Let the madness commence..............

...........even though it hasn't actually started yet. however the atmosphere certainly has...........the Udderbelly is up and the streets are thronged with people who have just arrived and are wearing that slightly glazed and gleikit "where am i?" expression as they wander vaguely around getting in the way. However Fest started for us in Glasgow................wee trip to Theatre Royal to see Scottish Op's "Open rehearsal" of "The Two Widows". Bit of a risk for those of us who've already loyally bought tickets................what if we hated it. i certainly hated the sets and the chorus costumes were vile.................screaming lime-green and orange versions of the dreaded Peasant Skirt, o God, how many shows has that been in? the chorus looked embarrassed and well they might...................not only looking like refugees from the D'Oyly Carte but they had to dance like them as well and with one or two noble exceptions most of them looked as though they had never stood on a stage before. and indeed wished never to stand on a stage again. unfortunately Jane Irwin had a sore throat or attack of the vapours or whatever, at any rate couldn't sing, but walked through while her cover sang it in, very nicely. it's a pleasant enough show...............nice tunes...........lots of vaguely G & S-sounding bits, but it felt as though they didn't quite know whether to send it up or take it seriously and the comic touches just weren't very funny. also G & S-like in having the supposedly comic baritone character who was tediously unamusing, the second-act solo was torture, maybe it would have been funnier in Czech. hope Jane is OK for the first night................it would be nice to see her play some less depressive characters occasionally but at least she gets a happy ending instead of topping herself this time..............pity also that the understudy didn't get to take a call...............
............coming home, first surreal Festival moment............a group of musicians at the east End spot clad in Native American outfits with feather headbands and pan pipes and so forth............playing that well-known old Native American tune, "The Dark Island"....................