The season just ending is one where many of us will have included among our television watching diet various versions of the Charles Dicken's classic, 'A Christmas Carol'. And so I saw Albert Finney in the part of Scrooge and George C. Scott in the same role. But I didn't see my all time favourite portrayal of the mean minded and fisted miser in the form of the late, great British actor, Alistair Sim, in this humble opinion still the best of all the screenings but which failed to
Last Saturday afternoon, however, I got the opportunity along with the eight year old to view another outstanding actor take on the part, this time in a ‘live’ setting in Dublin’s Gate Theatre. Barry McGovern was the most Scrooge like of Scrooges in
a production directed by Alan Stanford, who many of us will still fondly remember in the role of George in R.T.E’s ‘Glenroe’.
One of the country’s most acclaimed stage performers, McGovern even managed to make those moments when he was merely observing incidents from his and others past, present and future, come alive.
This particular production also featured Stephen Brennan (he’s been in such shows as Father Ted and Ballykissangel as well as a host of theatrical dramas) who is rarely off the stage given that he plays the parts of the three spirits. And he does each of them so well and so individually, you have to steal the odd glance at the programme to make sure that the same man is playing the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
Overall, a show well worth going to though the weather might put off anyone (as it almost did here) intending to travel from this part of the frozen world.
Snow go area
Day 437 - Emerged from the kitchen freezer to see if the temperatures had risen outside. Not a bit of it. Icicles hanging off icicles. A snowman stands where we left him three days before. Oh, wait a minute, it’s not a snowman, it’s the postman. And is that a polar bear in the front garden? Indeed, is that the front garden?
Day 438 - We’re back huddled up in the freezer. Surviving on frozen chips. But one of us is going to have to venture out to get some provisions. We toss a coin but it gets stuck on the ceiling of the freezer and we can’t defrost it off. Finally, I opt to go but tell them I may be some time. I get a loaf of bread and a jar of strawberry jam from the cupboard.
Day 439 - Too cold to write anymore. Though the editor insist’s that’s no excuse and he expects me in on Monday morning....
Letterkenny on the move
In a round-up of the Big Freeze on Saturday, the ‘Irish Independent’ touched on the happenings - or not - in the various geographical areas of the country. And the last line in their report on the situation in the South-West mentioned that “road conditions were particularly dangerous around Letterkenny.”
At this point in time, we wouldn’t mind be in the South-West. As long as it was the South-West of somewhere warm. Remember that? Somwhere warm?
Grit fund
It’s probably costing a fair bit to have these Council workers (and what a job they’re doing) out gritting our roads every day. Is there a slush fund for this sort of thing...?
