Shrews, Penguins and more

September finished in a bit of a mad rush. I’m writing away on a project to submit to the BFI – along with every other animator around. I’m getting frustrated as I could approach this subject in many different ways, and probably if truth be told it may be too big a subject for a short film, but then I managed to reduce The Iliad to an interesting chunk. Watch this space.
I’ve done quite a few talks to various senior based groups, and this week I meet a group of Ukelele players who might be able to join us for Jeeves and Wooster. Live music would make all the difference, and talking of live music I did go and see the Penguin café. I’ve lost count how many times I have seen the band live and after a hectic day at the Bolton film festival, I did nervously wonder if I was too familiar with them, but no, they thrilled, startled, surprised and moved me even more that usual. they had brilliant lighting here, taking us seemingly underwater. I will never tire of the penguins.
I am getting a little tired, no I’m not, but it’s so much the thing at the moment that plays have to reverse genders – we have a female King john, Macbeth and many more, and it really does not matter to me at all, but it is already a cliché – however in the RSC’s Taming of the shrew it made sense to play Petruchia as a women in search of a husband, and Katharine that doltish husband who was tamed. A gorgeous rich production.
I wish perhaps they’d swapped the genders for the Agatha Christie play I saw that was simply dull, but then can she ever work as a thriller. Nail biting it was billed, and nail biting it was not. Meet the characters, kill one, then spend hours pointing fingers at people, when there is no chance of working things out as we are not given enough information. well sit back and look at the frocks – sadly there’s not much drama in that.
and then finally we launched our atlrincham Garrick Picturehouse with everyone was Talking about Jamie, and they certainly were for day after. A great success. It is a magnificent show, and yes there were tears there.
Let’s have a bit of Penguin Café