Tenderly treasured
Nurtured chrysalis to moth
Now time to release
The grandchildren have been breeding butterflies and moths in a cage. When they are ready the children release them into the bushes in the morning while the sun is shining. It’s a serious business and Rosie worries about them with maternal zeal.
As it is Shakespeare’s birthday celebrations in Stratford this weekend I thought I would reblog a post I wrote when I first started blogging.
William Shakespeare was born on April 23rd 1564 and died on 23rd April 1616. 1964 was the 400th anniversary of his birth and I was living in Stratford on Avon, which was certainly the most exciting place to be at that time for a theatre mad teenager.
The highlight of my acting career had been the part of Mole in Toad of Toad Hall at St Gabriel’s Convent in Carlisle. Cardinal Heenan was the honoured guest in the audience. My part was memorable as it involved a tea party at Toad Hall. We had real cakes and biscuits. I had never seen those pink and white marshmallows with a biscuit base and coconut all over the top. I became so engrossed in examining and eating them that I forgot where I was and had to be prompted to continue my lines. “Oh, you silly ass, Mole”…
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With apologies and a distress warning to all my sensitive vegetarian readers!!
Sweet Spring lamb roasted
With garlic and rosemary
My favourite food
A work of wonder
Wrought in iron and sandstone
Tapered and tilting
Mary Magdala ~ Pariah?
Mary Magdala
Spilt oils on his feet and wept
Begging forgiveness
~~~~~
Judas, pariah?
Or pawn in a cosmic game
At Gethsemane.
We have just finished performing the Gloucester Mystery Plays in the fabulous setting of Gloucester Cathedral and Worcester Cathedral. The plays were directed by Sheila Mander and received some very good reviews. One former actor said,
“Her motley crew of patches, rude mechanicals, all shapes, sizes, ages, levels of acting ability, musicianship and technical support experience were met together to serve one of the greatest stories ever told – amateurs and professional all – with God (we all know that He would really like to be Jeremy Irons) topping and tailing the entire affair. The spirit of Ye Olde rough and ready Middle English Mystery Play tradition is both honoured in its purest form and updated to modern relevance in a beautifully structured piece. Each actor, amateur and professional alike, somehow manages through simple, honest and often movingly unsophisticated service to this mammoth narrative to deliver one of the most touching and engaging pieces of theatre you could ever wish to attend. It is indeed theatre fulfilling many of its most powerful functions. Like smokers who quit the habit judge people who smoke, ex actors like myself can be an impossible audience to please. This little gem pleased me no end. It is charming, challenging, provocative but most essentially of all it is warmly approachable.” I can’t weait for the next production! Enjoy some of the photos below of rehearsals.
http://www.gmpfestival.com/diary-of-events/
Jesus taken by soldiers in GMP 
Judas kisses Jesus 
Judas played brilliantly by Robbie 
Rehearsing the Crucifixion in the timber yard 
Satan played by mark Kempner corrupts Judas 
Jesus is arrested 
Jesus brilliantly played by Lawrence Aldridge is crucified in Gloucester cathedral 
Whole cast rehearsing the Gloucester Mystery Plays 
Actors who played Apostles in the GMP 
Solemn, silent sage,
Features frozen forever,
Fixed a stony stare
Looking after the grandchildren during the Easter holidays we stayed in a cabin by a fishing lake. It was freezing cold, as you can see from the snow on the hills, but the children had fun. Ben used the stone owl as a goalpost!
Morning Mist
From ancient woodland
Appearing, to graze meadows
in the morning mist
Nightingales
Hid in Highnam woods
Nightingales in bushes sing
Sublime serenade
Nightingale at Cotswold Water Park
Hunter
Hounded and harried
He wandered the wilderness
Prey to temptation
Incense
Prayers of the faithful
Cloaked in celestial clouds
Scent of mystery
Jasmine
Refreshed and relaxed
With a herbal infusion
Healing Jasmine tea
Koi
“Don’t feed”, the sign says
But the Koi plead their hunger
Mouths open, they glide
Lily
Alert and aloof
Proud Sharpei stands, protecting
The Peace Pagoda
The Peace Pagoda in Willen, Milton Keynes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Learn from the least. On
The path to enlightenment
The grasshopper guides
As soon as I saw today’s prompt word, Grasshopper, my mind drifted back to the 80’s and 90’s when my children were young. Two TV series stand out in my mind from those days.
In the 90s we watched an American series called “Land Before Time” which was beautiful in every way. Each episode had a moral about virtues of courage, strength, love of family etc.
In the 80’s we watched a series on TV called “Monkey“. This was a very unusual series based on a classic sixteenth century Chinese novel “Journey to the West” by Wu Cheng’en. The series was produced in Japan and each episode had a moral which was based on Buddhist and Taoist philosophy. We absolutely loved it. I am sure there was a grasshopper character in the series!
Learn from the least. On
The path to enlightenment
The grasshopper guides
Jenny and Stanley
Softly snuggled, he
Surrenders to sleep, in the
Depths of the night
~~~~~~~
Secure in her love
Softly his body succumbs
Impressed on her heart
~~~~~~~
Rocking him gently
Soothing smell of lavender
His sweet lullaby
~~~~~~~
Two decades ago
A spark ignited. Today
Their paths united
~~~~~~
Before time began
A stony path had been laid
His route to the grave
~~~~~~
Filled with the Spirit
In his heart no doubt remained;
His future ordained
~~~~~~
To celebrate National Poetry Month this April, Haiku Heights is hosting a month-long Haiku writing journey. This journey will take Haiku lovers through the alphabet one day at a time, Day 5 is the letter E and the word is Eggshells!
Neglected, abused,
Confidence shattered, always
Walking on eggshells
~~~~
Cosmic creation
Working with new media
Embryo talent
~~~~
Shellac on their nails
Tough tips on their talons, girls
Flaunting their fingers
~~~~
Chick cheeps from within
His struggle beginning, he
Cracks open his shell
~~~~
Tempted by seedlings
Snails and slugs slowly approach
Crushed eggshells defeat
~~~~
Easter tradition
Decorating coloured eggs
Grandchildren’s delight
Weeks of rehearsals are over and the show is now underway. It is a privilege to be part of such a spectacular production. This week we are performing amidst the breathtaking beauty of Gloucester Cathedral. The first night was not perfect but it was so moving. It will get better and better as we become familiar with the new and very complex staging.
The second night was “visually stunning, music just right, costumes and lighting spectacular ~ colourful, vibrant and flowing, stage crew and props slick” according to the audience. It felt amazing to perform in such a show and in such a setting. Can’t wait for tonight!
I will post a video when we are finished the run, but for now here are some pictures from rehearsals. Enjoy!
With his queen he mates
Destruction and death awaits
Despised Dumbledore
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone_(bee)
Pilgrims’ faith flows in
The candlelight procession
From Gave to Grotto
To celebrate National Poetry Month this April, Haiku Heights is hosting a month-long Haiku writing journey. This journey will take Haiku lovers through the alphabet one day at a time. Today’s letter is B and the prompt word is Butterfly.
To celebrate National Poetry Month this April, Haiku Heights is hosting a month-long Haiku writing journey. This journey will take Haiku lovers through the alphabet one day at a time, with the first stop being the letter A! The prompt word today is Ascent.
My inspiration came from an enormous Murmuration of Starlings that I am thrilled to watch as the sunsets over the carpark at Gloucester Royal Hospital each evening. It really is spectacular but most people are in such a hurry that they fail to look up to see it.
Starlings at Dusk, Herefordshire (Photo credit: soundslogical)
Freezing cold, wet through
On the Fells she feeds her flock
Farmer’s fortitude
Abandoned with child,
Dawn breaks. Bereft of all hope
I cry to the Lord
~
Garden glows Golden
Light spills from trees, shimmering,
Walls and windows too
~
Spirit filled with hope,
Warmth, courage and peace descend
And all will be well
Cheering throngs gather
Cheering throngs gather
In Messianic fervour
Fronds fall at His feet
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Calling for His death
Crowds that cheered Him now decry
Innocent, He’ll die
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three times he denied
The master he followed. And
The rooster crowed twice
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Barabbas!” they cry
A callous cacophony
Convicts the wrong man
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Orthodox cross
Forsaken by friends
He hangs dying on a cross
Forgiveness His gift
~~~~~~~~~~~~
No stone left unturned.
In the harrowing of hell
All sins are exposed
I am in the Gloucester Mystery Plays this Easter , which will be performed in Gloucester and Worcester Cathedrals. While I only have a small part I have found the whole experience extremely moving. Indeed the professional and semi professional actors involved are so good that they have brought the whole story to life for me and given my faith a much needed boost. It is mainly down to the professionalism and commitment of Sheila Mander, the producer.
Mystery plays were the foundation of the modern theatre. Developing between the 10th and 16th century, they portrayed key stories from the Bible in an accessible way for people who had not heard or read the stories before. The dramatic productions appealed to all types and ages of people.
Gloucester mystery Plays have taken these stories to a new level with a modern interpretation of the ancient texts. The language is modern while the actions and rhythms of the original are faithfully captured. There is also wonderful original music and singing.
These Mystery Plays will be bold, colourful, joyful, sad, dramatic, thought provoking and challenging. They tell the story of the life of Jesus as an adult right up to the Last Judgement. Hopefully they will leave the audiences deeply moved.
I can’t wait to tell you how good it was after Easter!
Gloucester Mystery Play
Mystery Play at Worcester Cathedral
Worcester Cathedral (Photo credit: JmGpHoToS)
Gloucester, England (Photo credit: Nigel’s Europe)
Heavenhappens 