Me no Leica was the shortest review ever

AS I write it is reported that Boris Johnson is considering tighter Covid-19 restrictions in the wake of the alarming rise in cases and the R rate going over one.

So there can be no doubt that another spike is coming and I think that could be a capital idea if it was another Spike like Messrs Milligan or Jones with his City Slickers.

Who could deny the comic genius and wit of the former from The Goons, TV interviews or books like “Puckoon” or “Adolf Hitler, My Part In His Downfall” right up to his gravestone epitaph: “I Told You I Was Ill”?

Pure genius and great humour which we could do with more of in these uncertain times!

Then there is the crazy, even manic, comedy of Spike Jones in so many recordings. One of my favourites is their version of “The Banana Boat Song” where at every cry of “Day O” the engineers says:

“Too loud man” and the singer gets further and further away only to burst back to finish the lyrics.

There are so many to choose from and, perhaps, you have your own favourite. If so why not drop me an email and tell me what it is.

So let’s have another Spike although I doubt very much if we will see the likes of them again.

Rigg review

Time to pay a belated tribute at the passing of Diana Rigg who must have raised the temperature of many red blooded males, including myself, oozing sexiness out of every pore in everything she did, as well as proving what a wonderful actress she was.

However, she did fail to impress one critic who literally saw her beauty barely exposed. After seeing her in “Abelard and Heloise” in 1970, New York Magazine’s John Simon said of the nude scene: “Diana Rigg is built like a brick mausoleum with insufficient flying buttresses.”

She always seemed me.

As a former theatre reviewer I have always taken an interest in what others say and Rigg did as well as she asked fellow thespians to send her their worst criticisms for a collection entitled “No Turn Unstoned” which includes the above.

Taking brevity to a new level the shortest review on record is the one for the play “I Am A Camera” when the critic wrote: “Me no Leica”. all

Stage sorrow

right to

My reviewing days are over now but, would like so many more. I would give anything just to be able to see something on stage when theatres are able to open again, a prospect which seems to get further and further away.

There is nothing like live performances and I just fear that if the present situation continues the opportunity to see them will get less and less as the venues will not be able to survive without some hope of when they can resume.

Where will the TV and film stars of the future get their grounding and experience, not to mention the thrill of playing to and getting a response from a live audience if local and regional theatres go out of business?

I don’t expect any answers but it is concerning.