#pinter pause

[theplanningstage]

Pauses vs Silences in Pinter

Timestamp: 10:18. Discussion of the difference between a pause and a silence in Pinter's work, referencing Betrayal specifically.

"I think the person who's exposing us really is Pinter and there are times when you are pausing and you are silencing and a silence is different to a pause just in case if you didn't know a pause is basically like five seconds compared to silences. It feels like you're there for five years not saying anything so the thing that feels very exposing is those silences because if you're doing a play where it's pick up the cues and run around like a headless chicken and get to the end all well and good but when you're on a bare stage with your heart on show and then you have to pause and hold an audience's attention with the power of your own internal mechanisms and the mechanisms of the character I mean yeah that's really exposing and we've tried to cut them short and Jamie's told us to go past the pain barrier. "What's a difference…between a Pinter pause and a silence? The boring answer is ones longer. "But when you pause it's either because you were gonna say something and you decide not to or you thought the other person was going to say something and they didn't the idea being that you take a break in the continued through line of that moment so you pause a silence during or after the silence one or both of the characters are changed and then you have to pick up a new moment at the end of it there's something very dead and alive to a silence that a pause doesn't quite have."

[missewoodhouse]

Why the fuck is the RSC's current Macbeth 3 hours long?

Like, it's not that I mind a 3 hour plays as a general rule. (The Empress is an enjoyable 3 hours in the theatre next door.)

But Mackers is meant to be the short and snappy Shakespeare -- someone already made most of the cuts for you while they were adding in bits by Thomas Middleton!

Also, it's one thing to modernize the Porter's political references (the joke about Partygate equivocators was very appropriate). It's another thing to turn it into a drawn-out stand-up bit about GCSE students not understanding Shakespeare.

[insanityclause]

Tom Hiddleston: Much Ado Masterclass

Join Olivier-award-winning star of stage and screen, Tom Hiddleston, for a Masterclass on Much Ado About Nothing, on stage at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Alongside his prolific screen work, Tom has garnered critical acclaim for his theatrical performances, including his roles in Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, Othello, Coriolanus, and Hamlet, and Pinter’s Betrayal. He is playing Benedick in The Jamie Lloyd Company’s staging of Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Jamie Lloyd at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 10 February – 5 April 2025.

A few selected members will join Tom on stage to work together on sections from the play, exploring keeping energy alive, engaging the audience, and what actors can do to recreate emotion night after night. They will need to learn lines from a pre-selected scene from Much Ado About Nothing, be off-book and be open and excited to taking direction from Tom.

To attend the Masterclass please Book Your Free Place below.

If you would like to be considered for working on stage with Tom, please Book Your Free Place below and then complete this application form.

Deadline to apply: 9AM, Monday 10 March 2025.

All attendees will leave with a valuable toolkit to apply to their own practice.

We're looking for questions from our members to kick off the session. If you are chosen our Programmer, Georgie, will ask you to stand up and ask your question.

Submit Your Question!

Please Note: This is a longer Masterclass than usual, but we will pause for a short comfort break before the Q&A.

Bookings for Tom Hiddleston's Masterclass will close on 6pm Friday 14 March.

[ridethecyanide]

March 15, 2025 - RSL Meeting Recap

This will be a long post so if you’re interested in my lovely encounter with Robert Sean Leonard, keep reading 🙂

I want to start by saying this: Before the evening took place, I mentioned to @slowburningechoes that this day was going to feel different than my other brief encounters with Robert, that is if it was actually going to happen. It’s never a guarantee that the actors will come out after a show but we were cautiously optimistic! Previously, I was so afraid of sounding like a jackass and embarrass myself that I mumbled a few words to him (the 1st time I barely said anything, the 2nd time I said a little more) and got out as quick as possible, never giving myself the chance to properly engage him. But this time, after reading people’s encounters with him during the run of Betrayal, he seemed very open (not that he wasn’t before, I didn’t give him the chance to engage) so I decided that I was going to roll with whatever was going to happen.

Okay..here we go!

- @slowburningechoes @occultbooks and I were the first people he saw (there were a few others waiting too) so he greeted us with an enthusiastic “Hello” It was @slowburningechoes and mines goal to be the first near the desk.

- I started with the usual, “the show was great, you were great”, etc. and I told him I found Betrayal to be an extraordinary play and was totally hooked and he says “I don’t like Harold Pinter plays but I did it because I love Helen and when she called to say she wanted to do this with me..” and he paused so then I interjected and said “well then you gotta go do it!” And he said “Exactly!” I love how he does not GAF and is honest about how he feels.

- When I met him a 2nd time on March 20, 2016, I briefly mentioned how I skipped my high school senior prom to see him on Broadway (it was 15 years ago then, it’s 24 years ago now!). He gave me a sweet smile at the time. I decided I was going to tell him again because it was long ago when I said it and I highly doubt he remembers. So I tell him and he says “wow, you’re a rare bird for skipping your senior prom for a Tom Stoppard play.” So I said “Oh no, I skipped my senior prom for YOU!” (giving him a famous RSL point 👉🏻) He was taken aback, blushed! and then said “I didn’t go to my senior prom because I dropped out!” And when he said “dropped out”, he moved up close to my face like he was telling me a secret 😆 He briefly talked about how The Invention of Love was a challenging play to get into and how Richard Easton mentored him throughout the run of the show and I said “…and then you went on to win the highest honor in theater!” and he said rather sheepishly and slightly shaking his head, “Yes, that was unexpected and (he paused) wonderful.” 😌

- Then I said, I brought something with me that I would love for you to sign and I told him I’ve been holding on to it for 27 years; I pulled out the VHS Emmy screener for In The Gloaming. So he takes it and inspects it (like you would inspect a new book 😆) and I tell him it’s an Emmy screener and he goes “oh my goodness, yes it is!” So to keep the conversation going, I asked if he had fond memories of working on the movie (he did, we knew that because he’s talked about it before but I wanted to hear it for myself and keep him talking) and he said “oh very much so. We shot it in westchester county which was close to home and working with Chris Reeves was so great”. I got a bit personal and told him that this movie hits close because we had a family member pass away from AIDS and it happened around the same time the movie was released. He offered his condolences on that and said “it was a wonderfully important film and I was happy to be a part of it.”

- So at this point, I felt like I’ve taken up so much of his time (although, I’m pretty sure he would have kept going. Yapper Bob was activated!) so I asked if we can take a photo together and he says “yes of course”. Now, he didn’t realize my Mom was with me (she was standing off to the side documenting this encounter) so we shuffled around a bit to get into better lighting and he went into Dad Mode and asked someone, who turned out to be @slowburningechoes , if she can take our photo and I said “My Mom is right there ready to take it” and I point her out and he says “Hi Mom!” Lol. He pulls me in tight and if you look at the photo, I’m just going with it and leaning into him. I was so close to putting my head on his shoulder but I stopped myself 😆 I thanked him again and he thanks me again for coming and for “sticking by me for so long”. From our chat, he recognized that I was a long time fan (almost 32 years!) so that comment made me 🥹. I believe he was genuinely sincere when he said that.

My Mom happened to take a photo of him leaning on his coffee cup, listening to me speak and it’s my favorite photo. I asked her why she took that photo and she said “you probably weren’t noticing it but when you were speaking to him, I could see his expression appear to soften and was really interested in what you were saying to him. I wanted you to see how the moment looked from my POV”. The cynic in me can say he’s a great actor and he’s just acting interested but after this experience and seeing (and reading) how he’s been interacting with others during the run of this show, he is 100% genuine in his approach to people.

- I hung back to watch @slowburningechoes have her moment with Robert and it was so wonderful to see. I know what that first meeting feels like and to witness it happen to someone as cool as her, it was just fantastic. I was so happy to see Robert appreciate the amazing artwork she gave him and in return @slowburningechoes receiving that amazing hug from our guy!

- I did say Hello to Ian Barford as he was leaving. We crossed paths so I put my hand out, shook hands with him and said the usual pleasantries toward an actor you know nothing about 😆 He thanked me a couple of times and that was it.

The whole moment with Robert lasted about 5 minutes or so. It was more than I could have asked for. It’s the dream scenario encounter that people wish to have with their favorite actor/actress/musician, etc. I will say it again, Robert is the absolute fucking best and the sweetest man. He needs to be protected at all costs. It was an unforgettable evening and a moment in time that I’ll cherish forever ♥️

I wish my Dad were still alive, he used to goof on me so hard about my crush on Robert. He would have gotten a kick out of this encounter.

[ingravinoveritas]

As a follow-up to my review of Macbeth, I also wanted to mention another very delightful moment of my trip: I met David!

Following the first previews of this run, I was intrigued and of course happy to learn that David had resumed doing stage door (after not doing so at the Donmar, for very understandable security reasons). After waffling back and forth about it, I decided that since I was already going to be seeing the play, I might as well give it a go.

Having done stage door after other shows in the past, my experiences with seeing fans meet the actors have ranged from the hilarious to the hokey to the flat-out cringey. It's hard to ever know for sure how a stage door experience will go, and so I've found that the optimal course of action is to hope for the best while having no expectations at all.

Still, I wanted to be at least somewhat prepared, and so I had the idea to bring with me a Playbill from a production of Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, because I'd gotten to see it on Broadway ten years ago and I thought David might enjoy knowing that there was another Scottish production. So, current and old Macbeth programs in hand (I placed the Playbill next to David's cast photo, in the same way as the photo above), I made my way to the barricade by the Harold Pinter stage door, and waited.

David soon got to where I was standing, and it was the most surreal thing to have him there in front of me, all long hair and stubble and big, brown eyes. As he went to sign my program, he paused and caught sight of the Playbill, and his eyes lit right up. "Oh, another Macbeth! Another Scottish one," he exclaimed, and as he did, he looked right at me and smiled that gorgeous smile of his. "Yes," I replied, and said that I'd seen it ten years prior.

I mentioned a few other details about the production, and while David had begun to move down to sign other programs, he kept looking back at me as I spoke. Despite everything that was happening, he stayed focused on our exchange, even though it was brief. And when you're talking with him, it's as if you're the only one there. His entire attention is on you. And it is incredible.

I've talked on my blog previously about how I'm more of a Michael fan than a David fan (solely due to the fact that, after finding Good Omens in 2019, it was Michael who I was drawn to first). But seeing David up close and in person--how attractive he is, how delicate and sweet--is like looking at the sun. He looks at you, and your vision is full of only him, and by God I couldn't help but swoon just a little.

I also now completely understand what Michael meant when he said David is very easy to fall in love with. Because there's no possible way I could be around that all the time and not fall in love...

But I think my favorite thing about how things went with David was that it happened so organically. I didn't try to take pictures or video because I didn't want to detract from the experience, and very quickly the celebrity/fan aspect fell away and it just became about a lovely shared moment between two people. He was so kind, and so gracious...and he was just David. And I will always treasure and cherish the memory of meeting him... ❤️

[literatemisfit]

Thoughts on my second viewing of Macbeth at the Harold Pinter Theatre, Thursday October 3, 2024

For posterity.

(SPOILERS ON EVERYTHING)

Okay I cannot describe to you how much I absolutely ADORE the folk dancing scene. So playful, so rugged:

It begins with the cast (sans Macbeth) spinning in two circles hand in hand and laughing, then Macbeth joins to stand in the centre (back) opposite Lady Macbeth (front), they join in the middle and put each others arms around their shoulders, hands held on shoulders, and then they hop and march, turn, hop and march, turn, then all chaos breaks out (my favourite part of the entire play maybe???) and Macbeth and the others all shout and howl and whoop as they spin fast fast arm in arm in circles, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth meeting in the centre to spin, then returning to their respective circles to spin fast fast, then returning again and again and then:

Bam. Everyone freezes as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth stare each other down in the centre, lights whitish blue on them as they share in their plot secretly, everyone else slow-motion clapping as they stand chest to chest and then:

Zzzzip. Everything speeds back up to normal time and they spin and howl and whoop as if nothing happened, showing that the freeze frame was a mental picture, the exact thoughts they are having as they are outwardly acting happy and normal.

David's WOO! with finger pointing up as he shouts red-faced and rough and aggressive is maybe one of my favourite things he's ever portrayed. I'm just so happy to watch them play within the play.

Tonight was different from opening night. The actors played more with the rhythm, speaking more slowly, pausing in different places and emphasizing different parts of the speeches. It was completely fascinating to watch, having just seen it done differently. And David's performance was so much more emotional than opening night, I think. The slanted eyebrows and big sad eyes were more prominent, his voice cracked more, his eyes were maybe even more teary, his speeches turned to whines and wails in his grief.

The boy was played by a different actor. Both of them are good, though I found the first one to be more energetic and wild like the cast. This time around, the entire cast seemed a little slower with pacing, less "On It", which maybe was because I had already seen it and knew what to expect, or maybe in line with them speaking slower, the rhythm of movement maybe also changed.

Because the rhythm of the words was slower and more experimental, it felt like the emotion was more palpable and the words felt more conversational and real, coming from humans rather than a slightly more formulaic rhythm of lines being said as they're written. Not that it was ever that stiff or strict, but there definitely seemed to be a loosening of the rhythm and there was freedom there to play with it and feel it out.

The second witches scene. Fuck. I completely forgot that they grab him by the hair and drag him down (how could I forget that???) before they make him convulse and whimper and moan and shake and tremble, then they drag him to the other side of the stage, feet dragging on the ground, before they surround him and one witch slowly slowly approaches his chest and YANKS outwards making him cry out and bringing him back to consciousness.

David also had shaking hands during at least one scene where Macbeth was frightened and tense, which I thought was a great acting choice: showing some weakness, some fear, some un-put-together-ness as he's trying to prove himself to be manly and brave and unbeatable.

I also think that maybe - just maybe - David made a mistake tonight. After he washes off the blood from his face and hands (opening scene) after returning from war, he puts all the rags back in the bowl before handing it all over to Ross who brings it off stage. Well, tonight David had one of the rags wrapped around one hand for the entire following scene and I didn't notice him wrapping it but I think he may have left it behind? It added nothing to the scene, just wrapped it around his hand as he bowed to the King, stood to attention with the others, and was ushered offstage to warn his wife of the incoming guests.

I felt the Banquo's Ghost breakdown scene was even more pathetic and emotional, his legs getting caught under him as he writhed and kicked to run away from the imagined spectre, ending the scene a bit crooked and not looking so comfortable.

The self-harm scene. I don't know how I forgot about it but gosh it's good. He's so desperate, so guilt-ridden, so willing to accept pain and punishment for the crime he committed. Same as the emotional, distraught lilts in his voice during this speech, so moving:

No son of mine succeeding. If ‘t be so,

For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind;

For them the gracious Duncan have I murder’d;

The word "murdered" was almost cracked, almost whispered, for how much shame and guilt he displayed tonight. It really hit me. Similarly when he talked of Duncan sleeping peacefully when he never would "Macbeth shall sleep no more" he whines desperately.

The Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow speech: I thought he might actually cry. Then at the end, bitter shame and anger on the words "signifying nothing" almost spat out in a growl with how much he resents the meaninglessness of his actions and of his own existence.

This time around, it was delightful to hear the audience gasp when Macbeth snaps the young boy's neck, "you were born of woman" /snap/. So badass.

The slap slap slaps on Macduff to taunt him in the last scene. Macbeth's final moment of fear "I'll not fight with thee" then Macduff calls him a coward and he squares his shoulders and goes on to fight, and win, and taunt, and die.

Still no blood on the stage during his death. I wonder if they plan to bring that back? Also still no lifting-david-by-the-witches which I assume they've just removed from the scene although I do wish I had seen it.

It was so fascinating to watch the same play, only two days apart, and to realize how they were both exactly the same and surprisingly different. Live theatre is alive, and it moves and changes and breathes life and lives on, to be repeated and yet reinvented night after night for audiences who (most likely) would never know it.

David was right, theatre is alive, it's there and then it's gone. Just as we cease to exist, so does a performance the moment it comes to an end, never again to be repeated exactly, only the same but somehow entirely different.

[eldritch-spouse]

Hello… Yeah, my boss wants me to *heavy sigh* “work late” again tonight… What choice?! ...*eyes water*… I'm sorry I didn't mean to snap at you… *wipes eyes*...Yeah, it is…*sees Pinter getting out of a meeting looking very irritated*...Sorry dear but I gotta get back to work… I love you too dear, bye-bye *hangs up phone and sighs*

[Mansplain manipulate manwhore time.]

Pinter exits the meeting room with a fearsome scowl.

Some saps just don't quite have the synapses to pick up on what the slime is putting down. Sometimes they're smart enough to realize they need to play along to keep even a shred of their earnings, other times they like to wave their little policies and evident breaches of contract in his face. Like they have a modicum of a choice here. Usually, this amuses the business shark, today it's just irritating him, if you had to guess.

The man who walked in with Pinter is waved away by the fuming monster, likely ordered to get him a drink. And fast.

His eyes scheme the room, and for a sliver of a second, you dare hope that he misses your presence entirely. You even settled by the water dispenser, like some kind of sad decorative plant.

No such mercy.

The slime's whiskers perk and he moves towards you, prompting you to shove your phone away.

" Get me that cunt's profiles again. " Pinter grumbles, adjusting his tie.

" Y- Yes sir. "

He sighs when the poor dude tasked with getting his coffee shows up, taking it and making yet another dismissive flick of the finger to let him know he should leave.

" That your boy calling you just now? "

Boy. Tch.

" No... No, it was just- "

" Don't lie to me, girly. " Pinter chuckles. " I knew you were going to call him when I told you to stay. "

He pauses enough to let you open your mouth but not to let you actually speak.

" You ever notice he always makes you feel like shit when you have to work late? Look at that little frown, hm. You didn't look like that before you called him. "

You huff. " N- No sir, he just cares for my health- "

Pinter laughs. " Oh, you're so cute. Sweetheart, he acts like a manbaby. I bet he got snappy about it again. What's he doing for you? Is he putting in extra hours too? No, I bet he's spreading his ass on the couch and muttering about his bitch of a girlfriend. "

Well, he did start bitching... And that gets on your nerves honestly. Wanting the conversation to end, you simply shrug and look off to the side, waiting.

Your boss beams out of you, jostling you to stand straighter than a plank when he claps a hand onto your shoulder.

" Jeez, you're going to put me in a bad mood like that. " You're pretty sure he's still fuming from that meeting. " How about we get something sweet from that pastry we passed by earlier, hm princess? "

You can't bring yourself to feel offended when that same hand moves to comfortably grab onto the meat of your waist.

[ladylooch]

Best Thing I’ll Ever Do - Lio x Savannah (Part 3)

A/N: This chapter really encompasses a lot of what you all wanted to see with Lio and Sav in this part! I am really loving the way Lio is showing up for Savannah in these parts. I just... the way he has grown, both for her and himself... it's beautiful! Courageous! Aspirational! We love you, Lee 🥰

Word Count: 4.7k

Trigger Warnings: infertility, mentions of blood, pregnancy/birth

Part 1 | Part 2| Part 4 |

Inside a bright room atop a Manhattan skyscraper, Savannah delicately arranges the ‘Oh Baby!’ sign hanging down the gorgeous, flower wall filled with roses. The wall is fake flowers, but looks so real, Savannah didn’t believe they were fake until she ran her fingers over them. The flowers are dotted with the theme of the day which is delicate little butterflies, just like the baby they are celebrating today. 

Baby Girl Wood #2 is due in 6 short weeks. Or long depending on which one of her parents you’re talking to.

“My ankles are already swelling up.” Lucie complains from where she is sitting at the bar, sipping on a strawberry lemonade. She extends her legs out in front of her, baby pink skirt hitting just below her knees. She evaluates each ankle while sipping consistently from her straw. “Oh! She loves sugar.” Lucie chuckles, rubbing over her rounded belly where the baby presumably moves. 

Savannah glances over, throwing a sweet smile as Lexi pats her daughter’s shoulder comfortingly. Behind them, Mack, the hostess of the baby shower, is adjusting the little gift bags on the table by the door, making sure they are all aligned and in place.

“Soph did too. Would practically punch through my skin when I had lemonade.”

“I can’t relate. Lio was always fighting people in my belly, I swear.” Emma adds in her two cents. Savannah smirks, turning to call towards her.

“So his punching people started young?”

“Ha!” Emma points at her future daughter-in-law. “Yes. I’m sorry.” She cringes. “I tried. Too much of his dad in him.” Emma pauses, looking over Savannah’s work. “Wow, that looks so real. I am in love with the butterfly touch. That was a great idea!” Emma walks over, inspecting it up close as Savannah steps back to be in line with her.

“Thank you! I am satisfied.” Savannah confirms, crossing her arms over her chest while continuing to look with critical eyes.

“Perfect.” Emma murmurs, then wraps an arm around Savannah’s upper back. “How are you?” Savannah turns, meeting Emma’s eyes. She can tell Lio and his mother spoke this morning. How much of her recent struggles Lio shared with her, Savannah isn’t sure. But nothing has been easy since Connor and Lucie told them they were expecting a baby. 

The heartache and immutable circumstances Savannah thought she had come to terms with no longer felt resolved. It was easy to say this was all okay, but being thrust into a pregnancy journey with someone they are so close with has changed everything. Some days, it takes everything for Savannah to get out of bed. The mere act of existing weighs on her. Lio has been so patient and understanding. Savannah isn’t sure how she is going to get out of this funk. It’s never gripped her this hard before. But she has also never loved anyone as much as she loves Lio, or planned a life with someone to this extent. 

Every step closer they take towards forever- the wedding, the honeymoon, discussing if they are going to move- it all seems like a magnifier on this gaping hole Savanna has eating through the ventricles of her heart. She loathes herself for reverting back into old habits- retreating within, staying out of the house longer to avoid Lio, and the negative self-talk when she sees mothers with their children. It’s all so immature. She should be past this by now.

In an act of asserting willpower and taking back control, Savannah offered to help Mack plan the baby shower. Emma had been helping, but stepped aside when Savannah offered her time and creative mind. Getting immersed in the world of Pinterest and all the different options for showers had been surprisingly therapeutic as long as Savannah ignored the reason for the party. 

This morning, when she woke up and Lio mentioned it sounded like Connor and Lucie settled in on a name for their baby, everything shattered inside Savannah again. She hit the wood floor, collapsing under the crushing weight of knowing she will never have this moment. She will never be able to understand what it's like to have people celebrate her pregnancy. Though she has faced this thought before today, it reopens the wound every moment she remembers.

“I’m good.” Savannah assures Emma, leaning in to hug her soon to be mother in law. Emma squeezes her back hard, fully like a mama does, and it takes several calming breaths before Savannah is sure she won’t cry from the sweetness. She cannot wait to officially join the Meier family. She is hitting the jackpot with Lio’s family. 

Not long after the flower wall is completed, guests begin to arrive. The list consists of mostly family, a few of Lucie’s college friends, and the Rangers WAGS. They all arrive together as a group, descending into the room like gorgeous runway models. Savannah smiles when they see her, offering a wave. The group grabs various drinks, then comes over to where Savannah is standing by the table of quick shower games. 

“Hi Savannah!” One of them, Whitney, exclaims. The two women hug, then she is introduced to the other three women: Gianna, Crystal, and Kyra. Whitney and Savannah know each other from a few mutual friends, Lucie included. 

“Nice to meet you.”

“Savannah is engaged to Lucie’s cousin, Lio. He plays for the Devils.” Whitney fills in for the group. 

“Oh! I know!” Kyra giggles. “ I love your content on TikTok.”

“Oh god. Thanks!” Savannah starts to blush. While she loves creating content, she feels a little awkward when she sees someone in the wild who has seen her stuff. It feels like the other person knows so much about her and she knows nothing about them. Like a one-sided relationship Savannah never knew she entered into. 

“Congratulations on your engagement!” Gianna notes Savannah’s ring. “It was recent?”

“Thank you! Yes, not long ago.” Savannah switches her glass to the other hand so she can extend her fingers out to show off her huge, square cut engagement ring. “It’ll do.” The girls laugh.

“So, when is the wedding?”

“Next summer, we are planning on July.”

“Here?” Whitney asks. 

“Yes! We finally decided on getting married here in the U.S. We were going back and forth on different places in Europe, but with the unknowns of the hockey season, it felt safer to plan for here. You know cause the cup.” 

“One day our lives won’t revolve around a silver cup.” Whitney jokes.

“Keep dreaming. They never stop talking about it, girls. Even after they win it.” Lexi says as she walks past towards Mack by the windows. The girls laugh at the former captain’s wife.

“Well soak it up! It won’t be long before everyone transitions into baby discussions. Unless you already have them?” Crystal comments.

“Oh no, we don’t and won’t have any.” Savannah clears the air. The silence that falls over the wives is awkward immediately. Savannah chews on her bottom lip for a moment, then takes a sip of her mimosa. 

“That’s nice. Kids are… so much work.” Gianna says assuringly. “You’ll be able to travel and do so much more without them.”

“Yeah.” Savannah nods, swallowing hard. All these things she gets to do that she would trade in a heartbeat for a baby. “That will be nice.” She smiles weakly. 

“And you’ll actually get to sleep at night. No late night feedings or changes or just the non-stop screaming. Unlike this girl.” Crystal murmurs, grabbing at Lucie’s forearm as she walks up to the group.

“What about me?”

“We were just telling Savannah that not having kids is the right choice.” Lucie’s face drops in utter horror. She looks over at Savannah so apologetically.

“Some things aren’t a choice.” Lucie snaps, glaring at her shower guest.

“It’s okay, Luc.” Savannah interjects immediately. The group of girls fall into confused silence. “I actually can’t have kids. I would if I could.” Savannah nods as she speaks, waving her hands awkwardly as she explains.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry.” Crystal closes her eyes and shakes her head immediately. “I should not have assumed.”

“Probably not.” Lucie mumbles, clearly annoyed. 

“It’s okay. Seriously, I’m fine.” Savannah plays it off to the group.

But after that, the party isn’t the same. Even after Lucie walks Savannah to a private corner to check in on her. 

“This is your party. Stop worrying about me! I am fine. I’m having a great time and I am hating how much of this is feeling like it’s about me. It’s about you and this perfect butterfly who is joining us soon.”

“Sav, I love you and I know you’re struggling, even if Lio keeps trying to shield your pain from the world.” Lucie sighs. “You know you can talk to me?”

“Yes.” Savannah nods. But they both know why she won’t. Lucie is currently pushing it’s little feet out of her ribs. 

At the end of the shower, Connor and Stella Wood pop in as the guests are starting to disperse. Stella bolts in, attaching to Mack’s waist immediately. 

“I saw Uncle Davey!” She announces.

“You did!? Did you keep him in line?”

“Um, well he tried to eat my pancakes, so I stabbed him with the fork.”

“Oh…” Mack hides her hand to laugh. “How did that go?”

“Not good. I had to go to timeout.” 

“They shouldn’t be giving us another baby.” Lucie jokes.

“Who is this they?” Mack asks her sister. “Y’all know what you did.”

“And I enjoyed it. Ready for more of it this weekend.” She grins at her husband who chuckles. 

“Plenty of it.” He says into her hair. “You ready? I got the car packed, bags are in there. Got Stella’s here for her adventure.” He holds up her purple duffle bag. Lucie and Connor are heading to the coast for a baby moon while Lio and Savannah take Stella for the next few days. 

“Where is my pillow!?” She shrieks, running away from Mack to her dad.

“In here. I put it on top.” He assures her. 

“Okay. Where is Uncle Lee?”

“He is at home waiting for us.” Savannah assures her. 

“Let’s go then.”

“Stella. Patience.” Connor snips a bit at her, clearly annoyed with her attitude. Him and Lucie share a look. His wife chuckles, then wraps an around around his waist.

“Okay, Stell, we are going to go. You’re in the best of hands this weekend, so please be kind and respectful and listen to the adults, okay?”

“Okay. I love you!” She bounces up on her tip toes, puckering her small lips for a smooch from both her parents. 

“I love you.” Lucie responds.

“Love you, bug. Be good. We will see you on Tuesday.”

“Yeah.” Stella nods, then swallows hard. She grips Savannah’s hand tightly which makes Sav’s heart beat stronger in her chest. Stella and her are in a great place now. It was touch and go in the beginning but the little girl has begun to cling to her just like she does to Lio. It’s the ultimate sign of love from a five year old. 

Lucie and Connor pass around hugs and appreciation to the remaining family members, then walk hand in hand to the elevator to begin their long awaited baby moon. Savannah looks down at Stella’s hand still resting in hers. 

“Should we go see what Uncle Lee is up to?” Savannah asks. 

Stella grins up at her, ready to rush across town to see her favorite person in the world.

- - -

(Lio)

The sound of the quiet crowd clapping at the Yankees game filters to Lio’s ears as he lightly dozes on his couch. Savannah is on her way back to their apartment with Stella and he is taking the last few moments of quiet to his full advantage. He pops one eye open when the crowd cheers exceedingly loud. A double. Nice. He scratches at an itch on his nose, then crosses his arms over his chest, wiggling deeper into the couch cushions. 

A faint whine is heard from the hallway. It grows increasingly louder until he recognizes Stella’s sobs. Lio bolts up, rushing over to the door to open it. His eyebrows raise in surprise when he sees his fiancé on the other side of the door. Stella is propped on her hip as Savannah is loaded down with various different bags. 

“Whoa.” He says as he takes note of the tears streaking the makeup off her cheeks. “What is going on?”

“Help me.” Savannah snaps.

“Okay.” He reaches for Stella, taking her into his chest. The little girl presses her wet cheek into his shoulder, hot puffs of hair hitting his neck with each cry.

“Ow.” She whines to him. “Ow!” She yells harder when he doesn’t react.

“Okay, Stella is hurt. Are you hurt?” He asks Savannah. 

“No. Just.. she skinned her knees.”

“Okay.” Lio grabs the bags from her left hand, ushering her into the apartment completely. “What happened?”

“I don’t know what to do with children! That’s what happened!” She throws the remaining bags in her hands to the couch, then rushes from the room. Lio stares at her in confusion. The bedroom door shuts hard and loud, making both Stella and Lio jump. 

“Uncle Lee, she’s mad at me! I said I was sorry!”

“Let’s look at you.” Lio says, putting her on the counter. He looks down at her knees, seeing both of them have been skinned down a bit. The left one has dots of blood in it while the other one has red dribbling down her calf. Stella looks down at them with him.

“Look at it.”

“Yeah. That’s not fun. But I think you’ll live.” He assures her. He scoops her back up, carrying her to the bathroom where he can work on cleaning them up. He sets her on the closed toilet, then kneels down at her knees. He wets a washcloth, carefully dabbing at them with the warm cloth.

“No, no, no, no!” Stella says, pushing his hands. 

“Stell, I have to clean it. Those streets are nasty.” Lio sighs, trying to reason with her.

“I want daddy to do it!” She says, bouncing anxiously and kicking her feet.

“How about I do this and we pick out a really cool BandAid from the Disney pack Auntie got you?” He suggests. Stella contemplates. “I bet Mulan is in there.” Stella grins. 

“Yessss!” She holds her legs out for him, allowing him to clean them off. 

“How did this happen?” He asks her, careful of her sensitive skin. He works the soft cloth over her scrapes, pressing through even as he hates her little whimpers. 

“Um, well…” She trails off, looking towards the sky. Lio knows a guilty Stella when he sees one.

“You didn’t listen?”

“Yeah.” She sighs, like such circumstances were beyond her control. 

“We talked about this.”

“Well, I wanted to go into the M&M store! My mama was supposed to take me this week and she didn’t because of my stupid baby sister that makes her feel icky and then Auntie Sav said we could go in after the shower! But, but, then she walked by and I wanted to go back and she said no.”

“And you did what?” Stella pauses, mashing her little lips together nervously. She doesn’t want to say. “Stella.”

“I ran away.” 

“Stella Wood.” Lio gets stern, dropping the washcloth down to his side. “That is not okay.” 

“I-”

“No. You need to listen. To your parents, to me, and to your auntie, especially when you’re out in public. She promised your mama and daddy that she would take care of you. She can’t do that if you aren’t behaving or using your listening ears.” A nasty scowl drops Stella’s eyebrows and lower lip. “You hear me?” His blue eyes pin her in place. She nods reluctantly. “When we are done here, you’re going to apologize to Auntie Sav.”

“But she said I could go and then didn’t take me! That’s not fair!”

“You are 4 years old-”

“-I’m almost five!-”

“Okay, you’re proving my point more. You are almost five years old and I know you understand the rules. You do not get to disobey adult decisions. You had no idea what was happening. Maybe she was trying to protect you from something. Maybe she wasn’t feeling well. Maybe she had a better idea planned for you here at home. But it shouldn’t matter. You need to listen and be respectful of your caretakers.” Stella drops her gaze. Lio looks down at her brown curls, sighing heavily. “Stell, do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now pick out your bandaids.” He encourages her, holding open the box for her. She picks an Olaf and an Elsa bandaid because there were in fact ZERO Mulan bandaids, which she was sure to point out. Then Lio got her situated on the couch with a movie and an apple juice box before he headed down to Savannah. 

“Hey.” He calls as he walks in. She is on her side, curled up on top of their comforter. Her head rests on her arm with the opposite hand palm up under her cheek.

“Hi.”

“I talked to Stell.”

“I overreacted.” Savannah sighs.

“She shouldn't have run off.” 

“Yeah. But I did tell her we could go into the M & M store and I was... struggling, so when we got there, I couldn’t stand another second of being out in public. That’s not her fault. Should she have run off? No, but it was an all around fail by me.”

“What’s wrong? Was.. did something happen at the party?”

“You mean did all the Rangers girls look at me like what’s wrong with her when I said we didn’t have kids and weren't going to?” Lio’s eyebrows furrow together angrily.

“What the fuck?”

“It wasn’t intentional, and no it wasn’t all of them, but it felt like it at that moment. Then I just wanted to leave and there was so much of the party left. I kept having to pretend everything was fine and your mom was being so sweet, but also kept coming up and checking in on me and it was all too much.” Lio encourages her to roll onto her back so he can look down in her face. She stares blankly back at him, almost unfeeling and disassociated from the moment. He runs his hand up her thigh to rest on her stomach. Savannah weaves their fingers together there. “Is she okay? I didn’t really get a good look but it looked like minor scrapes.”

“She’ll live. She’s got cool bandaids and apple juice.” Savannah tries for a small smile. She plays with his fingers while he looks her over more.

“Guess Mother Nature knew I would be a shit mom and made it so I couldn’t be.”

“Don’t say that.” Lio responds quietly. “I’m not okay with you talking about yourself like that. I don’t like it. You had an off day, babe. That’s it.”

Savannah doesn’t respond, but she tilts the corners of her mouth up at him in agreement. The worry in Lio’s gut continues to grow. He hasn’t seen her like this in a long time, not since Lucie first said she was pregnant. As the days grow closer to Lucie’s upcoming birth, he gets more and more uneasy. Now, with a sassy and defiant Stella in the house, he isn’t sure this is the best fit for his fiance's mental health. He loves Stella. He was really looking forward to this time together, but he needs to support his other girl too.

“Go back to Stell. I’ll be okay.” She whispers.

Lio doesn’t want to go, but Stella unattended in the living room isn’t a long-term solution. He gives her a kiss, cradling her head in his hands before heading back into the living room. Stella is in the same place he left her, juice box tossed onto the other couch cushion, mouth agape as she watches the scene unfold. 

“I’ll be right back.” He assures her with a gently pat on the head, 

Lio sighs as he steps onto the balcony. He leans on the railing for a minute, taking a breather from the chaos he just came out of. He contemplates what he should do next. 

When he has collected himself, he pulls his phone out to make the call.

“You called me not Lucie.” Mack answers the phone.

“Ah.. yeah I meant to call you.” Lio responds.

“... Oh. I figured it was the wrong button or something.” 

“No. I need a favor.” Lio says, shooting straight with her immediately. This is how they are. 

“Kay.”

“I need you to take over watching Stella.”

Loud silence comes over the phone line.

“David and I had plans that did not involve children.” A hint of annoyance is in her voice. He supposes he doesn’t blame her. He has bailed on commitments in the past. No one has been slower on accepting the changed version of Lio than Mackenzie Hischier. She’s not a forget and forgive kinda girl. He respects that about her.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that, but Sav isn’t okay. I need to focus on her right now.”

“Okay. I’ll send David to come get her. She loves his truck.”

Lio smiles at the way Mack doesn’t press further and the annoyance has dropped completely. Lucie would be all “mama” with him and ask a million questions, already on her way over trying to fix everything. Not Mack. As long as you give her enough information to make a decision, she takes over with whatever is needed.

“Thank you.” Lio murmurs, closing his eyes in relief. “Sorry to ruin your plans.”

“No problem.” Mack pauses. “Are… you okay?”

“Ahm, yeah.” Lio clears his throat. “Yeah.” He repeats more firmly. 

“Okay. David should be back from his run soon. I’ll send him over after his shower. Are you calling Lucie or am I?”

“I’ll call her. Thank you.”

“Yep. Bye.” Mack clicks off first. Lio chuckles. Now to break the news to Stella.

Stella takes it well, especially when she hears about Uncle Davey coming to pick her up, but Lucie on the other hand is as concerned as he knew she would be.

“What’s wrong with Sav? Should we come home?” 

“No. I’m taking care of everything, but your daughter has this idea that I should entertain her at all times. I can’t do that and do what I need to for Sav.” Lio speaks to the phone while packing up Stella’s suitcase that was already strewn all about their guest room.

“Fair.” Lucie agrees then blows out a heavy sigh. “She just loves you.”

“I know. And I love her. But she has other people here who will take care of her.”

“Mack won’t do the bedtime routine though.” Lucie grumbles.

“I guess I should tell you I don’t either.”

“Lio!” Lucie yells. 

“Lu, what you do at your house is your business, but that is too many steps for me. She gets into pajamas, brushes her teeth and by the time I'm shutting the book she is out. That’s it.”

“How is Lio Meier of all people better at bedtime than me?” 

“Because you have always made things complicated.” Lio says, flipping the suitcase shut again and zipping it up. “Like this conversation.”

“Wow.” Lucie snips. “Okay, well sounds like you all have it figured out. I’ll check in with Mack tonight.”

“Alright. Have a good rest of your trip.” Lio places the small suitcase on its wheels, shoving it towards the door. 

“Lee?” Lucie pauses. 

“Yeah.”

“I asked Sav if it was okay for her to help with the shower, and for you to watch Stell. I hope I didn’t overstep somehow. I would never want something I did to hurt her.”

“No, Luc, you didn’t do anything wrong. She wanted to help with these things. But she is struggling more than I think she even realizes.”

“Okay.” Lucie responds. Her voice drips with sadness, clearly concerned for her friend. “I feel really bad.”

“It’s okay. You can’t fix this.”

“Neither can you.” She reminds him. He juts his lower jaw out in disagreement. 

That’s her opinion. He is still gonna try like hell to.

- - -

Winnie Wood came into the world in a chaotic c-section on a rainy, September morning. Stella had arrived at Lio and Savannah’s the previous night when Lucie’s contractions started picking up.  Despite being put to bed in the guest room, Stella ended up in bed with the adults and none of them slept well after that. Lio has no idea how Connor and Lucie can stand to sleep with her and her flailing limbs on a regular basis. 

Next to him, Savannah rests her temple on the steel of the elevator. They ride up to their place the same way they rode in the car home from the hospital: silent. Stella has been dropped with all her grandparents for dinner tonight and will be back at their apartment later tonight, then home tomorrow to sleep in her own bed with a new baby sister. 

Lio glances over at Savannah as the elevator pauses on their floor. 

“Babe?” He calls to her when she doesn’t move to get out. She startles, clearly lost in another world. 

“Oh sorry.” She sniffs, then walks out past him. He reaches for her shoulder from behind, wanting to pull her back into him to comfort her. Instead, she shrugs his touch off. That hurts. 

He sighs as silently as he can, then waits next to her as she unlocks the door. She walks in, heading immediately towards their bedroom. She abruptly stops before going in, a loud suffering sob coming from her lips.

“Lio, I’m not okay.” Savannah hiccups from the doorway. Lio rushes forward quickly to hold her. 

“I know, baby. It’s okay that you’re not.” He grabs her hand, gently encouraging her fully into his chest. She weakly grips his hand back, blinking her tears down her cheeks. 

“Oh fuck I’m so sad.” She wails, curling over at the waist. “I’m never gonna have that. I’m never going to know what it feels like to hold my baby in my arms.” She starts to cry so hard that no noise comes out of her. Lio wraps an arm around her waist, holding her up until he can guide her safely to the floor. The bed is less than ten feet away but he knows they won’t make it. He sits down next to her, then encourages her to crawl into his lap. Savannah shoves her face into his shirt, smearing black mascara all over the light blue fabric. 

“She already has a baby. Why can’t it be me?” Savannah sobs into Lio’s shoulder. 

“Baby it could be you.” Lio murmurs, feeling brave even as she falls apart in his hands.. “There are so many avenues we haven’t tried. We could try surrogacy. Or IVF.” Savannah pulls away, looking at him like he has grown three heads.

“Lee, you don’t want kids.” Her sadness pierces through the room.

“I want whatever you want.” A look of deep sympathy softens over his face.

“No.” Savannah pushes away from his chest, clearly withdrawing from him again. “I’m not doing kids that way. I’m not forcing you into IVF or surrogacy because I want this and you don’t. I’m not going back on our deal. It’s not in our cards.” Her teeth are gritted shut. She wipes her tears away, trying to get her shit back together.

“Babe, I’ll do it for-”

“Please stop.” Savannah whispers, then purses her lips together to stop the sob in her throat. Her eyes close, steady tears flowing down from her closed eyelids. Lio feels his heart crack open again in his chest. For her. For himself. For them and the things they’ll never get to experience together. He would do anything to give this to his wife. He would give up everything they have to give her a baby. But she won’t even let him try.

Heaviness fills the room between them. While she continues to turn inwards, struggling, Lio holds her tighter, gathering up all of her pieces and keeping them together until she can do it again herself.

Read more Lio and Savannah here

[flintstill]

Macbeth cinema/Donmar recording thoughts (Harold Pinter as my reference). Would love your help with remembering some things

*Spoilers* for the productions if you haven’t seen any version of this one yet and are planning to

Also first of all I loved it, I’m just a perfectionist with some ocd so being critical is in my nature, please do not mistake this for hating

HP was def better than the recording no contest, but it was still good

The blood dripping into the bowl was Cool but I preferred the pitch black for the first encounter with the witches—I think it made the first visual of the actor so much more striking

It really Really frustrated me that they zoomed inside the box. Like in the theatre this part of the production was *SO* fucking 😗👌 effective, because it loomed in the background and looked over the stage, and it lost effectiveness when they zoomed in and filmed from inside the box on individual speakers imo. Like it fell kind of flat where it was so powerful before

The pause/slow-mo to place Macbeth looming and monologuing over Malcolm as Macbeth is leaving was significantly less refined and effective than in the HP performances I saw. Like it still kinda worked but it worked so well when I saw it at HP and it didn’t quite meet that—edit: or maybe it’s because they filmed it from a higher angle so it didn’t have the same looming over effect? Idk but it wasn’t quite as good

So Casper was the only child actor I hadn’t seen, and everyone’s Scottish—but Cush as Lasy Macbeth was, the talk around the production went, the only English person. So I was really excited to get to see Casper but yo I was so distracted by his very southern English accent and a lil disappointed ngl

Was wondering how they were going to make the Porter’s scene work. For some reason I thought it was filmed without an audience. Glad it held tho. Probably wasn’t any Trvmp assassination joke in 2023 which I should’ve thought of before bc I was wondering what they’d do with that

Def preferred the rump slap for the “here you may roast your goose” than what was recorded but eh

Cinema/Donmar version was def more chilling when he switches back from the jokes and into the “I pray you. Remember the Porter.”

Annoyed that the short converstion between the Porter and MacDuff about drunkenness was cut. Was it performed and cut for editing timing for the cinema?

Was Banquo in the box during the dinner scene at the Pinter? I don’t remember him being in the box during that scene in the cinema… pls remind

I think the Lady MacDuff scene was more intense here than at the HP? Remind me other people who saw it, but I thought she was dragged off screaming in the Pinter production? Also I think what the child did was different between the two? Help my memory out 🙏

The scene where he summons the witches I liked way better in the HP version, tho I wish I remembered more details of it beyond the convulsing which was 👌

The David Tennant monologuing to camera didnt jar and bother me like I was afraid it might’ve. I think I still would’ve preferred more wide shots interspersed—especially and definitely where there were things happening in the box at the same time

Yayyy Blood 🩸

[invisibleicewands]

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Saturday 24 February, opens 6 March and runs through 11 May 2024 RUNTIME: 160 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

A grieving son wraps his dying miner father in his arms, apologises for everything he could have done better to look after him and vows to make good by helping others.

The son is Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan, the Labour politician and founder of the National Health Service on 5 July 1945, and Nye is the warts-and-all story of the man who would improve the health of countless millions of us and how he did it.

Nye died almost 15 years to the day he founded the NHS from stomach cancer and the conceit here is that he’s in hospital at the end of his life having a fever dream and wanders, pink pyjama-clad, through moments of importance.

Reading the article by former Labour leader Neil Kinnock in the programme about Bevan we discover his education was cut short at 13 when he followed his miner father down the pits to work in 1910.

In an almost reverse of film Dead Poets Society we meet the bullying schoolteacher who would cane a young Nye because of his speech impediment, the classmates who would protect him and the very Manic Street Preachers-like realisation that free libraries could give him the power to overcome his stammer by finding alternative words to those he could not utter.

Riffing on Dennis Potter’s Singing Detective Sheen’s Nye even sings Judy Garland’s Get Happy at 1 point as he and his miner colleagues use the time unemployment has afforded them to bone up on the way their home town of Tredegar in Wales is run and get themselves elected onto the boards of the bodies involved to finally do good by its people.

From our 4th row seats we see director Rufus Norris, also outgoing artistic director and chief executive of the National Theatre, tread the boards at the beginning of this 1st preview to remind us as such there might have to be a pause in proceedings because of the freshness of the material but perhaps 1 of the reasons its star Sheen is beaming so much during the curtain call (see picture below) is because it all actually went so well.

The action is staged as if in a hospital ward for much of the time with beds on wheels used to great effect and curtains around beds featuring prominently and at 1 point, rather brilliantly, lowering to become rows of seats in Parliament.

Tony Jayawardena (Marjorie Prime, Menier) is quite brilliant as Nye’s nemesis Winston Churchill, a man who succeeds in doing what Labour were unable to by uniting all classes in opposition to world war.

Sharon Small (Good, Harold Pinter Theatre) is more than a match for a revelatory performance by Sheen, at 1 point seemingly channelling the boyish enthusiasm of a young Declan Donnelly from Ant and Dec, as she explains the sacrifices she made to support her husband.

There’s a lot of injustice to make the audience angry here and there’s some terrific political theatre in London at the moment to both challenge the mind and make the heart soar – An Enemy Of The People and Standing At The Sky’s Edge for example.

Like the outstanding Dear England, this is an example of a venue at the top of its game doing exactly what it should be doing in offering insight into stories of those who have shaped our country and influenced the people we have become.

---------

Another one who sang "Get Happy":

[edtype]

Parasocial Musings

Must confess all the MAAN hey nonny nonny has had a less than gleeful effect on me. Right now it seems ubiquitous, with confetti bombs at every turn. A Jamie Lloyd production is promotion in motion. I appreciate how this is all the business of show business, and it’s the soul-restoring change Tom needed from immersion in bleaker content. But I’m not feeling the need to skip through the daisies.

The lack of Zawe’s presence these days (she graced us with it infrequently, as it was) has somehow activated my auntie sense of protectiveness, and Betrayal nostalgia has risen up as my happy place. Realizing that play was my time of hey nonny nonny. Hardly a romp, its bundled barbed wire of Pinter pauses and marital discord didn’t inspire any disco playlists. And analysis of Betrayal tended to induce inertia.

But I took the melancholy and made prosciutto e melone. There was buy-in to the play’s BTS—the publicity and promotions, the stage-door signings. Casual observers could dissect and draw inferences from these interactions, and enjoy the spicy intrigue of Zawe and Tom’s unseen building relationship.

Since then, there’s not all that much apart from occasional paparazzi pics and red carpets because the couple is so private. I respect that and I am happy for Tom’s career high points and appreciation, but I came into this situationship as Team Zawe. Flying her banner now because her presence on the socials has receded somewhat since MAAN, and Tom is shown only with others—anybody but her. In whatever way Zawe chooses, I’m hoping she gets her confetti and to get a glimpse of her

[queer-scots-geordie-dyke]

"The other photo on my wall is a black and white portrait of Andreas giving a military salute. In the photo he’s already bald from chemotherapy. Bald and intensely alive. Another old warrior, just like my father. Eccentric, wildly talented, deeply spiritual, Andreas had the ability to lift you to a whole different dimension when you were lucky enough to be in a scene with him. Any scene, even the most ordinary, the most insignificant one. (He would probably protest and say that “insignificant” scenes don’t exist if you’re a truly serious actor.)

Under all the latex, he was the most human of us all. You had a feeling that he could get away with any choice, even the most outrageous one. He was that free. He was that brave. I remember a scene we had one day on B5. As I was learning my lines at home, I didn’t think much of the scene. I saw it as an exposition scene, with lots of words and not much emotion. In the scene, the following question is discussed: is it justified to sacrifice a certain number of people (and aliens of course – we were on B5!) to save an even bigger amount of people (and aliens)? To me the scene seemed like a dry, philosophical, purely theoretical discussion between our characters. I was looking forward to working with The Master but wished for a more emotional scene. Oh well, I thought, even this was better than nothing.

So I come to the set, all made up. I sit in a chair. And there, facing me, is the big lizard G’Kar, looking at me. I say my first line and look into Andreas’s red eyes. Before answering me, he pauses. I see his chin trembling. I see a tiny tear appear in the corner of his eye. And, suddenly, I am moved beyond words. And, suddenly, I too feel a tear in my own eye. And, suddenly, the scene becomes a completely different scene from the one I had envisioned at home. The dialogue suddenly becomes deeply personal. The words don’t matter any more (or, more precisely, they suddenly start to truly matter, having been illuminated by the personal stake invested into them).

What Andreas brings to those words is his whole being, his whole human experience, all his pain and sadness. And, suddenly, we soar. And I am lifted to another realm. And while this is happening, I’m aware, somewhere in the corner of my mind, that I’m privileged to take part in a master class in acting which starts with one of the most important lessons: no scene can ever be dismissed as insignificant. Even if it is, an actor’s job is to make it personal. The job is nothing more (and nothing less) than to make EVERYTHING personal. Only then the words start to matter and the scene has a chance to come alive. I thank Andreas in my mind, grateful for that unexpected moment we all live for.

But Andreas is also deeply introspective and insecure. When I call him one day after the show had ended and ask him how he is, he says: “I’m mourning the death of my career.” He also says: “I’m just a mediocre actor. That’s not enough to ‘make it.’ The world needs exceptional actors, not someone like me.” (And I’m thinking: if you’re mediocre, where do I belong?) His insecurity is endearing to me and just proves that the best people are modest and humble. It also proves something I’ve been aware of for a long time: only fools are perfectly self-confident. Doubt, especially self-doubt, is a part of wisdom. A part of being human.

He comes to dinner to our house and brings a Greek desert he has made himself. He gives me the recipe. I have kept it on my fridge ever since. He collects coupons from the papers and uses them for grocery shopping. He has a weekly budget he sticks to, no matter what. He tells me he wants to collect a million dollars in his bank account before he dies. “Does it have to be a straight million?” I ask, laughing. “Yes, it has to be a round number,” he answers, dead serious.

I propose to Peter and Andreas that we do my beloved play, the one that I never had a chance to do: Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal.” In my mind it would be a dream job with a dream cast in a dream play. Peter is somewhat game but Andreas says he’s “burnt out” theater-wise. He says (and he’s right) that theater requires a different kind of readiness, a different kind of stamina, a different kind of mental and physical form. “We’ve all lost it. Since we’re not doing it any more,” he says and gets me worried. Would I ever be able to do theater again?

Billy comes up with the idea of doing a record. We all contribute two songs. It’s a lot of fun. Andreas says he can’t sing but Billy is persuasive enough and Andreas finally agrees to do it. Although he’s not a singer and is off key most of the time, he steals the record with his absolute honesty and his genuine feeling, capturing the very essence of blues.

And then he gets sick. We go to his house and read the Tibetan Book of the Dead, according to his wishes. He had found love by the end of his life. His wife put together a short film with clips from his performances. We watch the breathtakingly handsome young Andreas in a hot, sexy scene on some Greek island with the most famous model of the seventies, Verushka. We all laugh and Andreas laughs the most. We watch him do theater somewhere in Africa with the great master, Peter Brook. We don’t want to let him go. And when he dies, his wife invites us to sit with him and help him “make the transition,” as is the Buddhist way. G. and I sit there for half an hour. He looks like the Greek god that he is. He’s majestic. He’s like a sculpture. His body is cold and peaceful and so beautiful, so absolutely perfect. And death seems natural and not scary at all. Farewell, dear, sweet, talented man! We were lucky to know you.

My friends are with me all the time, alive or dead. After a while it doesn’t matter anymore. Sometimes the dead ones seem more alive than the living. Maybe it’s my nature. Maybe it’s my age. Maybe it’s just how it is."

- Mira Furlan, Love Me More Than Anything In the World

[cr0ftisprocrastinating]

Hi croft! I just finished nowhere else to go and I just wanted to say it was unlike anything I have read so beautiful, so heartbreaking, utterly mesmerizing. thank you for writing such a gem of a fic. I saw so much of myself in hermione, and i am so grateful and hopeful to find light as well.

I know I will have a hard time finding something like this again so I wanted to know if you have a list of your favourite dramione fics that enthrall you completely, or ones you keep coming back to again and again?

Thank you so very much. Nowhere Else to Go has such a special place in my heart, because it was SO hard to write, but I'm so proud of it, and I also feel very honoured that it has prompted so many people to say and share really lovely, vulnerable and intimate things when they compliment it, and that's so special to me!

I don't think I've ever read a fic like NETG in terms of style, but the ones I reread all the time are way happier in tone lol. I love the fluff!

I'm always talking about @thebemoon's The Darkwood Wand and The Gloriana Set.

I also adore @scullymurphy's entire catalogue of work, basically, but the most recently completed multi-chapter Teach Me How To Forget is gorgeous.

My most favourite recently-completed work has to be @onebedtorulethemall's Bad Omens. It is truly so remarkable, so enjoyable, and so perfect in every possible way.

(also, the classics: DMATMOOBIL, Wait and Hope, etc etc)

Some shorter ones that I had lots of fun reading:

Dial G for Granger by @dramioneog

Custom Fit by @thebrightcity

Tentacular by @kayka

Finally, my favourite drop-everything WIPs:

Antinomian by @starsoforionwrites, and Under Their Protection by the lovely @stein048 <3

If you want something that has a similar kind of rhythm to NETG, then I got most of my inspiration for the spacing/sense of breath, pause and movement from playwriting!

Some of my favourites are: The Nether by Jennifer Haley, Antigone (the Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald trans is the one I used I think, but I also adored Lulu Raczka's interpretation), and anything by Lucy Prebble (she also was on the writing team for Succession!).

For general creeping sense of doom/unease, then Harold Pinter is the master of that. I'd recommend The Birthday Party.

ALSO 'It's True, It's True, It's True', which is about Artemesia Gentileschi is a favourite.

You used to be able to stream It's True - unsure if you still can but if it's available I *highly* recommend watching.

All my love xxx

[3d]

Gimme Golf Tool

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7026561/files#google_vignette

I was looking for a better way to smoke cigars while playing golf, and saw this product https://gimmegolftool.com/products/gimme-golf-tool. But being someone with a 3D pinter, i was like. Hey I could make that! Well here is my version of the STL.

There is a 15mmx25mmx4mm space in the middle for you to add a magnet, but you'll need to pause your print to add the magnet in.

[cakesandsnouts]

hello yes can you pls tell us more abt jared in the homecoming. pls be as specific as possible and thank 🤲

Oh my goodness ok wow uhm, not sure if you’re happy with spoilers so will will try to avoid them if you haven’t read or seen the play and want to…

So it goes without saying that he was obviously absolutely terrific. (All the actors were) but Jared in particular as the nasty misogynistic yet crumbling force of an overbearing father of a family of men was just *chef kiss* to watch. I don’t know how much you know about The Homecoming or Pinter’s work in general (i hadn’t read the play before seeing it, and decided not to so as to go in blind, but have been reading/watching a lot of Pinter lately so am very familiar with his work) but it’s about an East End family of males, who are severely lacking female presence and influence. Shortly into the play - the eldest brother comes home from America with his wife none of them knew he had. Cue a lot of Pinter-esque chaos (i.e extreme sexual repression, very subtle dialogue alluding to abuse, social dynamics, emotional turmoil etc etc…all the good stuff that Jared is perfect at playing)

So yes, Jared plays Max, the father of the family. I think there were a few people who felt he seemed too young to play him, but I didn’t think so at all. He played the part of a working class East London bloke, so had a very strong East End accent, which was weird to hear at first, but after about two or three lines you just went with it (because he’s so fab) - kinda how you forget he’s being Irish as Francis. It was their opening night in previews so I was expecting some snags, but there were none. He was flawless. The thing about his character is that you kind of hate him yet he’s so endearing and a pleasure to watch. That’s the magic of Pinters characters in general but Jared also does that extremely well.

I was in the second row, and The Young Vic is a fairly low level stage, so the view was perfect and I got a lot of lovely lovely sight lines. He seems a bit shorter in real life (I still can’t really believe he’s 6 foot, I think Google is lying) but all the other actors who played his sons were quite tall so maybe it was just an illusion. He also had a stick in the play so was crouching a lot and not standing straight- so maybe that also added to him seeming a bit more stocky. They played a lot of the more intense action upstage so unfortunately…even though I was hoping for it… I didn’t get spat on by him 😂 There were a lot of lovely moments of him smoking, and because I was so close I got some of the nice cigar aromas when he was smoking downstage (maybe that could count as being spat on!?).

All in all, he was incredible to watch, and I hope he does more stuff on stage in the future. He is truly mesmerising. I think the whole experience was elevated due to the fact that I adored the play and the story, it was directed very well and they kept true to the essence of Pinter, i.e keeping it set in the time period, and holding those pauses and stillness that’s so effective in his text. Jared looked kinda knackered by the end of it (and seemed a bit somber in his bow), but with the ending as it was…it’s not surprising. That kind of action takes a lot out of an actor!

I really hope they film it for people who won’t get a chance to see it on stage, but if you are in London and you get a chance to…I would highly recommend it! Even if you aren’t die hard Jared stans like us 😉

[the-real-zhora-salome]

In the stillness of London’s Harold Pinter Theatre, as David Tennant crouched on stage to deliver a pivotal soliloquy in Macbeth, chaos erupted.

A patron, incensed after being asked to wait before returning to his seat after a loo break, began shouting indignantly from the wings. Demanding immediate access, he disrupted the performance with his cries of, “two hours without a loo break! I paid £250 to see David Tennant in Macbeth and I was really looking forward to it!”

Staff intervened, but the situation escalated when the man shoved security personnel. Frustrated, fellow theatergoers began slow-clapping and chanting “out, out, out!” until he was forcibly removed, booed all the way to the door.

The incident spread rapidly across social media, sparking debates about audience etiquette. One commenter encapsulated the frustration many felt:

"Some people just do not know how to behave in public, and at the theatre, they feel they should be able to get up and move around, talk, and even look at their mobiles. They behave as if they are at home."

Others, however, sought to clarify the sequence of events, pointing to a misunderstanding that framed the outburst. Another user explained:

"The disgruntled ticket holder caused a furore when he was told he would have to wait to return to his seat after returning from the toilet. He wasn’t refused re-admission completely, just asked to wait for a suitable moment to retake his seat. All this person’s rage was because he couldn’t sit back down immediately – he HAD to wait a few minutes."

This raises a troubling question: How could such a minor inconvenience – a short wait for an appropriate pause in the performance – escalate into such aggression? And why does this kind of behaviour seem to be happening in theatres more frequently?

The Macbeth incident is part of a broader trend of escalating audience disruptions. Theatres across the UK have reported an increase in violent, aggressive, and antisocial behaviour since the pandemic.

Earlier this year, a performance of the Bodyguard at Manchester’s Palace Theatre ended in chaos. Audience members, determined to sing over the cast during the final number, sparked a confrontation so intense that the production was stopped and police were called, arriving in riot vans.

Disruptions have ranged from heckling and shouting to physical altercations and even instances of public urination in seats. One front-of-house worker described to the Guardian how, since the beginning of the pandemic, she and her colleagues have faced escalating violence and abuse, breaking up fights and enduring verbal attacks on a weekly basis.

A recent survey by the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph, and Theatre Union (BECTU) found that 90% of theatre workers had experienced or witnessed unacceptable behavior from audiences, with 70% saying such incidents have worsened since the beginning of pandemic.

What’s driving this rise in impatience, aggression, and disregard for others? The answer may lie in the lingering neurological effects of Covid-19 (coronavirus).

Initially dismissed as a result of post-lockdown awkwardness or direct sales of alcohol to audiences at theatres, this behavioural shift now appears to have a biological component. Covid-19, widely understood as a respiratory illness early in the pandemic, is now recognised as a vascular disease that affects multiple systems in the body, including the brain.

Even infections whose symptoms appear ‘mild’ can lead to long-term neurological changes, with symptoms such as emotional dysregulation, impulsiveness, and aggression becoming more common.

Neuropsychiatrist Dr. Adam Kaplin of Johns Hopkins University describes a phenomenon he calls “Covid-induced disinhibition,” in which individuals exhibit drastic personality changes after infection.

According to Kaplin, it is not the virus itself but the immune system’s inflammatory response to Covid-19 that can alter brain function, particularly in areas governing impulse control, empathy, and emotional regulation. These changes can manifest as uncharacteristic aggression, a diminished capacity for social norms, and a skewed sense of entitlement.

Covid isn’t just changing how we feel physically, it’s reshaping how we think and act.

Impatience, like that exhibited by the audience member who refused to wait for an appropriate moment to return to his seat, might seem like a minor issue. But in the context of Covid-19’s neurological impact, it represents something much larger: a fundamental shift in the way we think, process emotions, and interact with the world.

One person’s impatience at a play can be irritating, but in other contexts it can be lethal.

A 2024 study published in Neurology revealed that Covid-19 survivors were 50% more likely to be involved in car accidents compared to those who had never been infected. Researchers compared this increased risk to driving under the influence, linking it to heightened impulsivity and reduced attention spans.

Traffic fatalities in the U.S., which had been steadily declining for decades, have risen sharply since the pandemic. Between 2018 and 2023, speeding-related deaths increased by 21%, while fatalities linked to distracted driving climbed by 16%.

Brain imaging studies have revealed that Covid can thin the gray matter in the frontal and temporal lobes – areas critical to moral reasoning, impulse control, and empathy. Thinning of these areas doesn’t necessarily result in cognitive symptoms or forgetfulness in the early stages. Instead, it often manifests as disinhibition, with individuals exhibiting uncharacteristic impulsivity, poor judgment, or aggressive behaviour that might not seem immediately related to intelligence or memory.

Damage to these regions of the brain can induce what has been called ‘a slow and insidious loss of the capacity for moral rationality’. What begins as disinhibition – minor lapses in patience or self-control – can escalate over time into more sociopathic behaviour, with profound consequences for society at large.

This crisis extends beyond theatre etiquette; it is a public health issue. If the whole of society are experiencing cumulative damage to our nervous systems, the consequences for society, even geopolitics, are cause for alarm. Theatre can lead the way, not only with protecting performers, crew, venue staff and audiences, but in modelling how governments and institutions can prevent further damage to the nation’s health and intellectual capital.

Advocacy groups like Protect the Heart of the Arts argue that addressing these disruptions requires tackling their root cause: COVID itself.

Theatres can lead by example by adopting measures that prioritise clean air and accurate on-site testing.

In 2021, the National Theatre in London upgraded their ventilation with HEPA air filtration. In April 2024, this may have allowed performances to continue when Michael Sheen, the lead actor of Nye, fell ill. Instead of the illness spreading to the rest of the cast, Sheen was replaced with understudy Lee Mungo for several performances.

By contrast, David Tennant’s Macbeth was cancelled for four consecutive performances and returned with the support of six understudies. Other venues can follow suit, combining air quality improvements with on-site molecular testing, like PlusLife, that delivers PCR-level accuracy in minutes.

Audience masking, though politically contentious, is a cost-effective measure that could protect both patrons and performers.

But the responsibility extends beyond theatres.

Governments, institutions, and individuals must recognise Covid’s connection to anti-social behaviour and invest in policies which will curb transmission, including face masks in healthcare settings and on-site molecular testing, such as PlusLife.

If Covid is contributing to the erosion of moral reasoning and impulse control, then preventing further infections isn’t just about health—it’s about preserving the fabric of our social lives.

Theatre has always reflected our individual and collective struggles, and Macbeth itself serves as a cautionary tale about moral decay.

Today, the challenge is to confront the slow erosion of our collective empathy and impulse control, not from ambition, but from infectious disease.

The question cannot be more urgent: if Covid-19 is silently reshaping our brains and behaviours, what kind of society will we become? The answer, as always, lies in our willingness to confront the truth and to act before we find ourselves having lost our grasp on morality – just like the play’s titular character.