reading the programme notes

A couple of people have spoken to me in the past 24 hours about resemblances between Gloucester and Polonius (they knew from the programme notes that I have played Polonius). I think they are right, and maybe there is also a connection with Malvolio - another blustering 'fixer' who gets what he deserves, and another part I've played....

afterthoughts

I'm not sure when and how the photos will come out. I must try and get on to that.

I've just been reading Nahum Tate's version of the play. If I get the chance to teach Shakespeare and Popular Culture again, I might include that to demonstrate that Popular Culture is not a recent phenomenon. Some of the cuts that Tate made were replicated in our production...

That's all folks

Final performance, done and dusted. Photo call a bit of a scramble. Lots of hugs after it was all over - I feel quite deflated now, but my poor wife is really unwell....

last lap

Two performances yesterday and the last performance this afternoon - phew!

nearly done

The weather was not great again tonight, but the show went on, and the house was respectable, if not spectacular. There were again some people from the Shakespeare Festival, and the man who was down to direct the play originally (that story is too large and complex for this blog). I was very pleased that he came, and touched that he brought flowers for Barry and for me.

There were back-stage conversations about the fact that we have not seen our director for a week now, and other murmurings about the auditions which have been taking place this week for next term - I'm really not involved in either of those issues.

What I do find interesting is that there were, apparently, some hiccups tonight in some scenes. I was quite unaware of them. But I did hear a cell phone go off, and we did have the (to my mind) inappropriate laughter at my non-fall from the cliff....

Middle School

That was interesting - they were not as lively as some groups I've worked with, but they had probably had even less sleep than I have had. We talked about whether or not I screamed enough when my eyes were being gouged out, and they may well have a point - on the other hand, as I observed, Shakespeare keeps giving me lines....

The show DID go on...

... and I thought it was a good show. The weather continued to be awful, and I turned down an invitation to an after-show party, because I wanted to get home - it is not a long drive to the campus, but conditions were very bad.

I've just phoned the Middle School, and they are open today, but 16 of the group could not get to the play last night. I'll see what the rest have to say about what they saw when I'm there in an hour and a half....