The Second Best Bed

Liz Grand

Liz is the senior actress with the Worcester Repertory Company. She has played Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew, Adriana in The Comedy of Errors, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Olivia in Twelfth Night, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and Audrey in As You Like It. Liz is instantly recognisable to pantomime-goers as one of the Swan Theatre’s most memorable baddies, Queen Rat in Dick Whittington.

Other pantomime outings have included; Clara the Cook in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Empress of China in Aladdin, The Enchantress of the Forest in Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood, Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Dolores in Beauty and the Beast and Chalice in Jack and the Beanstalk. Other theatre roles include Mother in Cider With Rosie, Eliza in Pygmalion and Landlady in Two. She appeared in a special performance of Elgar and Alice for the Three Choirs Festival in 2011 and starred in the world premiere of the one woman play The Second Best Bed at the Swan Theatre Studio in April 2012. (The show is touring in 2015 & 2016.)

She was also in the world premiere of The Prebumptious Mr Punch in 2013 and starred in the world premiere of Postcards from the Seaside in November 2013. In 2012, she was invited by Worcester Cathedral to read for Her Majesty the Queen as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Liz is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

‘The Second Best Bed’ by Avril Rowlands,  starring Liz Grand, directed by Chris Jaeger

Quotes About The Show

“Thank you and your company for ‘The Second Best Bed’, we were very pleased to sell out. Your team made it a very smooth day and the audience really enjoyed Liz’s performance and the play.”      Brian Kirk – Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

“A delightful twist to the Shakespeare story, which has brought a wonderfully different dimension to the Festival.  Absolutely excellent!”    

Deborah Liggins – Administrator, Worcester Three Choirs Festival

“We were thrilled by the play, as was our audience at this sell out event. Liz Grand gave a formidable performance, up close and very personal, generating smiles, laughter and tears. The organisation of the touring theatre was superb, creating a magical set from the back of a transit van.”        Rosalind Turner, Programme Director Shoreham Wordfest

“They loved ‘The Second Best Bed’ at Conford.”    

Nadine Fry, Hog The Limelight, Hampshire Rural Touring

“Lifts the lid on a Tudor can of worms…a showcase for the towering acting skills of Liz Grand.” John Phillpott – Worcester News

“Our Cheltenham audiences loved ‘Second Best Bed’, considering it a ‘tour de force’.  Real value-for-money theatre with great production values.”                                                           Paul Milton, Artistic Director Cheltenham Everyman

“We very much enjoyed having Liz at Leith Hill Place and the show was great. The audience was very appreciative and it all went very smoothly.”  

Gabrielle Gale, Operations Manager, National Trust, Leith Hill Place, Dorking.

“We enjoyed working with you and consider the evening was a triumph….  the audience was most enthusiastic.”         Tim Norris, Stow-on-the-Wold Festival

“Throughout, Chris Jaeger sprinkles his director’s gold dust on a work that places a new slant on a mystery that will captivate generations to come.”  

John Phillpott – Berrow’s Journal

“A  very interesting and thought provoking rethink of the possibilities surrounding the Bard’s authorship of his works – was wonderfully accomplished and convincing, leaving the very appreciative audience thinking, talking and feeling thoroughly entertained.”

Stuart Newton, Artistic Director Heron Theatre, Beetham.

“I went to see ‘The Second Best Bed’ at the Swan Studio when Liz Grand gave a stupendous performance as Anne Hathaway.  A fantastic evening.”   

Letter published in the Worcester News from Jean Harris

“A good well-written and thought-provoking play….. and a star turn from Liz Grand who never fails to amaze.”    

David Wright, ex Chairman of the Swan Theatre, Chairman of the Elgar School of Music

“We saw the ‘The Second Best Bed’ at the Commandery …..it was truly wonderful.  Such superb acting from Liz Grand.”  Letter published in the Worcester News from Rosemarie & Henry Powe