He wasn’t alone, of course. The West End cast was stacked. But Leslie had a secret weapon: pizza. He convinced the stage management to order from a specific joint in Soho. It became a cast ritual.
Every Friday night, after the show, the entire company ate pizza in the dressing rooms. Leslie paid for it. He’d sit there, in his Burr bloomers, discussing politics and jazz. It was weirdly wholesome.
He also taught the British cast how to say “savage” properly. He’d make them repeat it: “SAH-vidge.” The British actors said it like “sav-idge.” It was a cultural immersion. And it was hilarious.
