Finally I am being educated. On Saturday last week (i.e. the 10th) we (mum, aunt, nan and I) went to Stratford-Upon-Avon (again) to see Merry Wives the musical (I jest not) and Richard III – two ends of a tone spectrum! Merry Wives was brilliant – had Judy Dench and Alistair McGowan in it and Alistair McGowan can sing O.O! Richard III was also brilliant but in an altogether different way – very dark with Jonathan Slinger as a particularly insane Richard. These histories get a little confusing what with everyone being called Henry, Edward or Richard but that doesn’t seem to distract from the attraction much.
Then (as if 6 hours of plays wasn’t enough), this Friday we (mum and I)returned again to see Henry VI part 1 (having seen parts 2 and 3 previously and of which Richard III is an unofficial part 4). The non sequitur was a bit confusing; I’d seen parts 2 and 3 in May after all. Then on a whim we (dad and I) went to see the last performance of Antony and Cleopatra in London on Saturday night – an attempt to spread the education dadwards. That had Patrick Stewart, Harriet Walter and John Hopkins (the old sidekick bloke from Midsommer Murders) and we were literally in the front row – very weird to see PS that close up having seen him on ST:TNG for most of my adult life (I know I saw him in The Tempest but that was further back and doesn’t have the same impact).
Hmm. So yes, me educated am. Plus I appear to have an automatic obsession with actors with the first initial J. Jason Isaacs, Johnny Depp, Julian Bleach, Jonathan Slinger – not necessarily all “oo yum” cases, but definite obsession, transient or otherwise.
Bleugh – work-wise it seems that the already rather paltry support network is evaporating further – time to keep an eagle eye on the classifieds?
