A Bit of Name Dropping

Wednesday 16th March

Today we went to book tickets for performance of Alan Plater’s play “Sweet William” by the Northern Broadsides Company at our local theatre, the New Vic. Later that day we were reminiscing about the plays we had seen there, some very good ones, including a punk Macbeth wielding chains. Even later, like 3a.m. because I couldn’t sleep I was thinking back to all the plays I had seen over the years, and trying to remember how many Hamlets, Macbeths and Richard IIIs I had seen. I am very lucky to be able to say I have seen three brilliant Hamlets – Alan Bates, Ian Mckellan and Alan Rickman, two excellent Richard IIIs, Anton Lesser and Ian McKellan and two Macbeths – and I really can’t remember who played the lead rolls in these. Also two Coriolanus (ii?) being Ian Richardson and Charles Dance. Back in the good old days through the seventies and eighties when we used to go to Stratford at least twice a year I was privileged to see many fine performances and performers. Happiest memory is a spectacular Comedy of Errors with Judy Dench and Michael Williams, Richard Griffiths, Nicholas Grace and Roger Rees to name but a few. There was also the day we sat through The Plantagenets, three performances in one day a long haul but very well worth the stiff legs the next morning. The actors in this included a very young Ralph Fiennes as Henry VI who stood out at the time as something special.

Highlight of the day – Well, getting the theatre tickets as it seems ages since we’ve been out in the evening.

Today’s Gripe – Just a general depression about the amount of litter that collects in our front garden. Because we are at the top of the street it all blows up into the drive and deposits itself in front of the garage door. Today I found two crisp packets, a Tesco receipt, a sheet of kitchen roll, three pages of someone’s school work and a plastic Spa carrier bag. Well, at least the bag was useful to put the other rubbish in.