Julia McKenzie will be 80 next week

I saw her Mrs Lovett at the National

I also saw her in the 25th anniversary concert celebrating Side by Side by Sondheim at the Stables in Wavendon. It brought together the original cast with some young west end types. A brilliant evening.

And I was at one of the first performances of Putting It Together which she helped create and directed

I think the first time I saw and became aware of her was Sweeney Todd at the NT and that was the start of my love for Sondheim.
Have also seen Julia in Into The Woods, Follies, Hey Mr Producer and an anniversary concert of Side By Side. Various charity Sondheim concerts and and she also used to be one of the judges at the Sondheim student performer of the year competition.
I also got to meet her a couple of times when she came to see shows at the Menier. I remember one night everyone was very excited by the fact there was some big "A lister" movie star in the audience and I was more excited that Julia McKenzie was there.
Such a legend and one of the best interpreters of Sondheim ever.

I rarely go to musical theatre so I have seen her only once, in Brecht's "Schweyk in the Second World War" at the NT in 1982. It was one of those big dull dutiful productions Richard Eyre used to do to fill up the Olivier. Imelda Stanton was wasted in it too. It played around the same time as "Guys and Dolls" which had started in 1982 with Julia McKenzie who then was replaced by Imelda Staunton in 1983 when I saw it. Jim Carter was in both productions too, it was where Imelda Staunton first met him - they are still married.