Creative Starvation; Woe is me!

Well, you can probably guess from the title where this one is going.

I have reached something of an irritating temporary hiatus in my play writing escapades. Which, frankly, isn't saying much, as I have only been escapading these past not-even-two weeks, so I have disappointed myself. I seem to have hit something of a wall. I shall ramble some thoughts out into this post and see if it makes things any easier for myself. Perhaps removing some of the thoughts will allow my brain to function more clearly? I'm sure that's how Dumbledore uses the big bowl of swishy thoughts he keeps in a cupboard in his office that Harry Potter falls into...

 I started in the middle you see; I'm writing about a magician, so, logically, I started with the magic show. Apparently its advisable to start wherever you fancy, so that's ok. Then, going backwards chronologically, I wrote the scene where local children are given tickets to the magic show, by said magician. Then, defying sense, I decided to write the opening scene, so I did, and the opening scene decided it would end with three parallel monologues, which were exhausting to write. I'm trying to keep the whole play down to four actors (three men and one woman)and this involves a good deal of doubling between parts, but the monologues were for what I consider to be the 'primary' characters each actor would be playing, and so were important in terms of back history and character development. I found it strangely difficult to try and 'get inside the heads of' three different characters in such a short space of time, and found I was naturally inclined towards the female character, which is interesting. I wonder if this is through an inseparable curiosity as an actor about playing the (as yet unwritten) part. I also found that persuading the three monologues in question to mirror each other was strangely satisfying, though I had no idea why I was doing it. Is that a good reason for doing something? A lecturer earlier this year said that as long as you have a reason for doing something, you can do it, and I suppose this reason would be symmetrical pleasure. I also have found it interesting the speed at which different bits of writing progress - with the aforementioned monologues, it took the best part of two whole days to get two pages done, but with a dialogue scene between three smaller characters, half an hour put four pages on paper.

The problem I seem to be facing now is a sort of brick wall affair every time I try and sit down to write. I have written out in detail everything that will happen in the first half of the play, at least, so that the scenes I have written will have a framework to fall into, but my brain seems unwilling to cooperate all of a sudden. It also seems daunted by the prospect of the end of the play; I know how the play ends and it is how the play must end, but the second half of the play remains entirely untouched, not a single word written down yet. All of this, and a mere nine days left to go until 'First Draft' hand in. Back to York tomorrow, to spend my Sunday in a dark corner of the library.

Ah, woe is me...

Shakespeare's Sister

I have decided that the fitting return to blogging for me is definitely an exploration of my Dissertation this year - that is, the somewhat self-imposed task to write a whole play. It sounds like fun, and to an extent it is, but I think recording the experience as I go along, for posterity, and because I have the terrible ability to forget important details of things, is the way forwards. The title of my chosen MA is 'Theatre: Writing,Directing,and Performance' - my sole aim when I started the course was to get more experience in Directing, and so naturally one would be led to assume that when presented with the option choices for Dissertation - which were, er, Writing, Directing, or Performance... - I should have gone with the Directing option. However, it's been a tough old year in the Oliver household, and frankly, the course wasn't quite what I wanted in terms of support and camaraderie, so I opted for something which would allow more freedom and let me work on my own - writing a play. The course gave us some limited experience of play writing, in the first term - we were set plays to read every week, then discussed these in seminars, before being given small writing tasks, culminating writing in a half-hour play. Unfortunately mine didn't go particularly well in the academic sense, due to me laboring under the extreme misapprehension that being funny is a good thing. Not so. Theatre is a serious place don't you know. Not a place for mad old ladies on buses. I passed, with a moderate mark, but that was me told. Undeterred, I swaggered into the main arena, armed with false confidence and the knowledge that 'Funny is not ok' - so my dissertation piece is about as far away from 'funny' as you can possibly imagine. I won't go into what it is about today, as I have now been sat in the study room in the library for the best part of an hour having not even opened the play document yet (Procrastinaton - 1, Kayleigh - 0) but rest assured, I will fill you in, dear reader, on that, and the odd problems I find I am facing as I try and put some semblance of order into 50 to 100 pages of mind boggling confusion. Til then, adieu.

Once more on the scene of my former triumphs!

The title of this entry is a quote from the Gilbert and Sullivan show 'Patience' and sums up perfectly my evening. Due to Little Brother being affiliated once more with Hull University Gilbert and Sullivan Society, I came to be invited back this year to Stage Manage their show. It has been three years since I left HUGSS, and two since I saw a show of theirs, but seems much longer. It was cathartic to see how the Society has changed.

I joined HUGSS in 2006 as a fresher, met some amazing people, played my first female G&S role, and immensely enjoyed being both a committee member and the resident alto. We went through Pinafore, Iolanthe and Pirates before being cast out into the real world. In 2010, we all returned after a year absence to HUGSS 'Ruddigore' starring Little Brother as Sir Roderick. The show was a success, and we were all proud to have our legacy upheld. In 2011 I could not make it to The Sorcerer; second-hand reports about the show that year were not so favourable and I feared that HUGSS had dropped the ball. Little Brother re-joined the cast this year as the moustachioed Colonel, and subsequently my involvement grew from nothing to wielding curtains and controlling The Cans Of Power.

The first thing I was struck by tonight was the youth of the cast - was I ever that young?!? Don't get me wrong, I am under no delusions that I was ever that small, but it is bizarre to me to be able to tangibly feel the difference in age. I don't mean this in a negative way, far from it, only it felt rather bizarre. Perhaps the mind is playing tricks and I do not look so wildly older as I think, or they so young, but its fair to say I wasn't expecting it.

I usually enjoy the perk of joining in with a little singing from the wings, but today marked the first time I felt unable to. For a start the cans prevent one from hearing oneself, but also I felt very self-aware that my heavy mezzo would tamper with the sweet and clear balance of the girls. I very much enjoyed listening to them; HUGSS have been blessed this year with a very nice collection of voices, none of which stick out sorely and - for possibly the first time in my G&S career - the alto line was more than catered for. It was refreshing to know that sometimes that happens!

Likewise, I was impressed by the talent in the cast. We were never short of talent ourselves, but there are usually a few odd casting choices. Biased as always with favouritism for Little Brother, who is nothing short of excellent, I was pleased to see the other lead men (five, out of seven men all together!) easily keeping pace with him. HUGSS also enjoy wealth of promising young female voices; the show must have been difficult to cast.

I was most struck by the venue. The Middleton Hall, pride of Hull Uni Music Department, is a large venue seating around 300-350, with a good stage and more than adequate tech facility. When performing as an Undergraduate, the stage seemed absolutely enormous and excitingly terrifying, but today it seemed almost quaint. The venue also previously enjoyed the lighting box tyranny of 'Bob' but the atmosphere is now gloriously lifted by the rule of straight talking Tony. The sprawling orchestra arrangement seemed much bigger than I remember, and I know not a single person sitting there. Unsure of if I have simply forgotten the reality or blurred the memory of Middleton Hall, I like that the stage seems small, I feel some pleasure in thinking I may have outgrown it. Saying that, it did also feel delightfully comfortable and familiar, and slightly thrilling to occupy the Stage Manager area.

Review to follow post-show. Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts.

Return to Blogging

Now, as you have probably noticed, it has been some considerable time since I formulated any sort of blog post. This, naturally, is very disappointing for everyone, and so today sees the recommencement of my blogging!

The reason my blog has seen no action over the last few months is thus wise; I moved to York. York being a medieval city, it lives in the dark ages and it took no less than 7 weeks to get the internet installed in our house. It did occur to me then to start up blogging again, but life intervened, and I didn't get around to it until today.

My absence has been so that I feel I must fill you in on some background information of my now-life, in order that future blog posts may have a reference point. So!

YORK
York is interesting. It was always one of my favourite places to visit when I was a lowly undergraduate student, but living here is not quite the same sort of affair. It is truly a beautiful place, and is much nicer to invite friends to visit than, say, Hull, but it is perpetually full of tourists, which is a little wearing. It is also very cold and the area I live in is not the nicest; hopefully summer will bring good things.

COURSE
Being a student again is hard work. It is absolutely nothing like I expected it would be - unless you count me still having my Christmas decorations up, like a true student - and I have been struggling to reconcile what I'm doing with what I wanted to do. The course is not what I wanted; the prospectus seems to have been misleading and I have ended up on a theory-based course. Which I am sure will stand me in good stead to get jobs, but just isn't what I was aiming for. However, some of the modules are very enjoyable.

LIFE
Life is going alright in the general sense. Little bit of a tumultuous few months for the Olivers; my Uncle died unexpectedly and my Daddy isn't well, as well as Grandad's Hospital Holidays. However, Little Brother is doing very well at his studies, and Kitten has settled in very well with Grandma and Gramps. Friends are doing well; plans for the future continue to press on in all circles. Some of my best friends are moving house, one moved to another country, some more are getting married, some have moved back to the NE, and one is an Edwardian. Have acquired a gentleman friend, but he teaches Maths, so the less said the better.

THEATRE
This has been an odd one. Moving to York presented lots of opportunities. I made the horrendous mistake of auditioning for Cabaret - for which, after SEVERE pain on the dance audition, I was told my singing was too 'polished'. I dabbled in the Drama Society and the Uni G&S Society but decided neither was to my taste (or flexible enough for my time pressures!) and alighted on Jorvick G&S as a more mature model. I will be directing HMS Pinafore (again! I know!) for them, to be performed in September. Dauntless seems to be going well, and I eagerly anticipate casting ready for Buxton. I shall not be going to Buxton other than with Dauntless this year, having made the executive decision that it is unhealthy to be so involved.

OTHER STUFF

I can thoroughly recommend Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip as an excellent dvd box set investment, as can I the BBC 'Sherlock' series. I know more about Doctor Who than anyone could ever need to know now, after writing an essay on it. Ben Aaronovich is my new favourite author; 'Rivers of London' and sequel 'Moon Over Soho' are both amazingly gripping reads. I have rediscovered a love of baking. Oh, and I am now an expert knitter!

More posts, some back dated and others, will follow shortly. Until then, adieu!

Excellent Creations Born From Boredom

Sometimes I have days where although I have no motivation for genuine real life things, I am overcome by motivation to create my way out of boredom. Accordingly, here is a photo list of some nice things which I have made over the last few weeks, for your delight and delectation. Requests welcome!



This is a tasty yet over-large battenburg cake I made at my Uncle's behest. It was EXTREMELY nice. I think if I ever entered a cake competition I would enter one of these, though I would perhaps learn how to cover it properly first!



By the mystic regulation of our dark association, ere you open conversation with another kindred soul - you must learn to make sausage rolls and they must be delicious and your brother must eat them all.



These cakes were made because I really needed to play with the exciting icing gun thing that Mother Oliver has stored away. I then took them to our Tuesday night pub haunt and they inspired our quiz name, The Cake Faces! (This mainly hilarious because Quiz Man's broad Geordie accent pronounces it hilariously. Excellent.)



This is a lamp, originally from Asda during Uni years, which myself and Ashley fruitlessly tried to shift at several car boot sales, which I then eventually grew tired of seeing so I covered it in exciting things to make it suitable for my new room at new Uni. Now, give three cheers!



I love bunting. It represents everything quaint and British about the world. So yesterday I finished making some, with scraps from all parts of life - some of Buttercup's apron, some white cord from sailor collars, some old bed sheet, some from Ashley's attic. I find the overall effect rather delicious.



Now, while it is true that I didn't make this one, I did order it from Sunday Girl Accessories, who DID make it, and I love it, therefore it is worthy of a picture.


I leave you now to embark on 'Craft Day' with dear Miss Bell, so no doubt I shall return later with yet more exciting creations!

It's Never Dull in 'Ull

Dear Everyone,

It is now time to share with the world an exciting photographic tour of Hull, the places I often was, and how they look now. Interestingly, large parts of Hull simply look the same. Yes, you're right, that actually isn't very interesting. Either way, here is a little tour for you. Some of the photo evidence for the tour might be a little blurry; this is basically because it was a car-tour on the most part, courtesy of Oliver the Younger.

FIRST YEAR HOME
Arriving, fresh faced and eager, at University at the tender age of 18, I was naturally excited to be living away from home for the first time. Some students are nervous about this sort of thing, but 'The Lawns' complex assuaged this; filled with over a thousand noisy dirty drunken youths, it was not dissimilar to a student-orientated-supermarket-own-brand-Butlins. I couldn't take a picture of my old room, as people live there and that would have involved getting out of the car and walking around, but here is what someone else's room looked like, which, coincidentally, is exactly the same as mine:


And here is the sign for the set of Halls I lived in - there were seven 'Halls' on the Lawns, and each had 5 blocks and some bungalows within. There were usually 24 in a block, in open plan floors of 8 rooms to a floor, which meant 4 rooms per bathroom. Obviously, we in ‘E-Block’ of ‘Downs Hall’ were the coolest, but naturally attracted some odd ridicule at the naming of the Halls…


The Lawns was immense; it had it’s own bar, its own bus stop, and it’s own…er…football space. What more could you possibly want? Amusingly, the bus frequently got stuck in some rubble from the Driver trying to be clever and making the turning circle too small, so in later years (once we had moved out, so it was ok) our lovely bus shelter was removed, and the bus stop itself moved so the Drivers would cause less mayhem. On a side note, we needed that bus because The Lawns, though wonderful, was a good 15 minutes ride away from Campus. Or a 55 minute fast walk, WILLIAM. I shall hold that against you for the rest of my life!! Ahem. Here is the new Bus Stop, right next to the giant tree stump which used to be a tree:


And here is the Lawn’s Bar, from the outside. An intriguing place, full of ‘Snakey B’ (which is Diesel to any self respecting northerner), Ring of Fire, Apple Corky’s and dodgy juke box tunes. Well, in our day it was. I am told that since then they have kitted it out with not only widescreen TVs, but also a music collection which goes PAST the year 2000. Impressive. I wonder how many beer mats, glasses and bar runners (Miss Stretton…) we actually stole from in here.


This is a picture of some general ‘space’ in The Lawns. As you can possibly tell it was listed buildings surrounded by open grassy space; many adventures occurred on this grass, including ‘The Mud Football Incident’ and ‘That Time After The Rum When Kayleigh Wanted To Play In The Mud And Had To Be Restrained’. Mainly mud based stories, now I come to think on it.



So that was where I lived in first year. I will dig out interior shots to match all of these at some point in life!

SECOND YEAR HOME
In Second Year I lived in 151 DeGrey Street, with 5 or 6 other people (depending what day it was), including the lovely Mannymoo. This was very conveniently one second away from the student central shopping area of Newland Ave, but inconveniently further than you would think to the University. Having now sampled the walk some of my Newcastle Uni friends made daily, I probably should not complain, but being 20 minutes away from Campus in Hull was quite far! Here is a picture of the house, my room was amazing – I have always wanted an attic room with eaves, look at it there (the white one, mid picture), all velux window and everything!!

They even still have up the little felt-tipped sign I blue-tacked to the door before my Birthday Party in 2007!

Not much else to write about second year home. Houses in Second and Third Year were rather less exciting than the hive of Fresher-excitement which was the Lawns!

THIRD YEAR HOME
In Third Year I downsized to live with Jim and Tom in 48 Raglan Street. When we lived there, it was a three bed roomed wee house with Chinese neighbours who Jim loaned things to occasionally and who hung their knickers on coat hangers to dry, and with a mad European Old Cat Lady living down the road, and with a big empty space. We never found out why the space was there but it had clearly been there a long time; we suspected bombing in the war, but that was probably a little long ago. Anyway, shock horror, on my little tour, I discovered that someone has photo-shopped a brand new house in this street of old mingy houses!!! You can see it there. Pretending to be a real house. Anyway, my room in this one was the Upstairs, left AND right windows – was another amazing room, with a separate bed-room to stuff-room. Only down side was the fact that the wall between mine and Tom’s room was pretty much just wallpaper, without wall. Intrusive perhaps? Or cosy…


PLACES

This is turning into a bit of an epic post. I thought it might. But as Bette pointed out, Matt only ever looks at pictures, Simon only reads if his name is here (which, as I don’t know how to do that, it won’t be), and Steven may be uninterested as it isn’t G&S related. I’m sure SOME people are still reading!

Anyway, places I liked. I would have taken a picture of my favourite coffee shop in the world, Planet Coffee, but myself and Rory went there, sat outside and had a lovely drink, and then stole the cup. So I felt too anxious about being caught to hang around long! Plus it wasn’t as nice after they put furniture in the upstairs room and removed the carpet/beanbag area. I also took a couple of pictures of night clubs which I used to very much enjoy back in my 5-nights-a-week-drunk phase, but in the cold hard light of day these just weren’t impressive enough to make the cut. However, here are a few other places I liked…

The Old Grey Mare, famous for exceptionally cheap food and 6 shots for £5, just behind the first year bus stop, right opposite my building, perfect for taking your family to when you force them to come and see you in some sort of opera:


The Middleton Hall, famous for being the place where HUGSS used to stage their shows. Being on University property you would think that would make it cheaper to hire, but you would be wrong, however we always managed a fairly good storage-and-building system with them, and Bob The Sound And Lights Man was…well, he was there usually! The stage can be seen in other posts which showcase my G&S life, but this is the outside. There was also an Art Gallery in there which I believe I was once forced to go to as part of a seminar of some form.


The Larkin Building, famous for being where Kayleigh most often attended seminars. Sometimes Lectures. Though let’s face it, lectures weren’t compulsory. Also the home of the music department and rehearsal rooms. Unreliable lift; once witnessed the entire Pinafore cast (minus myself and one other sensible person traversing the stairs) get stuck in said lift. Hilarious.


The Library, famous for books. And amazing views of Hull from the windows. For anyone who doesn’t know, Hull is flat. Completely flat, everywhere you go, there are simply no hills or banks. This meant the prime topic of conversation on Open Days was if potential students had witnessed the view, which often they had, but not with the notion that they would spend a good 70% or more of their Library time gazing on it. The English Floor was Level 5, but in Third Year the ‘staring out of windows’ situation got so bad that I officially resigned any chance of getting a laptop-socket on 5th, and moved down to the little known first floor reference section. No windows there! Which is probably the only reason I salvaged my 2:1. Hilarious times in the library include one time when William got into a lift and abandoned me, and the million times fire alarms happened and everyone had to abandon everything and traipse down aaaaalll those stairs. Interestingly, there were two toilets per floor, on separate sides of the library – but only ever men’s OR women’s. Never both. The Library, ladies and gentlemen:



The Union. A place of happy times and happy things:


On the inside, the Union has pretty much completely changed since my first year. I remember arriving and having to negotiate my way through stupid amounts of corridors that led nowhere and stairs that missed a floor, and then some genius decided that what Hull Students REALLY need is a big glass staircase on the outside with a colour changing light in the top. Which didn’t take you anywhere that stairs didn’t previously go. But meant they had to re-build the entire Union insides. Which, in turn, meant that the rehearsal rooms were no longer allowed to be used for singing (although in two years we never got told off once). The Union enclosed the Hullfire (Student Magazine) Office, where I think I spend some of my time as Arts Editor…at least once or twice…a shop (complete with pick-n-mix stand), a smoothie bar, a Waterstones, several cafes, the Sanctuary Bar (best place ever, complete with outside decking area), the Johnny Mac Bar (home of HUGSS Variety Shows and Wednesday Night AU Carnage) and Asylum, the Hull Student’s on site night club. Too many good times to list. They’ve since moved the shop into the café, moved some chairs into the shop and forced the smoothie bar into an old office, but it still feels the same! Here is Sanc, from the outside, in the distance under some trees…


Thwaite Hall. I never went here (another version of The Lawns but for people with lots of money) but more often than not it would make me chuckle driving past the sign for it when some smart alec had removed letters, so that the sign read “T w a t Hall”. Never fails to amuse.


Phone Boxes. There was an exciting adventure once where we got 8 people into a phone box AND shut the door. Good times. All the phones in Hull belong to Kingston Communications, so they dictate that all phone boxes are white, so here is an example for you:


The Royal Quays Shopping Centre: Only Hull would have a shopping centre built on some strange man made lake. Occasionally there were ducks or fountains here. Occasionally students fell in, as this is in Hull Town Centre, opposite popular night clubs. Always, there was murky nasty water.


And to finish off, this is a nice blurry picture of the house that one day, I will live in. Apart from the fact that it is on a main road into Student-ville, it looks like it fell out of Jane Austen. Good times.


Ladies and Gentlemen, I ask you to please thank our driver for today:


And I leave you with the suggestion that, should you ever visit Hull – take someone with you who knows how to show you the nice bits. They will probably just take you to Beverley, which is a nice little village next door, but you might drive through Hull on the way!
I miss Hull.

WS Gilbert: Memories and Connections!

In trawling people’s status updates last week to enjoy the ‘WS Gilbert World Status Day’ madness, it occurred to me that a good few of the G&S lines are marred, marked, starred, scarred, blemished or otherwise tarnished by experiences I have had of them. I don’t at all mean this in the negative way, merely that I can no longer hear the line in one context without referencing it in another, making a direct and often surprisingly strong connection to a memory. I’m pretty sure this must be something common to everyone who performs, though feel free to contradict me. I have compiled a list for your enjoyment of the overriding memories coming from many of the world’s favourite Gilbert quotes. Happy times!


Ruddigore
“I am the spectre of the late Sir Roderick Murgatroyd...”
Steven (alias Sir Roderick) answering his shoe phone hilariously with an interpretation of the above – also Rory’s exaggerated creepy walking in time to the music

“What is it, have you carried her off?”
Steven delivering his line in the dark because the lights just didn’t come on. Kayleigh unable to keep a straight face.

“I get my crime over with first thing in the morning”
Richard’s bizarre and amusing ‘Transylvanian’ or Sesame Street’s ‘The Count’ accent

“…Step down from their frames..”
Laura W forgetting her line and merely repeating ‘from their frames’ several times until she remembered it

“Roddy Doddy!”
THAT Scottish accent.

“Belay? Certainly not.”
Sebastion, full of smooth moves, getting a kiss from his Rose Maybud

Iolanthe
“Distinctly. I have always kept my duty strictly before my eyes and it is to this fact that I owe my advancement to my current distinguished position.”
This conversation between the Lord Chancellor and Strephon, in the HUGSS version, included a rather precarious pair of short shorts, and Ryan’s crotch uncomfortably close to Alex’ face; possibly one of the most hilarious things I’ve ever seen.

“Dignified and Stately! Stignified and Dately? ”
Double D, stumbling forward, drunk!

“Never, Oh Never, A one for me!”
Can't hear this without remembering Liam’s insertion of three words (“GAME! SET! MATCH!”) over the chords following the line.

“Tis I, Young Strephon!”
Memories of Alex, on the last night, milking his exceptionally long “I” for all it was worth!

“Away we go to Fairy Land!”
Never complete without Dee’s little voice saying ‘Fairyland?! Great!’ a la HUGSS 2008

Mikado
“Every cloud has a silver lining”
Seanny, in a move of surprising ironic humour, pointing his silver tunic lining out to the unsuspecting audiences

“Abroad? His address!” followed by… “To Italy!” “To Italy?!?” “…to Whitley Bay”
Paul, enjoying Keith or Peter’s hilarious local reference

Pinafore
“I attach but little value to rank or wealth”
Aidan, getting his ‘w’ and ‘r’ mixed up…!

“Three loving pairs on the same day united!”
Elizabeth’s attention seeking Phoebe

“Farewell, my own, light of my life, farewell!”
I will never hear this again without laughing at poor Kate trying to find the button on the keyboard which turns off the accidental ‘Drum and Bass’ rhythm!

“Go, ribald, get you hence, to your cabin with celerity!”
Liam replacing ‘cabin’ with ‘cabbage’ and ‘celerity’ with ‘celery’

Grand Duke
“But darling, what do you expect for eighteen pence a day?”
Two on this one; Elizabeth’s Russian Daaahrlink, and Richard’s rehearsal-version Gay New Yorker!

“I was thinking of embracing you, my sugar plum!”
Matthew, in several conversations pre-dating the performance, trying to make the Sugar Plum sound as creepy as possible

“Oh no he’s not!/ Oh no HEEEE’S not!”
Matthew again, a penchant for hilarious donkey noises which spurred on uncontrollable laughter. Alo, not attached to a line, but just after this, the 'RRRRUUUFFF' noise in the dance :)

“His beautiful daughter”
Aidan and Jamie manning the Greek Men volume front in absence of all others!

Yeomen
“Oh thoughtless crew, ye know not what ye do…”
Liam being horrifically murdered in Peak Opera’s Yeomen; surprisingly emotional!

Ida
“We rather think he dares but never never mind!”
Brian, leering over soldier’s shoulders as the peppery Hildebrand

The Gondoliers
“Old Xeres we’ll drink, Manzanilla, Monterro”
Laura and Laura, with ‘Old Dog Head we’ll drink’…

“A plate of macaroni and a rusk?”
Jonathan’s infectious laughing fit at revealing SavoyNet’s intriguing pasta dish creation

“Then away we go to an Island fair, that lies on a Southern Sea”
The incredible sadness which I actually felt for touching silhouetted wives left behind in Venice while the Gondoliers sailed away; the most empathy I have ever suffered for a character or scene

Pirates
“On his mother;” “ON HIS MOTHER?!?!”
Ryan and Rory in the hilarious and unique Geordie Policemen Duet

“A policemen’s lot is not a happy one – happy one.”
Will never be complete again without a yawn and an ‘I hate you!’ at the end, a-la Rory and Ryan

“We charge you yield, in Queen Victoria’s name”
Jon, enjoying Ryan’s brain child, the horrendously posh sounding well-placed ‘Bugger.’



I’m absolutely positive that there are many more G&S lines than this which have mental notes permanently attached to them, but they escape me at the present. One day I shall endeavour to complete the list! I’d love to hear other people’s marked lines one day too :)