David Benson - actor, writer, singer, director

Monday 29th September 1980

…what a significant day it has been today! I saw Miss Thomas, as arranged and we talked and then I got onto my history and then, with will-power of a force I very rarely have to summon, told her I am homosexual. At first, I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I faltered after asking for strict confidence and asked if she had any idea what I was going to say. She said it was very important if you had someone you knew would be like ‘the Bank ...

Wednesday 7th January 1998 (London)

…Last night was excellent. I was very conscious of keeping my concentration after the debacle of the previous night, and it went smoothly from start to finish. Very satisfactory show. I wasn’t going to use Rockin’ In Rhythm at the start but Dominic talked me into it. I just didn’t get worked up about it. They kept talking loudly while it played and then I entered to total hush. I could tell before I went on th...

Tuesday 2nd April 1996 11.05am (Edinburgh)

 Every day I get up and think ‘Why?’ I look at the flat and I see a tip: coffee cups, glasses and plates strewn about; ashtrays, Rizlas and god knows what. And as for my lungs. I was lying there in bed last night convinced I could feel the beginnings of lung cancer. Well, we’re all going to die of cancer eventually, I suppose, many of us sooner than we expect. The death rate will surely go down in – no, I mean the a...