collett:

Um, and years later, when, when I spoke to a couple of guys who've also been in the Navy about why he did that, one of them told me that he thought my dad was giving me permission, which I found really interesting and in fact, I hadn't really entertained any thought of obviously I banked the stories in the back of my mind.

Nicholas Collett:

Any thought of, obviously I banked the stories in the back of my mind, but when my dad died in 2018 and my sister got his service records, I thought I could write something which would be my tribute to him but also a conversation starter.

Nicholas Collett:

So I've just done about a dozen dates with that now just opened that up and, uh, the it's been extraordinary the number of people coming up after the show who want to share their stories, who tell me that it's really resonated, that it's so important that we preserve these stories and, of course, a lot of them have disappeared. They don't. They don't exist in any form. They may exist in in the form of a memory, because they have told somebody, their loved, a loved one about a certain experience, but the stories just sort of disappear. So my main kind of mission although of course it is a bit late in the day because a lot of people from the second world war have already died, but to try to get people to record these stories if they can there's two things that I'd like to talk to you about.

Chris Grimes:

About that, the idea of metal as a title. Is that test of your metal in terms of mental health and resilience, or is it the clanging ships of the metal infrastructure of the navy?

Nicholas Collett:

well, it's sort of meant to be a little sort of reference to both. The title is metal as in, as in, your, um as in clang, your, your strength of character, yeah, ah, test of metal. Yes, but as you know, I'm from sheffield. Ah, my dad works in the steelworks. Oh gosh, yes. So this is a cleaned of the, an aural pun, I suppose aural pun lovely.

Chris Grimes:

And also the other thing I wanted to mention because of your show, waiting for hamlet. What you're giving testament there to is the line in hamlet to show as twir, the mirror up to nature, which is the power of storytelling in any case, and the fact that you're bearing witness to what your dad gave you permission to do is wonderful, I think yes and uh well, thank you.

Nicholas Collett:

But uh, yeah, it's, it is. It's my tribute to my dad, because the there's well more to one pickick in the show if people want to come and see it. But the holding the mirror up to nature is a line that I use in your Bard, which is all about what Will did. It's the essence. I think it's the kernel of his work.

Chris Grimes:

It's very relatable all of this. Do you mind me asking how long after that um over spilling from your dad in a really positive way? How long after did he last?

Nicholas Collett:

oh well that the initial kind of like disclosure thing was back in 1993. Oh gosh, gosh, gosh, yes, uh, but it kind of just we didn't discuss it again, it just sort of stayed parked, if you know what I mean it's almost like a submariner sealing the hatch again you have very much.

Nicholas Collett:

So kind of like an unburdening, I think. But the interesting thing about it was that, as I discovered, because obviously now we have the internet and we have various ways of people sharing their experiences, so it became a bit of a detective story. So I was able to put together what my dad had told me, match it up with his service records and then compare it to other people's accounts, some of whom had served with my dad actually, who I found had written down their experiences and either published them or put them on the net. And I did find out that he had slightly edited on the fly one of the stories that he told me, and I suspect it was because he didn't want to upset me Because it concerned quite a distressing time. So yeah, it's been a very interesting journey.

Chris Grimes:

And it's been exciting, painful Cathartic as well, I don't doubt. Comic and heartbreaking at times very confusing and sometimes illuminating. So yeah, testament to your art in the golden thread of storytelling and keeping narratives and stories alive, and keeping narratives current and present as well, even though they're in the past.

Nicholas Collett:

Yeah, and, as I said, I think it, for me, one of the most important things is being able to say to other people come tell your story yes, wonderful.

Chris Grimes:

So, nick, it's my great pleasure and delight to be able to now curate you through the story scape of the good, listening to show you're giving me loads of gold in any case. But there's going to be a clearing a tree, a lovely juicy storytelling exercise called five, four, three, two, one. There's going to be some alchemy, some gold, a couple of random squirrels, squirrels, a cheeky bit of shakespeare and a cake. So shakespeare is being reincorporated. See what I'm doing there. It's not a memory test, I'm going to curate you through it. You've given me some of it anyway already, but let's get you into the structure of it. So, coming back to, first of all, the founding premise of the energetic hub is the clearing or the serious happy place of your choosing. So where would you say nicholas collett, actor, writer, director, producer? Where is your clearing? Where do you go to get clutter free, inspirational and able to think?

Nicholas Collett:

okay, well, I live in hastings. So I'm in a delightful part of the world, on the south coast, which is crammed full of history, and we're very lucky where we live because we have the Hastings Country Park, which extends for about eight and a half miles from the East Hill in Hastings and heads along the coast towards Rye. But there is a place called the Fire Hills which is part of the country park and it's quite hilly. The sea is open completely along the coast, so you get a magnificent view. You can see all the way from Hastings right across the Dungeness and during lockdown, when we didn't have any shipping or any other sort of pollution going on, we could quite clearly see across to France. So if I go there, it's the sky, it's the sea, it's the openness, and it really helps me just clear away and just to be able to sort of think straight.

Chris Grimes:

So that's my happy place so fire hill on the coastline of hastings, by a tapestry land as well, because of the battle of hastings? Yes, is that anywhere near? Is fire hill where it happened, or is that anywhere near the battle of hastings?

Nicholas Collett:

no, the fire hills are on the coast. Uh, the battle actually took place in battle itself, which is about, uh, oh gosh, the battle of hastings in in battle itself, which is Vout.

Chris Grimes:

Oh gosh, the Battle of Hastings was in battle. Yes, how convenient. Yeah.

Nicholas Collett:

So there is a great big hill in battle and that's basically where the battle took place, but it is inland, it's not on the coast.

Chris Grimes:

Was the name given to the hill post-battle, or they decided to meet on Battle Hill?

Nicholas Collett:

Because that's obvious, isn't it it which we meet whenever battle on battle hill?

Chris Grimes:

I think I believe it was called battle after the battle, marvelous anyway. Anyway, that was me. I've got a bell for tangents. If I go down a rabbit hole, it's like cashier number four, please. So sorry, I took us down a rabbit hole there. So, um, that's your clearing fire hill in hastings. Now I'm going to arrive with a tree in your clearing and hopefully you're going to enjoy this, because it's a bit deliberately, existentially Waiting for Godot-esque, a bit Beckety. So I'm going to shake your tree now to see which storytelling apples fall out. How'd you like these apples? A couple of comedy props for you. So this is where you've been kind enough to have thought about four things that have shaped you. Yeah, let's call it. Three things that inspire you. Yeah, two things that never fail to grab your attention. And then the quirky or unusual fact about you. We couldn't possibly know about you until you tell us over to you, okay.

Nicholas Collett:

Well, I think I'm going to start with my parents. Uh, I'm sure this will be probably very high up on your list of things that people come out with, but the thing about my mum and dad was that they were real salt-of-the-earth people, but they had a tremendous work ethic. So my dad was a steelworker, my mum was a housewife who did other jobs as well. I mean, if being a housewife isn't enough of a job, it really is full, full time. And I think what's the most important thing was that my mum and dad always encouraged me to not just do my best. They always said if you do your best, we'll never have any cause to have a go at you, but they really encouraged me to do what I wanted to do.

Nicholas Collett:

So when I was about I don't know well, I did plays at junior school and my mum saw something there. When I was about 11, my dad actually saw an article in the Sheffield Star and it was a local amateur operatic society who were looking for chorus for Oliver, and this was the other side of Sheffield. So my dad drove me there. I went in, did the audition, he drove me home and I got offered the Artful Dodger.

Chris Grimes:

I knew you were going to say that how extraordinary Yep makes sense in terms of casting.

Nicholas Collett:

So I'm sure for a lot of parents that might have sounded alarm bells because oh my god he's. You know, you know he's gonna do this. But my mum and dad were really quite focused and and just told me to do my o levels, do my a levels, do the best that you can, and then I got the chance to go to university. So I went to university first and then when I came out, that was Birmingham, wasn't?

Chris Grimes:

it.

Nicholas Collett:

That's right. And then when I was coming out of university, I got offered a place at Bristol, but I got offered the two-year course and not the postgrad. So all of a sudden I had to find kind of like another year's fees and another way of keeping myself alive for another year. So I worked really hard during that summer. I was working like two, three pubs, not getting much sleep, but just kind of pushing, pushing, pushing. I was just at the point where, well, I got some help.

Nicholas Collett:

Um, chris dennis at the theater school said you know, we can get you work at the theater. Um, you know, come, we'll make it work. But um, um, I was just calling home and my dad said, listen, I've taken early retirement, so don't worry, we'll sort it. That was a big deal for me. My dad knew that the steel industry was kind of like in peril anyway, yeah, but it was a massive step. But he always told me that he never, ever regretted it. Um, and he said you know, to be able to sort of watch me grow in my career was, you know, a good thing. So, and my mum too, not not just my dad. So that's sort of that's, yeah.

Chris Grimes:

So what wonderful parents.

Nicholas Collett:

If I guess yes, and they gave me that kind of I mean people are saying that you know why you, why you're still doing all this? Because I love it yes, it's really clear and I want to do it, you know, and there's so much still to do that I haven't done yet, so I just have to keep going and keep on keeping on, because you're keeping going with a wonderful canon of really important stuff.

Chris Grimes:

So this is great. Love that, and also is your mom still with us?

Nicholas Collett:

no, no, my mom died in 2007, dad died in 2018. Uh, bless them. Yeah. So I suppose tied in with that, the next bit for me is education and the people who have inspired me on that part of my journey. So that starts with my drama teacher, dave Dawson, back in Rowlinson in Sheffield.

Nicholas Collett:

Dave was the first person who sort of said to me there's this thing called the national youth theater, have you ever thought of applying for it? And he'd actually got a form. So he said fill this out. I think you have to pay a small fee, but ask your dad or your mom, whatever. And um, so I took the form home, uh, filled it in and sent it off, uh, and I got an audition in manchester to do the junior short course in 1975. Uh, and again, you know, I was thinking, oh god, manchester, and dad said carl, drive you. So, uh, and I got in. And I think that was sort of one of those pivotal moments where you suddenly think I really like doing this and I kind of feel at home when I'm doing it, so maybe I should just do this. And then in the, then the sort of the next stage of education is university. Uh, and my tutors there, a couple of whom I'm still in touch with, is dave dawson still with us, your original teacher.

Chris Grimes:

I don't know, I did lose touch with dave, but you know how wonderful to position him as being the one that gave you the form. That's so wonderful, isn it that doors on lubricated hinges open sometimes when someone just You'd think it's the smallest thing, wouldn't you?

Nicholas Collett:

But, in fact, it changed life. It really did. Yeah, yeah, life-changing Doors opening. I'm still in touch with a lot of my university chums and still in touch with all the people at Bristol you know who are still about.

Chris Grimes:

Yeah, that's Ghost with a Smile at North Nibley. That's what happened.

Nicholas Collett:

Yes, indeed, yes, sorry, yeah. And then I think the next bit of this is really to do with shaping me is my time in the theatre and the people that I've been fortunate enough to work with. When I started, I was doing fortnightly repertory in Basingstoke at the Haymarket Theatre and my first governor was a guy called Ian Mullins. I remember yes, yeah, and Ian. I remember the first time I went in to do my initial audition two pieces in the song you know the drill, you know the drill. And he asked me to come to Basingstoke for a recall at the shrubbery which was the ancestral home of the Burberrys. You know the people who made.

Chris Grimes:

I'm in the writing to the shrubbery yeah, yeah.

Nicholas Collett:

So anyway, I did. He asked me to do the two pieces again and he directed me. And then he asked me for a song, which I did. And then he said have you got any other pieces? And I'm sure, like you, when you left Bristol, you probably had about I don't know, half a dozen, maybe 10. A cannon up your sleeve, pieces of stuff that you could do. Yeah, and I think I ended up doing most of them, yeah. And then he pulled out a side of Side with Rosie and he said just have a look at this. And he said and just give it an airing. So I gave it a reading.

Chris Grimes:

I love that expression. Give it an airing.

Nicholas Collett:

Yeah just, you know, it wasn't like you know, right, I want to learn this and do it now. You know, give it just give it some breath, you know, just give it a try. And um, it was. The is the bit where he is, uh, where young laurie lee is with rosie under the the car, drinking cider, and leading to possibly his first intimate experience. And it ends with this beautiful line, which is we kissed once, only so dry and shy. It was like two leaves colliding in midair Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee. How beautiful. Yeah, and that was my first pro job.

Nicholas Collett:

I was playing young Laurie Lee in Cider with Rosie, and when I got the job offer through officially, through my agent, I then got a phone call from Ian to say, by the way, can you play the violin? No, I can't Do. You think you could learn three tunes in time for opening night. And this is sort of one of those experiences that really it shapes you because you get pushed, yes, it shapes you because you get pushed, yes. So I got assigned a violin teacher, a lady called Judith, who I saw a couple of years ago actually, and she basically said, right, well, normally it takes about two years to do this.

Nicholas Collett:

We'll work with three weeks weeks. Let's give it a shot. Tell me something really shocking um and uh, I had a, I had a go, I had a good go at it. And uh, some nights it might be a bit cre, but some nights it was not too bad possible. But I do remember.

Chris Grimes:

By the way, your Tell Me Something Shocking is a John Gielgud story, isn't it? Yes, it is. It might be worth just positioning that. Do you want to tell us that story? Because that is funny.

Nicholas Collett:

I think it's Gielgud and they're doing Oedipus at the Old Vic and yeah, he's kind of like he's a very bold young director and Gielgud is quite an experienced old hand and they're running a scene and he comes to the front and he said this is really boring, really boring. Come on, dig down, tell me something really shocking. And Gielgud just stepped forward and said we open in two weeks.

Chris Grimes:

Lovely. That's enough. Shock and actors thrive on deadlines. That's great. Sorry, that was a rabbit hole. If you want number two please.

Nicholas Collett:

Let's just keep down that rabbit hole just for one second. Sure, the adjunct to that story is when he wanted Jocasta to impale herself on this plinth and Gilgud was at the back and just said which plinth? Plinth Philip or plinth Charles?

Chris Grimes:

Thank you for staying in that rabbit hole. Out that rabbit hole now come on. I heard the version of it where John Gilgud was slightly irked or pissed off with the fact that they were fanning around doing lots of theater games when he just wanted to get on with the play.

Nicholas Collett:

Yeah, absolutely yeah yeah, um, so, yeah, so, uh, I think because, look, I've I've really enjoyed the tv stuff that I've done. I've really enjoyed doing the commercials that I've shot. But the live aspect of theatre, knowing that that moment is just completely individually cast in history, yes, and you and the audience share that moment, for me it's still really exciting. You know, that really does get the blood going. Every sense is alive, every bit of you is switched on um. I'm not saying that doesn't happen when you're doing tv and film, but of course there isn't the audience reaction. Yes, absolutely that's, that's, that's the thing, um, so that has sort of shaped me as well, and presumably you can still bang out the three tunes on the violin.

Nicholas Collett:

Good, I haven't picked up a violin since that day. I think I used to play the guitar. But again, sometimes you just get too busy and you just don't have the time to be able to devote to it.

Chris Grimes:

Uh, and very nice to be in mullins, because often actors are not cast if they can't play the instruments. All about the instrument?

Nicholas Collett:

oh yeah, absolutely yeah, uh, well, I did continue. I played the guitar, so that came in handy for things like the cherry orchard for yappy hard off and other bits. But um, yeah, uh, I think it was also. Ian had a very simple directional style, which was more or less can you, can you do more? He did actually say. He came to me after we'd sort of done and he used to give him.

Nicholas Collett:

Oh, that comes back to Oliver, yeah yeah, and he said, you know, in this bit it just needs a bit more. And I went a bit more what? And he said, well, a bit more acting.

Chris Grimes:

Yes, be less shit.

Nicholas Collett:

Sometimes that's all you need. You just need to to, sort of, you know, dial it up a bit, that's all lovely so parents, education, theater and family.

Nicholas Collett:

so, uh, yeah, my family, uh so, my wife, lorraine, and my, my children, grace and tom. How old are grace and tom? Well, grace is 29 and Tom is 22. And they are my inspiration a lot of the time and they are immensely supportive and incredibly loyal and strong. And it's certainly not an easy job and it's not easy having a dad who is an actor, who is sometimes away, but they are amazing and, um, I just thought I'd take this opportunity to say out loud that I love them very much lovely and have they gone into into the creative arts themselves?

Nicholas Collett:

uh, grace is currently in edinburgh. She did an acting degree at falmouth, so, uh, she's sort of, yeah, she's performing, she's doing stuff. Uh, tom is currently at the university of kent in canterbury studying history, but he has been, uh, uh, he was a child actor, so, uh, he did uh, some tv and stuff. And my darling wife, uh, we met at the royal shakespeare company when she was, um, uh, a wiggy in the wig room A wiggy, yeah, so she's a hair and makeup artist.

Chris Grimes:

I think you'd already met her circa 1989, which is how long ago we worked together.

Nicholas Collett:

That's right. 87 we met.

Chris Grimes:

And I'm so happy that you've lasted the test of time.

Nicholas Collett:

Well, yes, it's not been easy.

Chris Grimes:

You have not been easy to live with and I'm sure, yes, yes, that's wonderful. Your family unit sounds absolutely glorious well we're still here.

Nicholas Collett:

I think that's uh one of the one of the best things you can say, really lovely and now, uh, three things that inspire you.

Chris Grimes:

If there's any overlap, that's obviously completely understandable, but three things I did.

Nicholas Collett:

I know you said don't overthink it, so I didn't and I was thinking things that really inspire me. Um, mozart, mozart. I find, uh, if ever I'm, if ever I'm in the car driving somewhere and I just need to kind of zen A bit of Mozart for CDs in the car. So, bung, one of those on. That's genius to me, the way that he articulates thoughts through music. Just fantastic, and in fact in sort of in league with that are musicians, and I find watching people play live music. If you've had any sort of brush with it, you know how hard it is.

Nicholas Collett:

So um a few years ago now I did, I did um a play about brahms and we had, uh, a live violinist, uh, as part of the cast. So the the first time we did this show for reels was we actually launched it in Adelaide in South Australia, and I had been randomly working with a Korean theatre company in Seoul and at a dinner I was introduced to this lovely woman. We were just chatting and I said what do you do? And she said I'm a violinist and we were looking for a violinist at the time. Do you mind me asking what standard you play at? And she said concert, kind of quite matter-of-factly. So I kind of asked our director and producer and they said, oh yeah, she was taught by like, the world's greatest violin teacher in Seoul.

Nicholas Collett:

So yeah she's actually pretty good. So Aram well, that is her name. Say it again Aram Aram came to Australia because South Korea and Australia have a kind of an extra work exchange thing, so she didn't need a visa or anything like that and she came to Australia and worked with us on that show and what was Aram's second name? Min. Aram Min, love that. What a great name. Yeah, no, she's fair. Did you say Aram Min, you're?

Chris Grimes:

in no, no, she's fair. Did you say Adam in, you're in?

Nicholas Collett:

No, but I wish I had. So it was just brilliant listening to her kind of like warming up every night and then she would have to play a bit of the Brahms violin sonata and I'm sure a lot of your listeners will know that piece. But it's beautiful, it's lyrical, it's devilishly hard to play.

Chris Grimes:

When you listen to this again. My podcast editor is a genius at texturing under the surface, so there'll be a little bit of brahms happening here. What's your favorite mozart piece? Oh gosh, that's really hard.

Nicholas Collett:

Um oh um. No, it's the piece that's played in amadeus, where salieri describes it being like it opens like a rusty squeeze box, and then there is this oboe that comes over the top, which is, uh, he just said, he sort of you know, it sails over the top of this and it's just completely, it, completely sort of you know I love it when an oboe sails over the top, don't you?

Chris Grimes:

yeah, yeah, indeed. So we'll see if we can bung in texture and a bit of Brahms and a bit of Mozart. How cool is that.

Nicholas Collett:

And the other inspiring thing look, we live in a world of inspiring people. Watching other people work is often inspiring. But I thought I would bung in athletes because B? Bung in athletes, because Bung in athletes. When I was younger I used to run and you know I kind of ran distance. I used to run half marathons and stuff at charity and that's a very freeing thing. But when you watch athletes at top level, the discipline and the amount of work they do and the headspace that they have to be in to deliver a world-class performance, I just find completely extraordinary.

Chris Grimes:

So yeah, lovely three inspirers, and now the squirrels. Two things, but squirrels borrow from the film up where the dog goes. Oh squirrels, what are your monsters of distraction, what are your squirrels?

Nicholas Collett:

you're allowed two squirrels, please, and all right, I love good news stories and you don't see many of them about. But when you do see them I kind of go ah, brilliant. You know, we should be having more of that. You know, I've often thought we should have a good news channel rather than just a news channel. You know, why don't we just have a good news channel where we feature brilliant stories where people have done something fantastic and celebrate it?

Chris Grimes:

um, the idea in there. I love that beautiful uh, what's it?

Nicholas Collett:

yeah, okay, all right, listen, I'm a sheffield wednesday fan.

Chris Grimes:

Um, that's my particular cross that I saw sheffield united, which I know is not the same, but two nights ago with Bristol City. Ah, yes, of course, but I thought of you because I remember Sheffield, but I thought, ah, I think it's Wednesday. It is Wednesday, is that because they only play on?

Nicholas Collett:

a Wednesday? Well, yes, because originally it was the half day, so that was the time when they were able to play together. So yeah, able to. Um, so yeah, so that is if my team win, or if there's anything about wednesday in the news or whatever. It is a bit. What was that?

Chris Grimes:

I love that, so your squirrels are related.

Nicholas Collett:

It's good news and sheffield wednesday winning yes, sort of, although that doesn't often intertwine at the moment.

Chris Grimes:

Yes, the legacy of sports fandom.

Nicholas Collett:

Yes, I mean, I've never been able to understand the people who can switch allegiance. My dad took me to see Wednesday play Manchester United in 1968. And we were sat above the players' tunnel and I watched Bobby Charlton, nobby Styles Wow, you know, dennis Law, george Best, all kind of trot out and we beat them 5-4. And how could I ever support another team apart from Wednesday, you know, especially when it's in your family?

Chris Grimes:

Yeah, so, um Well, he didn't abandon shit and went to man United, did he?

Nicholas Collett:

No, no, no, I mean you know we've had a rough time of it since we got Radgeiser from the premiership in 99. But, um, yeah, and I still time of it since we got Red Gator from the Premiership in 99. If time allows, on tour sometimes I have been able to get to see a game. There is a lovely connection of that's my team for better or worse. Yes, lovely.

Chris Grimes:

An anchor point for you all your life. I love the fact you saw back in the day the man United super squad Fantastic. Yeah, Sorry, the Sheffield Wednesday super squad, I should have said because they'd been in 5-4.

Nicholas Collett:

Yeah, it was a fantastic day. My dad and I walked back from the ground back into town, and we were being jostled, we were in a mad crowd and all that, uh, and my dad didn't he? He was sort of holding my hand to make sure I didn't get lost, uh, and I think it must have probably been about a mile, maybe a bit more than that, uh, to get back into town, but it was like walking on air, you know.

Chris Grimes:

yes, glorious great squirrels that are related. I love that. And now a quirky or unusual fact. Now is what the one stands for. A quirky, unusual fact about you, nicholas collett we couldn't know until you tell us uh, okay.

Nicholas Collett:

Um well, some people will know this. Here's a quirky one for you. I kissed jeff goldblum.

Chris Grimes:

We've all done. We haven't all done it. That was a lie, so just unpack that. Well, I did a commercial for it won an award. It was called Laptop or something, wasn't it? Yes, that's right.

Nicholas Collett:

The Curries, and the premise of this is that people are giving each other terrible presents for Christmas and Jeff Goldblum comes in and and uses acting to get around these awkward moments. Uh, so, um, I knew when I got the job that part of the script was that, uh, he, he takes on the character of my wife and pretends to sort of like this horrendous present I've given her, which, instead of a laptop, is actually a jigsaw puzzle of baked beans, and he swaps glasses with her and thus swaps persona and basically then says you know how, did you know what a sensitive and lovely gift. And thank you and I love you. And I just pile in and snog him. Is he a good kisser? But the director the director, a guy called David Shane, very mischievous, basically just said kiss him twice because he won't expect that. So I did, and it really just was a one-take. You couldn't replicate it, and that's the one they use in the ad. But as Jeff pulls away, he looks at me as if to say I don't know whether to beat you or laugh.

Chris Grimes:

A perfect moment of spontaneity, if I may say yeah.

Nicholas Collett:

so there's the quirky for you.

Chris Grimes:

Great. We have shaken your tree and now we're going to talk about alchemy and gold. When you're at purpose and in flow, nicholas Collett, what are you absolutely happiest doing and what you're here to reveal to the world?

Nicholas Collett:

Yeah, well doing it basically. Yeah, well doing it basically. When I just opened Metal, which is kind of is in the show a little bit, my brother died in August, oh gosh. And so when I was opening the show in September, that grief was still real. So I really had to kind of use every ounce of technique Ducky, as we know, for reference to Rudy Shelley and really fully concentrate on delivering the performance.

Chris Grimes:

And I'm so sorry about your brother blimey.

Nicholas Collett:

Look, you know, life is what it is. You know, it's just one of those things. If anything, it just made me concentrate even more on making sure that I didn't muff it. So that's when I'm sort of in yes, in flow, in flow, yeah.

Chris Grimes:

And now I'm going to award you with a cake, Nicholas Collett. So do you like cake? First of all, I love cake.

Nicholas Collett:

I love cake in all its many and varied forms.

Chris Grimes:

I'm so sorry. This is a virtual cake, but when we next meet which I want to make a point of doing I want to give you a cake. So what cake would you like, please? I'd like a Victoria sponge, please. Victoria sponge is yours. Now you get to put a cherry on the cake with stuff like what's a favourite inspirational quote that's always given you sucker and pulled you towards your future.

Nicholas Collett:

Okay, Well, one inspirational thing that I really like is Amelia Earhart's quote the best way to do it is to do it Perfect.

Chris Grimes:

Amelia Earhart, who went missing. But the only way to do it is to do it. She was the first she flew across the Atlantic, didn't she?

Nicholas Collett:

Or allegedly- Extraordinary woman is to do it. She was the first. She flew across the atlantic, didn't she? Or allegedly ordinary woman, quite yes. And of the 99, which was um, a group of inspirational women with the aim of inspiring young women to do what they wanted to do say the title of that again. I I heard the 99, but 99, yeah, so it's basically inspiring young women A group of 99 women female achievers who were banded together to inspire young women to do what they wanted to do.

Chris Grimes:

That is truly an inspirational quote about the action towards. It's always going to be about change and progress. The only way to do it is to do it. I love that. That resonates with all the other sort of type of work that I do as well, in terms of coaching people to get clearer about what to do. Um, so now? Um, what's the best piece of advice you've ever been given, nicholas?

Nicholas Collett:

I was working in jersey in 1986 and I was doing a version of pinocchio and the musical director was a guy called Gary Lloyd. Gary was a smashing character, very funny, and I remember having a chat with him. Somebody come and said da-da-da, we're going to do this, but don't worry, it should be easy. And they left the room and Gary looked at me and and said da-da-da, we're going to do this, but don't worry, it should be easy. And they left the room and Gary looked at me and just said nothing is easy.

Chris Grimes:

The trick is to make it look easy, of course.

Nicholas Collett:

Well, yeah, but it really stuck with me because when everybody's sort of coasting, that's when things screw up yes, it's always been. For me it's kind of like, yeah, it's a watchword as much, as nothing is easy Once you're over the line, then you can have a beer.

Chris Grimes:

Once the oboe is flying overhead, then you can have your beer. Yes, let us salute the flying obvo I just did and uh, with the gift of hindsight, what notes, help or advice might you proffer to a younger version of yourself?

Nicholas Collett:

actor, director, producer, writer, nicholas collett uh, oh, I would probably say if I was guilty of anything when I was younger, it was probably being a bit modest about stuff. I wish I'd actually sort of pushed myself a bit more. I mean, you know, we all do things in our own way. But yeah, I would have said to myself don't worry, don't worry just do it.

Chris Grimes:

Lovely, we're ramping up to shakespeare shortly. Oh yeah, actual piece of. Well, it's not a first folio, but this is the actual book I bought to go to the bristol obit theater school. So it says chris grimes 16 986 in this book. So when I started to do this, it became a very authentic prop for me. So in a moment we're going to borrow from the seven ages of man's speech, jake quees, as you like it, to talk about legacy. Yeah, just before we do that, this is the pass the golden bat moment, please. So now you've experienced this from within, who would you most like to pass the golden baton along to in order to keep the golden thread of the storytelling going?

Nicholas Collett:

um, well, I'm going to pass it to my friend and colleague, gavin robertson. How wonderful gavin and I met in 2007, when he was um recently arrived and we ended up working on something together and we became friends and we've worked together a lot and I think it would be very interesting to hear Gavin's responses to these, to these things.

Chris Grimes:

So and he's recently recovered from something too. You mentioned that he the show must go on.

Nicholas Collett:

He had something happen to him didn't he Just, you know, a little sort of life hiccup, but nothing serious. A hiccup, yes, yeah, so, but yes, he's. Yeah, I think it'd be really good for your listeners to hear Gav's story, because it's very interesting.

Chris Grimes:

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to furnish me with a warm introduction and warn him that I'm coming for him.

Nicholas Collett:

I will, I'll do that very thing.

Chris Grimes:

And now, inspired by Shakespeare, all the world's a stage and all the billy players. How, when all is said and done, Nicholas Collett, would you most like to be remembered?

Nicholas Collett:

Well, I've always thought that, um, if you are sort of remembered with some affection by your peers, that's the most important thing, um to to being able to do a good job. I think that's probably that's as much as any of us could hope for. Really, in this business of ours, everything's so ephemeral and just sort of disappears. You know, that night in the theatre, that was that moment in time, just then. You can't really capture it, you can't really film it.

Chris Grimes:

You had to be there, and if I've, you know, know, made somebody laugh or made them think, or give them an enjoyable evening, then great I love that he did a good job and that I don't doubt that that legacy in terms of your family and being a dad and being a partner and all that and and your work, that legacy is secure. Nicholas Collett, that's really clear. There's lovely seismic depth to the quality of you keeping on keeping going by keeping on keeping on, if you know what I mean.

Nicholas Collett:

Still so much to do.

Chris Grimes:

Yes, there's still shit to do. And now this is a lovely new thing, which is called Show Me your QR Code, please. So here we go. This is we've just got to quickly mention. This is your website. Just if you scan on that qr code, you might be having trouble with your security certificate, which I tried to tell you yesterday I know, I know I've got to get that sorted, but you should be able to get it's a lovely website and a testament to your wonderful versatility.

Chris Grimes:

And then here comes another qr code, this qr code going in five, four, three, two, one. Here comes another one. Ghost of a smile in north nibbly, please come and see saturday, 30th of november. Why I can't come, it's because it's that's my wife's 60th birthday. So I definitely can't come that night, but I would perfectly reasonable explanation and I love it. It's tails with a tingle and a giggle and the bar will be open.

Chris Grimes:

I would have been there at. The bar will be open anyway, you've had me at the bar and, yes, where else can we find out all about you on the interweb, in terms of other social media platforms?

Nicholas Collett:

yeah, well, I'm on facebook, nicholas collett actor. Uh. On twitter uh, it's Nicholas Collett actor. On Twitter, it's Nicholas Collett Productions. Insta is Nicholas Collett, so yeah.

Chris Grimes:

Nicholas Collett. Google that beautiful man, and all will become clear.

Nicholas Collett:

I'm on all of those.

Chris Grimes:

As this has been your moment in the sunshine, in the Good, listening To show Stories of Distinction and Genius. Is there anything else you'd like to say?

Nicholas Collett:

nicholas collett, well, I thought, uh, I would share with you my one of my favorite shakespeare quotes. Um, and it's from a particular favorite of mine, the winter's tale, which I did when I was at the royal shakespeare company and I produced in 1996 with the company I co-founded, third Party. And I love the Winter's Tale because it takes a lot for forgiveness and to be able to move forward. And the Winter's Tale is quite a hard story. It shapes the foundations a bit. But at the end there is a lovely moment where Paulina is revealing that the statue supposedly of Leontes' wife is actually her in real life. Leontes basically says you know, what do I need to do for this miracle to happen? And Paulina says it is required you do awake your faith. And there is something about that act of faith, something about that act of faith, and it's not necessarily in a religious context. It's about taking that first step.

Chris Grimes:

It's about holding the hand out, making the connection, and I really like that and just say it one more time with a deliberate act of reincorporation.

Chris Grimes:

It is required you do awake your faith. Ladies and gentlemen, you've been listening to the absolute delight that is Nicholas Collett actor, writer, director, producer. Just a quick plug If you'd like to be in the show too, and you'd like a conversation about doing that, have a look at the Good Listening To Show website in my own. Show Me your QR Code section. Please show too. And you'd like a conversation about doing that? Have a look at the good listening to show website in my own. Show me your qr code section, please. So if you scan this little monkey, that'll take you straight to the good listening to showcom website, and if you're in the show, you're also featured on my show on uk health radio, whereby you'll get an audience reach of about 54 countries and 1.4 million listeners and growing. It's all very exciting. Hence, be in the show, tell your story, amplify your brand.

Chris Grimes:

You're already watching here on linkedin, but don't forget if you'd like to connect with me on linkedin. There it is again. There's another qr code. Connect with me on linkedin, please. Uh, and then, um, I'll just reincorporate nick's one again in a moment. Now I'm having trouble with the qr codes. It's all got too technical. So, yes, thank you very much indeed for watching. Just to double, double, double check. Is there anything else you'd like to say now, nick?

Nicholas Collett:

No, just thank you so much for having me on, Chris. It's been an absolute delight.

Chris Grimes:

Me too, and just to quickly ask for an immediate bit of feedback. What was it like for you being curated through this structure? What do you think of the format?

Nicholas Collett:

Yeah, really, really interesting, because it does make you focus on um key points in your life and, uh, and have a bit of fun while we're doing it.

Chris Grimes:

Thank you and just as a segue into the fact, there are seven different series strands, one of which is, uh, called legacy life reflections. You mentioned your brother dying in august. My dad died in august, two months ago, and I'd like to dedicate this episode to the memory of my father and and I'm going to just leave with playing out with a bit of music about a series strand which is called Legacy Life Reflections, which is the opportunity to use this structure to record the story of somebody near, dear or close to you for posterity, before it's too late.

Chris Grimes:

Thanks for watching everyone and good night.

Chris Grimes:

You've been listening to the Good Listening To Show with me, chris grimes. If you'd like to be in the show too, or indeed gift an episode to capture the story of someone else, with me as your host, then you can find out how care of the series strands at the good listening to showcom website, and one of these series strands is called legacy life reflections. If you've been thinking about how to go about recording your life story or the life story of somebody close to you for posterity, but in a really interesting, effortless and creative way, then maybe the Good Listening To show can help. Using the unique structure of the show. I'll be your host as together we take a trip down memory lane to record the 5, 4, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1 of either your or their life story, and then you can decide whether you go public or private with your episode. Get in touch if you'd like to find out more. Tune in next week for more stories from the clearing, and don't forget to subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts.