… and that night …

But was it that night? I began my blog with an ancient rep story about working on afternoon performances of the Sooty Show. After the matinee, all of us on Stage Management had to set to and transform the stage for that evening’s adult performance.

It was a quick turnaround to get the “Charley’s Aunt” set up, and rep was rep. With the play going and the two ‘undergraduates’ in full flow, we looked on stage and realised that the curtains had not been hung on the French window. For action later in the scene this would become disastrous. The “ancient manservant” Brassett, was sent on with steps, to hang the curtains. The two young actors looked at Brassett, looked at each other, everyone improvised a few lines, and the scene went on regardless. Those were the days.

But did that incident really happen the same day I got soaked in the course of the afternoon children’s performance? Our memories always telescope things a bit. We will never know for sure. I did mention it online to Bryan Hands who was there — and he coincidentally had just passed on to me a lot of material sent him by the designer from Barrow. Who says theatre acquaintances are transitory?