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of kleine prints GmbH, Dorotheenstraße 133, 22299 Hamburg ("Kleine Prints")
Thank you for visiting our website and for your interest in our company and our products. Protecting your privacy when using our website is of great importance to us. The following information is provided to explain how Kleine Prints handles your data. Kleine Prints complies with all applicable laws regarding the protection of personal data and data security.
Personal data includes all of the information that relates to you personally, e.g. your name, address, email address and photos, as well as your user behaviour.
The controller, in accordance with Art. 4 of the EU GDPR, is:
kleine prints GmbH
Dorotheenstraße 133
22299 Hamburg
Data processing is based on the following legal basis: for consent Art. 6 (1) a) and Art. 7 of the EU GDPR, for the fulfilment of services and implementation of contractual obligations Art. 6 (1) b) of the EU GDPR, for the fulfilment of legal obligations Art. 6 (1) c) of the EU GDPR, and for the safeguarding of legitimate interests Art. 6 (1) f) of the EU GDPR.
1. You can visit our website without us collecting any personal data from you. Your IP address is the only thing that will be collected and stored without any action being taken by you. We need to do this to be able to provide you with our service. Personal data is only collected if you provide us with it to fulfil a contract, to open a customer account or to make contact with us. Without your express further consent, this data is used solely to fulfil the contract and process your enquiries. The data is kept confidential and handled with the greatest care.
2. If you contact us via email, we will save your email and your name, as well as any additional contact information that you provide. We only use this information to process your enquiry and reply to you.
3. Kleine Prints collects data, so-called server log files, concerning every access to the server on which the Kleine Prints website is located. This access data includes the name of the website accessed, the file, the date and time of the retrieval, the amount of data transferred, notification of successful retrieval, browser type and version, the operating system of the user, referrer URL (the page previously visited), IP address and the requesting provider. Kleine Prints only uses the log data for statistical purposes, for business operations, to ensure the security of the service and to optimise the service provided. Kleine Prints reserves the right to review the log data retrospectively if there are specific indications that suggest that the provided service has been used unlawfully.
4. In order to protect your data, we comply with all legal obligations concerning technology and organisation regarding the handling of your data, in particular the protected, restricted-access storage of your personal data. The measures are updated in line with the latest technological developments where necessary.
5.Order processing
a) You can personalise each of the products sold in our shop with your own photos. To begin with, the files are stored on our servers in Frankfurt.
b) It is possible to design a personalised product and purchase it with a customer account. The data required to fulfil the contract (name, address, email address) will be saved so you do not need to re-enter the information next time you wish to make a purchase.
c) Generally speaking, the photos that you upload and the print data for your ordered products are available to you for 45 days. Once this period has elapsed, we delete customer photos and print data for previous orders from our servers.
d) Information required to process an order is marked with an asterisk. Additional information without an asterisk is provided voluntarily and is collected solely for internal statistical purposes.
e) If you are happy with your personalised product and place an order, this is our signal to get started. If you already have a customer account with us then we already have your data (address, payment methods). If you are a first time customer, you will be asked to enter the required information and create a customer account. The information relating to your product is passed onto our Hamburg-based printers, where your product is made. The finished product is then packaged with care and sent to you.
1. We adhere to the principle of the appropriate use of data. We only collect, store and use personal data so that we can offer you our services in full and insofar as it is necessary to provide the service in question. Your personal data is not used for any other purposes, unless you have given us your consent to use your personal data for other purposes; for example you have expressly stated that we can use your email address for marketing purposes (double opt-in). If you have registered for our newsletter, this consent also applies to other marketing purposes.
2. Kleine Prints processes your personal data in strict compliance with data protection regulations. Relevant data is only processed in cases where there is a legal basis for doing so. Members of staff working for Kleine Prints are extensively trained in this matter, bound to secrecy and obligated to comply with all data protection laws.
1. Generally speaking, the data provided by you is not made available to third parties. In individual cases, however, it may be necessary to pass your personal data onto companies who are entrusted to provide specific services (e.g. printers, delivery companies, newsletter) in order to fulfil the contract. The third parties are obligated to adhere to the legal regulations concerning the handling and processing of this data. We take great care in selecting these companies and they are commissioned in writing. They are bound to our instructions and are regularly inspected by us. The service providers only use your data to process the order in question. The data is deleted upon completion.
2. Your delivery address is passed onto the delivery company contracted to deliver your goods as part of the order process. In order to provide you with more precise information about your delivery, we also pass your email address onto the delivery company with your consent. They will send you an email with the expected delivery time.
3. Your payment information is passed onto the relevant credit institute as part of the order process.
In the case of payment by credit card via PayPal or debit payment via PayPal, we pass on your payment information as part of the order processing to PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie, S.C.A., 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg. For more information on the Privacy Policy of PayPal (Europe) S.à.r.l. et Cie, S.C.A., please click here.
4. Data is only transferred to authorised state institutions and authorities within the framework of statutory obligations or in cases where we are obligated to provide this information as a result of a court decision. We will only pass on your personal data without your consent in the following cases:
• If we are legally obligated to provide the information or instructed to do so by the courts.
• If our offers or services are misused, in particular in the case of violations of our General Terms & Conditions or Terms of Use, and we wish to prevent this in a legally permissible way.
We assure you that we treat your data in accordance with the applicable data protection laws and regulations. We ensure that your data remains confidential and take all of the legally required technical and organisational measures to ensure compliance with the data protection laws. We will never sell or lease your personal data to third parties.
5. Your personal data will not be transferred in any way other than that stated here without your express consent.
1. Your data is stored for as long as is required to fulfil the aforementioned purposes. As soon as this is no longer the case, e.g. once the contract has been fully concluded, the data will be deleted. Generally speaking, the photos that you upload and the print data for your ordered products are available to you for 45 days. Once this period has elapsed, we delete customer photos and print data for previous orders from our servers.
2. Your data will be deleted once the legal retention periods have elapsed; unless you have expressly consented to its further use.
In order to improve your visit to our website and to allow for the use of certain features, we use so-called cookies on various pages of this website. These are small text files that are stored on your device. They make our website more user-friendly and effective. Some of the cookies used by us are deleted once the browser session ends, i.e. when you close your browser (so-called session cookies). Other cookies remain on your device and allow us or our partner companies to recognise your browser on your next visit (permanent cookies). You can set up your browser so that you are informed about the use of cookies and can decide whether to accept them on a case-by-case basis, or you can prevent the use of cookies in certain cases or in general, for example cookies from third-party providers. Deactivating cookies may reduce the functionality of our website.
1. You can revoke the saving and use of your data at any time with effect for the future. Please contact us using our contact form or the email address provided in the Legal Notice for this purpose. We will then delete all of the information that we are not legally required to store (e.g. for commercial and tax law) with immediate effect. The remaining data will be deleted once the retention periods have elapsed. This revocation is only effective in the future and has no effect on the legality of the personal data processed prior to the revocation.
2. You can, of course, re-register at any time and continue using our services.
Furthermore, you can request information about the data that we store that relates to you personally, including the origin of the data, the recipients of this information and the purpose of the storage, at any time. Similarly, you can request the correction of incorrect personal data.
3. You can restrict the processing of your personal data, i.e. so the data is blocked and not used for other purposes.
4. You can request that Kleine Prints provides you with your personal information in a structured, established and machine-readable format. You can also request that Kleine Prints passes this information to a third party.
5. Please email all information requests, enquiries and revocations concerning data processing to email@example.com or send them by post to the address given on our contact page or in the Legal Notice.
You have a permanent right of information regarding the data that is saved that concerns you; you also have a right of correction, blocking and deletion for this data. Please contact us if you have any further questions regarding the gathering, processing and use of your personal data. The same applies to information, deletion and notification requests regarding your personal data and for the revocation of permissions.
You can contact Kleine Prints at any time regarding data protection and data security, or in the case of complaints and revocations, using the following contact information:
kleine prints GmbH
Dorotheenstraße 133
22299 Hamburg
Our website contains recommendation buttons (buttons, plugins) from Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. We would like to expressly state that we have no influence over the amount of data that these companies collect using the plugins and cookies. In terms of data protection, we have to rely on the privacy policies of the individual companies. The information provided below is based on this information.
Please consult the companies directly to find out more information about the purpose and extent of data collection as well as your individual rights and options to protect your privacy. We provide links to the relevant privacy policies here. The following information concerns the possible legal data protection implications of the buttons as well as information about other links.
Kleine Prints utilises the following third-party services:
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ("Google")
Facebook Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA ("Facebook")
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Pinterest, Inc., 808 Brannan Street, San Fransisco, CA 94103-4904, USA ("Pinterest")
The headquarters of a third party may be located in a third country, i.e. in a country in which GDPR has no direct legal effect. In this case, the data is only transferred with your express permission, or if an adequate level of protection prevails or a different legal permission applies.
Google and Facebook/Instagram comply with the Privacy Shield agreement (EU-US Privacy Shield). This means that the requirements of the Privacy Shield agreement are identical to the level of data protection within the European Union and that data is treated accordingly.
1. Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics – a web analysis service provided by Google Inc. ("Google").
Google Analytics uses so-called "cookies". These are text files, which are saved on your computer and allow for an analysis of your use of the website. The information collected includes your operating system, browser, IP address and referrer URL. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is generally transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there.
In the case of the activation of the IP anonymisation on this website, your IP address will still be shortened prior to this by Google within the member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the convention for the European Economic Area. The full IP address will only be transferred to a Google server in the USA and shortened there in exceptional cases. Google uses this information on behalf of the operator of this website to analyse your use of the website, to compile reports about the website activities, and to provide further services related to the use of the website and the internet in general.
The IP address transferred from your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other data from Google. You can prevent the saving of cookies through a setting on your web browser software. However, we would like to point out that if you turn off cookies, you will not be able to use all of the features of this website to their full extent.
In addition, you can prevent the gathering of the data generated by the cookie and relating to your usage of the website (incl. your IP address) by Google, as well as the processing of this data by Google. To do so, download and install the browser plugin from the following page: browser add-on to deactivate Google Analytics.
As an alternative to the browser plugin, or if you are browsing from a mobile device, please click on the following link to install an opt-out cookie to prevent Google Analytics from acquiring data within this website in the future (this opt-out cookie will only work in this browser and for this domain. If you clear the cookies from this browser you must click on the link again): deactivate Google Analytics . It should be noted that this website uses Google Analytics with the extension "_anonymizeIp()", and as such IP addresses are only processed in shortened form to prevent them being directly linked to a particular individual.
2. Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
Kleine Prints has integrated social plugins ("plugins") from the social networks Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest on the www.kleineprints.de website. The plugins are shown as a logo (Facebook, Instagram) or as the "Pin it" button (Pinterest).
In order to ensure your maximum protection and to comply with the principle of data minimisation, Kleine Prints uses the Shariff method. This means that direct contact will only be established between you and the social network when you actively click on the relevant button. If you do not click on the social network button, your data will not be collected, your activities will not be recorded, and a surf profile will not be created.
If you click on the button, the respective service provider will receive the information that you have accessed on the Kleine Prints website. You do not need a user account with the respective service; you also do not need to be logged in if you have a user account. If, however, you have a user account with the service provider and you are logged in, this information will be directly assigned to your account. This can be prevented by logging out of your respective account before clicking on the button.
Kleine Prints has no possibility of influencing whether or for what purpose or for how long the service providers and social networks collect personal data.
Further information on the handling of user data can be found here:
Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
3. Newsletter
1. We also collect personal data for sign-ups to our email newsletter. This data is used solely by us for our own marketing purposes in the form of our email newsletter. You can use a pseudonym for this. You do not need to provide any information other than your email address to use this service. You do not have to provide the same email address that you use for your customer account with us.
We send our email newsletter using the service provider MailChimp (The Rocket Science Group, LLC, 675 Ponce de Leon, Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA, http://www.mailchimp.com), and we provide them with your email address for the purpose of creating and sending the newsletter. The IT systems used by MailChimp are located in the United States. This means that sharing your email address does not represent sending your data to a non-safe third country.
Once you have registered by entering your email address, you will receive a confirmation email to the address that you provided. This email contains a confirmation link. If you wish to receive our newsletter, click on this link; otherwise, delete the email (double opt-in). You must click on the confirmation link to complete registration for the newsletter.
By clicking on the confirmation link, you are consenting to receive our newsletter. Only then will your email address be saved by the list provider until you unsubscribe from the newsletter or are deleted by Kleine Prints.
2. In order to be able to prove that you have registered for the list and to prevent any claims of unsolicited emails, the list provider saves the date of registration to the list as well as the IP address used for the registration. The IP address is not used for any other purpose.
3. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the newsletter or by sending us a message stating that you wish to unsubscribe. Your email address will be deleted from the mailing list as soon as you have successfully unsubscribed.
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5. MailChimp offers statistical analysis of usage data; however, the analysis is group-based and does not relate to individuals.
The usage data generated by MailChimp is not analysed individually. Wherever possible, any tracking offered by MailChimp is turned off. However, if you open the newsletter in a browser to view it correctly using the link provided in the email, the Google Analytics analysis tool will be used on the web page shown. Only MailChimp has access to the data generated by this. You can, however, prevent tracking by Google Analytics using certain browser plugins.
6. For more information about data protection at MailChimp, please click here.
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We give you the opportunity of registering for our services with Facebook Connect. There is no need for an additional registration; simply use your Facebook login information to register.
You will be redirected to Facebook where you can log in using your login details. Your Facebook profile will be linked with our service so that you don't need to re-enter all of your data. We receive various information from Facebook Inc. as a result of this link, depending on your privacy settings on Facebook.
This information always includes the publicly available profile information, such as your name, age, country, language, gender, profile picture, friends list and the information that you share with your friends list. We only save your name, email address and address and, if provided, your telephone number, from this information. This information is required to conclude the contract so that we can identify you.
You can find further information about Facebook Connect and the associated privacy settings from Facebook Inc.'s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
5. Facebook Pixel / Retargeting, Remarketing
We use the "Facebook Pixel" from Facebook Inc. on our website. This is used to track the behaviour of users who have seen or clicked on a Facebook ad. This procedure makes it possible to analyse the efficacy of Facebook ads for statistical and market research purposes and allows us to optimise our advertising.
The collected data is anonymous and thus cannot be linked back to the identity of the user. Despite this, the data is saved and processed by Facebook. It is thus possible for it to be linked to the respective user profile and Facebook is able to use the data for its own advertising purposes in line with the Facebook Data Policy. It can allow Facebook and its partners to run advertisements both within and outside of Facebook. Furthermore, a cookie may be stored on your computer for this purpose.
You must be older than 13 years old to consent to the use of the Facebook Pixel. If you are younger than this, we request that you ask your parent or legal guardian for permission.
In order to prevent the collection of your data by Facebook Pixel, you can click on the following link Facebook opt-out. In order to prevent the storing of cookies on your computer in general, you can set up your internet browser so that no cookies are stored on your computer in the future or to delete previously stored cookies. Please note that switching off all cookies may prevent certain features on our website from working properly. You can also deactivate the use of cookies by third parties like Facebook by visiting the website Digital Advertising Alliance.
6. Google Tag Manager
This website uses Google Tag Manager. This service allows website tags to be managed using an interface. Google Tag Manager only implements tags. This means: no cookies are used, and no personal data is collected. Google Tag Manager can manage various tracking tools and triggers the appropriate tags, which then collect the necessary data. All of the tracking tools used on our website are presented in this Privacy Policy. Google Tag Manager cannot access this data itself. If there is a deactivation at domain or cookie level, it remains for all tracking tags insofar as these are implemented with the Google Tag Manager. The option to anonymise IP addresses is controlled via an internal setting on Google Tag Manager and this is not visible in the source of this website. This internal setting has been created to fulfil the required anonymisation of IP addresses by the German Federal Data Protection Act.
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This website uses Google AdSense, a web advertising service provided by Google Inc. Google AdSense uses so-called "DoubleClick DART cookies" ("cookies"). These are text files that are stored on your computer and allow your use of the website to be analysed. Furthermore, Google AdSense uses so-called "web beacons" (small invisible graphics) to collect information. They are used to record, collect and analyse simple actions like user traffic on the website. The information generated by the cookie and/or web beacon about your use of this website (including your IP address) is generally transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. Google uses this information to analyse your usage patterns with regard to AdSense ads. The IP address transferred from your browser as part of Google AdSense will not be merged with other data from Google. The information collected by Google may be transferred to third parties in certain cases, insofar as this is legally permitted and/or these third parties process this data on behalf of Google. You can revoke the use of advertising cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser or by downloading and installing the browser plugin from the following link: browser plugin. Please note that certain features of this website may not work or may be limited in functionality if you have objected to the use of cookies.
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This website uses the online advertising program "Google AdWords" and the conversion tracking provided within the framework of Google AdWords. The conversion tracking cookie is saved when a user clicks on a Google ad. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer system. These cookies expire after 30 days and cannot be used for personal identification. If the user visits certain pages of this website and the cookie has not expired, both we and Google can see that the user has clicked on the advertisement and been redirected to this page. Each Google AdWords customer receives a different cookie; thus, cookies cannot be tracked across the websites of AdWords customers. The information collected using the conversion cookie serves to provide conversion statistics for AdWords customers who have chosen to use conversion tracking. Customers can find out the total number of visitors who clicked on the ad and were forwarded to a page with a conversion tracking tag. They do not receive any information that can be used to identify the user in person. If you do not wish to participate in tracking, you can revoke this use by simply deactivating the Google conversion tracking cookie using the user settings on your internet browser. You will then be excluded from the conversion tracking statistics.
Kleine Prints takes technical and organisational measures to ensure that the security and protection requirements of the EU GDPR are fulfilled, and that personal data is protected against loss, destruction, manipulation and access by unauthorised persons. The measures are adapted in line with the latest technological developments.
Kleine Prints reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time. As such, we recommend that you check the content of the Privacy Policy on a regular basis.


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respectful thoughts for losses and thankful for reaffirmation of its beating heart with some theatre
Category Archives: theatre
#LLLPLay – about the play
I literally spent only some 54h in total from touch down to departure in NY and this includes travel to and from airport so unfortunately this trip did not include a lot of sight-seeing. You're calculating right now and wondering what did I do that left so little time for such an amazing city?
Well, from Friday evening to Sunday mid afternoon I attended 2 matinees and 2 evening performances of the #LLLPlay. However, I did manage to do more touristy things than I imagined I would get the chance. And jholland has described our out-of-theatre activities so well I won't repeat it 😉
Suffice to say I loved the city much more than I thought I would! I am a very loyal Londoner 😉 And I am not cheating on my home city when I say NY is wonderful, vibrant and relaxed. I look forward to going back hopefully sometime soon and getting to see more of it, exploring some of its quieter parts and not just the 24h tourist sites 🙂 There is an air of energy about the city which is amazing. I didn't think living in London I could be overwhelmed by the rhythm of it but I was. Maybe because I was feeling under the weather and winter is also a factor. But I enjoyed walking through the city Sunday morning when there were less people around and just looking at the buildings and shops and what felt like normal life. I'd love more of that. I hope I'll get to do that, immerse myself more in normal life in NY in various areas, do a bit more of what NY-ers do around town.
And I really really hope I get to return the favour to our lovely guides around town when they come to London next. I hope we'll get an occasion for it! 😉
So the following will be mostly impressions about the play. Not descriptions and I think by now we have much better accounts of the details than I could ever give! There are detailed insights into the play act by act from Serv here (act 3 ) , here (act 2 ) and here (act 1 ) (which I can now finally read!) And you'll also find in these further links to her impressions, which I am also looking forward to reading more of.
A few more things before I dive in, sorry for the many digressions. Unfortunately I didn't take any notebook with me nor did I even have time to find scraps of paper to write down any notes on. So these are just the most prominent impressions in my mind. I don't think having a cold made a difference in the end although I feared it would. I was wide awake and gave it all the energy and concentration I had and luckily between the small space and the excellent diction my clogged up hearing didn't affect my enjoyment of the experience.
There has been a lot of debate around it being useful or not to read the play in advance. I don't think I could have resisted the temptation 😉 I was never sure I was able to go so I wanted to take part in some small way. I also wanted to understand what people were commenting on better and sometimes when the subject can be more difficult I like to have some prior prep, especially when I know I am not going to be able to see something many times. Knowing something about it in avance allows me to absorb more details in one go rather than getting totally distracted or absorbed by the plot itself and finding out what happens next. But I only read it once for information purposes and didn't go back over the detail beyond that before seeing it.
I also watched Wild (the broadcast from Hampstead theatre of another of Mike Bartlett's plays) and absorbed Dr Foster (which is absolutely loved). I was less enamoured with Wild as some others because clever stagecraft does not mean great play in my mind. I do think he found a clever solution for the ending of Wild and since the Snowden issue is indeed still open in most ways I think it was a good was to deal with the lack of resolution of the happenings in the plot. Sometimes I felt with Wild that I was being preached at, but only minimally. It could also be that I've had way too many experienced of productions in opera where people assume the audience is uninformed, ignorant or just not alive to current happenings that they felt they needed to hammer subjects home a bit too much. I'm sorry for my temporary bias 🙂 I did enjoy the play itself and the back and forth of themes and he debate. And in hindsight, experiencing another work of his live has brought out some characteristics of his writing which I appreciate very much. While some of the subject I may already be familiar with I've come to appreciate his craft very very much. And I'll explain why #LLLPLay was a key to that.
But to start with I was a bit ambivalent about Wild and very much won over by Dr Foster. I found Love Love Love to be a heavy meal on the page. Easy to read but the subject itself was very disturbing. The dialogue and the words flow with amazing easy and natural feel and it is one of Bartlett's greatest skills! Theatre feels many times as interchanges of opinions where somebody speaks and everyone else listens and then somebody else takes a turn. And there is nothing wrong with that as it often allows us to hear not only what people say but also what they really think and feel. But it is not necessarily how people speak in real life 🙂 Replicating that in a play is much harder! Writing dialogue that is as natural as normal talk is an art and I've come to appreciate just how good Bartlett is at it. I think it is this great skill of his which made Dr Foster so good! Well, that and a very clever plot and great characters (superbly acted!). But you can't be a great script writer without that skill 🙂
But when something reads so naturally it's easy to get drawn into the characters and to dig your heals into the plot noticing less of the skill behind it. It's fair to say I was appalled and disgusted by both Sandra and Kennet when I read the play. I felt pity for Jamie and Rose , but the latter also annoyed me. My feelings felt offended by the egoistic vein of these people, by their shocking lack of compassion. I didn't even crack a smile while reading and the dark irony of it made me rather angry. Not because it felt unrealistic, quite the contrary. Rose's realities are very close to my own, I understand the world she lives in. But the total oblivion of the parents to the needs of their children, their complete lack of evolution, maturity almost is not a pretty sight.
I seriously doubted I could sit through repeat viewings of the play without becoming depressed. I did by no means hate the playwright or think it was a bad play. But the characters themselves I didn't enjoy and I felt the play did take me to a very dark place. I guess it is also context. It's not been a great year for realities around us and struggles with housing and daily life are all too real in London. So the sudden excitement of seeing RA back on stage took a nosedive upon realising that the experience might be anything but uplifting and only one more reminder about the stuff going on all around me. It was clear this was going to be nothing like the emotional deep dive and cathartic experience the Crucible was. At least from reading the play. It felt as if this too was just forcing me to deal with the things that I already saw every day around me, every day at work on the news screens around me, every month when I pay the ridiculous rent and so on.
So I was anxious about the experience while I was at the same time looking forward to seeing him act live on stage again. The balance tipped in favour of the experience at an odd moment. Every play I've seen since the summer has been depressing in its own way: The Entertainer, Hamlet, Richard III 2x, No man's land, young Chekov (Platanov), Les Blancs and the Red barn. None of them a barrel of laughs. Or certainly not meant to be that. But there were laughs, in most of them! And I wouldn't miss seeing any of them, even though they are not cheerer-uppers. The plays and the acting was so great! And watching Mark Strong in the Red Barn it suddenly hit me. He's excellent, just as good as I remember him from a View from the bridge which won him the Olivier. The Olivier for which Richard was also nominated. Richard who I very clearly remembered being as good on stage as the man I was watching. As many of the actors I've been watching. Of course the play itself matters but what matters even more is how it is brought to life and what you remember is the performance that made it real and memorable. I will remember not just the plays but I will remember the actors who made the plays stand out. And the vividness and intensity of the experience would always be worth it!
And the experience does not have to necessarily be emotionally overwhelming, or even cathartic (although I'll always have a soft spot for an expertly closed emotional and story arc – thanks to Shakespeare) , all it has to be is intense. It has to make a difference, it has to grab you and in the best of cases it will make a lasting impact and make you think about it for a long long time. And sometimes it is much harder to put an open ended and un-resolved play to rest than it is a neatly tied up story (if done right).
I was still wondering though why people laughed so much during Love Love Love!
Turns out the play lifts off the page very well indeed. It's a perfect mix of sparkling, witty writing, clever and clean production and excellent acting. Had I not read a bit about Michael Mayer before I would be convinced of his directing skills after seeing the play the first time. I love directions which support and enhance the play without being in your face. Of course that won't work with all plays, but one as 'verbose' as this does not need distractions form excess of physical activity or props or sets. This is simple, yet elegant and leaves space for the family and generational drama to unfold.
You probably can't really call the 1st act sets elegant 😉 But they give you in small details the exact feel of a student flat well lived in. The half eaten half burnt toast (I guess beans on toast as is the eternal student staple diet and because they have run out of beans), the dirty pint glasses, the lack of food but abundance of drink bottles. Clothes dropped carelessly around the old sofa, the portable telly sat on anything available (in this case an old suitcase). The only thing that drew my attention as potential miss match is the mixer tap in the kitchen. I tried to find out if this was available or typical in London flats in the 70s and earlier, but I doubt it since separate taps were the bane of my life in rented flats even a few years ago. But, it's kitchen not bathroom so it is possible, I am sure they did their research more thoroughly than I did. Love the 2 seater sofa which effectively isolates Henry away from Sandra and Kenneth and is just big enough for Kenneth to splay on it in all his length. It also forces Henry to sit where he would look even sterner, in the armchair, rather than more relaxed on the sofa. And it emphasises the contrast between brothers when Kenneth bounces round on it or wriggles suggestively in it as soon as he has sussed out his brother is bringing a date tonight to the apartment. The simple use of that armchair and sofa is not in the words but is a subtle and yet very telling addition by the director.
Generally the movement in and around the furniture, especially the sitting down and getting up provided a continuous source of entertainment and discovery. And was one of the most creatively used acting props I have seen. Such detail! So telling! ( what would Kenneth do with himself if he didn't bounce round the furniture in act1? I'd love to know how the movement was choreographed and how much input was given by director, actor, script, etc)
Act 2's house is a gem of discovery, loved looking for the books, the paintings fit the style and money around, the furniture is spot on. Even the layout speaks to us! The table is set out just so that you can see dad and 14! Year old son mirror each other while smoking and drinking red wine. And again use of furniture tells us so much about the people and also defines their age so well! Both Jamie and Rose rarely sit on anything normally 🙂
And act 3 is as posh as it gets! The big doors to the gardens, the restrained furniture in pastel colours elegantly spaced out. Small details which tell you everything you need to know about their wealth/status/lifestyle. And again there is much acting of age, degree of comfort with oneself, physical state in just the sitting on the sofa.
The production puts just enough props around to boost key moments and I have to say the director has honed in on those perfectly. There is hardly a breather in this 2h fast paced play but where there is a pause it's filled very effectively. It's utterly entertaining and riveting. I could have seen it not 4 times consecutively, but many more without getting bored.
I even enjoyed the almost constant smoking if it didn't make me cough! Those herbals are the worst!
The costumes where equally brilliant in shaping personalities and times and ages. Not too much as it could have easily gone overboard with Sandra but managed not to outshine her personality 😉 And not just Sandra, but the kids too. The parents are so elegant and wealthy in their old age, Sandra certainly likes her bling, while the kids are blatantly dressed very basically and practically. I am sure I'll find the time for another post to talk about how some of the clothing detail contributed to the entertainment factor 😉 The hair was great too! I am glad we didn't see a wig on Kenneth in act 1, they managed for both him and Sandra to go through very fast and very natural hairstyle changes. Impressive given the short time available for those changes. They even thought about details like the watches Kenneth wears which travel appropriately through time.
It's testament to the great cast and direction that it stays fresh night after night after night. I would say it almost takes more than one viewing to start to appreciate what an intricate and fragile construction it is and the level of attention to detail and precise executive it requires to work the way that it does.
I can't begin to imagine how dialogue that is so messy and natural gets puts together! Not only do they talk over each other like people do, but sometimes people talk and don't listen to each other at all. At least with dialogue, even if broken you have clues to latch onto but if you just speak and other people talk over you it must be even more difficult to land the punchlines! Hats off to absolutely all of them! The word ping pong alone was worth the price of the ticket, after the first time I literally looked forward to the vocal sparing and to the next line!
And while I didn't laugh as much as maybe others in the public the first time round I certainly did the other 3 times and probably more. They are shockingly horrible yes, but also funny because so outrageous. And even Sandra who is almost a caricature of a person has her moments. It's not brutal all the time, there are flashes of all sorts of different feelings, even if only in mood changes on faces between words. Also the way the booze loosens tongues and makes all inhibitions crumble is done gradually and with subtlety.
What also keeps it interesting on repeat viewings are the variety of themes hidden in the play as well as all the things that are left unsaid. On first reading 2 things prevail – they are horrible egoistic parents who have screwed up their kids overlain on the social and generational problems of their times – with compounded effect. But on stage there is so much more. Kenneth and Henry do have some things in common, at least in their relationship to their parents and there is some level of affection or understanding there even through the resentment and rivalry. And you are left wondering what happened through the years between this moment and Henrys death with some loss of connection being obvious (though hard to put down just to stealing a girlfriend).
Then there is Kenneth and Sandra's relationship – their poor quality as parents can distract from the relationship they have with each other. There is obvious chemistry there and there is openness even though with horrible aspects in their discussion of their mutual cheating. They fully understand each other and love each other with flaws and all. It's sad that they are into each other at the exclusion of their children but nevertheless the strength of their bond is really interesting and I have to say on stage, quite charming. There is something to be admired about the brutality with which they tell each other truths and their general commitment to be open with each other. And much to be laughed at when they recognise each other's faults and irresponsibility so accurately but don't see their own. I also find myself wondering who drives their relationship. The obvious answer would be Sandra, but it's not always the case, as we are reminded of in the last act. She's the more vocal one but I don't get a sense of her making all decisions.
There is also the question of why both of them change so little in their lifetime? Yes they have jobs and houses and so on but emotionally, as adults they are equally or even more irresponsible as when they were 19. And whatever limitations society has put on them in their 40 they seem to be all too happy to ditch in their 60 to behave almost like 19 year olds again. I find that as sad as what they do to their own children.
I also found it interesting how prominent the mental health issues the children have are when you watch the staged play in comparison to when you read it. And this is down to mostly direction and acting, not text. But it is one more issue the older generation does not know how to handle and chooses to mostly ignore. And yet, while Kenneth ignores the depth of Jamie's problems there is the other argument he mentions about Jamie being his own man, accepting him the way he is. Surely the solution would be in the middle ground between adequate help and acceptance. But I don't feel like completely rejecting Kenneth's view about the individuality of each person, in this case even if misguided as extreme parenting with his children.
And there is the big unexplained gap between their teenage years ruined by parents and their adulthood. I guess it's why I don't find it that easy to sympathise with Rose especially until the end, 20 years of decisions cannot be down solely to parental influence! Not when parents have obviously been happy to be hands off as soon as they could.
There are also of course the politics of the times, the issues around freedom and career development, of realising your dreams, especially for women, the cost of education and the choices available, the political views and so on. The passion for music and the idea of realising your early dreams and settling for less or trying to recapture the dreams… It certainly leaves you with the feeling that there is so much more to talk about! Not least about whether or not the parents should have bought Rose the house which they could afford and she never can on her income. Yes, she's made poor career choices not just because of her parents, but can her parents simply ignore the lack of any security in her life when they can do something about it? After all he is doing something for Jamie, even if only because it is no bother and effort for him. With Rose it feels like out of sight, out of mind. While I don't agree with her arguments I know that she has no other choice than to ask them for help.
What is interesting and also comes across I think stronger at first viewing is the change in writing between acts 1 and 2 and act 3. Act 3 has those key speeches from Rose , Kenneth and partially also Sandra and they cause some confusion in the audience reactions. People are unsure if to go on laughing because this time the various statements about each other's lives but also society in general are more on the truthful than on the funny side. This time there is no funny come back, or very little of it. I understand why the choice but it makes it more difficult to hit the right mood with the audience I think. Especially as it starts in similar fashion as before with Rose fighting to get her parents to listen to her. It's also the act which I think shifts most in feel from one performance to the next based on both audience reaction but also on stage atmosphere. Sometimes both parents are more outraged at the demands and accusations and sometimes less. I am a bit split about it as I am not sure it works completely. Especially as the end goes back to a similar mood as the previous acts.
There is also only a partial response to Rose's assertions about society and I think it is a pity we don't get a bit more of it. We're left to wonder if these parents, as horrible as they are really are guilty of all the behaviours Rose heaps upon them. I think we are inclined to believe so based on what we've seen so far but I am not entirely convinced.
Lots to think about and I still crave seeing it more time to peel of more layers or turn some questions in my head some more and try and guess some answers from the detail of the acting. Which I will need to come back to in another post as I do want to pick them apart a bit more, especially in light of RA's recent comments that it is all in the text 🙂 I want to have a word about that!
#LLLplay is certainly a very interesting and good play to sink one's teeth in. One which doesn't provide answers to all the questions it raises but I don't think it needs to. It certainly throws the questions out there in a most entertaining way. I guess we're allowed to laugh at their expense because we'll try to avoid at least some of their mistakes 🙂
Labours of love
This is hopefully not a soppy story (though there were some real tears at the end ;-))! But because it really feels like a dream, almost as if it happened to somebody else, I feel the need to capture it for my own memory in years to come.
So, before I get to what people may actually be interested in reading, impressions of the play, acting, etc, I've decided to share with you the journey that took me there last weekend.
The Crucible experience was such an unusual and emotional 'entry' point into a new fandom I always doubted if anything could live up to it. While any material is interesting I think we probably all have our natural preferences towards one medium or another, TV, stage work, audiobooks, etc. (But we all need the lot to actually complete the picture!) For me it is probably live theatre and audiobooks before other things. The why's are probably better left to another times, but it's probably due to emotional immediacy, impact.
So I was really glad the wait for more stage work ended sooner than I expected. What I didn't think about of course is that, unlike TV or film projects where we have a lot of advance warning, theatre projects are almost on the hoof. Well, for me, not him! It's not like I haven't contemplated trips across the pond ever before… I have done it again and again, for Jonas Kaufmann's Siegmund, for his Werther, not for his Tosca but certainly for his Parsifal (which in hindsight I should have thought about harder and definitely done!). Contemplated, calculated and always discarded and that is for things I had considerable more notice about than just 6 months. There always have been the priorities of visiting home twice a year at least, commitments here, tickets to travel and see things elsewhere. Nothing until now was so tempting I literally couldn't resist planning for real or at least trying for it.
But while I was balancing at the edge looking down I didn't consider friendly shoves which really got the ball rolling (jholland ;-)). Friends enveloped me in their generous ticketing plans even though I couldn't even commit to being able to come! I had initially thought that I'll figure out if I can even afford a flight at all before I would start buying tickets J But of course that's not how ticket sales work. Regardless of anything else I knew my only chance was to push the potential date as far out as I could to give myself a chance to gather the budget for it.
Thus began a journey of more than anything else wishful thinking and dreaming and taking small steps towards a goal that to me seemed as impossible as going to the moon…
Some priorities cannot be ignored and I had to sort out this year's Christmas trip first before I began any planning for a trip across the Atlantic.
And then in the midst of trying to plot my milestones on the path to possibilities… Brexit happened!
And it would turn out to be more than just a complication. One of the many requirements for my trip was obtaining a visa. This meant not just extensive paperwork, but also in person interviews at authorities. Which would require me to have a passport to go along to these things and get a visa on…
But, I'd suddenly become a EU citizen in a country wanting to leave the EU. Where nothing was guaranteed anymore, where my status, work contracts, my very daily life would depend on likely changes in law and the whims of governments who suddenly didn't care how long you had been a tax paying and working person here.
So once again any plans for fun had to take a significant back seat to real life. And instead of thinking visas and trips I had to think legal status, residency, permanency or looking at potentially packing my bags. Since after initial panic and doubts packing bags was not the option for me I had to knuckle down to the serious business of exploring law, legal avenues of residency, steps it requires, paperwork, fees etc. My life is here now and it sort of becomes clearest when most in question I guess. You end up looking at your life and making decisions you didn't think you'd have to make. I've always before thought in terms of opportunities, things I would like to do, thinks I can do, thinks certain work would allow me to do, steps forward if you will. Suddenly it all became literally about survival, securing the roof over my head and most importantly my job, which had only 2 months before been totally unsure. It has been the most unsettling of years to have to deal with likely redundancy and when that was barely resolved to how your whole life thrown in the air.
I therefore can't put down not taking any holidays to a master-plan around a trip. Truth is there is just not enough time or budget around trips home for holidays worth they name. The trip to Scotland 2 years ago being my small 10 day rebellion against this trend J But with all this anxiety going on, holiday dreams were parked away. 'THE' trip wouldn't count as one as even when I first looked at it I knew the maximum I would be able to do if at all would be a very short weekend.
So summer passed wading through the murky waters of bureaucracy while being constantly freaked out by the news which only promised more uncertainty. The increased workload at work since the job reshuffle also meant I complained much less about the 'save for THE trip' measures 😉 I usually work all summer with no breaks – fits in well with the holidays of my colleagues with kids – and spend evenings going to the Proms concerts at the Royal Albert Hall or the occasional weekend day get away trip to opera at Glyndebourne outside Lewes.
This summer there was only 1 concert with Rossini's Semiramide at the very end of the Proms because I really desperately craved good music. And nothing else, no eating out escapades either which are also easier to cut if you don't go out to performances in the first place.
Work trips away from London also helped keep me from temptations J
But, at the end of August there was finally the most important step in making 'THE trip' possible. I booked a flight! Except, excited as I was, I booked two flights since the agency website had a major hick up and didn't give me the confirmation the first time round. It took them 2 weeks to refund me for the error and they charged a shameless fee for doing it! GR!! That could have been ticket money. Or funds for any of the other pots screaming to be filled J
Not only that, but while doing research on all the options and prices I watched preferred routes/times disappear beyond the limits of affordability and was forced to hurry booking and choose options which would only bring me in time for performance if there was absolutely no flight delay, no snow, no fog, no excessive traffic even. And that not only on the way there, but also on the way back where I would have to leg it from theatre to airport, quite literally. All that at a time when the duration of the play was not yet confirmed and I was praying to all theatre God the performance would come in at under 3h. Yes, I agree with all of you that smells of crazy! I have actually done stuff like that before: from airport to theatre and then sometimes even back to airport/train station and even at a running pace… BUT not across the ocean. I was treating L-NY like L-Wien or worse L-Paris, conscious that it would very likely be nothing like that. Worst case scenario – I would miss out on performances either on the way in or on the way out, or OMG both L (And guess what the single point and purpose of a crazy weekend trip across miles of water was after all?! The dream about a week in Ny to explore its attractions had long since been canned).
By September I had finally gotten my residency paperwork together, filled out, nicely organised and sent it off. At which point it dawned me that I had a major problem. My passport, needed for the Visa, needed for 'THE trip' was also needed at the Home Office for residency procedures… Ooops.
Then a few weeks later HO advised they had received the stuff and it would take… 6 months. OOOOPS!! Ok, understandable – mountains to process from all those like me, feeling the same anxiety and not wanting to move away 😉 Fair enough. But in terms of 'THE trip' maaaaajor OOOOPPPSSS!!!
I knew I had to get down to scheduling the in person interview because slots go fast and you need to get yours in their diary at least 1 month in advance before the date it will happen. So in October I filled in that lot of paperwork, which turned out to be 80% as extensive as the one I had just done and sent it online and with the confirmation uploaded required photos and finally scheduled an interview early in November.
The calendar became my ticking clock!
But hang on… all there was for 'THE trip' was a flight!!!! So, erring on the side of optimism in a climate of generalised anxiety I extended grubby hands to hold on to the tickets so generously offered to me!! And finally put the money where my mouth was wagging 😉 Preciouusssssss…miiiiiinnneeeee. And also eagerly accepted the even more generous offer of hotel room sharing! I call you lovely person – my enabler J :-*** You made me both crazier and provided the life line and the silver lining to the year that was all but nice.
September – for those who don't live their year like some of my tickets&shows –obsessed friends and me by the 'booking' rounds rather than the 4 seasons – is the time when all venues (operas, concert venues especially but also theatres) go into booking for the next 4-6 months and sometimes beyond. It was Winter bookings at ROH, Spring bookings at the Wigmore and so on. My yearly ROH membership also expired. And nothing got renewed, nothing new got booked. For the first time in literally years my always at 20+ upcoming performances in my ROH (includes ballet) scheduled started dwindling. And make no mistake they do remind you and call you (like on the telephone) when you don't book. Same happened in the December booking round and I am now down to 2 remaining tickets until May 2017. Well, the tickets end in Jan 2017… the bookings covered all the way to May 2017. And in the case of the Wigmore, all the rest of the season to summer 2017.
This may sounds like a lot but I had to be. I book very early because I book the cheapest tickets. Years of practice 😉 and trying out have optimised where I sit in the houses so I can go more often and pay as little as possible. We're talking 6-18 for ballet and opera J Or 10-25 or such for theatre.
Thanks to local theatres still running day-ticket schemes we were still able to go along and see Kenneth Branagh in the Entertainer for £15 in front row, Platanov at the National for £15 in day tickets and the Red Barn with Mark Strong at the National for £10 J A very satisfying result of much more careful and more seldom eating out. Work overload also encouraged some returning of existing opera tickets (from bookings in spring).
So I decided to go crazy and buy those additional theatre tickets for 'THE trip'. The ones I would likely not make or have to leave early. So I thought: let's hope there are still some left and let's get cheap one given the risk. Right. Cheap ones? 1 price for all. Ok…. Oh, what the hell since it is all in or nothing, let's be crazy…-er. So, now I had filled every waking moment with a ticket: arrival later afternoon +play, get up jet lagged likely and play ..x2, sleep v little, get up pack+play – run to airport. Makes perfect sense.
Except excitement hit again (and no, I have never ever in my entire life booked a flight twice before and also not ever in years of bookings and hundreds of tickets purchased made this mistake before): instead of Friday and Sunday since Saturday was sorted I booked Friday+Saturday… and took 2 weeks to realise my mistake! Non-refundable tickets- great! Email, explain, look like a numpty – ask politely for change? Told to call, figure out international call, pay yet more booking fees but finally able to exchange wrong Saturday for correct Sunday ticket. Phew, all done.
WAIT. Not quite… minor detail. Upcoming interview for visa at embassy. And no passport. Yes, NO PASSPORT! Home Office had not been heard of again and neither had they responded to my begging letter attached to the paperwork to please return my passport as soon as possible.
(There was also the slowly approaching Christmas trip to my parents whose only child I am and who would not be please to not see me if I wasn't able to fly due to lack of passport).
My lovely enabler also surprisingly helped with my impeding panic attack by asking the question which had not even occurred to me: can you ask documents back formally? I just assumed I couldn't as the proceedings were of significance and should take precedence over other fun plans. Turns out we found a way (un-helpfully not described or linked where you make your application, hmpf!).
But the visa interview was nevertheless approaching so, before I processed the request of document return, I decided to push it out a bit while I still could to give the passport an extra chance to make it back to me. So I figured – flight on the 2nd, interview on the 29th (which was the only later date available) should be ok, 2 days in between. Good thinking you say. Well…. You'll see.
Document return request sent off and lo and behold Home Office kindly delivers like clockwork! 2 Days before my initial interview date passport arrives! We are talking 20 November now, 'THE trip' is in 10 days. Imagine me looking at the calendar each day before passport came… growing white by the second!
Since it is here I finally announce to all my friends at a delayed birthday dinner I am going! And also try to pull back said interview to it's original date. But while one can delay pulling forward seems to not be an option.
I also managed to catch the 'office cold' in the last few days and was trying to manage that as best as I could and it seemed to be mostly in control, thankfully.
It's now the morning of the 29th of November. And I am still keeping the suspense going for my lovely enabler because in theory without a visa everything can go to pots. I assume – wrongly – this is a 1 on 1 interview and I'll be out of there waltzing away with a visa in 30 min. Not so much.
4 Hours later world end happens. After all proceedings and 2 interviews at the end of the interview when I am told my visa is granted I innocently ask if I can pick up my passport the morning after? An the very polite officer says that would be impossible! They have to proceed to further standard security checks which take and average of 7 days. 7 days. 7 DAYS!!!!! But.. my flight is this Friday morning… in 2 days!!! She looks at the details but shakes her head and said : it's impossible. I'll try to put a note on the file but it needs to go through the process. She asked me if I still wanted the visa and I said yes although at this stage I was in a trance.
I am really lucky I didn't get run over by a bus or a car on my way back to the office that day. It felt as if it was happening to somebody else. Thankfully by a lucky coincidence our own Guylty was in town with work that night so I got to unload some of the frustration on poor Guylty! And we had some relaxing fun J And found a way to solve my main worry: that the tickets would be unused and those seats would be empty in the theatre! I really didn't want that and I wished for people to be able to use them and enjoy them. And thus 3 more enablers joined the party (lovely Daphne, nycpat and armitagebesotted)! Over the next day the 6 of us figured out together the best way to distribute the tickets among those who would definitely be there so that at least some fun would come out of the whole mess.
To make things even funnier the next day I had a long meeting in the office with one Mr.. Armitage! (I could not make this up!) And my email was full of reminders from the Roundabout about upcoming performances and the RA also send me emails that day! (Royal Academy but it's RA on the emails).
Thursday luchtime (2 days later), in a quick breather from the monthly reporting I wished everyone fun over the weekend and confirmed that it was a no go as I had had no new at all and as suspected checks had taken as long as they said they would.
Thursday 3pm – I get an email notification from the embassy saying the passport had been released to the delivery firm!!!! The pick up office is on the other side of London from my work and they close at 5pm! And I had not finished the monthly reporting! In fact, we had an unusual number of errors and problems with the files so we were much delayed! I did my utmost to not think about the f***g passport and work, work, work and 4.10pm I managed to email the file and 4.15pm I was running out of the office to the tube leaving word that I might be back in work tomorrow morning but a very grumpy me or I might not be in at all as per my holiday request long approved.
Thursday 4.55pm I run out of breath into the delivery office and the nice man looks at my pick up number and says: oh, it is not on our system yet, we don't have it. Sometimes they send the notifications early. I have to be honest and say I hadn't actually raised my hopes at this point because I just didn't believe it could happen anymore. I explained to him I had gotten the email and the flight was tomorrow but I guess I just had bad luck. An then he says: oh, when is your flight tomorrow??? Me: 11am. He: oh well, it is still possible! Me: what? No, just forget it I understand it is not going to happen now. He: well, people are in the office from 7,30am so you could come in early and see if it is in the morning delivery and figure out if you can make it to airport. You could try , he says, I recon you have a good chance.
I just got back on tube and came across London and got home and just sat here on the sofa for about 1h not knowing what the hell to do. All advice says for US flights be there 3h in advance.. Just so that I don't say I haven't looked I check TFL to find out what public transport takes.. 50 min with like 3 tubes and 1 train. Hm.. I end up calling a taxi company I use and ask them how long it would take from the City all the way to Heathrow. They say usually less than 1h but 1 h if traffic bad (you think? 8am in London through town center…).
I'm unpacked, un-prepared, exhausted and just numb. It's around 8pm. What to do? I lean on the people whom I've dragged into this misery, my enables. I email the gang and relate the happenings and my dilemma. Everyone jumps up and tells me to throw my knickers in a suitcase and get my backside to the delivery office first thing in the morning! And they say what I couldn't even think of anymore: that I would always wonder if it could have been but I wasn't there to pick the darn passport up! So I finally get into gear and start running round the place like a mad women, finding the print outs of tickets, checking in for the flight, throwing clothes in a suitcase, finding my travel sickness tablets, looking for the passport to put in handbag.. oh wait, right, I don't have THAT Continue packing, get showered and finally 1am decide to figure out how I would get myself from JFK to hotel should I happen to fly! Oh and book a taxi from that delivery office before 8am to take me to airport. And then go to bed.
7,30 next morning after some sleep and standing on one leg in packed tube to City. Walk into the delivery office only to be told they haven't scanned the passports in yet, need to wait for them to be done, likely 8am. 15 min later my taxi arrives and I have to explain to the driver he has to wait because I don't actually know where I am going that morning.
7.55am 2nd December 2016 – Man says: here it is! It was the first one! I grab it and start running to the further way parked taxi saying: Heathrow T3, we're going! Now!!!
Needless to say I spent the 1h trip to airport constantly putting passport in handbag and taking ot back out and gaping at the visa and repeating that in between texting everyone and emailing everyone like mad (though none could read it in the middle of the night in US!!!). Telling my London friends that after all and last minute I was running towards a flight and my US lovely room mate that she would be sharing after all!
Made it leisurely through airport and security, on flight and arrived some 8 h later at JFK… sick as a dog!!!!!
But that's the next chapter of 'THE trip' J
Much love to all you 6 people who kept me sane and had a high contribution in actually dragging me across the pond when I had effectively given up! And also thanks to both Home Office and US embassy who were both nearly the death of me but also saved the day when it mattered!
I don't regret a thing and although maybe I would change things I stand by every decision I made and which brought me here, well, there J It was all possible out of love J Love of theatre which moved me to a point where I wanted to go, love from friends who helped make it possible and lent so much support, love that's been going strong for 2 years and which made me think the impossible could be possible and which made me wish for something wonderful in an absolutely shitty year until recently. Love which inspires dreams and wishes and which reminds me that we need these in our lives where we deal with reality. We need the little bit of crazy and love to reminds us of the things that make us very happy.
Opera rehearsal- from rehearsal room to opening night
Thinking a lot about rehearsals these days and how people slip into other character's lives and emotions i remembered i saw this amazing documentary:
This gives a little insight into what it takes to create a role for the Royal Opera House stage. Soprano Elizabeth Watts was absolutely gorgeous as Zerlina by the way 🙂
I remember watching this for the first time and crying for most of it because it found it so touching to see how hard and emotionally demanding the process actually is (even for somebody who is an absolutely fabulous singer!)
Let's ❤ #Shakespeare400
The coming weekend is the big anniversary of Shakespeare's death 400 years ago.
For those abroad, there will be special online content here (available internationally):
There is a full schedule with timings, all GMT London time that is:
Richard II – David Tennant – free online on demand (international as well)
Update! the Richard II will be streamed at the BBC site linked above, the site only goes live on the 23rd (they have tested it already but check back on the 23rd). As per the site, the Richard II will be available on the site from 10.30pm (BST) on 23rd April 2016.
Among other videos and documentaries from the British Council, the BFI, The RSC, the Globe and the Hay festival the full Richard II play from the RSC with David Tennant will be available for free.
There are also unique insights into playing Shakespeare from Ian McKellen and specifically on Hamlet from Simon Russell Beale and Adrian Lester.
The Royal Opera House makes a contribution on ballet and opera inspired by Shakespeare.
TV & cinemas
The RSC and the BBC have put on a special party in Stratford, which will be broadcast on TV but also live in cinemas around the country and soon also internationally; worth keeping an eye out for this ( Sat, 23rd April 2016, 8,30pm GMT)
Shakespeare Live! From the RSC
'From the stage of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, hosts David Tennant and Catherine Tate are joined by Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Dame Helen Mirren, Meera Syal, David Suchet, Rufus Wainwright, Tim Minchin, Gregory Porter, Joseph Fiennes, English National Opera, The Royal Ballet and Akala for a very special evening.
Together they mark the life and work of William Shakespeare on the 400th anniversary of the playwright's death. This unique event takes place in the presence of their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and celebrates Shakespeare's extraordinary legacy and his enduring influence on all performance art forms – from opera to jazz, dance to musicals.'
Also on TV …
All manner of special shows, like a Countryfile with Judi Dench dedicated to Shakespeare landscapes.
Re-runs of the Hollow Crown part I (adaptations of Shakespeare's history plays Richard II, Henry IV parts 1 & 2, and Henry V) starting with Monday, the 25th of April 11pm on BBC4:
Followed next day, same time, BBC4 by Henry IV parts I and Wednesday part II, with Jeremy Irons:
and lastly, Thursday Henry V with Tom Hiddleston:
London & online later
Shakespeare's Globe – The Complete Walk
This is a series of 37 videos made for the celebration, each dedicated to a play which will be screen outside on buildings along the Thames during the weekend and will likely be available online after.
Check the Globe Player and the related iPhone app for further details on the videos (i assume shortly they will share the information online as well)
All Shakespeare400 events this year
For a round up of most events around the celebration check this website
So what am i doing?
- watching the Winter's Tale ballet at the Royal Opera House twice this week
- recording the ShakespeareLive! show from Stratford;
- recording the Countryfile with Judi Dench on Shakespeare
- recording the re-run of the Hollow Crown part I
- weather permitting spending the afternoon on the 23rd of April finding some of my favourite Shakespeare bits around The Complete Walk;
- evening on the 23rd http://www.lpo.org.uk/whats-on-and-tickets/4372-shakespeare400-anniversary-gala-concert.html
- 24th one of my favourite plays – Macbeth with one of my favourite actors – James McAvoy (finally! after thinking i missed out on this 🙂 )
Too much? Not really, not for me at least. The more is see and hear Shakespeare, the more i love him 🙂

subset: commoncrawl


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I have never been comfortable with the way I look, I've always been to fat, too spotty, too big in the nose department, too small in the lip department… if it wasn't one thing it was another. I could never, ever be happy.
I used to think if I lost a stone I would be happy, then I lost a stone and I realised that I still wanted to lose another.
But then I found someone who makes me feel truly beautiful, and no, I am not talking about my boyfriend (although he tells me I'm beautiful all the time).
Jesus showed me my true value, my true beauty. Songs of Solomon is a book in the Bible which depicts a bride and a groom, but also God and His people. Song of Solomon 4:7 says "You are altogether beautiful, my love, there is no flaw in you." and this is what I believe God says to us. There is no blueprint in the Bible about how we are supposed to look, what dress size we are supposed to be or a perfect length for our eyelashes and I think this is because God is not interested in this concept of worldly beauty.
The world sells us this image of beauty, the perfectly slim but curvaceous, tall, woman with a clear complexion and perfectly symmetrical facial features, but this isn't reality. I'm not saying that woman isn't beautiful, she is, but no more so than any of the rest of us. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2 "Do not conform to the image of this world" and buying in to this warped idea of beauty is doing exactly that…
Of course, be healthy; exercise and diet are a key part of taking care of the temple! But I am trying to shake myself free of my fixation on losing weight & being pretty… I love chocolate and I'm not about to give that up for anything!
This is something that I struggle with constantly and have done for most of my life BUT I am determined to see myself how God sees me. The Bible tells us that "man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 and from now on I hope to focus on making my heart more beautiful, not my outer self.
Whether we are fat, thin, chubby, tall, short, brunette, blonde, black, white, or anything else.. we are women and we are BEAUTIFUL! (And men, you are lovely too.)


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See how Toyota vehicles compare against the competition. Start by choosing your Toyota vehicle and a competitor to learn more on how they stack up.
Your weekends aren't average, and Tacoma is no average truck. Built from the same tough stuff that's made Toyota trucks legendary, the refreshed 2020 Toyota Tacoma brings more tech, more capability and more confidence to your outdoor adventures. Its available new tech includes panoramic view monitor (PVM),5 Multi-terrain Monitor (MTM)6 and the smart compatibility of Apple CarPlay,®8 Android AutoTM9 and Amazon Alexa.10 Best of all, it comes in a package designed to get you to the campsite — and back — without breaking a sweat. So gear up, get in and get ready to start your next epic adventure.
See how the 2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab compares against the 2020 Ford Ranger Lariat 4x4 SuperCrew. For convenience, the Tacoma TRD Pro comes standard with a number of features like a trip computer, a multi-function steering wheel and power sliding rear window that are not available for the Ranger Lariat. The Tacoma TRD Pro also has a horsepower of 278 whereas the Ranger Lariat has a horsepower of 270.


text: #3 Mitsubishi EclipseWith all of the amazing scenes in Fast and Furious we had to dwindle them down to the top five GIFs. Tons of crazy car wrecks, and races that they even needed extra auto insurance on set to complete the movie. Word is the car insurance bill was a large portion of the total movie budget. Tons of car crashes, and car parts were purchased to make the movie amazing. More Car Insurance GIFs From Fast and Furious on the next pages.


text: A woman representing the estate of her veteran husband filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the United States after her husband died from treatment at the Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Ralph Keogh, who had previously been treated for acute myelogenous leukemia, went to the VA hospital on January 22, 2017 for nausea and vomiting. The lawsuit alleges that the Dorm VA medical staff administered multiple doses of a medication called Pegfilgrastim, instead of the medication that was actually prescribed to him with a similar name-Filgrastim.


text: Join Sarah, Scott, Shaine and Bill LIVE from the studio as they discuss Sarah's odd love of pink-eye, Fuck Chutney, M vs. Female sexual weirdness, the Taco Johns "gaytard" scandal, more troubles during rap shows at Bigs Bar, the terrible Tracy Morgan auto accident, shitheads that threaten to "cull" their Facebook friends list, first tattoo experiences, strip club adventures and Sarah hoping that Scott's dog will die on their impending drive to VA from SD. It's a freeform doozy. Listen LIVE every Sunday at 5pm(cst) at www.andmightiadd.com and email us at firstname.lastname@example.com and call us at 605.610.3070 to get in on the conversation. Check out our YouTube page and our BLOG for more fun from the show Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or Stitcher


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Interviews with Ron Moore are almost becoming a regular part of SciFi Friday. This week I have some excerpts from an interview conducted by Harlan Ellison:
Ellison: The parallels to current events are obvious; in particular, I think that the analogies to the Iraqi War are very clear. Did the parallels come from you or from some Sci-Fi [Channel] exec?
Moore: Fundamentally, they came from me. I felt, in that first week of thinking about it, that, okay, this is going to deal with 9-11 and a lot of the things we were going through as a society at that moment. It was just part of the premise. It was always going to be in the show, and once we were on that path, it just felt like we were going to keep doing this and we're going to deal with things that are happening in our contemporary reality, but we were going to view them through a different prism.
The show was never going to be a direct allegory; Laura Roslin was not going to be George W. Bush, and the Cylons were not going to be al-Qaeda. But they were going to share elements. And part of the opportunity of doing a show like this was the opportunity to sort of move the pieces around the game board a little bit and say: "Well, we've all experienced this set of events. What if I move this piece over here, and put you over there? How would you feel about it then?"
There was a Sci-Fi [Channel] exec that had a key impact on the show, surprisingly enough. His name is Michael Jackson (no relation to the singer.) He worked for the network, and while I was working on the script for the miniseries, he read a line from Number Six, the blonde Cylon played by Tricia Helfer. She had a conversation with Baltar, and at one point she says, "God is love." It was just something that I found on the page as I was writing it. And I wrote, and I was struck by it because it's an odd thing for a robot to say. I liked it, but didn't really know what it meant, and it wasn't a focal point of the script.
But when Michael read the script, one of his notes was: "That's fascinating. You already have elements of al-Qaeda and religious fanaticism hovering around the edges of what you're doing. Why don't you embrace that and go for that element because they don't typically do that in Sci-Fi." And my first reaction was: "Oh my God! Nobody ever gives you that kind of note, especially not an executive."
So I just ran with it, and it became one of foundational elements of the show: the religious conflict between the two civilizations; the monotheism of the Cylons and the polytheism of the Colonials; what is God, what is human, and what does it mean to be alive. All of these metaphysical ideas and religious concepts sort of groove from that one line in the teleplay.
Ellison: My next question is about religion. The Cylons are the monotheists; they believe in God and are good Christian folk. And the crew, who are our heroes, are polytheists like the ancient Egyptians or Greeks. It was always interesting, but until recently there was never a third element; now the venue has changed and there's a supernatural quality. A spiritual force is at work. Can you codify that?
Moore: I sort of felt that as the religious aspects of the show were becoming more common and started to dominate plot lines and certain character attributes, you sort of had to make a choice at some level about whether that was all bullshit or not. Does it mean something? Is all this worship just about talk and about made up religions that don't mean anything? Or is there the possibility of something greater? These are the existential questions. Is this all that I am? Is there something more? Why am I here?
If all the characters on the show are asking themselves those questions, I felt that on some level I wanted to give a hint that maybe they're not all fools. That maybe there's some greater truth that they're all struggling toward, that none of them can see perfectly. So I started to feather in ideas that could not be explained by rational means. While never really coming out and saying that God is behind the curtain, I wanted to have elements of it.
One of the things that I had noticed working on Star Trek, and in science fiction in general, was that mainstream science fiction tended to shy away from this as a subject. Gene Roddenberry felt very strongly that in the future of Star Trek, religions were all gone; that in 300 to 400 years mankind had evolved beyond it; that religions were all superstitions and were things of the past. It was a very secular humanist idea, which I don't have a problem with philosophically, but I didn't believe as a storyteller that in just a few centuries we would discard this fundamental thing that had informed our societies for so long.
So, I just felt that in this world in Galactica, which had nomenclature like Apollo and Athena and all these names of the Greek gods, it beggared the imagination to say that they didn't really believe in it. And if they did believe it in, I wanted to give it some validity and show that there is something out there.
Variety reports that Battlestar Galactica executive producer David Eick is wroking on Them, an SF alien-invasion series for Fox Apparently if Fox News has been unsuccessful in leadilng the Republican invasion of Earth, their entertainment division will turn to a fictional invasion.The Spider-Man 3 trailer is available here. If you prefer DC to Marvel, the sequel to Superman Returns is expected for 2009.
By now most Lost fans are aware that they have to wait until next year for the season to pick up again and find out how the cliff hanger is resolved. Will Jack really ignore the Hippocratic Oath and allow Ben to die? Will his gamble work and allow all three of those captured by the others to escape? Fans of Jericho are about to be faced with a similar cliff hanger. The first half of Jericho's season will end November 29 with a cliffhanger, to be continued February 14. One good thing about this plan, for someone such as myself who hasn't watched yet, is that this gives me time to watch the season to date on line and then follow when it returns. Having ways to catch missed shows is an excellent idea. The networks are learning that they must make some changes in how they present shows if they are to reduce their declining viewership.


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- This event has passed.
December 26, 2018 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
What do you find most refreshing? A cold drink on a hot day? An afternoon nap? Listening to praise and worship music? Hanging out with friends?- This group meets bi-weekly and rotates homes or various restaurants. We will be starting a new study in the fall titled "Fearless" by Max Lucado. The group also focuses on community volunteer work and does day trips to Christian concerts. They also organize the Trunk or Treat and help with the Christmas Stocking party as well as the community BASH.


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Banana Slip, Double Dip
Season 7 • Episode 3
It's double the trouble as Adam & Jamie take on not one but two classic comedy myths, the banana peel slip and the germy "double dipping". Meanwhile Kari, Grant, and Tory try to make homemade diamonds and get the biggest bang in MythBuster history.
43 min|TV-PG|Premiered 04/23/2009


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Kostas Murkudis is one of those slightly forgotten designers, after having a peak time in late '90s, working as a main assistant at Helmut Lang, and running his own label, have taken more settled down path of Artisanal smaller scale work. We truly adore his language, very refined, deconstructed aesthetic. This spectacular blazer was produced in highly limited amount, mostly sold at his brother's store in Berlin, and few retailers in Japan. Characterized by smooth, organic lines, beautiful finishing hidden in smallest details, note the cuffs with removed buttons, or oval shaped stitching around front pockets. The piece reminds us of tuxedo jacket introduced by Margiela for his spring/summer 2002 collection, shown on the pictures.
Size IT46/S, can also fit size IT48/M.
Made in Italy. Excellent condition.


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Anne Lind does INCREDIBLE watercolor work!
Well there is going to be a birthday celebration. That means Georgie Boy is coming over to visit. For those of you who don't know anything about Georgie, I think I will let his face speak for itself:
Ha! Georgie Boy sure makes some funny faces. That's why we call him funnyface. He can also be quite charming when he wants to be:
Happy Mothers Day to all baby mamas out there. Kaos stopped over to see her mother. Bassets are thoughful like that:
We always celebrate birthdays together for both Kaos and Venus at the same time. Kaos is looking good, and ready for her birthday:
And Kaos, you know there will be cake, right?
I just noticed there were nothing but trucks and talks of Tenderloin Crusades on the front page of the BassetLounge. We had better do something about that.
Venus has a birthday celebration coming up. How does that make you feel Venus?
You can't tell this right now but I am doing jazz hands for this photo.


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Shari Kellogg | Overton Properties Inc | Birmingham, AL
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(205) 985-7116
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Saturday Evening Re-Post
Just pulling some randomness from past posts...
maybe even some new ones…hope you enjoy the ride!
A New Beckyism (My eight yr-old daughter) Today in church the pastor was talking about discipline and he asked the kids a question.
Pastor Tim: "Kids, do your parents talk about discipline at home?
What words do they use?
Becky: (very loud) "Banishment"
Now we are are not talking about sending our children out in the wilderness to suffer but let's say for example, that when they lose playing video game rights (because of poor behavior)…then they are "banished". Of course my older kids starting yelling out things like floggings, mind control…I'll get them later.
My theory about what makes a good movie involves…chickens.
Every good movie has a chicken in it, mentions chickens or (in the case of Sci-Fi) has some creature that resembles a chicken. Really bad movies will try to fool you into believing that you're watching a good movie by randomly throwing a chicken in. However, the attempt is usually lame and obvious.
Now that you know the secret, you'll never look at films the same way again. Watch for the chicken…it's worth it.
If I meet you in person and we become friends, I will probably call you bro', dude or studhead…provided you're a male that is. Actually, I've moved on…now I don't even have to meet you in person for you to get that honor!
I once traveled in a Christian Band called Charismata…can you find me? Win a valuable prize…well, no prizes but you'll feel really important if you do!


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Book Fair
The book fair is several weeks away but things are already in the works. We have some really great ideas on how to turn this book fair into the best book fair ever. The theme is medieval with Sir Readalot's Castle, The Kingdom of Reading. We are changing that a bit to Once Upon A Story where "Readlot" is the Castle and it is the Home of King Author. We will have many students and staff playing different roles from Kings, Queens, Court Jesters, Knights and hopefully a visit from Merlin the Magician. Designs are starting to be created. The book fair is December 4-12. We will have a family night with Knights and Ogres and possibly some live animals! You will want to put that date on your calendar just to see who "visits" our fair!
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Kathy Travis
April 2020


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Our company started as a concept and has developed into an established agency in the Chicagoland market. This concept has transformed into a thriving business through hard work, strong relationships and exponential growth. We strategically rebranded ourselves to better reflect our product offering from Telser Lighting Associates to Vertical Lighting + Controls.
Vertical Lighting + Controls is a leading agency in the LED Lighting industry. With our many years of experience, we are able to offer a strategic competitive advantage to our customers. It is through our industry solution specialists that we continue to deliver market leading, cost-saving solutions that fit each of our customers unique goals and objectives.


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8 Listening for Silence: Notes on the Aural Life
Mark Slouka
Mark Slouka (b. 1958), the son of Czech immigrants, is currently the director of the writing program at the University of Chicago and author of such books as War of the Worlds: Cyberspace and the High-Tech Assault on Reality and God's Fool, named a Best Book of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle.
In this essay, Mark Slouka expounds upon the state of chaos with which our modern ears have to contend. Like R. Murray Schafer, Slouka says that modern life has become so complicated with the advent of cell phones, laptops, portable gaming devices, and other noise polluting devices and actions, that silence has become a highly marketable commodity that we desire. He states, "Money buys space, and space buys silence; decibels and dollars are inversely proportional." This can be seen, as Slouka points out, on any "upscale travel magazine."
Ironically, however, he likens the concept of complete silence to death. He also states that, by barely less of a severe degree, silence is like complete submission in a totalitarian state. In other words, we crave the silence and its associated relaxation, yet it is also a source of incomprehensible fear. I tend to agree with Slouka on this matter. It is an interesting conundrum that one of the things we want most can also be the source of such extreme anxiety. To put it crudely, as Slouka does so often, would it be better to sit in your poorly insulated apartment home and listen to every intimate moment that your neighbors engage in, or to be thrown into compete censorship by your government? Another issue that the former situation brings up is the concept of noise pollution: What do you do to drown out your neighbors' sex sounds? You blast the volume on your TV or stereo. Therein lies the aural problem of the new millennium: A competition of noises that, according to some, could lead to the entire population's total deafness, as far fetched as that might be.


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If you are the editor and publisher of a magazine for successful women, like me, you work a lot with boldface types.
Nowadays, in many publications (both print and online), we see boldface types used to highlight other kinds of information, including the names of those who, as an example, attend a social event or nonprofit fundraiser. It's done so frequently; many of these folks are often referred to as Boldface Types (celebrities).
Previous Columns
Question and Answers
Orange and Pink
Pleasure of Your Company
Labor Days
Choices and Change
Do Overs and Second Chances
Uncommon Courtesy
Vision Boards
Taking a Sabbatical
Still Learning
Crazy Eight
Making Merry
Ghosts and Goblins
Dog Days of Summer
Bones of Success
Summer Reading
The Power of Seven
Spirits of the Season
Making Magic
Role Models
What can I do to help you?
Back to the Future
Women and Philanthropy
Harvest Time
Tiny Little Efforts
Beyond the Passion
Turning Five
Election of 2008
Lessons from IKE
Play Dates
No time for fooling around
Turning Four
For love or money?
Don't worry; be happy
Gratitude Journals
Work and Life
Hot Topics
Red-hot and true-blue
Mothers and Manners
Fearless Females
Rodeo Time
Passions of the Heart
Endings and Beginnings
Class Reunions
Holding on to Summer
Defining Moments
Giving thanks & paying it forward
Renewing Old Friendships
Summertime! And the livin' is easy?
Turning One
A different kind of wonderful
Gratitude & Grace