MAUREEN Lipman gave a masterclass on Monday at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre at the opening night of Peggy For You.
The lesson covered everything from perfect comic timing to immersing oneself so completely in a character that it becomes difficult to tell where the actress ends and the character begins.
As a lesson, it stunned its captivated pupils - a capacity audience at the Arnaud - and reminded them in no uncertain terms what mere mortals they were and what could be done with a brilliantly written character in the hands of a stage goddess.
It was a truly awe-inspiring performance by Lipman, whose portrayal of legendary theatre agent Peggy Ramsay was in turns poignant and hilarious - was, in fact, a joy to behold.
Peggy For You was penned by Alan Plater, one of the many writers who were taken under the wing of the great woman, and we are left in no doubt that she was indeed a great woman.
This despite the fact that, thanks to Plater's excellent script and Lipman, she comes across as a flawed, eccentric genius at best and a prejudiced, and slightly mad old lady at worst.
Her famed intolerance of writers' wives or partners and her insistence that women could not write plays are all explored in this, an imaginary day in the life of Peggy Ramsay.
It is a remarkably honest account of a woman for whom Plater, and presumably anyone else who fell under Peggy's spell, clearly had a great deal of affection.
For this reason, the audience cannot help but feel leave the theatre feeling sympathetic towards the character. It helps, of course, that Lipman plays an absolute blinder.
Her presence on the stage is so all-encompassing that it verges on a serious hogging of the limelight but, perhaps because the woman herself had such a presence, the other actors appear helpless to do anything about it.
That is not to say there are no other good performances on the stage - Kate Dudley does a fine job as Peggy's beleaguered secretary and Richard Platt, as jaded playwright Henry, had the audience in fits of laughter more than once.
Lipman is so impressively supported in fact that she is allowed to sink entirely into her part, seemingly living and breathing Ramsay's eccentric philosophies and creating a more believable portrayal of a character than this reviewer has ever witnessed.
Her comic timing is sublime and, frankly, anyone who leaves the theatre without at least a few proper belly laughs needs their head examined.
Robin Lefevre's direction also has a slickness about it that allows Lipman to launch into bizarre and hugely entertaining speeches, darting from one subject to another, while the set, showing Peggy's London office, adequately displays her cluttered existence.
They say no-one ever forgets a good teacher - all things being well, Monday's audience should not forget Maureen Lipman in a hurry.
Andy Bothwell.