Roots at The Almeida Theatre is beautiful. I am so glad we overrode earlier misgivings which were mainly dictated by health issues, and went along. Here is ensemble playing at its best and Wesker’s, perhaps a little dated, play is a moving snapshot of a different time though we both found it touches on issues that are no less relevant to today.
The cast were all just brilliant especially Morfydd Clark as Beatie Bryant though I had never heard or seen any of them before. At least not on stage that is, though Swedish-Welsh (Swelsh?!)-born Morfydd Clark is easily recognisable from The Ring franchise.
None of this matters; they played together beautifully; it was touching; made complete sense; it was not miked (rare these days); it was staged with the least amount of fuss and to great effect and Iraqi-born Diyan Zora whose work I have never seen before has clearly got a magical touch when it comes to directing. A great talent and so young. This is I suppose a stupid thing to say since getting into The Almeida these days is like getting to see the President – but get a ticket if you can.
Baz Lurhman’s renowned cinematic extravagance I have always loved. When Moulin Rouge was released in 2001 I rushed to see it on the biggest screen I could find, bought the CD and played the soundtrack loudly for months afterwards at home – much to Tony’s horror!
He loathed it and among my friends I have found no-one who enjoyed or was a groupie for it – until in Sicily earlier this year, our Friend Marianne Velmans fessed up to being a devotee not only of Moulin Rouge but of other West End musicals too; common ground and indeed we dated and whisked ourselves off to first Zedel’s for supper and then across the road to the Piccadilly for “the event”.
We both loved it and have promised each other more musicals extravaganzas soon. Thanks Marianne. It was such a great evening, if a little loud; we were both breath taken by the music which is one long sound track, really, combining over 70 songs from Adele, Kate Perry, Sia, Rihanna, Beyoncé, and more – even The Hills are alive with The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein would you believe?
I won’t dwell on our medical stories except to thank you all for your kindness and concern. There are other issues that we are dealing with which are not life-threatening and bearing in mind the travails of the world at present, small beer really. Our little sanatorium here in Mistley is running smoothly and there have been a few “away-days” for fun & frolics though small amounts only as tiredness sets in quickly. We are adept at sourcing the best nappies, you will all be thrilled to know!
A walk on Hampstead Heath yesterday in glorious, sunny winter weather.
Diversionary tactics are still in place; TV streaming of the binge variety continue at a pace. We have much enjoyed the off-the-wall series The Regime – another Kate Winslet success – on Apple+. Comedy of the darkest shade, almost near the bone in the light of current developments in the USA and other parts of the world.
Hitler, Mussolini, Nicolae Ceaušescu and his wife, Putin, Kim Jong Un, Evita Peron among a host of other tyrants spring to mind, not least the newest incumbent of the White House who may well be equally self-deluded!
Industry, the show about a group of undergraduates competing for permanent positions at a fictitious investment bank in The City, Pierpont & Co. makes us wonder about that sector of business. It’s been around since 2020 and already into multiple series but we are behind the times as usual. Then Black Money Love a Turkish offering on Netflix which runs to 165 episodes, intriguing but I am exhausted by it at Episode 12 in the 1st series! I doubt I’ll survive the course.
On the book front I think I mentioned last time I had started in with Kairos with enormous gusto and commitment but have run out of steam on that one and lost patience with the tiresome central character, I am afraid, leaving me with Nexus Yuval Harari’s latest opus as my current challenge. Nothing to say yet on that as I have only just finished the 32 page Prologue which I suspect encapsulates the 494 remaining pages!
Any bets?
Films. Only two. Kate Winslet, again, in Lee – all about the amazing war photographer Lee Miller. A wonderful if sad and moving film about her and her exploits before, during and immediately after World War 2.
And The Apprentice perfectly timed to reassure and cheer us before the American Presidential Election. I am being heavily ironic in the light of that event. But a brilliant film nonetheless. You can’t say we weren’t warned!
And here follows my take on the American Election and the return of Donald Trump, another opinion among millions, if you haven’t already you can turn off now. I promise you wont be tested on this!
Given the enormous majority he has fielded and the total control the Republicans now have over all branches of the American State machinery, it can only be concluded that this is what for better or worse, the majority of Americans in a democratic system, wanted. If we are to accept that system and it is, after all part of the post World War 2 settlement, certainly in The West, we have to accept the result with good grace and hope that Trump does not abuse the enormous power he will now have, too much.
But this result is symptomatic of other parts of the world. All regimes everywhere are moving to the Right; populism and nationalism are the new forces – or at least, old ones the world is now revisiting as if history has not warned us against their consequences.
In Europe France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Austria have all moved to the right; in Poland more so while Viktor Orbán in Hungary seems to have torn up the liberal experiment altogether. Even our own Labour Party has virtually abandoned its socialist roots and moved to the right having to shadow the Conservatives in order to win elections.
This for whatever reason, is what “the people” want. It does not matter whether their fears and anxieties have been manipulated by politicians with an eye on the main chance; the fact is that there are fears there that seem real to millions that existed already – threats of wars, mass immigrations, rising costs, inflation, catastrophic weather patterns and, in a conservative world where most people simply want to get on peacefully with their lives, small wonder that ordinary people will turn to whomever will, apparently, address these fears.
H.L Menken’s thoughts spring to mind:
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.
Not that I necessarily worship at Menken’s feet! The point here being that imaginary or not, the fears we have are perceived to be real.
My Tongue in my cheek, though I am sure not his, another of his pearls is that Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
I am very much afraid that the Liberal Experiment which we have grown up with, the Post-2nd World War Order (in the West certainly) is dying on its feet. The lights if you like are starting to go out and I very much fear that soon we will all be plunged into a new darkness as the authoritarian regimes gather their collective loins ready to jump.
Bleak, dear Friends, bleak! Sorry, but it is what I feel. Lets hope I am wrong!
Just keep the faith and hold your loved ones close.
PEDRO
It is through the Darkness that the Life can come through.
It can feel we are moving into the Dark Ages and yet I do believe that something new is pushing to come forward. I look at your energy from the plays and films you have watched. This is great energy and brings a difference to the world.
I love Elliots piece – And I said to my soul be still. let the darkenss come upon me and know the darkness is God. (Whatever that means for everyone.) Anne Welsh.
Dear Peter,
Thank you for your exploits. Wanted to say that I am seeing ‘Look Back in Anger’ this Saturday at The Almeida which has been produced in conjunction with ‘Roots’. Same cast and they play in rep. Only ‘Look Back in Anger’ is directed by my mate Atri Bannerjee who is also a close colleague of Diyan Zora. Atri directed me a couple of years ago.
I also concur that LEE was sad and SO beautifully played by Ms Winslett ( ain’t she amazing) and in ‘The Regime’ ( frightening). Your outlook of the political global front is bleak and ghastly but maybe has credence. I despair. Thank goodness for good people like yourselves. Love to Tony.
Dear Peter, it is wonderful to hear that your health problems are under “control”. You have summed up the general feeling pervading little old New Zealand. However, 42,000 people took part in a hikoi that started in Northland, as like the pied piper people gathered, joining together, walked over the Harbour Bridge in Auckland and arrived at Parliament on Tuesday (including the Maori Queen). One person was arrested for disorderly behaviour, and a few people fainted but completely peaceful- combination of Maori and pakeha and everyone who could make it. The protest is against the Bill that is being proposed to change and modernise Te Tiriti Waitangi, the founding document between Maori and the Crown. It gives me hope that this peaceful rally has occurred – we shall see what follows.
In 1973, when Frank Dunlop was running the Young Vic, I saw a revival of Roots. Shortly after that, I called Arnold Wesker and introduced myself as a friend of Athol Fugard. That was just at the time when Athol was calling for a repeal of the playwrights’ boycott of South Africa. Well, it was a matter that was left out of the conscience of each playwright, and Wesker said Athol should be the arbiter if any theatre in South Africa wanted to produce his work. Anyway, Arnold invited me around to their place for Sunday lunch and that’s when I met Dusty Wesker – the original for Beatie Bryant.
Nice one Pedro. We are still in France returning to London by train on 28th.
A miniscule point, perhaps, but latest tally by NY Times shows him winning less than half of the popular vote. Yet he’s ended up with nearly (? – they’re still counting in some states) all the power. Who will dare to stand up to him is the question.
Black humour, like Menken (thanks!) or shows like Dead Ringers on Radio 4 and the American comedian Stephen Colbert are one antidote. Best of all, friends, loved ones.
Hurrah for you guys, out there, looking terrific! Loving you. Bonnie