Never have I sat in a room – theatre or not – and experienced such a command by one person on everyone’s attention.

Scaramouche Jones is really a 75 minute monologue, and put that way, sounds fairly bland.

In the hands of a lesser actor, this definition might well hold true but we, after all, talking about Pete Postlethwaite.

He tells the story of a clown. It’s millennium eve and he looks back upon his life which began, ironically, 100 years earlier, in 1899.

The tales of his mother, servicing sailors on a fish slicing table in Trinidad are both sad and funny, told as they are with a wonderful mix of script and mime.

We are voyeurs – no, that’s wrong; we’re invited guests, as Scaramouche makes his journey from the Caribbean to Africa, to Europe and finally to England.

To relate each episode would be pointless – suffice to say that from the moment he took to the stage at Salisbury Playhouse’s Salberg Studio, the audience was focused entirely on him.

With a one man show, and little scenery, you might argue that’s obvious but no.

We were drawn to his performance like moths to a flame.

Within moments of beginning, Pete took us through sympathy, concern and laughter – all believably – and that’s the important thing here; when an actor ‘acts’ a chest pain and weak knees, you don’t want to get up and help him.

When Pete did that, I wanted to, so real was the movement.

The Salberg Studio only sits around 150, perhaps explaining why tickets became quickly akin to gold dust, but also allows great intimacy in a show.

At one point during a poignant delivery, Pete Postlethwaite and I looked into each other’s eyes, and a connection was made.

I know for a fact that I wasn’t the only person he had that effect on.

For the strangely contradictory experience of being alone with one man, whilst sitting amongst 150 people, Scaramouche Jones is the one.

Audio Clips

Before embarking on his five-night solo performance, Postlethwaite gave the BBC an exclusive interview about the production, as well reflecting on his hugely successful film career, which includes roles in The Usual Suspects, Brassed Off, In the Name of the Father and A Private Function, to name just a handful.

Audio Clip One Pete Postlethwaite on Scaramouche Jones. Click here for the audio

Audio Clip Two Pete Postlethwaite the writing of Scaramouche Jones. Click here for the audio

Audio Clip Three Pete Postlethwaite how audiences help keep his performance fresh. Click here for the audio

Audio Clip Four Pete Postlethwaite on how his career in film and theatre began. Click here for the audio

Audio Clip Five Pete Postlethwaite on recognition by movie directors. Click here for the audio

Audio Clip Six Pete Postlethwaite on the films that portray him as a father-figure. Click here for the audio

Audio Clip Seven Pete Postlethwaite on Scaramouche Jones. Click here for the audio