Walk Like an Egyptian Man

For the past couple of weeks, I've been checking out men on metro platforms. Security guards will soon be asking me to move along. For, you see, I am loitering with intent – I need to learn how to walk like a man.

There's a lot of advice to be found on the Internet – mostly bad, and mostly combined with an amusing photo of a cat – but nothing beats studying the male bottom in real life. Purely in the pursuit of practical perambulatory knowledge, you understand.

In Shakers, I play a cocktail waitress, who in turn plays three men: a geezer, an old codger, and a toff.

When it comes to finding and shaping characters, costume is an enormous help. The addition of the right accessory – a cravat, a baseball bat – can transform a plain, dark suit into a dapper 20s gent or a 60s East End gangster.

Many actors want to start wearing their character's shoes as soon as possible, because wearing the shoes makes you walk like the character, and walking like the character makes you feel like the character.

But we don't change costume – I have to slip into my new personas without slipping into a new shirt. I have to play all my men wearing my cocktail waitress outfit.

Oh yes, did I mention that this outfit includes high heels?