Alone in their dressing room and away from the glare of the spotlight, this is the precious time when an actor has the chance to reflect on the most momentous events of their lives on the stage.

In this series of single-voice narratives, five of our most celebrated stars of the late 19th and early 20th century theatre share memories of the performances that changed their lives forever.

The stories are, by turn, touching, hilarious, emotionally-charged, heart-warming and poignant. Each of them, in their own way, is delightfully counterintuitive – familiar characters maybe, but each with an unfamiliar story to tell.

In Mrs Watts Goes Missing, the year is 1876 and we find ourselves at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London’s West End in the company of Dame Ellen Terry. The leading Shakespearian actress of her age, Ellen Terry spent close on seven decades on the stage.

Writer: Roy Apps
Reader: Janie Dee
Director: Celia de Wolff
Executive Producer: Peter Hoare
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4 Show less