Today I am not at work (rejoice!). I had to take a day off to fit in a bumper crop of theatre.
Just got back from my local cinema where we had Kenneth Branagh's '
Macbeth' beamed in from the Manchester International Festival. I don't normally like being in the cinema/theatre during the day but it was my one chance to see this production. Got up a bit late so ended up having breakfast in there, truly a strange experience! The whole run of the live play in Manchester sold out in NINE minutes. Fortunately this beam-it-into-your-cinema scheme means that you can catch up on shows that you'd never have got tickets for otherwise. It was a brilliant version of what is probably my favourite play - they staged in inside a deconsecrated church and there was mud everywhere (apparently the audience were warned that they might get mud-splattered and I could see that happening given that they had it raining indoors for the first battle!). Kenneth Branagh (
) was an amazing Macbeth and Alex Kingston did a great job of being a loony Lady.
Now I have a few hours to re-set my brain out of Shakespeare mode as tonight it's '
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime'.
I'll be all theatred out by tomorrow I think.
ARGH! HOT POTATO! ORCHESTRA STALLS! PUCK WILL MAKE AMENDS!
I remember being totally thrown by that book years ago, as it was put in our local library in the crime section, but it's not really a crime novel (ok, there's a crime in it, but it's not "The Wimbledon Poisoner" or Agetha Christie sort of thing).
So Spain want to dispute Gibraltar to take everyone's minds off their country being up poo creek? Hope they remember what happened to the last bunch of Latinos that tried playing that card. Not even Franco was stupid enough to try & take the Gib - those Barbary macaques on the place would be enough to take on any army (vicious little sods they are - like chavs without the Kappa gear).
Poor old 'Curious Incident' play could barely hold my attention last night. It was well done and the set was like a big graph, which was interesting, but I was still thinking about Macbeth (let's see if I can set Minty off again). It's not a good idea to go to see two things in one day, especially when the first one is so good that it's an impossible act to follow. Also on the way to the theatre we had one of those mad, sudden rainstorms that have become a feature of this summer, so my feet were soaked through (the water doesn't drain fast enough and the puddles on the pavement were several inches deep in just a few minutes and went over my shoes - arrrgh!).
NNGGGARGH! HOT POTATO! ORCHESTRA STALLS! PUCK WILL MAKE AMENDS!
Two plays in one day is a bit overkill, although it's a poor day when a matinee performance outdoes an evening show (even if Kenneth Branagh was in the former).
I see Whitehall has finally come up with an idea what to do with the south west of England - try to turn it into an international computer games creation hub.
http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/08/06/creati...t-england/
It's going to take a bit more than £1 million to do that, I think, & considering the way they let the Dundee studios for GTA collapse when it was making millions I'm not sure their hearts are in it. If they could persuade a major name to relocate to the SW, it would have a better chance.
There are millions of Scots in London. Loads and loads of men walking around in kilts. Like an invasion!
Hope they behave themselves.
WTF? Scotland are in the lead after ten minutes
Theo Walcott really got England out of jail there (time to say "I told you so!" to all those that say Walcott is crap: I think he's the best player England have had for years when he gets the service & isn't kept back by midfielders more interested in making themselves look good than being team players).
Waiting for the 2nd half & Scott Brown's traditional temper tantrums once Scotland start losing (Brown is easily identified by the bolt through his neck)
Gareth Southgate is one of the commentators. For Ollie's benefit, here's what he looks like.
All the men in kilts that I encountered behaved impeccably well and I had some doors held open for me by them while I was carrying a big parcel.
Did not get to watch the match as I was in the cinema watching the Alan Partridge 'Alpha Papa' film, which was hilarious! My cheeks are sore from laughing the entire way through
. I see that there were at least plenty of goals, in the match I mean.
Booo to monthly subscriptions.
Grrrr, down with this online subscription nonsense!
That must be disappointing but think of the money it will save you (*realises this is no comfort*). You seem to have had a bad day yesterday, Minty, with all this bad gaming news and annoying real life. I will make you some cheer-up omelettes with extra cheese.
This afternoon I am going travelling again (I sometimes feel like I live on trains) but the places I am staying claim to have Wifi so I should not be disappearing from SF. First I shall be in Portsmouth because I want to visit the Mary Rose now that it is housed in its spangly new museum, then to the Isle of Wight for a few days.