On one of my last days of the residency, I visited with Sam Levy and Thom Clay, lovely familiar faces from the Summer Play Festival. It was great to see them again.

And then the day arrived for the reading. Oddly enough, I wasn’t all that nervous. I only had a chance to spend an hour at the full rehearsal day, but I could tell I was in good hands with my director, Abbey Wright, and with the cast that had been assembled by Anne McNulty and Vicky Richardson, of the Donmar Warehouse. All of the actors were British, but their American accents were very good.

They seemed to really like the play, which made me feel all the more at ease. Robert Glenister was a superb Roddy. And Sinead Matthews was wonderful as Julie Ray. Noel Clarke was an excellent Hunter. And Adam Gillen was tremendous as the cajoling Young Roddy trying to get his father to hand over the keys so he could help his wounded brother. Finally, Susanna Harker was perfect in the role of the Woman, and Annabel Topham kept things flowing as the stage directions reader. Kate McDowell was a fine stage manager, as well as a good giver-of-directions-via-cellphone to a lost American wandering the streets of London.

Of course, I’d love to see The Ones That Flutter in a full production in London at some point in the future. Whether I ever do or not, I feel a sense of connection now to lovely, lovely London.