The day started with very strong winds and an occasional shower of quite heavy rain. The rather unpredictable weather coincided with the running of the cross country race through the park.
It happens every year with a number of schools taking enthusiastic part. Hundreds of little pre-secondary school kids gather and take off around a designated route. I’m sure it’s all good fun but I don’t think the parents I saw this morning were too keen on the rain and mud they’d all be taking home with them.
Not that it’s any problem for me though it does mean I entered the park at another entrance to avoid the crowds.
The rest of the day passed well enough with the wind and the wet, mainly because I was inside. Mirinda had guitar so I spent most of the time washing the extension floors in preparation for Monday and our guests.
The sun came out long enough for Mirinda to take the girls to Frensham, her second visit of the day given she had brunch at the Holly Bush after guitar this morning.
The day wore on like they always do, until it was time to leave for Guildford. Following last week’s successful foray to the Yvonne Arnaud, we were once more down to be entertained though decidedly not in a comedic sense.
This week we saw a play called Still Alice, based on the successful 2007 debut book of the same name by Lisa Genova. It tells the story of a woman in her late 40’s who goes through early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and how she copes (or not).
The play featured Sharon Small in the main part as Alice. She was superb. A wonderful portrait of a person discovering that things were starting to disappear from her head. From the beginnings of just words to the devastation of not remembering her daughter.
It’s rare that a play can make me cry but Still Alice certainly did. A lot of that was the play itself but Sharon Small’s performance was so utterly believable, it was difficult not to feel her pain and frustration. I’m glad she smiled during the curtain calls because her performance was so real.
There was no interval which was a good thing because we needed to witness her gradual descent rather than have a sudden break for ice cream.
Most of the rest of the cast were strong enough in support of Ms Small, particularly Eva Pope playing Alice’s mind, keeping us informed of what was happening inside her head. It was a very clever device and Ms Pope was perfect. I also thought that Martin Marquez as husband John was perfect. His love for Alice as she started to not really be Alice was painful for all of us.
So, not a cheerful evening’s entertainment but amazing just the same.
I like Sharon Small she is great I have seen her in lots of things but only on TV .