It's Shakespeare's Birthday - always a happy day for any Merry Shrew. Since I last posted here, I've sneaked in a further visit to Stratford for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust's 'Winter School', taking in a wonderful performance of 'The Merchant of Venice:1936' and a gloriously silly Midsummer Night's Dream, which was so good, I went back to see it again the next night from the 'cheap seats'.
Unfortunately, I was recovering (slowly) from a really unpleasant chest infection and so I made the decision to skip the Reading Room this time: I wouldn't have liked to be in the same space as someone coughing as much as I was.
I'd had such good intentions in September, but the best laid schemes had been plotted without the family emergency that took over most of November and December and is still causing issues now with time and space. It means that a lot of what I'd planned to do just hasn't happened, and I'm sometimes a bit frustrated. During my September visit, I'd had thoughts that seemed to point the way I ought to go but then life got in the way.
However, the data base is always there and I've really put a lot of effort since I came back from Stratford into trying to break through the last barriers around the North, South and Midland Companies. Despite all the wonderful stuff on the British Library website, finding this last 23% of entries is proving a challenge. I'm getting results, but there are still huge holes to fill. Yesterday and today I managed to fill in enough to make the total complete 80%. It feels like something of an achievement but it has been hard fought for!
To celebrate, tomorrow I'm heading into Newcastle to the Tyneside Cinema to see the John Singer Sargent exhibition 'on screen': its actually on at the Tate in London and it is exactly the sort of exhibition which - only a few months ago - I'd have been dashing down to see. As it is, this is the best compromise. I won't, of course, be able to linger in front of the Ellen Terry Lady Macbeth dress the way I'd have done 'in real life' but it is better than nothing!
My second hand book hunting took me to Sedbergh a couple of weeks ago where I picked up an old book about Stratford and a book of theatrical memoirs by Sidney Blow 'The Ghost walks on Fridays'. Blow was a young actor at the turn of the century who married Hilda Trevallyan , the actress who originated the role of Wendy in Peter Pan. It's very gossipy and flits about from story to story, but the highlight so far has been a wonderfully catty account by Irene Vanbrugh of rehearsing at His Majesty's with Ellen Terry. written as a playscript. There's lots of period detail of theatres in London and New York at the time the Bensons were touring and it's a very easy read.
Tonight, no proper Shakespeare for me but there will be cake. Happy Birthday, Mr Shakespeare!
