At the start of 2018 I was delighted to re-join Northern Broadsides, playing Gradgrind in Deborah McAndrew’s slick and dynamic adaptation of Dickens’ Hard Times. The author’s commentary in the novel was pared down to a minimum, leaving the narrative fully exposed, with all if its intrigue, heartbreak and comedy. I was on the road with an exceptional team of performers, under the musical direction of Bex Hughes and all moulded into vibrant coherence by Conrad Nelson.