Making the best of things when and where you can.
If this were not the most terrible period of time that we have known in recent years, we might be forgiven for thinking that it is also the most marvellous time in our lives. It is certainly a time where just as happened in war time, that people and companies are raising their spirits. I notice on all the usual social media sites that celebrities from sport, TV, the theatre and the movies are all doing their best to entertain us ordinary folk by sharing their talents for no reward. Free performances everywhere you look.
At the end of our own exercise period each morning Steve and I sit down with our favourite beverage and watch something funny before we get into the next period of not just self-isolation but self amusement and self appliance. We heard on the radio today that James Mcavoy has just donated £250,000 of his own money to the NHS to help buy much needed equipment to deal with the CV19 crisis. How marvellous, how moving. Then on the TV news; Pizza Hut have pledged 300,000 free meals for NHS staff. More of the same from other rich people would not go amiss.
James Corden has some very amusing short funny things to watch on You
Tube we have watched several of his Film
Careers in a nutshell in the last few days, Tom Cruise and Arnold Schwarzenegger
were both very funny, as shown on the Late, Late Show at some earlier time or
other, most of them no longer than a few minutes long, so perfect for a coffee
break lift.
The best show of goodwill on offer, that especially will go toward making Steve and I and other highbrow/low income people very happy for a few hours a week, comes the form of the domino effect that has started in theatre land in the UK but also world wide with the New York Met showing past productions totally free.
Tomorrow night our own National Theatre is showing something that I would so have liked to have seen on stage when it was showing but could not make it work at the time in my life, work and sporting events. So the two of us will not have to buy expensive tickets to see James Corden in One Man, Two Guv’nors tomorrow night on our own TV. We will be sinking into own our Lazi- Boy chairs with a nice glass on wine to one side.
To help get the public through our unwelcome test of strength and endurance the Royal Opera House has brought out a scheme that I believe can be found with the link #FromOurHouseToYourHouse. If you go to the ROH website you can find out the correct details, but the programme of productions that you might normally need a bank loan to buy good seats for, started with Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev last week. Then in the near future we have these magical events below.
Acis and Galatea
OPERA/BALLET 3 April 2020, 7pm BST
A
collaboration between the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet companies, created by
Wayne McGregor and set to music by Handel. Based on Greek mythology, it tells
the story of a mortal shepherd and a goddess' doomed love.
Così fan tutte
OPERA 10 April 2020, 7pm BST
This
comedy by Mozart sees two men test their girlfriends' faithfulness. Their plan
- to disguise themselves in order to try and seduce the other's lover. What
could possibly go wrong?
The Metamorphosis
BALLET 17 April 2020, 7pm BST
A
contemporary piece by Arthur Pita, created on Royal Ballet Principal Dancer,
Edward Watson. It is based on the novella by Franz Kafka, about how one family
reacts when their son wakes up, transformed into a monstrous insect.
I
am rubbing my hands together hoping for Coppelia after that with the wonderful
Gary Avis at his colourful characterful best. I confess that I do follow Gary
Avis on Instagram to my endless joy. He is senior ballet master and lead
character dancer.
I
was four when I took my first ballet lessons and as a child when asked what I
would like to be when I grew up, always had the same response; I want to be a
Ballerina. I had a poster of Moira Shearer’s legs stuck up above my bed. I
don’t know how many times I have watched The Red Shoes, in the cinema and on TV.
I have it on DVD too.
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