EPISODE 410 WHERE THE NUTS COME FROM…AT SHAW FESTIVAL AUGUST 17, 2021
alan skeoch
august 2021
Yes, we attended Charley’s Aunt at the Shaw Festival. The play was
originally written and performed in the 1890’s. That seems about where
it should have stayed.
There is one good line in the play….a line that has been repeated over
and over until it has become a bad line. “I am Charley’s aunt from Brazil…where the
nuts come from.” Must have been funny at one time.
Cost us $93 a seat up front. Money gone. I am trying to find a redeeming
feature of the play. Ah, yes. The actor playing at cross dressing as Charley’s Aunt
looks
and acts like Mr. Bean. He has that rubber face and looks at times
like he has been hit with a water bomb or trash can lid.
When the curtain went down on Act two I packed up and got ready to leave.
“Alan, there is another act.”
“You must be joking.”
“You fell asleep.”
“Wish that were so.”
“Alan, did you really tell those people taking a break outside
that there were seven more acts?
“I did. They were not amused. The man used a four letter word
that starts with F.
“Come in, Act Three is starting.”
“Give me a moment…I have a person
interested in buying my listening device…started at $20-…
getting serious now we are down to $5.”
“Alan, that is not yours to sell…belongs to the Shaw Festival”
“They got nearly $200 bucks from us, surely I can try to
get $5 back.”
Someone will report you…get you thrown out of here.”
“Really? “
“yes, really”
“If we get thrown out then we will escape Act Three.”
“God, I’’ll seen the damn thing for a buck…just
get thrown out.”
“Alan, shut up….peopl;e are looking at you.”
“See that seat on the stage…I am going to go and
sit there…perhaps begin to sing Send in The Clowns”
“Alan, you are making a fool of yourself.”
“Nobody is listening…the Covid 19 separation gives everyone
a good chance to stretch out and go to sleep.
NOTE: as things turned out Act 3 was the best of a bad lot. Why?
Because one of the females had a nice scarlet dress.
“Alan, what happened to those two people you told there
were 7 Acts.”
“Never saw them again.”
“Alan, you sound just like your dad.”
“Great news. What would he have done that was any different?”
“He would never spend $93 here.”
“And he would do the same thing You did to that poor couple outside
on the bench…caused them to miss Act Three.”
“I sold my listening device for 50 cents to that guy on the bench.
“Wonder how the play was received in the 1890’s?”
“Nothing else to do back then.”
“