More of wot I have seen…

We saw The Winter’s Tale live broadcast from the Garrick theatre at the Sutton Cinema with Barbara and Deb. The show had Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh starring.

I had heard Kenneth Branagh interviewed a day or two before on the radio and was intrigued by the concept of seeing a live performance without having to go into London. It has been done for a while now for both theatre and ballet and you often find some very talented actors playing in major productions for a fraction of the price of being in the theatre itself. I found the experience exceeded my expectations as the advantage of the filming was that they could zoom in on the actors and always had the key sequences perfectly framed. Deb thought that not being in the actual theatre auditorium was a disadvantage. For me I would definitely do it again. It was an interesting tale, not one of the bard’s most well-known stories, and it was superbly acted with energy and passion (you could see the tears on the actor’s faces).  

More of wot I have seen…

We went to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time at the Gielgud theatre with Tony, Barbara, and Deb.

I had read the book many years before and enjoyed its alternative point of view very much but I wondered how it could be portrayed successfully on the stage. I needn’t have worried as the set was perfect and the use of the space and actors was inspired. On many occasion it was like watching a ballet such was the complexity of the choreography. The lead actor was a force of nature spend almost all of the time on stage in what must have been a physically and mentally draining performance, he is a star in the making.

Before the show we had a lovely meal at the Thai Square by Trafalgar Square.

Thanks to Tony for a great evening. 

More of wot I have seen…

The Lady in the Van was an utterly charming film that rang true to the feel of Alan Bennett’s work and superbly acted by Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings. Nothing much happens as it potters along but the characters are richly portrayed and the script delightful.

A Sad Passing…

After seeing him just a few days before at his son’s wedding all happy and looking well talking of his future adventures and the places he was going to go to in the next few months, it came as a shock to us all to hear that Sue’s Uncle John had passed away suddenly. We knew he had been dealing with a long term illness but I think his passing was still unexpected. He was a very gregarious man who seemed to like nothing more than meeting and interacting with people, generous of spirit and always ready with a tale to tell. He will be missed be a great many.

In Celebration…

We were guests at Sue’s cousin Damian and Paulyns wedding that was held in the quirky Whispering Gallery and Atrium Bar at the Dome at Worthing along with photos on Worthing Pier and a reception at the nearby Harry Ramsden’s Fish & Chip Restaurant. It was a lovely event where we could all gather together and celebrate their big day.

More of wot I have seen…

Spectre is a typical James Bond movie, one with an elaborate opening sequence, an outrageous villain in a bizarre lair, exotic locations and exotic women, fast cars and a knowing script. There were some lovely little ‘Easter Egg’ moments for the fans that referenced earlier movies and all in all it was an enjoyable couple of hours of escapism.  

Going Quietly…

The ‘Surrey Puma’ has gone on to the great big hunting grounds in the sky. Our cat Sooty had to be put down recently after he developed an incurable illness. He was getting old and we had noticed over the last few months some signs that something was not quite right. He had started to become a lot more vocal and seemed to be losing some of his senses – running into a room and right past you to go meowing for you in the next. Also he occasionally had difficulty jumping. Sometimes he would just sit there and stare at the floor. Anyway it ended up that we found him one morning wobbling around, his back legs barely functioning, hiding in quite dark area for a while before going outside in the cold and sitting staring at the ground.

So we took him into the vets and they kept him in overnight with a drip in him to warm him up (he was dangerously cold). They could not say for sure what had happened but it was likely that is was a problem with his brain that caused stroke-like symptoms. To ease his suffering we asked the vet to put him down and so as not to be cowards Sue insisted we be there to stroke his head and hold his paw. I must confess I howled the place down.

We still think we glimpse him occasionally out of the corner of an eye, a dark shape in the room or a shadow of movement and we hear noises that sound like him padding through the house. He was such a big part of our lives for a long time, even if it was entirely on his own slightly psychopathic terms. 

More of wot I have read…

The Visible World by Mark Slouka

This book never gripped me and I struggled to work my way through it. I did not engage with the characters or the story on an entertainment level, however the true life story was interesting from a historical point of view, giving a glimpse into the lives of the ordinary people who had to live through such trying times. Ultimately I would suggest it is not necessarily worth your time.

  

‘My mother knew a man during the war. Theirs was a love story, and like any good love story, it left blood on the floor and wreckage in its wake.

As a boy growing up in New York, his parents’ memories of their Czech homeland seem to belong to another world, as distant and unread as the fairy tales his father tells him. It is only as an adult, when he makes his own journey to Prague, that he is finally able to piece together the truth of his parents’ past: what they did, who his mother loved, and why they were never able to forget.’