Ancient Greeks pre-empted Dead Parrot Sketch

Yahoo news Friday, November 14 11:21 am
For those who believe the ancient Greeks thought of everything first, proof has been found in a 4th century AD joke book featuring an ancestor of Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch where a man returns a parrot to a shop, complaining it is dead. The 1,600-year-old work entitled "Philogelos: The Laugh Addict," one of the world's oldest joke books, features a joke in which a man complains that a slave he has just bought has died, its publisher said onFriday. "By the gods," answers the slave's seller, "when he was with me, he never did any such thing!" In a comedy act Monty Python's Flying Circus sketch, first aired in 1969 and regularly voted one of the funniest ever, the pet-shop owner says the parrot, a "Norwegian Blue," is not dead, just "resting" or "pining for the fjords. "The English-language book will appeal to those who swear that the old jokes are the best ones. Many of its 265 gags will seem strikingly familiar, suggesting that sex, dimwits, nagging wives and flatulence have raised laughs for centuries.

FAR-FETCHED CLOAK

In many of the jokes, a slow-witted figure known as the "student dunce" is the butt of the jokes. In one, the student dunce goes to the city and a friend asks him to buy two 15-year-old slaves: "No problem,' responds the dunce. "If I don't find two 15-year-olds, I'll get one 30-year-old.' In another, someone asks to borrow the student's cloak to go down to the country. "I have a cloak to go down to your ankle, but I don't have one that reaches to the country," he replies. The manuscript is attributed to a pair of ancient comedians called Hierocles and Philagrius. Little is known about them except that they were most likely the compilers of the jokes, not the original writers. The multi-media e-book, which can be purchased online (www.yudu.com/oldestjokebook), features veteran comedian Jim Bowen, 71, reviving the lines before a 21-century audience. "Jim Bowen brings them back from the dead. It's like Jurassic Park for jokes," Richard Stephenson, CEO of digital publisher YUDU, said in a statement. For Bowen, much of the material seemed very familiar: "One or two of them are jokes I've seen in peoples' acts nowadays, slightly updated: they put in a motor car instead of a chariot."Other one-liners in Philogelos may baffle a modern audience, such as a series of jokes about a lettuce, which only make sense in light of the ancient belief it was an aphrodisiac.

Rats return to Hamelin, no sign of Pied Piper

Yahoo news Tuesday, November 18 05:08 pm
Just ahead of the 725th anniversary of the Pied Piper reputedly banishing a plague of rats from Hamelin, there has been an "explosion" in the German town's rodent population, officials said Tuesday. The spokesman for the northern town, known as Hameln in German, said the sharp rise at an abandoned garden allotment site on the edge of the town was because the rats had a plentiful supply of food from an adjacent rubbish dump. According to legend, a colourful or "pied" rat catcher lured all the rats out of town in 1284 by playing his pipe. When the townspeople refused to pay him, he did the same with Hamelin's children and they were never seen again.

What's in a name...if it's the same?

I've been trying to sort out my Dad's side of the family research but I am now getting quite confused. I have just discovered that a lot of my late grandmothers paternal side have exactly the same name! Father and son...even uncles and cousins are named John Little. What on earth possessed them to not choose an alternative? Is it some sort of family tradition to see how many John Little's you can fit onto one family tree? The mystery deepens. A cousin of my fathers has tried to help me understand who belongs to what branch but my mind has gone all frazzled and I'm beginning to think it's best to maybe concentrate on the maternal side for the time being and hope that my Dad doesn't notice!

Family Reunion Review November 2008

Sam West as Harry Monchesney

Last night I went along to see Sam's new play 'Family Reunion' at the Donmar Warehouse here in London. From the moment I saw the stage layout I knew this was going to be some show. The set looked very eerie like a scene out of the movie 'The Others' with the sound of birdlike noises enimating from above the stage. The atmosphere made one feel like they were being transported inside someone elses dream, and the constant ticking of the clock in various scenes reinforced that feeling. The characters did a superb job, but most of all I thought Sam's character Harry was the best (and I'm not just being biased here) The story of Harry was a very interesting one. A person haunted by phantoms of the past. A troubled soul trying to make sense of things seen and unseen. I really loved the intensity of Sam's performance as well as his costumes...and the hair! This play 'Family Reunion' has a fantastic story. It's the 1st time I had seen anything by TS Eliot and I wasn't disappointed. I do have tickets to see this show again, and I am very much looking forward to it. I highly recommend this play to anyone who is thinking of going. It really is that spectacular. Well done to Sam...I hope this brings him much success.

Waste Review and Q&A event 2008

The Almeida theatre poster of Waste

The play...

After a longish absence, I was pleased to learn that Sam West was to be directing another play in London. This time it was to be called Waste. A revival of the Harley Granville Barker play which was originally written in 1907 but then banned and wasn't performed on the London stage until 1936. It was about a Political sex scandal and the church. A good mixture for one of Sam's shows. I went to see it with an open mind not knowing what to expect. It was a very heavy play that made concentration difficult. So many words crammed into every sentence. I thought the story to be quite a tragic one, and I felt for the character Amy O'Connell. I also wanted to secretly wring Henry Trebell's neck...until that is he got all suicidal at the end and topped himself. I felt sorry for him then. The set design was very impressive and stunning to look at, and the costumes were intriguing.

The Q&A...

The evening of the Q&A was very ominous. On my way to the theatre I was soaked right through after forgetting my umbrella at home. *doh* There were thunder and lightening flashes in the sky which at some point turned into snow! I was glad to get inside the place where I met up with an old friend who I last saw in Sheffield. I felt chilled to the bone because the theatre wasn't very warm at all. I sat through another performance of Waste shivering. At the very end for some reason the staff forgot to remind the audience about the Q&A and at one point there were only a small amount of people left in their seats! I was half expecting to be turfed out of the building as well. But thankfully all was not lost. A woman (whoever she was) told us to sit back down etc etc. A few more people came back inside and soon the cast were joined by Sam onstage. The seats were in a long line and positioned to face the audience. I cannot recall everything that was said during the Q&A because by that point I had symptoms of hypothermia. (I hate the cold) The evening was very good despite that Minor hiccup, and lots of questions were asked. When it was finished I was surprised to see how late it was and I reluctantly ventured out into the slushy snow outside, where I bid farewell to my friend. I then managed to get myself to a bus stop in Essex Rd without falling flat on my face. My only regret was not being brave enough to ask any questions like...CAN SOMEONE TURN THE BLOODY HEATING ON NOW PLEASE! I did have other questions too...honest!

River Thames 2003

The River Thames 2003 ~ taken by Maria
I have a thing about the River Thames. I don't know why but I do. I've been coming to this place for many years just to stare at the murky waters and to reflect on the world around me. To be near this place brings me peace and helps me to make sense of this crazy world that we all live in. There's a sense of quiet solitude that nowhere else brings. I visit there as often I can, and I hope that even when I am too old to care about lifes ups and down, I can at least find this retreat to rest my tired bones. So if by chance you ever happen to see a strange woman staring into the depths below, no she isn't about to throw herself in. She's just making her peace for a moment before blending into the scenery again.

Hamlet

Hamlet the Pig online strip ~ by Harry Venning

Yes I own one of the priceless tickets to see David Tennant's version of Hamlet at the Norvello Theatre here in London. Here's hoping that it will be good. I've heard he uses his Dr Who voice. God forbid if he screws it up with Hamlet!