There's Something I've Been Dying to Tell You by Lynda Bellingham

had the onerous task of spending a morning snogging five young handsome Polish actors. I didn’t mention this to hubbie at the time!
    Kay Mellor, who wrote the play and was to direct it, and David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers, the producers, all sat in the stalls and watched with great glee as I grappled with my would-be lovers. I can’t remember whether Mateusz Demięcki came in second or third, but it was one of those theatrical moments where, when he opened his mouth to speak, we all just stopped and watched, completely caught up in his performance. He had learned the lines for the scenes instead of reading them, which is always very impressive, and he had no inhibitions at all – and just swept me up in his arms and made love to me there and then. Well of course when I say “made love to me” he was acting! But he was fantastic. After he had left the stage we all recovered our breath, especially me. I was having a hot flush, frankly!
    David said we must see all the other actors before we made any decisions, and of course that is absolutely right. We did so and then we broke for lunch and went to sit at a table in the alleyway outside Sheekey’s. There really was no contest and David rang Mateusz and told him to come back at two o’clock to go through the scenes again. All those other poor lads had all day to wander around until their flight back in the evening. Two o’clock duly arrived and we all trooped back into the theatre. I had had a glass of wine to fortify myself against another onslaught of passion. Who am I kidding? I couldn’t wait! Sorry, hubbie, I’m only joking.
    After we had gone through the scenes again David came up onto the stage and announced that Mateusz had got the job. The young man looked absolutely stunned and said, ‘Please don’t make joke with me. Is this candid camera?’
    David was so excited. He told me later that one of his most favourite things in life is when he gets to tell someone they have got the job, which I thought was so lovely of him. We all went back to Sheekey’s in the alley and had a glass of champagne to celebrate, and as we were sitting there a man came over and asked Mateusz for his autograph. They had a conversation in Polish and then the man left happily clutching his piece of paper.
    ‘I am so sorry, Mateusz,’ I said. ‘Are you very famous in Poland?’ It had not occurred to any of us, I don’t think, that maybe this very talented young man had a great career in another country.
    ‘No not really,’ he replied modestly. ‘I did a series for TV and everyone got to know me a little bit.’
    A little bit?! It turns out he is the sort of David Tennant of Poland and his whole family is in the theatre. He works for their National Theatre and is feted wherever he goes. Not great news for our producers, who could see the wage bill rising in their mind’s eye! But great news for the play and, as we waved goodbye at the end of the day and agreed we were all looking forward to the read through in a few weeks’ time, I was on cloud nine.
     
    The day of the read through did indeed arrive on 28 June 2013, a day I will never forget. I had been told there was a problem with a shadow on my liver that morning, and that I must cancel my holiday to Greece, starting that Sunday, and go and see a colon specialist on the Tuesday.
    By the time I got to the read through I was in pieces. I told no one except dear Chris Timothy, who just gave me a big hug and said to try not to think about it until Tuesday. Just enjoy today. I took his advice and threw myself, heart and soul, into that read through. When we had done I was on such a high but as I gradually came down to earth while we sat celebrating the successful read through, I could no longer push the negative thoughts aside. Thank God my wonderful, special husband came round the corner in the nick of time and whisked me away.
    We decided to meet our dear friends Angie and John Chandler for lunch on the Saturday and we discussed