It was stunning. Patrick Stewart was mesmerising and the staging was just to my taste - the weird sisters were, in fact, nursing sisters. Those of you familiar with my views on nurses will know how appropriate this seemed to me. Lady Macbeth was adequate without being instantly a classic (in my humble view). You have to work quite hard I think to do something new with the character after all this time. The witches actually were really sisnister and well done. There's also a really clever bit concerning Banquo's arrival at the feast (as a ghost for those of you unfamiliar with the text). This happens just prior to the end of act one with Banquo turning up covered in blood. The exact same scene is played at the start of act two but this time only Macbeth can see the ghost. It gives the audience an idea of how the other guests at the banquet must have reacted to Macbeth's actions. Very clever. The "eye of newt/pricking of my thumbs" bit is done as a "rap" which actually works rather well although you can't distinctly hear all the language at this point.
The Crack (or Shibboleth to give it the correct name) is also rather good. It works on loads of levels and I won't wax lyrical on them all here for fear of boring you. But if you get a chance to go and see it then do.
Journey home on dear dear Virgin was fine - I upgraded to 1st class for £15 and had a whole table to myself al the way. This meant I was able to get to the hospital on time for the MRI scan which went without a hitch. I'l get the results on Tuesday when I see the neurologist so I'l let you know how it works out.
Hope you're doing OK Bill. I heard that you had to miss your chemo this week because of a low platelet count. Not that I know, but I don't think this should be anything to worry about since it shows the chemo is working - it f***s all your cells, not just the cancer. Lets hope its equally effective on the cancer cells. As ever, if you need anything or if there's anything I can do then give me a shout.
Aged Ps are off round the Mediteranean on a boat for 15 days from Monday so I'l miss them. Although I understand that said boat does have ship to shore so they shouldn't be out of touch for too long.
That's al. J x
4 comments:
Now I'm jealous did you know the story behind shibboleth?
The story behind the word is recorded in the biblical Book of Judges. The word shibboleth in ancient Hebrew dialects meant 'ear of grain' (or, some say, 'stream'). Some groups pronounced it with a sh sound, but speakers of related dialects pronounced it with an s.
In the story, two Semitic tribes, the Ephraimites and the Gileadites, have a great battle. The Gileadites defeat the Ephraimites, and set up a blockade to catch the fleeing Ephraimites. The sentries asked each person to say the word shibboleth. The Ephraimites, who had no sh sound in their language, pronounced the word with an s and were thereby unmasked as the enemy and slaughtered.
Here is the relevant excerpt from the Book of Judges. The full account is in Chapter 12, verses 1-15.
12, 4 Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
5 And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, art thou an Ephraimite? If he say Nay;
6 Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.
I suppose the second world war version was 'Hey Joe whadya know?'
Now I didn't know all that. How interesting. And are you sure you're in the rigth job? Wouldn't you rather be a researcher or something? J x
.. you've been looking at Patrick Stewarts crack?
Oh. Dear. I read that last entry too quickly and got very confused.
Will you be incoporating a crack into your designs for the apartment? I can just imagine you inviting people round for a look at your crack den.
ha ha
not.
Anyhoo. Hello. Apols for the radio silence. No excuses, I've just been a tad lazy and suffering the onset of SAD - deep joy. Still me old 'sunlamp' is working well and i'm not feeling such a husk, who knows, I might even pick up the phone and speak to you soon.
figgles x x x
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