The Fearless and the Free

The Masque of Anarchy last night was stunning. Maxine Peake declaimed her drawers off. The place (Albert Hall) was packed and very atmospheric since lit mainly by hundreds of candles (I'm sure there was an Health & Safety officer tied up in a cupboard somewhere).  Maxine then took to the stage dressed in a white sort of smock dress (very Peterloo 1819) and carrying a single candle which she placed amongst the others on the stage.  She then read the Shelley poem that he composed in response to the Peterloo Massacre. But she did this without the text in front of her, all from memory.  And the text is 11 pages long.  Incredible.  But not only did she speak the poem aloud she imbued it with a drama and pathos over and above the mere words.  The effect was electrifying.  She was just stunning.

That the words have power and resonance even today some 200 years later is evident when one considers that the very last line of the poem is "Ye are many - they are few". The very same slogan adopted by a lot of the anti-capitalist/tax avoidance protests of recent times: the whole 10% thing.

It was so powerful we had to repair to The Midland hotel afterwards for more drinks. :-) Usual array of shocking outfits.

I say more drinks because we'd had cocktails round at mine beforehand in a vain attempt to use up some of the alcohol I have on hand.  I am precluded from publishing pictures of anyone else on here so you'll have to be content with a picture of me reprising my Coronation Street eyebrow...

Today was otherwise a quiet day. Apart from the cricket.  Madam came round to watch it.  To be fair it was quite exciting - even if I was at Sainsburys when it did eventually finish.

Now sat on the terrace enjoying a martini (vodka o'clock) and updating y'all. No plans for tonight so it's Countryfile and the papers for me.  That's all. J x