Scenes from a theatre bar

Scene one

Conversation has turned to 'The Shakespeare Code'

‘I loved it’
‘I wanted to love it more’
‘You didn’t want Dr Who, you wanted David playing Shakespeare’
I consider for a moment
‘Yes, I did’

Scene two

‘We’ve moved onto the Romantic poets now, but I have to tell you something’ I pause, for a little dramatic effect. ‘We’re missing out Bryon’

I look at Corinne. It’s a good job she’s sitting down. Her mouth is open, and is moving, but any sound can only be heard by dogs.

‘How can you do the Romantics without Byron’
‘Don’t blame me, blame those who set the OU syllabus’ I try distraction ‘Did you see that Bo’sun* got a mention in the programme?’
Cat tries to assist: ‘we saw his grave...at Newstead...you're going to get married in a marquee on the lawn**’

*That would be Byron’s dog
**I'd like to stress that this is a long term plan