IT IS never too late to be an actor and one Trimley St. Mary man is the proof of the pudding.James Wearne of New Road has just been awarded the title of Oldest Active Performer at the age of 72.
IT IS never too late to be an actor and one Trimley St. Mary man is the proof of the pudding.
James Wearne of New Road has just been awarded the title of Oldest Active Performer at the age of 72.
He was given his award by HRH the Duchess of Gloucester at a ceremony in London on Tuesday.
And it is not just on stage where he makes himself heard as Mr Wearne is also the official Town Crier of Felixstowe.
The competition to find the oldest active performer was set up by a national charity called Counsel and Care for the Elderly, which helps more than 20,000 people every year through its helpline and work in nursing homes.
The charity launched the competition to encourage older people to continue with their acting career, or even take it up for the first time because it is believed an over-powering interest helps older people to live longer and healthier lives.
Mr Wearne said: "I was a late starter having been a life-long fan of musical theatre, but I did not pluck up enough courage to step on to the boards myself until I was into my fifties.
"Having experienced the exhilaration of applause from an appreciative audience, I cannot now envisage a time when I will no longer want to perform."
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