mountainear

Guys and Dolls! Hmm.... A trip last evening with my new WI chums to see the Newtown Musical Theatre company's production of Guys and Dolls.

Now, I'm not a fan of musicals but this is the exception and I had worked up a bit of excitement at the prospect of an evening in the company of Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Nathan Detroit, Miss Adelaide and Harry the Horse. I've seen the movie, I've read Runyan's short stories, can belt out the tunes. And now I've regreted going to Newtown. I will damn with faint praise.

So, full marks for attempting such an ambitious project. We had a cast of all shapes and sizes - mostly large and with two left feet - but marks for trying. And please, another time Miss Adelaide and Chorus - keep the ballgowns on. We had numerous changes (all handled fairly smoothly) of the same scenery but the lighting remained the same throughout. The cast struggled with a bunch of accents most of which should never have left the voice box. Costumes, OK - but shoes and hair: WRONG WRONG WRONG. Trainers? No.

On the plus side Miss Adelaide was wonderful - exhuberant and blowsy - but was the exception in a cast of 2 dimensional characters. Real live orchestra - excellent. I suppose Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra and Stubby Kaye in Hollywood's 1955 movie version are really hard acts to follow. Still, as I said: marks for trying.......

Today Alan has gone to Manchester - leaving on the early train. Me, I stayed at home and relished a beautiful sunny morning. Saw lambs frolicking in the little field - a pretty sight. Joys of Spring etc. Went to get camera. Farmer came to get lambs, taking them off to a bigger brighter field even as I clicked the shutter. So no lamb picture. We now have new lambs there, so be forewarned; a picture may be forthcoming.

Did digging instead and finished planting the 'crinkle crankle hedge' which divides the garden from the vegetable plot. What a chore that has been but now, apart from a few spares, all the bare rooted stuff is planted.

There are primroses out in the lane and I noticed Wood Anemones - Wind Flowers flowering today - appropriately enough in a wood. In the last few days leaf buds on the trees are noticably larger.
As I write this a crow is putting the finishing touches to its nest in one ofthe trees down our dingle. Large twigs being brought in by the beakful and sort-of-arranged - crows are not the neatest nestbuilders.