What would you do if you hated heights, and a television director made you swing from the ledge of a high building for three-quarters of an hour?
Actor Michael Mackenzie had to grin and bear it when he was working on an episode of the new Ace of Wands story.
"It's all part of the job," he says, "but there have been a few occasions in Ace of Wands when I began to wish I'd stayed at home."
The scene, where Tarot is supposed to be swaying precariously on the ledge of a high gantry, was actually filmed at the site of a new swimming bath, being built in Woking, Surrey.
"I managed to reach the top of the building via ladders and half-finished staircases," says Mackenzie. "Fortunately, I was strapped in with a wide belt attached to a rope. Holding on to the rope was a man everyone calls Big John. He works in Thames Television's properties department and I felt quite safe because he is very strong."
Although he was only about 50ft. up, Mackenzie felt the full impact of the wind, which was quite strong. "It was horrible up there, I couldn't wait to get down."
Another experience he wouldn't like to repeat took place on the River Thames. "I had to jump into the water from the end of a boat," says Mackenzie. "That wouldn't have been too bad – except for the fact that I was wearing a strait jacket at the time. I was supposed to be doing an escapology trick, which turned out to be the most horrible day's work that I've ever had to do." He wasn't alone. Roy Holder, who plays Chas, had to jump in as well.
"It was freezing," says Holder. "We spent most of the day waiting around in our bathing trunks while they set up the shots."
As if that wasn't bad enough, the scene had to be shot three times, for consecutive episodes. "Then, to cap it all, I had to dive in once more so they could get a shot of me coming out of the water."
Who'd be an actor...?
The article was accompanied a number of photographs: a portrait of Michael; a picture of Michael balancing on the ledge; and a "film-strip" of three pictures showing Michael jumping into the Thames. The latter were captioned: For actor Michael Mackenzie, some not-so-magical moments from Ace of Wands: balancing precariously 50ft. up on a gantry and (right) jumping into the River Thames, wearing a strait jacket. Not a very pleasant day's work.