MONDAY 10 APRIL: Writing endless additional dialogue. This is to cover entrances and exits or wherever it's necessary for background chit-chat. Difficult for actors to extemporise in nine-' teenth-century English. Except for Robert Hardy and Elizabeth Spriggs, who speak that way anyway. Jane reminds us that God is in his heaven, the monarch on his throne and the pelvis firmly beneath the ribcage. Apparently rock and roll liberated the pelvis and it hasn't been the same since. We all stand about like parboiled spaghetti being straightened out, IVe covered the telly up, hidden the radio and cancelled all the newspapers. Hello, 1811.
TUESDAY 11 APRIL: No one can sleep for excitement. Costume designers John Bright and Jenny Beavan wish they had three more weeks but have done truly great work. The shapes and colours are inimitable. Lindsay's already in Plymouth frantically trying to cut the script. It's still too long. The art department object to us bathing Margaret in the parlour. Apparently they always used a kitchen or bedroom in the nineteenth century. Perhaps the Dashwoods are different, I suggest, unhelpfully. Start to pack for ten weeks.
THURSDAY 13 APRIL: Riding side-saddle is bizarre. Lesson with Debbie Kaye, who is in charge of training the actors to ride the horses and providing the carriages - everything to do with the transport of the times. It's a huge responsibility and great to find that it's a woman's. Quite unusual in this country. She put me on Small George, who was a bit skittish. The saddle has two leather protuberances. You wrap your legs around and hold on tight. Very good for the thighs. I wobble about, trying to be brave.
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