HULL, ROD (1935 -1999) - A tragic illustration of the dangers of psychic possession. Hull arrived in Britain from his native New Zealand with the reputation of being a brilliant young stage actor. Rehearsing for the role of Richard the Third, he immersed himself so thoroughly in the mindset of the character that he was possessed its vengeful spirit. After committing a succession of compulsive assaults of escalating severity, Hull took to strapping his less controllable right hand and padding it with socks. When this proved ineffective against the strength of the hunchback's rage, he improvised Emu, the violent puppet with whom he became inextricably linked for the rest of his career. Watching Hull as a child, I was stricken by the terror in his eyes as he struggled to control the hate filled monarch, still bleeding from the wounds of Bosworth, writhing ferociously at the end of his arm. Hull eventually died after a dispute with ‘Emu' over whether they should watch the F.A. Cup Final or an afternoon screening of Laurence Olivier's interpretation of Richard. In the course of the ensuing struggle, Hull somehow ended up on the roof of his isolated cottage, from where he was thrown to his death.

 

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