Somehow it is already June and, rejoice, the sunshine has finally appeared. I finished a book, started a new one whilst buying and borrowing a lot more! I also saw some wonderful live performances and booked to see another, so all in all, a good week.
Thursday 3rd June:
I finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society just before bed. I have previously said that I only thought I enjoyed it because it was light relief from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but after not being able to put it down for the last third I decided I was wrong. It’s a really joyful read, put together beautifully. I really appreciated how each letter (the book is comprised solely of letters) was like one piece of a puzzle that when combined all fit perfectly together, nothing missing and no excess. I was also very grateful for the notes at the end by both authors, I was intrigued as to how the story was written between two and to learn that Shaffer became ill shortly before completing the novel, was very sad, but it demonstrates both how trusting and wonderful the relationship between herself and her niece Barrows was for her to pass over her creation.
A day later I also watched the movie adaptation which was good, but I found the characters less lovable. I completely understand why some of the editorial decisions were made, such as removing certain characters and speeding up the plot by having Juliet arrive much more quickly into Guernsey, but a lot of the character development was lost meaning I didn’t feel anywhere near as connected with them. Still worth a watch though as it made me cry, which I think is generally a sign of a decent film.
General Reading Update:
I’m still going with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and am delighted to say I’m enjoying it so much more than I was before! I feel like the plot now makes a lot more sense to me as some action is playing out rather than being retold so I can follow it a lot more easily. Still a way to go, but I no longer dread picking it up!
Monday June 7th:
I started reading Queer Intentions by Amelia Abraham, I bought it a month or two ago and Pride Month seemed as good a time as any to start it. So far I’ve only read the introduction and the first chapter, but I’m already really enjoying the narrative style. Abraham is a journalist and this autobiographical journey is told through her interactions with others which I really like. I look forward to seeing what the rest of the book has to offer and learning more about LGBTQ+ culture.
In the evening I also enjoyed, one day late, the live performance of The Show Must Go On a showcase of lots of the West End’s best shows aiming to raise money for The Theatre Support Fund, which has been helping those in the theatre industry during lockdown. It was so lovely to be back in the world of musicals again with some amazing performances, my favourites being:
– ‘You’ll Be Back’ from Hamilton performed by Trevor Dion Nicholas
– ‘The Winner Takes It All’ from Mamma Mia! performed by Mazz Murray
– ‘You and Me (But Mostly Me)’ from The Book of Mormon performed by Dom Simpson and Tom Xander
– ‘Bring Him Home’ from Les Misérables performed by John Owen-Jones
– ‘When You Believe’ from The Prince of Egypt performed by Alexia Khadime and Christine Allado
You can still catch the whole show on YouTube for free here! If you do enjoy it please consider donating to The Theatre Support Fund or buying some of their amazing merchandise as the arts have had it really tough during the pandemic with little or no support from the government.
Have you booked to see and shows yet? If so what are you going to see or what have you seen already?
The Page & the Stage 