My brother Gareth and his wife Clare have been rehearsing flat out for the last couple of months in preparation for their appearance in "Sweeney Todd" The demon barber of Fleet Street. The last production I went to see him in was pretty dire, so I wasn't expecting much for my money...I was preparing to lie through my teeth...
My brother having a close shave
Having said that I was brutely honest with him on the previous occasion and told him it was rubbish. Was I in for a shock of the blood curdling kind, the performance of the musical by the "Gasleak Theatre Company" would not have looked out of place on a westend stage! Indeed I got that carried away with emotion and pride at the end I stood up to give them a standing ovation. Within minutes I realised that I was the only one on my feet, goodness knows why, so I sat down again. I waited expectantly for them to return for another curtain call and resolved I would jump up again and holler "bravo" but they didn't come back out!
The woman next to me who I got to know, as you do, in the interval, gave me a piece of advice. She said her life had been topsy turvey since her husband had died, then she went on a cruise and needed to partner up with someone to ride an elephant on one of the excursions, she explained that she has been with that same partner ever since! Find yourself an elephant she joked.
After the performance I gave my brother and his wife a big hug and told them how I would have loved to have been in such a wonderful show. Then it was into the car for the long drive from Melton Mowbrey back to Bridgend, but every second of the drive was well worth the effort it is not every day you get to experience such an enthusiastic talented cast of players.