We are delighted that Elizabeth Revill and Norman Eshley will be joining us for an exclusive online discussion and Q&A session on Wednesday 9 March at 7pm in aid of Emmaus Cornwall.

Both guests will be discussing their long and varied careers, as well as their recent collaboration on The Dreamtime of The Artful Dodger, a historical novel following the life of the Charles Dickens’ character after Oliver Twist, which Elizabeth adapted from Norman’s screenplay.

This event follows four successful evenings we hosted in 2021 with authors Raynor Winn, Terry Waite, James Bowen, and Patrick Gale. In conversation with Elizabeth Revill and Norman Eshley will be hosted by our wonderful trustee, Richard Williams, and will take place on Zoom. Tickets cost £10.

About Elizabeth

Elizabeth is multi-talented with vast experience in theatre, radio, film, and television, beginning her career as a professional actress after winning the Carleton Hobbs Award from the BBC. As a member of the BBC Repertory Company, she worked extensively in radio including The Archers, Waggoner’s Walk, David Copperfield, and Sherlock Holmes. Her television appearances include The Edwardians, The Government Inspector, What the Hell do you want Lavinia, Penda’s Fen, Let’s Write a Story, and Cyderdelic. She has worked in many theatres all over the country from Scotland to Plymouth and one of her favourite roles was the White Witch in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Westminster Theatre in London.

Elizabeth’s experience does not stop there; she is also a published author, playwright, and optioned screenwriter. Elizabeth has written several plays, some with professional productions, most notably, Mockingbirds Don’t Sing. Her novels in the psychological thriller trilogy are, Killing me Softly, Prayer for the Dying and God Only Knows and is well known for her Llewellyn Trilogy - Whispers on the Wind, Shadows on the Moon, and Rainbow in the Clouds. Born and brought up in Birmingham to Welsh parents, Elizabeth now lives in Devon on a farm with her husband, Andrew, and their dog, Pippin and Ashton the cat.

About Norman

Joining Elizabeth will be Norman, who has been a professional actor since 1966 and mostly recognised for playing the snooty estate agent Jeffrey Fourmile who was the next-door neighbour in the British sitcom George and Mildred. Born in Bristol, Norman worked in a bank before training as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and his first screen role was in the 1968 film The Immortal Story, directed by Orson Welles. He has since built up an impressive list of television and film credits, appearing in numerous popular TV series including The Sweeny, Man about the House, and The Bill. He rates being in I Claudius with Derek Jacobi as one of his greatest jobs and has a fascinating story of how he met Orson Welles to audition! He has worked with many of the top celebrities in the business, with many hilarious stories to tell.

Norman has also worked extensively in theatre and did numerous commercial tours. Sadly, his very productive career was curtailed by a serious car accident that damaged his frontal lobe affecting his ability to retain lines. So now, he confines himself to voice work, radio, and writing. Most recently, Norman did the narration for the German power metal band Blind Guardian’s eleventh studio album Legacy of the Dark Lands, released in November 2019 and worked with Elizabeth on the novel adaption of his screenplay The Dreamtime of The Artful Dodger.

The Dreamtime of The Artful Dodger

In 2021, Elizabeth and Norman teamed up to write The Dreamtime of The Artful Dodger, which tells the tale of Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, after Oliver Twist. The novel finds the Artful Dodger in Newgate prison awaiting transportation to Australia for a sentence of hard labour. When Elizabeth read Norman’s screenplay, she was incredibly excited by the project and the unique concept. They got together to research this period in history and Norman gave Elizbeth free rein to develop new characters and subplots, making it a real adventure which involves murder, kidnap, and revenge. The novel was published in August 2021 and has been reviewed as “everything you could wish for in a book based on a Charles Dickens character”.

In aid of Emmaus Cornwall

This is our fifth event in a series which aims to fundraise towards our £1million target to set up an Emmaus community in the Duchy. Already, there are 29 Emmaus communities across the UK supporting people who have experienced homelessness. Reaching our £1million fundraising target will allow us to open our own Emmaus community and social enterprises, which will then provide a home with no time limit, work experience, daily support, and training to help formerly homeless people rebuild their lives.

We hope you can join us!