Martin Jenkins’ 2006 production of Chekhov’s Swan Song, broadcast as a tribute to the late Paul Scofield, was preoccupied with role playing as the old actor (Scofield), locked in the theatre one night after a performance, reflected on whether it was still worth living or whether he should crawl towards death. Eventually he chose life, with Shakespeare to guide him; like Othello he could proceed towards his inevitable fate with his head held high. The fact that he could convince the prompter (Alec McCowen) provided further evidence of how the actor had conquered self-doubt and determined his future course of action. For those of us with long memories, the casting of Scofield and McCowen reminded us of their never-to-be-forgotten performances over four decades ago in Peter Brook’s Royal Shakespeare Company version of King Lear. With this in mind, Swan Song assumed an extra level of meaning; it was not about just any old actor but rather focused on Scofield’s and McCowen’s own lives, as they reflected on whether to continue or not. Some actors use the chat show to make this decision; these two actors accomplished it through Chekhov.