Hugh Bonneville is standing on stage giving directions. But this is not London's West End or even the set of Downton Abbey where he spends six months of the year as the Earl of Grantham, Robert Crawley.
This is an empty hall at Palmerston North Girls' High and the British actor is preparing to give a one-off performance to an unsuspecting Kiwi fan.
''I'm really nervous about this,'' says Bonneville, who days earlier was rubbing shoulders with Hollywood's A-list at the Emmy Awards.
The fan in question is 17-year-old student Lauren Hutchinson.
Bonneville, with the help of an assistant, managed to track the Downton devotee to the Manawatu after he noticed one of her tweets online lamenting a lack of excitement in her home town.
''I can understand young people who live in corners of the world where they feel not a lot happens or that no-one listens or whatever,'' he says. ''It's just worth occasionally, if you can, saying 'No, we do listen. You're one of our viewers - you're important.''
Most stars might oblige by sending an autographed photo. Bonneville, in the country to promote Downton's latest series, wanted to surprise her in person.
What a lovely, considerate man.
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