Friday 1 October 2010

SMILE!

An email and photo arrived from Rachel this morning which really made me smile - and with her permission, I've included it in today's blog.

It's Rachel having just purchased a copy of SHAMEFUL SECRET, SHOTGUN WEDDING and it really cheered me up on a morning where the rain is coming down in a relentless grey torrent and I'm trying to learn the plot of Hamlet before seeing the play tonight for the first time in my life! I know. How can I have lived this long without experiencing it?
Yesterday, I talked about coincidences and most of you will know that the opening scene of Hamlet is set at Elsinore - the Danish royal castle. Well, I grew up in a street called Elsinore! How's that for coincidcnce?

So....have you seen Hamlet - or are you doing something new this weekend?
(Oh, and if anybody else wants to send in a photo of one of my books in an interesting setting, I'll gladly feature it here).

13 comments:

  1. What a great photo! She's cheeed me up too! Caroline x

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  2. Opps - that should have been "cheered" - must learn to spell....

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  3. That was quick, Sharon, I'm smiling even more now!

    I went to see Hamlet in Oxford when I was studying it at A level, but to be honest I really can't remember much about it. Too busy thinking about boys and Ultravox I expect. A more mature and better read Rach would probably get a lot more out of it these days.

    Have a wonderful evening, Sharon and let us know how it goes.

    Still raining ...

    Lots of love,

    Rach.
    XX

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  4. Excellent picture, Rachel!

    I first saw Hamlet at a 'Shakespeare in the Park' production in New York's Central Park in 1990. It was exellent, but I haven't seen it since then. I'm sure you'll have an excellent time, Sharon.

    Unfortunately, this weekend is 'all work and no play' for me... But I hope everyone else enjoys theirs!

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  5. After re-reading my previous post, it's painfully obvious that I've had too much coffee this morning. My apologies for the abuse of the word, 'excellent'...

    Have a great weekend, everyone!

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  6. Yuo're in for a treat. I've seen quite a few versions of Hamlet, but the first was really special: it was just after I finished my A levels, at the RSC, with a fab cast. Brian Blessed, Virginia McKenna, Frances Barber, Roger Rees, Kenneth Branagh... Ah, memories :o)

    Lovely pic, Rach - that smile says it all!

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  7. Lovely photo, Rachel!

    I saw Hamlet twice at the theatre and I love both movies with Mel Gibson and Kenneth Branagh… (Branagh is stunning!). Plus, it’s one of my favourite tragedies of all time – differently from most people who seem to prefer Romeo and Juliet.

    I have two dinners out tonight and tomorrow in two wonderful restaurants by the sea – it’s a bit colder in Napoli now but always mesmerizing. Slight sea is so evocative…
    On Sunday I’m going to the cinema.

    Christopher Nolan’s new movie called “Inception” is just out in Italy and the plot seems intriguing. Generally, I love science fiction movies.
    Has anyone seen it? Any dispassionate opinions, please?

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  8. OK Sharon - here's a coincidence - the second one after us discovering how much we both love Sara Craven's Comparative Strangers and can quote that scene line for line . This weekend, I'm going to see Hamlet too - tonight. I'm going to the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield where John Simm from "Life on Mars" is playing Hamlet. Like T'Other Kate I've seen lots of different productions. It's a fascinating play. Hope you enjoyed your trip to the theatre - who was in that production?

    Kate

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  9. Gosh, what an erudite lot you all are with so many delicious-sounding Hamlet venues....Rach's Oxford, Dan's New York, Kate's RSC and Michela's two versions.....where?!

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  10. And Kate going to Sheffield's famous Crucible theatre on the very same weekend, to see the very same play.....yes! Coincidence!

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  11. Sharon, I saw the first version at the "Teatro Augusteo" in Napoli, one of the most important ones here and the second version at the theatre "La Fenice" (The Phoenix) in Venice.

    Brilliant performances by some of our most talented actors.

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  12. Michela, I've wanted to visit that theatre ever since I read Donna Leon's "Death at La Fenice". Is it as beautiful as it was described in the book?

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  13. Dan, La Fenice is amazing.
    It's one of those jewels which make me feel proud to be Italian (well, more than usual!).
    I've always loved its name because it contains the metaphor of "rising from the ashes" since the theatre was burned and rebuilt.

    And... what a great achievement.
    A triumph of gold and royalty. An evocative place which makes you daydream about events of the past. So, yes. It's beautiful as Mrs Leon describes it in her book. And it's really an interesting setting for a crime novel!

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