Manchester. 1983.

It's early Monday afternoon and I'm standing at the bottom of a ladder on the stage of the Palace theatre. Footing the ladder along with me is Gil Binks the Chief Electrician. Dave Moore is up the ladder trying to twist the focus knob on a Fresnel lamp on LX bar 1. Even with the use of a spanner for subtle persuasion, he's not having much luck.

We've all been there since nine o clock when the Luckings artic backed up to the scene dock door and we  unloaded the set for a thriller called 'Underground'. The show,  a cut above your bog standard Monday opening play, had  a great set which consisted of an uber realistic London tube carriage.

I remember the opening of the show clearly. The houselights went out and a sound effect of a busy station faded in with 'Mind the gap' and the rumble of closing doors. We hear the whine of the trains motor and the crack of sparks as the train pulls out of the station. The tabs fly out to reveal a crowded carriage thundering top-speed through a black tunnel. The strap hanging actors swayed believably and to complete the illusion, a strip of pigmy bulbs hanging beyond the carriage windows chased to give the impression of forward motion.

The train slows down (well, the chase on the pigmy bulbs is slowed down by the lighting operator and the cast sway a little less frenetically) until eventually slowing to a dead stop. The lights go out. We hear the sound of breaking glass and when the lights come back on one of the passengers is dead.

So starts another run of the mill who-dunnit and we sit for another two hours to find out whom, why and what with.

Anyway, back to lunchtime and the ladder. Dave's still struggling to reduce the size of the lamps beam down to something less than football stadium floodlight. Gil's agitation is starting to show. Usually signalled by a low whine and mutters of "what's he doing?" and rapidly moving onto "For fuck's sake!" before everyone's favourite, an impassioned "Jesus Christ!".

It's at this point that the lead actor, Hollywood and American Television star, Raymond Burr walks onto the stage and greets the Company Manager who is still patiently waiting for Dave to screw down the focus on the 743.

Raymond walks to the front of the stage and squints out to the darkened auditorium before walking up to Gil and  I. He offers an outstretched hand and says "Hi. I'm Raymond. I'm in the show". I take his hand "John".

With this he turns and walks over towards the other side of the ladder. Gil marches towards Raymond and clasps his hand like a long lost relative, and, beaming broadly say's "Pleased to meet you Mister Ironside!"