Strictly Update

Yes, I’ve been a bit quiet on the Strictly front this year, haven’t I? Probably because it’s *whispers* a bit boring this year.

For the first few weeks I watched, trying to find my favourite. No one sprang out from the start, not like other years. Then Jade and Ian danced their Viennese Waltz, and I vocalised that I thought I’d found my favourites (well, Ian always had a bit of a head start). I even voted for them one week, after they’d landed in the bottom two. I also decided that I had a very soft spot for Chris and Ola, because whilst they’re not the best dancers, they are just so cute.

Then there was last week, with its catalogue of disasters. It’s almost like Brucie’s absence put a jinx on the whole thing. Firstly we had Jade’s knee injury, and then Laila’s ankle, (which I’m thinking may have actually saved her, as the thought of a romantic rhumba with Anton frankly makes me feel a bit queasy).

There was then a week of will Jade/won’t Jade be able to dance. I felt so sorry for her when they finally had to pull out, as the poor girl was clearly absolutely gutted, and almost too upset to speak. And then it all got just a little bit dull, as they were really the only ones who were seriously challenging the ‘top two’.

We’re now down to 5 couples, with 4 weeks to go which means, barring a rule change by the BBC*, we’ll have a two person final again, and the judges will get to decide one of the final two. I can’t see it being anything other than the Hollyoaks Twins, Ricky and Ali. Both are good dancers, but oh so dull. Brian, I quite like (faint praise there), Ricky’s partner, Natalie, I can’t bear**

Now, a Natalie Cassidy/Chris final, that might be fun! Sadly it won’t happen.

*Like they’ve never done that before, have they?
** I was with Len on ‘Liftgate’. It would have been appropriate in a final showdance, not in the American Smooth.

‘Do not go gently into that good night…’*

Spoiler Alert – Just in case anyone hasn’t seen The Waters of Mars yet (plus, if you don't watch Doctor Who, it won't make a great deal of sense)

It’s been over a week, and I’ve not said anything about The Waters of Mars. I think that’s partly because of where they took the Doctor in this programme.

The advance blurb about this episode said that it was ‘the scariest Who’ yet, but for the first 45 minutes, I wasn’t convinced. I should have realised that this was a classic piece of RTD’s mis-direction. The scary thing wasn’t the ‘water creatures’ (who, whilst a skilful make-up job, weren’t actually that frightening, though the gradual infiltration of the base by the water was very tense), it was the Doctor himself.

A classic ‘base under siege’ tale, it had a number of similarities to Utopia, where the real focus of the episode only became apparent towards the end. For much of this, the Doctor was an observer, so much so that you wondered when he would actually do something. He actually walked away, to leave them to their fates. It was the ‘right’ thing to do, and yet it felt wrong.

And then, he didn’t. If anyone (still) needs proof that DT is the best TV actor of today, then the last 10 minutes prove it. Again, it was in his eyes, as much as in his actions. He looked dangerous, and the power of the Time Lord to save those who shouldn’t be saved was indeed scary. There really was no one to stop him, and this time, he wasn’t going to stop himself. I love the way that they have pushed the boundaries with DT’s Doctor, taking the character to places that he’s never been before.

The final scene, in the snow, as he confronted the reality of what he had become, and where it had taken him, was mind blowing. There is only one end to this journey now, but it’s been one hell of a ride.

*Not a quote from the episode, but from DT describing the Doctor’s actions in ‘Confidential’

The Hundred Days

Thanks to Corinne, I was made aware of One Hundred Days To Make Me A Better Person. Well, I guess we could all do with a bit of that, so I wondered what I could sign up for.

I wanted to find something which would give me a challenge, with an element of self improvement, but also something which, if I'm honest, I have a chance of sticking to, even on those days where work takes over.

The other week I had to admit to myself that I've never read the Complete Works of Shakespeare, at least not all of the Sonnets, and the longer poems, (and this was in the face of the fact that I have two friends who have read the whole of the Bible!), so my first thought was that I would challenge myself to read the rest of the poems.

But to be frank, this was a bit too easy. As I'd started thinking about poetry, I then began to think about all the poets and poems I've never read. Romantic poets, modern poets, there are so many out there. And this had the right element of self improvement. I may decide that I like some poets and not others, but I will be expanding my knowledge.

So, my pledge is, from 1 December, for one hundred days, I will read a new poem every day. I am open to suggestions as to what, or who, I should read (otherwise you just know the 20th Century isn't going to get much of a look in, apart from when I decide to read a few poems about cats), just please don't anyone suggest that I read the whole of The Prelude in a day. A couple of pages long please, at most.

I'll let you know what I discover, who I like (and who I don't), and how I get on.

'How many ages hence shall this our lofty scene be acted o'er, in states unborn, and accents yet unknown'

One day, and 200 miles later, and I was in Newcastle for the evening performance of Julius Caesar at the Theatre Royal. Setting aside the annoying children* in the row in front of us, who fidgeted throughout, and were distracting until I was fully gripped by the performance, I really enjoyed Lucy Bailey’s production.

It's a play which, every time I see it, makes me reflect on what it says about war, and the nature of man. Very modern in so many ways. I think this production would have gripped me even more in the Courtyard Theatre, where the audience would have ‘become’ the citizens of Rome that Brutus and Mark Antony appeal to, wrapped around the thrust stage. The actors had to work harder in a proscenium arch theatre to involve the audience, and it too a while to get into it.

I really liked Greg Hicks’s Caesar, as he captured the hubris of the man. This Caesar was a danger to the republic because he was still climbing the greasy political pole, whereas I have seen Caesars in the past who were doddery old men.

Bailey used projection of crowds onto screens at the back of the stage, mingled with the actors, to represent the people of Rome, and whilst effective I felt that sometimes this was used too much.

The conspirators were a nervy bunch, almost afraid to carry out their plan. The murder itself was gripping; whilst knowing what was to happen, it made you hold your breath. The speeches after the murder were even more so, with Brutus’s fatal error in allowing Mark Antony to speak to the crowd turning them from supporters of the conspirators to a pack baying for their blood.

I loved Darrell D’Silva’s portrayal of Mark Antony as a fleshy boozer of a man, who was devastated by the murder of Caesar and in his performance you could easily see the seeds of what the character becomes in Antony and Cleopatra. You could already see the antagonism between him and Octavious, uneasy allies against the conspirators. D'Silva will play Antony in the later play next summer, and I'm quite excited by the prospect.

As the chief conspirators, Sam Troughton’s Brutus and John Mackay’s Cassius (definitely ‘lean and hungry’) missed some of the depth of the relationship between the two, perhaps because Mackay’s Cassius was a master manipulator of his friend.

Troughton’s Brutus was much younger than usual, which made it difficult to understand why the other conspirators should defer to him, and be so keen to have his support. Yet his performance as the good and noble man, trying to do what he felt was right for the state, yet constantly making the wrong decision, moved me, and I found myself in tears at his death.

I felt it was a much stronger production than Twelfth Night, not relying on 'stunt casting'. Perhaps some of the choices didn't always work, but they were always more interesting than those made by Doran.

*Who would take two young girls to Julius Caesar? It’s not the best way to introduce them to Shakespeare, and they were clearly bored to tears.

I have been called obsessive about Shakespeare…

But to me, it seems entirely reasonable to see two plays by the RSC, in two days, in two different parts of the country over two hundred miles apart. If the opportunity presents itself, take it.

It started with us booking to see the RSC Julius Caesar in Newcastle, part of their annual residency in the city. I wanted to see this production, as it was directed by Lucy Bailey, who also directed the rather fabulous (and fabulously gory) production of Titus Andronicus which we saw at the Globe a couple of years ago. In that she’d struck me as quite an exciting director.

Then work decided at the last minute to send me to a conference in Bromsgrove. The last time this happened, in Spring, well, there was only one outcome. When I’m only 20 miles away, how can I resist? It all depended whether there were any tickets left for Twelfth Night. A quick check on line found two single tickets remaining. One of them clearly had my name on it.

So last Thursday evening I found myself in the Courtyard Theatre settling down to watch Gregory Doran’s production of Twelfth Night. You may know that Doran isn’t one of my favourite directors. It was David Tennant’s performance as Hamlet that I loved, along with the ensemble, but I had issues about some of the directorial decisions.

This time, he’d also cast a couple of very well known TV actors, Richard Wilson and James Fleet, as Malvolio and Andrew Aguecheek, alongside some seasoned RSC performers*. Such casting puts ‘bums on seats’, but it doesn’t always work as brilliantly as it did with DT. I felt that this time it was less successful, and that both actors gave rather under-powered performances, and therefore much of the comedy was lost, particularly with Aguecheek.

By casting Malvolio as quite an elderly man, it did make him a sadder character than usual, his deluded belief that Olivia loves him drawing sympathy rather than humour at his pomposity being punctured. At the end, this wasn’t a man who would seek his revenge, and perhaps wisely, his last line was delivered after he had left the stage. I think I might have been tempted to cut it, as it seemed to work against the character.

The best performances for me were from Nancy Carroll as a charming, and witty Viola, Alexandra Gilbreath as an ageing Oliva, Jo Stone-Fewings as Orsino, and Richard McCabe as a gross and manipulative Toby Belch. All experienced RSC actors, and it showed.

The eastern Mediterranean setting was very reminiscent of Bill Alexander’s 1987 production, in both set and costumes, so that I frequently felt that I’d seen it all before.

Overall, it was enjoyable, without being in any way challenging. It was ‘comfortable’ Shakespeare, but I’m not sure that that’s what he should be. It took no risks, which I find to be one of the hallmarks of Doran as a director. I need the moments, either in production, or performance, which make me hold my breath, and this didn’t have them.

*Though I guess you could call Fleet the same, as I first saw him there back in the mid 80’s

Never knowingly underdressed

I blame Laura Ashley, and their mid-season sale. I wasn’t looking for a new dress. Heaven knows, I hardly need one, yet how could I resist having a look. From looking, it’s only a short step from trying on, and from trying on, well, you know the rest.

Having bought the dress, it needed accessories. Now most of my accessories are black, but this dress really needed either blue or (even better) pink shoes. It also needed jewellery and/or a shrug (hey, it’s winter, and I feel the cold). Sadly, Laura’s let me down here. They did a little cardigan in just the right shade, but the sleeves were too long, and there were no matching shoes.

So last Wednesday, having planned a shopping day with L, we went round most of the shops in York, with me carrying the dress and trying to match it up. There’s lots of red, black and grey around, and quite a bit of sparkle too, so it’s hard not to get distracted, but I remained focussed.

I eventually found two pairs of shoes. Trying on one pair, which I eventually bought, the assistant looked at me matching them the dress:

‘Ah, it’s obviously for an event’

What could I say?

This seems such a good idea, it's surprising no one else has thought of it

The last time we went to the theatre in Newcastle, we discovered Starters and Puds, just over the road from the Theatre Royal, and couldn't understand why others hadn't thought of this. A menu consisting of 'starters' (actually probably more like tapas style dishes), side orders, and puds, with can be ordered at the same time.

So as soon as we had decided to go and see the RSC in Newcastle, the next thought was 'and we can go to Starters and Puds'. Given the distance we had to travel, the plan was to have our starter pre-performance, and our pud post-show. A brilliant way to avoid the pre-theatre indigestion which I tend to induce in people with my anxiety not to be late.

We were a bit surprised to get there and be told that owing to some mix up with the licensing, they actually couldn't serve any alcohol, so I was despatched to the off licence round the corner, and returned with a very acceptable bottle of chilled pinot grigio.

The food was lovely, and we pre-ordered our puds to return to them after the show, as the kitchen would have closed by then. That's Shakespeare for you, you pretty much only just get out in time for last orders. It also caused a bit of a quandary, as, as we were leaving the theatre they announced there was to be a post-show talk back with the actors. Now, I wouldn't walk away from that very often, and was very torn. But pud was calling, and, what's more, it was paid for. I'm not Yorkshire for nothing.

It was quite delicious too. I'm now wondering what else I can go and see at the Theatre Royal?

'No one's ever going to forget you'

Although Corinne got there before me, I too had to write about the Doctor's appearance in The Sarah Jane Adventures. Partly because we all know what's coming, partly because I will cry at Chrsitmas, and also partly to mark the fact that it's a year since we saw DT give the most amazing performance as Hamlet.

The few moments at the end of the episode once again proved what an amazing actor he is. Often his finest moments are those when he doesn't speak. It's there in his eyes. Great acting.

Yes, I cried.