Retired - Not Out: August 2017

Saturday 26 August 2017

Titus Andronicus - RST - Stratford-upon-Avon

To Stratford to see the gore-fest that is Titus Andronicus.

This being a Bank Holiday weekend, our first- and second-choice Premier Inns were either fully booked or priced beyond what we considered reasonable, so we opted for one slightly further afield, (Stratford Road, Hockley Heath, Solihull).

A quick change, and out to the ever-reliable Edward Moon, where my burger and brownie were much enjoyed. The 2IC also enjoyed her steamed fish and ice-cream-filled profiteroles.

Out into the town for a leisurely walk to the theatre, where we whiled away some time strolling along the canal and around the perimeter of the theatre (from where we saw lead actor David Troughton on the balcony of his dressing room, deep in conversation on his mobile phone).

Inside, and to our regular seats, from which this was the view:

Obligatory selfie:

Programme:

So what of the play?

I was aware beforehand that:

Titus was one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, and was therefore unlikely to bear the hall-marks of a master dramatist at the top of his game
it is his bloodiest play, with more than a dozen on-stage deaths, a (double) rape, amputations and cannibalism
in 1927 T.S. Eliot described Titus as "one of the stupidest and most uninspired plays ever written, a play in which it is incredible that Shakespeare had any hand at all".

On the other hand, given my aim to see as many of Shakespeare's plays as I can, and that this was the RSC, my desire to see the play was in no way diminished.

Others, unfortunately, were more easily put off. We were disappointed, but not entirely surprised, to find that the 'house' was far from full; in fact, the upper circle was completely empty. We presumed that the theatre had followed common practice and relocated any audience members who had purchased seats up there, to present a more united audience in the stalls and balcony. It's possible that the reduced audience was, in part, due to the fact that this play has not been studied in schools for many years, so the usual parties of children were notable by their absence.

Those who stayed away missed an excellent production of a play that, while not a classic, entertained and gave food for thought in equal measure. Admittedly, I found the "West-Side-Story-esque" introduction, with gangs and police engaged in stylised violence set to a sound-track of music and news reporting, less than convincing - but you can't have everything.

In the title role, David Troughton was superb. Special mention should also be made of Hannah Morrish as Lavinia. When she reappeared on stage after being raped, her trousers and underwear around her ankles, her hands amputated and her tongue torn out, you could literally have heard a pin drop as the audience collectively held their breath.

In a first for us, the programme credited an illusionist - presumably for the effective way in which another amputation was carried out on stage, and for the way in which Titus's later absence of a limb was portrayed without simply resorting to a longer sleeve.

But this production was not just a blood-bath. There was humour too - enough to give credence to the view that Shakespeare always intended this to be seen as a black comedy containing, as it does, perhaps the original "Your Momma" joke.

The following reviews are all worth a look:

And so, back to our hotel and, the following morning, an uneventful return trip home.

Footnote: David Troughton is a fine and well-established Shakespearean actor (and regular in "The Archers"). In the 1980s he played the role of Dr Bob Buzzard in the UK TV classic comedy drama "A Very Peculiar Practice". Buzzard was in the habit of writing memos to the head of the medical practice, played by Edinburgh-born actor Graham Crowden, who would view each with increasing cynicism and suspicion.

For many years, on receipt of any managerial document of dubious content or worth, my late friend and colleague C would enquire in a pronounced and theatrical Scots accent, "Do I detect the spores of Dr Bob Buzzard's r-r-rinky-dinky dot matrix printer?". For this, and many other reasons, I miss C more, even, than I thought I would.

Thursday 24 August 2017

Visiting the Littlies - 2

To South Yorkshire to visit the Littlies.

Getting to know the Littlies and their Mum and Dad has been one of the best things about being retired; if I were still working we would simply never have had the time.

Now, for me, one of the most joyful sounds in the world is that of familiar young voices behind a closed front door squealing excitedly "They're here! They're here!"

LMT seems to like his new fork-lift truck:

After a couple of hours LLA found it all a bit much and fell asleep across Amanda's lap at the dinner table; she was moved to a slightly more comfortable position:

LBD took the opportunity to get stuck into a chocolate doughnut:

Refreshed, we all took a walk to the nearby park - with home-made light-sabres:

Brotherly love:

Fearlessness:

Seriously - how could you refuse him anything?

LLA rocks her Wellington boots (and a dress made by a friend):

Until the next time:

Another happy day.

Thursday 17 August 2017

Much Ado About Nothing - Shakespeare's Globe - London

To London, to see "Much Ado" at Shakespeare's Globe.

Homework:

I'm reasonably at home in central London, and can find my way around quite comfortably. Although we have been south of the river many times, to the Royal Festival Hall, Tate Modern, etc, we are not so familiar with the broader Bankside area, so this was an opportunity to explore a little more.

On arrival at St Pancras we made our way down to the southbound Thameslink platform and caught a train to Blackfriars station - a first for us.

To my genuine surprise we found that the station spans the width of the Thames, with entrances on both sides of the river. This composite photo shows the view downstream from the platform as we alighted:

Exiting on the south side of the river we saw clear evidence of the tidal nature of the river - at low tide there was a stretch of water barely 3-4 feet wide between the exposed shoreline and the first pier:

This view never ceases to impress:

The extension to the Tate Modern, showing its proximity to the NEO Bankside apartment buildings - the reason for much controversy:

Below the ominous clouds can be seen the BT Tower peeking above Blackfriars station:

A view of the entrance to the Bankside Pier and, beyond that, Southwark Bridge:

Your correspondent looking pensive (some might say grumpy):

To my left can be seen the exposed foreshore. A number of people were engaged in mudlarking - though how many of them knew of the need for, or possessed, a licence to engage in anything other than looking, was not clear.

A somewhat more cheerful looking Amanda, with the Millennium Bridge behind her:

The impressive chimney of the former Bankside Power Station (now Tate Modern):

I love the names of old London. Cardinal Cap Alley almost certainly no longer leads to a brothel, but it evokes imaginings of another time:

Similarly, Clink Street, which houses The Clink prison. If you look carefully you can see a gibbet cage hanging from the corner of the building:

Immediately adjacent to the prison is the Clink Street branch of Gourmet Burger Kitchen, where we sought and found sustenance.

For your correspondent, a 6oz Classic Cheese (though here I appear to be eyeing someone else's meal):

and for the 2IC, an Avocado Bacon:

My wife says I eat too quickly; I guess she now has photographic proof:

Sated, we headed out to stretch our legs before making for The Globe. Almost immediately we came upon the St Mary Overie dock, where rests an exact replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship, The Golden Hind:

Making our way back to the theatre we passed the remains of Winchester Palace:

and back to Bankside Pier for some atmospheric shots of the river:

Glimpsed down a side street was the top of the Strata SE1 building, with its integral wind turbines:

In 2010 this building won the Carbuncle Cup; I was interested to find that Opal Court in Leicester won the same award in 2007 - though that fact seems to be notably missing from the University's publicity.

A poster for tonight's production:

Groundlings were starting to queue for access to the yard:

One final shot down-river:

and it was time to make our way inside.

We had a quick cup of tea in the Foyer Café Bar, bought a programme, hired two seat cushions and made our way to our seats - the back row of the middle gallery, fairly central. This composite of three photos gives a good impression of the view:

The obligatory but unflattering selfie:

The programme:

And the play?

As with Twelfth Night, this was a somewhat unconventional production, staging the action during the Mexican Revolution of 1915. And, as before, I enjoyed the show - but wasn't sure if the change of location, the modern-day additions to the text or the up-dating of some of the jokes added anything to the production. Also (feminists look away now) I'm not really sure what to make of Emma Rice's decision to aim for a 50/50 gender balance for roles in each play put on at The Globe. Does changing "Don John" to "Juanita", or "Antonio" to "Antonia" add anything artistically and, if not, can this 'affirmative action' be justified except as 'jobs for the girls'? Answers on a post card...

The Stage provides a useful summary of reviews from other publications, and for anyone wanting more details, these are all worth a look:

Out and retracing our steps back to Blackfriars. How can anybody fail to be moved by this view:

A smooth journey back to St Pancras, where we waited around an hour for the 00:15.

Here's Amanda, looking remarkably awake for 01.47:

And so, uneventfully, home and to bed at 02.40.

Sunday 13 August 2017

Pruning

Friday 4 August 2017

Antony & Cleopatra - RST - Stratford-upon-Avon

To Stratford to see Antony and Cleopatra:

An uneventful journey, after which we booked in at the Premier Inn Stratford Upon Avon (Waterways) and then out for a meal.

As we walked into Stratford town centre we passed (in fact, I barely registered) a tall grey-haired man wearing a cap; even in that fraction of a second, and without taking in any details at all, I felt that I recognised him as an actor. "I had the weirdest feeling that I knew that man" said Amanda as we walked on. "Did you think he was a TV actor - possibly one who frequently plays the part of old retired villains or policemen?" I asked. "Yes", replied Amanda, "who was he?" "No idea", I replied, "I only glimpsed him and can't for the life of me think of a specific thing he's been in, so I can't even look him up". In fact, I was wrong. After much Google searching I was later able to establish that it was the actor David Bradley, who lives in Stratford.

On to Edward Moon. Once again I had booked our favourite table, where we were overlooked by this stylish lady:

Steamed whitefish stuffed with asparagus for Amanda:

and a most acceptable burger for yours truly:

Sweets were not photographed, but were very much enjoyed:

Amanda gives her seal of approval:

Out and to the theatre, where this shot shows our view from the front row of the balcony. The handrail does not in any way impede the view from these seats - I was trying to be discreet in my photography and therefore effectively had the camera in my lap:

A somewhat ghostly selfie:

As is usual I shall refrain from offering a detailed critique of the performance, beyond saying that there were high and low points, but as a whole I enjoyed it. In relation to the play itself, I did feel that this was one occasion when The Bard might have benefited from the services of a good editor ("Hey Will - enough with the returning triumphant Romans - we get it - they won")...

For those interested in detailed reviews, these are all worth a look: