My father, Dugald Rankin, a producer of commercials, once persuaded Peter Brook to direct a series of advertisements for eggs. As this went well, my father asked Peter to direct another, this one for Bar Six, Cadbury’s answer to the KitKat bar.
The set-up was a Chelsea girl charming a meter man out of giving her a parking ticket by sharing her chocolate bar. The meter man was John Junkin. The girl was Jane Birkin – good casting. However, halfway through the morning, Peter said: “I can’t do this” and left my father to finish it.
Still, you might say that Peter Brook is another name that could be added to Birkin’s long list of eminent directors.
