Derek Jacobi

I took this photo of Derek Jacobi in his dressing room at The Haymarket Theatre- also John Gielgud's favorite dressing room. Derek was appearing in the play 'Breaking The Code', [a play about Alan Turing who deciphered the Enigma code]. Derek was very congenial even though I just stole into his dressing room. If one were to do that these days one would probably get arrested for stalking. This photo has never been published. We passed upon the stair but we never really spoke again, He didn't want to see the finished image telling me, modestly, that he didn't like his face, that he never walked to the front of the theatre incase he saw a picture of himself. He was very sincere and honest. I think that Derek looks alot like Francis Bacon, and they share a similar sense of humor. In fact Derek played Francis Bacon in John Maybury's film, 'Love is the Devil'. When I left him, Derek said, with a great big smile on his face 'Keep your trap shut Matthew or I'll call the police'. Matthew R Lewis.