Gyles has been an admirer of this guest since the 1960s: it's the great actor, Sir Derek Jacobi. Ever since he was recruited into Sir Laurence Olivier's bold new National Theatre at the Old Vic, Jacobi has been at the forefront of British acting talent. Gyles has seen him on stage many times - in Olivier's famous production of Othello, in Much Ado About Nothing, in Cyrano de Bergerac. You may also know Derek from his brilliant TV work - in I, Claudius and Last Tango in Halifax... he's also the voice of In The Night Garden. In this warm and rambling conversation, Derek tells Gyles about his young life in Leytonstone in East London, where his father owned a confectioners shop. He tells him about his childhood love of dressing up and his early exposure to theatre, when he was picked to go up on stage at the Palladium. He tells Gyles about his experience of stage fright and about his happy marriage. This is a wonderful episode with a great, and charming, man. Enjoy this. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction by Gyles Brandreth 01:06 Childhood memories 03:47 How his parents, Alf and Daisy, met 05:40 Contracting rheumatic fever as a child 09:47 Ruining his mother's wedding veil 13:54 Growing up as an "adored" only child 16:15 First time on stage 19:34 Playing Hamlet 23:13 Richard Burton 27:23 University life at Cambridge 39:17 Laurence Olivier 49:50 Landing the lead in I, Claudius 52:46 Stage fright 57:13 Moment of Joy, Sadness & Life lessons Links: Rosebud Archive - https://www.rosebudpodcast.co.uk/ Instagram - / therosebudp. . Rosebud Reflections - / 782397874458836 Join the Rosebud Family: https://www.patreon.com/Rosebud #gylesbrandreth #rosebudpodcast #rosebud #derekjacobi #iclaudius #laurenceolivier #hamlet #lasttangoinhalifax #sirderekjacobi