Groundhog Day... deja vu... are phrases that tend to have negative connotations. Repetition is often equated with monotony. Not so for Catherine Russell. She holds the world record for the most theatre performances in the same role and she wouldn't have it any other way. For the past 32 years she has been playing the role of Margaret Thorne Brent - a psychiatrist who might also be a cold-blooded killer in the long running off-Broadway play ‘Perfect Crime’.


Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Fiona Woods

Photo: Catherine Russell in Perfect Crime
Credit: Shir Stein

Groundhog Day... deja vu... are phrases that tend to have negative connotations. Repetition is often equated with monotony. Not so for Catherine Russell. She holds the world record for the most theatre performances in the same role and she wouldn't have it any other way. For the past 32 years she has been playing the role of Margaret Thorne Brent - a psychiatrist who might also be a cold-blooded killer in the long running off-Broadway play ‘Perfect Crime’. Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Fiona Woods Photo: Catherine Russell in Perfect Crime Credit: Shir Stein

The actor who’s been saying the same lines for 32 years

<p>Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. 
 
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Our guests come from every corner of the globe: from Burundi to Beverly Hills, New Zealand to North Korea, Rajasthan to Rio. And their stories can be about anything: tales of survival, humour, resilience and intrigue. From the mind-blowing account of the Japanese man trapped in his own reality TV show, to the Swedish women rescued from lions by a tin of spam. It’s life’s wild side, in stereo. </p><p>Lives Less Ordinary is brought to you by the team behind Outlook, the home of true life storytelling on BBC World Service radio for nearly 60 years.
 
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Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Our guests come from every corner of the globe: from Burundi to Beverly Hills, New Zealand to North Korea, Rajasthan to Rio. And their stories can be about anything: tales of survival, humour, resilience and intrigue. From the mind-blowing account of the Japanese man trapped in his own reality TV show, to the Swedish women rescued from lions by a tin of spam. It’s life’s wild side, in stereo. Lives Less Ordinary is brought to you by the team behind Outlook, the home of true life storytelling on BBC World Service radio for nearly 60 years. Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784 You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

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