Blog 7

The pomegranates are ripe and falling attracting the wasps so we are well into autumn now and the drop in temperature confirms it. It’s a pity they’re such messy things to eat as I am led to believe they’re very good for you. They make a mess when they hit the concrete as well and split open.. Jenny Gore has been known to sit in the courtyard with a basin, a pile of pomegranates and stained fingers peeling them and making juice which is delicious but is it worth the time and effort? Guess it’s time to start reaping the quince as well, the oranges are ripening and the ground beneath the walnut trees is covered in nuts. Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness just missing the mist.
Had actor’s nightmare last night. As I haven’t acted in many a moon why should I still be having actor’s nightmare? Just an anxiety dream I suppose though whenever I think of my times as an understudy I get the cold shivers as, being the lazy bugger that I am, I was never really prepared to go on and fortunately never had to. Anyway, it was ridiculous, if I had to go on for Alistair Sim half the audience would have walked out and demanded their money back. Every actor I’ve ever spoken to about it has experienced this dream when you are standing in the wings and about to walk out on stage and you don’t know a line, sometimes you don’t even know what play you’re supposed to be in. It’s quite distressing really as the dreams are always vivid. You wonder if you can wing it, if you can play a scene, scurry off to swot up your lines and then play the next .One actor’s nightmare I had involved not one, not two but three plays, the third of which I hadn’t even read let alone studied and it was due to open. Remember a revue I saw in London way back, must have been the fifties with Hugh Paddick, and was it Fenella Fielding? Anyway, the sketch was supposed to be about them performing Romeo & Juliet in rep and the actor playing Romeo enters below the balcony to hear Juliet say the immortal line, “I have given suck!” with much emphasis on the “suck” to which he hisses in response, ‘You give suck on Thursdays, dear!’ Of course everyone knows the suck line comes from The Scottish King.
Accidentally saw most of a film on ET1 (missed the beginning) which I really enjoyed. I say accidentally for two reasons, one I had no intention of watching tv at that time of the day but thought it would accompany lunch and two because it was a substitute programme (again? Yes again) because ET1 ET3 and NET were suffering yet another strike and scheduled programmes between 10 and 3 were off. Anyway, the play starred Meryl Streep and was set in Ireland and I kept on wondering what it could be until the end when the penny finally dropped and I thought – Dancing At Lughnasa! I checked on Google because I never saw Brian Friel’s play and sure enough that is what it was. Lovely performances from all and beautifully shot in wonderful country.
Now I really really really must go and start that burning! Perfect overcast day for it.