Dorothea has been having a chat with Simon, our intrepid librarian who is busily preparing for his appearance at the Ilkley Literature Festival and the world premiere of "Shhhh!" his one man show inspired by the world of libraries. So Simon, how is it going?

Simon: "Well, the rough draft of the script is finished and intensive rehearsals start in earnest this week. The Ilkley programme is officially out and Melvyn Bragg is in town on the same night as me! I'd invite him along to the show if I could figure out a way to contact him - anyone out there know him? I'm sure he's a chap with a passion for libraries. Melvyn, if you're out there, please come along!"

As for Simon's hopes and fears for "Shhhh!" the stage show:

Simon: "It was famously said that Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot' is a play in which nothing happens twice. I want "Shhhh!" to take theatre beyond Beckett; I want to break down barriers, shift paradigms, alter the demographic and generally kick ass. Yes, "Shhhh!" is a play in which nothing happens six times.
Just like a typical day at the library really. But remember - there's no place quite like a library when nothing happens ......"