The missus and I went off to London to watch Tony Kusher's version of Brecht's "Mother Courage and her children" at the National theatre. The papers were full of the novel treatment of the play, and how the creative team strove to use the Oliver theatre's modern facilities to the hilt. I wasn't surprised when, through most of the play, we had the sound of jets, and artillery, and flames leaping out from the stage......till, the scene where the mute Kattrin climbs up the roof and starts drumming. When all else fails, the soldiers come back....
....with a blooming Spandau!!!
The first soldier came out of the wings with a tripod that looked familiar, and when it was followed an actor carrying the sleek looking MG42 I nearly leapt off my feet. Seconds later, the rest of the audience jumped off theirs when the soldiers actually loaded a belt and let off a burst (blanks, of course) in the confined hall.
My ears are ringing, but I had a happy smile on my face as I walked out. And yes, I clapped the hardest in the end!
"Stan, don't you know the first law of physics? Anything that's fun costs at least eight dollars."
