Entertaining the isolated

Entertaining the isolated

There may not be many things that have happened in the last couple of months since I have been in isolation, that I can say have made me feel that something worth while has come out of it. The deaths of so many people has had a numbing effect on many of us. It has shocked me to the roots of my being and I can’t believe that the nation is not openly in mourning.

 

Maybe that is something to do with my age. Maybe it has a lot to do with my age. I remember a time when at the death of a prominent person people would sew a black diamond on the sleeve of their coats. A black armband at the loss of a family member would not have been unusual. Yet it’s like holiday time when I look out of our window. I don’t get it.

Does anybody remember the play 1984 when people were kept amused so they didn’t think at all, much less do anything to interfere. No, I didn’t expect anybody would remember Big Brother. I do though. I can still ask questions.

 

So, why am I so happy that all the big theatres are showing wonderful pieces of entertainment and education? Suspect don’t you think? I feel a little ashamed that I am thriving on that bribery and not missing all the things I used to waste time doing. I am occupied, completely. 

The last few days have blessed my confined soul with marvellous art works. I could not choose which gave me the most pleasure. It’s between the Royal Opera House production of the ballet version of Shakespeare’s play The Winter’s Tale. A-maz-ing. 

am not doing a review, in any way, because I am still at the stage where images from it are still flashing through my Tardis like imagination and that has plenty of room for the ROH stage and full orchestra the whole body of the theatre. It was beautiful and such a bold production. What dancing, what costumes, and the sets! Steve enjoyed that too, although if the truth be known, he really does not like modern ballet and there were some movements that spoilt it a bit for him. He liked the second act best. Steve wants constant beauty from ballet. This to my mind was; classical cross modern, but who am I to say.

Last night sadly, was not for him. From the off, in truth he didn’t see that much of it, just enough to keep track of where the story was going. It was the National Theatre’s production of Frankenstein. I suspect that he set up his defences before it even started, since I had told him that Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller had alternated playing the lead parts of the monster and his scientist creator Victor Frankenstein. He muttered something about a pair of clever clogs indulging themselves in a showing off competition. So you see, he had made his mind up already. Me; I am still a child, a big kid, ready for a story to be told at bedtime that will set my mind free to fly wherever it is called. Fly it did from the first moment to the very last second. Completely mesmerized and drawn into another world.

Again, astonishing that somebody ever had the first thought enter their mind, to retell this very old story in an entirely different way. I loved everything about it from beginning to end. The set was brilliant and the explosive lighting, not to mention Benedict Cumberbatch as the monster. I will leave him out of my comments because we expect genius from him and mostly we get it. He is an unusual looking man in the first place, and that, I feel, has been like a tool for him to build with, like a musical instrument that can change the interpretation according to composer and the conductor. The audience at the National agreed with me and not my husband by the way, they loved it every bit as much I me.   

Finally, crossing my fingers as I say this, but this time has brought me to a late peak of fitness that is quite maddening since I don’t have any freaking events that have not been cancelled or postponed, left to use my fitness in. This morning we did about an hour of Qigong, new to us, but which we are both really loving.

Then just short of an hour with the New York City Ballet workout before an extra hour on the turbo trainer. After a bath I did a little bit of gardening; tidying mostly and a bit of seed sowing in the long tubs. I used to garden a lot years ago but don’t do anything like as much these days. My husband has taken to timing me whilst I am out in the garden, so that I don’t overdo it he tells me, but what he means is so that I do not damage myself making my back ache, since that would interfere with my sports training.