Tuesday 24 November 2020

Je suis an Artiste

 

I have always wished I'd been on the stage ... some would think the first one out of town. But seriously, I think I would have made a great theatre actor, or in films even, if I had not been busy working hard for a multi-national in London and climbing the management ladder.

Oh well, famous actors like Ian McKellen, Laurence Olivier, Ralph Fiennes and Patrick Stewart could well have been joined by me if only I'd been discovered, you know.

I did, however, in my young days, spend quite some spare time on the stage. Presenting variety shows, acting in comedy sketches, and writing them of course. And even performing great roles in some Shakespearean plays no less.

I was a member of an amateur dramatic troupe which put on performances attended by at least fifty to a hundred people.

I remember a performance of the Scottish play. (You're not meant to say the word Macbeth unless you're on stage). Lady Macbeth was played by a young Spanish girl-friend of mine.  

I can hear her dulcet tones right now. 

"Ole zee par fumes of Arrabeeya vill notte sweetened zees littell hand. Oh, Oh, Oh! I steel 'ave zee smella offa beelod on my hand."

We were an international troupe of well-meaning amateurs set on making inroads into the world of theatre and confuse the audience at every venue we performed at.

I recall a short Italian Hamlet reading the famous lines which he could not remember by heart.

"Too bee, or notte too bee, zat eez ze questiona
Whezer eez ze nobla in ze mind to suffer
Ze slingess and ze arrowes of outta rageous fortuna,
Or too taker arms against a sea of trouble
And by opposinger enda zem. Todaay  — too sleepa ..."

And so it went on.

I had some leading roles too. In the play The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe I played the left door of the wardrobe. I swivelled to the right to simulate the door opening and to the left to close the wardrobe. Our theatre director said at the time I was made for the role. It was a wooden performance and he could not imagine anyone famous like Olivier or McKenna doing the role justice.

In Cinderella I played one of the mice which changes into a horse to pull the carriage. In Goldilocks and the Three Bears I was the table upon which the bowls of porridge were put. And in To Kill A Mocking Bird I was told I could not play the role of the bird because none featured in the play. That is a pity because for days I'd been practicing bird impressions by eating worms! Although I understand in the film they gave the role to someone called Peck who plays the role of a finch.

We did musicals too. In South Pacific, when they sang, "There is nothing like a dame", I was one of the palm trees swinging left and right to the music. 

So you see my friends. I could have been famous. I could have been the auto-mobile in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, or the hills alive in the Sound of Music, or Pinocchio's nose. 

But then ... I would not have met such great friends like you!

19 comments:

  1. ...something that I would NEVER have wanted to do!

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    1. It was fun, Tom. Especially seeing something I'd written put on stage by other people. I wrote a whole Christmas play once, (humourous). I wish I'd kept the script.

      God bless always.

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  2. Dearest Victor,
    No matter how small your early roles on stage have been, they certainly shaped you into what you are today.
    It also made you appreciative of such jobs and more understanding.
    We all are an artist in a way and still we are on our way and doing so, meeting great people!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. You're so right, Mariette. I really enjoyed writing comedy sketches and plays and acting in them. And seeing others acting the roles I created. It was all done for charity. We raised money for different organisations; and put on shows in Senior Peoples' Homes; singing old songs they would remember and join in.

      God bless, my friend.

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  3. I think it's wonderful that your troupe would put on shows for charity and for the elderly, Victor. And with your writing, no doubt, the plays/musicals were a hit!
    Blessings!

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    1. It was something I started in London when I belonged to a young peoples' club. We raised money for charity. Then when I moved to another town I started another group which did shows in various venues - church halls, Women's Institute, etc ... and raised money for charity. At the same time I also belonged to another group doing shows in Senior Peoples' Homes. It was a busy schedule and diary time.

      God bless, Martha.

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  4. Everything in life shapes us as we grow in our humanity. I did community theater and thoroughly enjoyed it. There is nothing quite so exhilarating as a standing ovation. I gave it up due to age and I was tired of memorizing. I think you would have made a great actor. Blessings.

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    1. Thank you for your kind words, Nells. Yes, memorising the words was difficult. Sometimes I used to make lines up and confuse the other actors. It added to the comedy.

      God bless you.

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  5. You could have been a contender, Victor! Still, we love ya and you can share your stories and laughs with us. :)

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    1. Thank you so much, Bill. It seems that in life humour has driven me forward; except when I put the car in reverse and hit a lamp post. Life can be miserable, my friend. I am so grateful when funny thoughts come to mind to cheer me up.

      God bless you and yours.

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  6. Oh, you're cracking me up again! You know, they say everything happens for a reason.
    My only claim to fame(?) was being cast as a woolly mammoth in Wilder's "Skin of our Teeth." All I'd do was skootch around the stage on all fours and exclaim, "I'm c-c-cold" every few minutes. Still wonder the reason .......

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    1. It must have been great fun being a woolly mammoth, Mevely. It's a great memory of happy times. I enjoyed my time on stage, and writing scripts. The money raised for charity was a bonus.

      God bless.

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  7. So you could have been famous.... : )

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    1. Yep ... Even the dog growls when I get home.

      God bless, Happyone.

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  8. Sometimes i think fame goes to the wrong people. Oh, well, you are famous here.

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    1. What a nice thing to say, Mimi. Thank you.

      God bless you.

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  9. You could've been a contender! You could've been Marlon Brando...lol.

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    1. Can you imagine me winning an Oscar?

      God bless, Manny.

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