It was like the pixies were playing with me today. It seemed that every time I started doing something, I’d be mercilessly interrupted.
It started first thing about 30 seconds before I called Mirinda. The landline rang just as I was about to find the number. Some woman introduced herself as Stephanie, telling me she was from some organisation that made money from hapless fools. I told her the time and hung up.
Possibly the oddest interruption came as I started washing the extension floor. I’d dropped the mop into the hot water, squeezed out the excess and applied it to the first few tiles and the doorbell rang. It was Sally. She was wondering whether I had a stapler she could borrow.
I invited her in then searched in vain for the stapler that we once had. At least we did before it was actively employed in DBA activities. Eventually I returned to her, empty handed and terribly apologetic.
She then explained to me that she wanted it because she was sending a parcel to Australia. I was tempted to explain to her that Australian postal regulations don’t actually require staples but figured she probably knew better than me and merely agreed with her.
Returning to the mop and bucket I was forced to begin again. The water was cold and the dogs had wandered all over the wet tiles.
Then, as if the pixies weren’t entertained enough, as I was attempting to leave to meet Mirinda for another gift of theatrical delight, a delivery guy who was petrified of the vicious Emma, asked if I would take delivery of a parcel for next door.
Still, I managed to get away, catch my train, and meet Mirinda for a wonderful night of theatre. It was an absolute delight.
It was the same company that performed in The Winter’s Tale on Wednesday. And they were hilarious.
The night started with a short piece performed by Zoe Wanamaker, All on her Own. Then we were delighted by the cast in full actor voice in Harlequinade. It made us want to start a theatre company and – oops.
We roared with laughter as they played the most outrageous characters in this Terence Rattigan play. Kenneth Branagh was superb as Arthur Gosport and Miranda Raison equally brilliant as his wife Edna Selby. But it would be unfair to the rest of the cast to just single them out because the entire ensemble was superb.
It was a shame it was only one act because I felt that I could have laughed all night.
