As you (didn't) like it, Mike,Nige Jane and the journey from hell

I guess I am a bit of a populist theatre goer, as I am not a fan of Shakespeare. I remember enjoying The Taming Of The Shrew with a stunning Vanessa Redgrave in Theatre Clwyd in the 1980s, but apart from that and Emma Thompson's ("My heart lies on the windy side of care") lovely Much ado about nothing, I have had little experience or indeed interest in the Bard. To be honest, I didn't really enjoy As You Like It, at the Sheffield Crucible, but I did get pleasure from parts of the ambitious production. Eve Best (pic) made a winning Rosalind; she comes into her own towards the end of the second act when the ambiguous sexuality of the narrative really gets going, but I thought Sam Troughton looked rather lumpy as suitor Orlando. Nigel enjoyed it greatly, and as usual it was good to see him and put the world to rights over a pizza and a bottle of wine ( even though the bastard has put my toothbrush that I left at his house on e bay!) -http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140089726993

Caught up with Mike before the theatre, for our traditional pint in All Bar One. He still feels a bit down at times and it is so hard to see him feeling blue and not like his usual sparky self. I wish sometimes that I would listen more to friends and comment less, but I guess I am too long in the tooth not to give my opinions, but It was good to see him and by the end of two hours we were laughing at the absurdities of life! helped along by some posh continental beer!

Before catching the coach back to Manchester ( more about that later!) I met Jane in the Millenium Gallery cafe for coffee and a chat ( she does look more and more like Laura Linney) . She kindly walked me to the bus station as British Rail (as was) cannot connect Sheffield with Manchester over the average weekend!

I knew the journey was going to be a bummer when the pathologically cheerful and over familiar Sheffield coach driver looked at my ticket. "Where is this you're going to!?" he boomed! "Wales!" I said thinly and he laughed loudly like Brian Blessed shouting helpfully "You are going to have a bastard journey then!" .................many a true word!

The coach was full of the usual students,shoppers and a smattering of American tourists on the way to Manchester Airport and the English passengers all went noticeably silent when the loud fat common driver started his "spirit-that won-the-war", banter! Undeterred by the lack of replies we had to endure a whole series of jokes, dirty silly noises,apologies for the British Rail service, and numerous telephone calls from his friends and colleagues who could hardly string a sentence together! (they were indeed on speaker phone!). Cramped in my seat I thought to myself that the situation could not get any worse, but boy was I wrong! as we drove past Chatsworth House ( why did he drive that way?) he actually started to SING!!!! Yep SING...... "Is this the way to Amerillo?"...........at that point I turned up the air conditioning to drown out the noise

When we finally got to Manchester the passengers collectively were all praying for death to take him, and scuttled off the bus like rats down a drain pipe, I just felt sorry for the Americans who sat dejected, waiting to go on to the airport! Hey....Welcome to Britain!

Nice to be back home with Chris ,five and a half hours after I left. In one way and another, he knows it's been a hard week ! I do love him

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