Merthyr Imp

The following month, and what I think was a cut down and modernised version of 'Don Giovanni'. I say 'I think' because I've completely forgotten it! Theatre was only about one third full.

March 1993 and a play that I do remember. A group of people in a hotel room in Italy (I think) watching the England v West Germany World Cup semi-final on TV - some interested in football, some not. I particularly remember the part when it came to the description of the penalty shoot-out - '...and Stuart Pearce steps to take the crucial penalty...' A rueful groan went up from the audience! But then the play went off into what Captain Mainwaring would describe as the realms of fantasy. It was really good, but I don't believe the play ever gets performed these days, as

To the Concert Hall in October 1992 for a concert by what now had to be called 'The Magic of Gilbert & Sullivan' rather than D'Oyly Carte with the latter company now active again.

In September, a play from Edwardian times. As usual, can't remember anything about it. Theatre was only about one fifth full, perhaps due to the presence of no bigger star names than Tenniel Evans, Frank Middlemass and Ron Pember.

Is it true that Waterloo Station is going to have to be demolished?

I only saw one of the summer rep' season of thrillers. I think the reason must have been they had started to repeat themselves - no point in seeing a 'whodunit' if you know who did it.

July saw an adaptation of a story by Ruth Rendell. A very strange sort of play as I remember. Theatre only a quarter full.

D'Oyly Carte were back the following month with two more new productions, of 'The Mikado' and 'Yeomen of the Guard'. Not bad houses of over three quarters full.

Ooh that sounds good. I wonder if the masts have numbers you can underline in a book?

Opera North later in May produced Rossini's 'The Thieving Magpie'. You can't go wrong with Rossini. Musical theatre of a different kind then came with a three-week run of '42nd Street' - the stage adaptation of the 1930s film with musical numbers interpolated from other films involving Warren & Dubin. Marvellous stuff. I normally couldn't stand Bonnie Langford but I had to admit: 'That kid sure can dance!'. Theatre was not far short of being full.

Then came another forgotten thriller which only drew a third-full house.

In May was this comedy. Again, not a bad house of at least 50% full.

Various places mentioned here: http://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/showbiz-legend-bruce-forsyth-died-348569

Into 1992, and March brought another play I've forgotten. A decent house - about half full, perhaps drawn by the presence of Penelope Keith.

He used to make me laugh when I was about 14.

Opera North's autumn visit produced 'L'Etoile', a fairly obscure comic opera by Chabrier and 'Don Giovanni'. Theatre was nearly full for the latter but only about two thirds so for the less well-known piece. The next week was this play about C. S. Lewis, now forgotten by me. Theatre was only about one quarter full but for some reason I had to sit in the Balcony seat I'd paid for.

October 1991 saw a visit from a theatre group from a village in Borsetshire. Not a bad house, though - about half full. It was part play, part entertainment.

September 1991 and the play about Mozart. One or two notable names in the cast, including Helen Baxendale before she was famous - 'Helen has just completed a three year acting course at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School'. And who else remembers Terence Longdon as Garry Halliday? I remember being impressed by the piano playing of Richard McCabe as the composer.

Author of the 'Doctor in the House' etc books - died last week aged 95. To be honest, he was one of those people you hadn't realised had still been alive.

For the usual summer season of thrillers I saw just two of them. 'Dead of Night' was nothing to do with the film of the same name. Theatre was between a third and half full both times.

I always like films about railways.

At the end of May I saw Opera North's production of 'Faust' by Gounod - theatre not quite full. For some reason I didn't see 'Carmen' - can only think it was given in French. More opera came the following month with two new productions by D'Oyly Carte - 'Iolanthe' and 'The Gondoliers', the latter being rather controversial, not say eccentric. I also found it didn't lend itself to repeated viewing - servce it right the theatre was no more than three quarters full. 'Iolanthe' did better.

April 1991 and a play which I DO remember something of. It was very well done with minimal scenery, and of course a cast of two (plus the ghost!) would be popular with touring managements. The most effective moment was the rocking chair going by itself. Theatre was nearly two thirds full.

I always found it very annoying when people got in the way while I was trying to take a photo of a bus.

Later in February it was Opera North which meant just 'Cosi Fan Tutt'e for me - an almost full theatre. Then in April it was another of those plays I can remember nothing about: Theatre was about three quarters full so I had to sit in the seat I'd paid for.