I first met Barbara Windsor when I was 16, still at school, but going to rehearsals of Joan Littlewood’s production of Henry IV, which was to be presented at the Edinburgh festival. It was 1964 and Barbara was supposed to be playing Doll Tearsheet. However, after a couple of days, she panicked – Joan asked her to read Falstaff, only as an exercise, but she left, a shame because she would have been fine.
The following year she was to star in Lionel Bart’s Twang!!, also directed by Joan. On the first day of rehearsals, I turned up a few minutes late. The door was shut but Barbara came out, remembered me from those two days (she had an excellent memory), told Joan and I was in.
