Snotted on by an elephant

Mutterings continued.

Viking kittens!!

One for the lads.

Visited the elephant barn today to get a couple of calico bags painted by one of the eles. We sell them to raise money for elephant conservation. Siput, elder of the two young females, did some very nice work but managed to get snot and dribble on me as she raised her trunk to take the brush. We think it was done deliberately. I was nearly painted a couple of times with a lovely shade of pink. 8-D

Today's this time last year:

Most of the day was spent in the Shakespeare Library watching videos - Richard II in the morning and Hank 4, both bits in the afternoon. This was the Richard 2 that we had seen in 2000 in The other Place (sadly no more). TOP is similar to Rechabites - no stage, raked seating, however TOP has a minstrels' gallery that is used to good effect.

The room was completely white and the set dressing consisted of 6 white chairs, 3 on either side of a large door USC, and pile of dirt SR and a large crate DSC. Act 1 opened with Sam West as Richard sitting on the crate and doing the "I have been studying how I may compare this prison where I live unto the world;" speech from Act 6 while Jerusalem plays.

The wonderful David Troughton played Bolingbroke as a thug who makes no bones about what he's doing. He is also give the "I have been..." speech at the close of the play. Full circle.

On hearing of the death of Mowbray, Bolingbroke's rival, the latter turns to the audience and tells us to stand, "I pray you Lords, stand." He then turned his gun on us and said the line again. We stood.


Sam West as Richard, doing the 'Hollow crown' bit.


Bolingbroke threatens Aumerle.


And a Hamlet I'd forgotten to post.

The vid of R2 suffers from the use of a static vid camera - you hear Bolingbroke long before you actually see him as he's standing SR.

Richard II is one of my favourite plays - nothing much happens but it happens so lyrically. There are some beautiful speeches, my favourite being,
"What must the King do now? Must he submit?
The King shall do it. Must he be depos'd?
The King shall be contented. Must he lose
The name of king? A God's name, let it go.
I'll give my jewels for a set of beads,
My gorgeous palace for a hermitage,
My gay apparel for an almsman's gown,
My figur'd goblets for a dish of wood,
My sceptre for a palmer's walking staff,
My subjects for a pair of carved saints,
And my large kingdom for a little grave,
A little little grave, an obscure grave-
Or I'll be buried in the king's high way,
Some way of common trade, where subjects' feet
May hourly trample on their sovereign's head;
For on my heart they tread now whilst I live,
And buried once, why not upon my head?" Waaaaaahh!!!

Lunch at Bensons - Tomato and Basil soup and a pot of Earl Grey and then back for Henry IV.

The RSC produced all the History plays, from Richard II to Richard III, in one season, using many of the same cast. Which means that David Troughton played Bolingbroke and Henry IV and William Houston played Hal and Henry V. And in a nice touch, Troughton's son, Sam, played Richmond in Richard III.


William Houston and DT.

The cast had 3 curtain calls for Part 1 and 4 for Part 2.