Tempus Fugit II

     On the Welsh coast somewhere near Aberaeron August/September 1991. We made a week long camping trip around the coast of Wales. Now I think there must be lots more pictures of that journey for we stopped at many castles and Kathy was still using her Nikon quite a lot. Here is a shot she took of me in 1982

Somewhere in the Santa Monica Mountains, California

Luvvies . . .

     Over the years I've participated in some community theatre (am-dram). Here's a résumé:

        School: 1966-8
                  Pirates of Penzance . . . . . .chorus
                  Mikado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . chorus
                  Under Milk Wood . . . . . . . .reading , various parts
                  Murder in the Red Barn . . . .Grandfather
                  Toad of Toad Hall . . . . . . . Policeman/ Front of Horse
                  Richard III . . . . . . . . . . . . Bishop of Ely

        Kelvedon Players: 1967-71
                  Murder in the Cathedral . . . 2nd Priest
                  Beggars’ Opera . . . . . . . . .Filch
                  Royal Hunt of the Sun . . . . .Filipillo

        Moonlighters’ Theatre Company: 1991
                  The Crucible . . . . . . . . . . Proctor

          Thetford Music and Drama Society 
         (Breckland Drama Festival 1992)
                  Deadline Dawn . . . . . . . . .Brother Luis

        Center Stage: 1992-96
                  Murder on the Nile . . . . . . Simon Mostyn
                  South Pacific . . . . . . . . . .Lt Harbison
                  Lion in Winter . . . . . . . . . Prince Richard
                  Cabaret . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cliff Bradshaw
                  Deathtrap . . . . . . . . . . . .Syndey Bruhl(rehearsed)
                  Real Inspector Hound . . . . .Moon
                  See How They Run . . . . . . Revd Toop

        Great Falls Performing Arts Center

                  Meet me in St Louis . . . . . .Mr. Alonzo (Lonnie) Smith

        The Malmstrom Character Company

                  The Red Lamp . . . . . . . . . .Bill Worth

        Quicksilver Productions: 1998
                  Oresteia . . . . . . . . . . . . . Agamemnon

What brought this to mind was tidying up a closet looking for some photographs and papers when I found a box of ephemera. Some of the plays and concerts I can't remember seeing but the ones I was in I sure do, especially as I have the video-tapes of a couple.

Breaking the 11th Scout Law

I don't know if there are still ten Scout laws; the eleventh was unwritten.

I keep browsing through the b-LOGOS-sphere. I spelled it with two Gs in a previous post . . . the sphere of a Mr A. Blogg. So many fresh and brand spanking new blogs.

I follow many anonymously. I made the mistake of commenting on a blog which was well written, was public and had a few public followers; I was quite surprised when the author tore me off a strip for lurking and promptly made the blog private. Live and learn.

That was then; this is now. I'm still very silent.

From the bookshelves 10, 11, 12

Peake's Progress was published in 1981 in the USA by The Overlook Press it includes the complete The Wit to Woo and much poetry and many illustrations and sketches of theatre sets and costumery. For many years I had a copy of the Penguin Mr Pye but was at last able to secure a hardbound Overlook Press edition published in the USA in 1984.

Below is the cover of the programme of a stage adaptation of the Gormenghast books by John Constable and David Glass and performed by The David Glass Ensemble on tour in 1992. I saw the performance at a packed Cambridge Arts Theatre Saturday 31 January (or was it 1 February I don't have that diary at hand) And wonder of wonders I have a clipping of an article by Sarah Hemming from the arts pages of The Independent of Wednesday 22 January 1992. I actually managed to get Kathy to come along though she'd not read any of the books.

"Mervyn Peake (1911-1968) was a playwright, painter,poet, illustrator, short story writer, and designer of theatrical costumes as well as a novelist. His first book of poems, Shapes and Sounds, was published in 1941. He also wrote Rhymes Without Reason (1944), Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor (1945), The Craft of the Lead Pencil (1946), Letters from a Lost Uncle (1948), Mr Pye (1953), The Wit to Woo, a play (1957) and The Rhyme of the Flying Bomb (1962). In addition, he illustrated several classics including The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, Alice in Wonderland, Treasure Island and The Hunting of the Snark."

In 1982 Overlook Press published the Gormenghast trilogy with the original cover illustrations made by the author for the first British editions of Titus Groan (1946), Gormenghast (1950) and Titus Alone (1959).

The first two number among the few books I have read more than once.

And, yes, I am aware of the 2000 four part BBC television adaptation. I have not seen it.