Friday, October 29, 2004

This is just shocking and appalling. And all in the name of democracy and freedom? Pah.

The Oxford Stage Company's revival of David Storey's Home was damn good, as it happens. We were unusually early at the theatre and were treated to a drink, which was a nice touch and very appreciated as I think we had about 3 quid in our pockets between us, and that was earmarked for a low-budget supper. The venue was plagued with noise, as it was a sign-language interpreted performance and a lot of boiled sweet wrappers were unfurling throughout the show. The woman sat alongside me was playing with the zip on her bag constantly. I'm not sure if she was deaf or was just intent on annoying everyone. If only my obscene signing was up to scratch I'd have had a thing or two to say with my hands. Nothing much wrong with the play. Home's not funny, really, just very, very unnerving. A bloke behind was banging on about how he'd seen Ralph Richardson in it 21 years before. "Ralph was at the end, then, almost. He couldn't remember his lines and had to keep slapping his thighs to pass the time while they came back to him." Maybe a prompt would have been better. Another chap noticed that Charles Hutchinson was in, saying "Aah, Charles is getting ready," as the critic in question made a big, melodramatic swoop, raising his pen in the air before it made contact with his notepad. I want the guy to revive his pen light again, that was much more discreet. We spent our 3 quid. My sandwich had a fair few jalapeno peppers within. I didn't realise, until I bit into it, that, during the journey home, the peppers had all gathered together at one end. Ouch, they were hot babies. A good night and miraculously, while we were out, our sensitive central heating system had come back to life. Watched Question Time, which was broadcast from the US and had an oft-booed Michael Moore and the very annoying token ignorant Brit Richard Right Wing Littlejohn on the panel. Oh dear. Americans. And Richard Littlejohn. What should we do with them? Perhaps Iraq could invade the US in an effort to impose democracy on this nation of fools? It's time the good, intelligent, free-thinking Americans that surely exist came out of hiding and shook things up a bit. Bush or Kerry? Where's the choice? Decent sandwich, though.

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