Many thanks to all at Watford Palace Theatre, especially Brigid Larmour, Harriet Mackie, Dan Baxter, Samantha Ford, for wonderful teamwork and bringing this play to new life and light; to family constellations therapist Gaye Donaldson for probing group explorations into the character and story; to Niamh Cusack at Rose Bruford and to open-hearted volunteers for development workshop, Jasper Hardcastle, Charlotte Slater, James Nickerson, Corinne Powesland, Anna Panzone, Charlotte Tayler; to insightful and skilful actors at development workshops, Ken Christiansen, Samantha Robinson, Anna O’Grady, Terence Frisch; to my trusty agent Caroline Underwood for support and expertise and all at Alan Brodie Representation; to inspired composer, musician and friend Gwyneth Herbert; to director Jennie Darnell for her remarkable insight, warmth and rigour; to Lucy Barrett for invaluable backup; to actors Mark Rice-Oxley, Rebecca Oldfield, Jacob Krichefski and Nadia Clifford for breathing true life into every written word; to Ruari Murchison for his expertise, imagination and practicality; to Emma Hansford, Emma Ryan and Maddie Baylis for doing all they do; to Ben and Jake Garfield, my beloved sons, for love, insights and simply being themselves; to Paul Berrill for love, support and care on many levels.
To Julie Wheelwright and her book Amazons and Military Maids and all at Theatre Centre, young people’s theatre in the early 1990s, especially Becky Chapman, Isobel Hawson and Rosamunde Hutt, and Karen Spicer, Ivan Heng, Jess Charles, Robin Samson, Maria McAteer, Hazel Maycock.
D.S.