So the snow came in bucket loads early this morning. We're at the top of a hill, and the top 200 yards are steep by any standards. Fortunately I have a Jeep...a big, heavy, fat Jeep which makes itself invaluable at times like this. There are only two things which defeat the Jeep - other road users and sheet ice. As I swung out of the drive this morning, I could see the scene below - various cars stuck at the side of the road, one across the road near the bottom of the hill, and another one firmly embedded in the bushes plus the blue flashing lights of an ambulance. I gently touched the brakes to find the Jeep beginning a slide....fortunately after 20 yards of releasing and re-engaging the brakes we managed to stop, alongside a shiny Jaguar. And there we stayed for the next forty minutes as The Boy and I shovelled load after load of grit over the road in front and behind the Jeep. Eventually we were ready to move it...but not before several other cars had come along over the hill and tried to go down...why they thought they could when it was obvious that if the Jeep couldn't make it, nothing would. Without too much difficulty we managed to get the Jeep up the hill and back in the drive....and I then spent another half an hour helping the driver of the shiny Jaguar whilst the Teens trotted down the hill to catch the bus to school...which really should have been what happened in the first place. An hour later, it had warmed up so much that the snow and ice had all but disappeared.
One of the most unusual productions I've been to over the last few years was 'Money' by a company called Shunt - a collective of actors. It's hard to explain the thing, but I'll try: a commentary on the financial sector, it was performed inside a giant 'machine' built inside a warehouse. As the performance progressed, the audience moved from one level to the next. It may be best if you watch the video:
It was highly imaginative, and immensely exciting and interesting.
Last night we went to their latest piece - The Architects, which was also held inside a warehouse. It was freezing cold. To get to the auditorium, you had to find your way through a labyrinth. The story sort of revolved around the story of The Minotaur. The auditorium was constructed like a large cocktail bar with a small stage for a band. Through three large porthole windows you could see the sea. Difficult to summarise, I would say it's about our inner turmoil, good versus evil, and how politicians pull the wool over our eyes. It would have helped if The Boy had been with us to interpret. Although we froze to the bone, it was again imaginative, immensely exciting and interesting. Highly, highly recommended, but not for the feint hearted. And continuing a previous theme...a naked man flashing his bits Details
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