Curtains

Last week to the Rose at Kingston (upon Thames) to a revival of a play about assisted dying, or rather the lack of it, called 'Curtains'.

Bad start with the Rose car park being completely gummed up because some people were trying to get out at the same time as some other people were trying to get in. Nothing that could not had been sorted out by an old-style traffic policeman, but such was not to be had, despite the proximity of the police station, and a lot of drivers resorted to continental style hooting and honking. Luckily, BH had opted out of this one and so I was able to hop out of the car, leaving her to wait.

Down to the bridge over the Hogsmill where, for the first time for a long time, there were no fish to be seen on the courthouse side. Possibly because the river was swollen with meltwater and very murky, possibly because they weren't there.

Downstairs about half full for this Saturday matinée performance. Mainly older people, but a good sprinkling of younger people and some children. I think upstairs was more or less empty.

The programme include some thoughtful pieces about assisted dying from the playwright (Stephen Bill), a journalist (Lynn Barber) and a PhD candidate (Morven Cook). Which left me wondering how it is that our MP, one Chris Grayling, can continue to be in denial about the views of the 80% of his constituents who think that assisted dying is a good thing, a good thing which should be available to that small number of people who turn out to actually want it. Perhaps just another reminder that having a posh education is not the same as having any common sense.

Some drinking on stage, but no fags, although, to be fair, things got as far as someone wanting one.

I felt a bit cross at the end of the first half at what twits all the males had been made out to be, although the young lady behind me in the queue for interval drinks was quite sure that this was how it should be, making her point in a very witty way. But this turned out to be balanced by the females being pretty silly in the second half. With the twit of the day being the male grandson (someone else with a posh education, well done by Leo Bill) and the hero of the day being the female older daughter, this last being the one who actually had to oomph to do the deed with a large cushion. That apart, a useful reminder of how ridiculous so many of us become under stress, particularly of the friends and family variety. Or, in this case, of a very old member of the family who is losing it.

I was left wondering how it was that, compared with much of the rest of the western world, we do OK on gay marriage, but we do very badly on both recreational drugs and assisted dying. What on earth is the matter with us?

Reference 1: https://www.dignityindying.org.uk/.

Reference 2: http://dramalist.com/plays/721/curtains/stephen-bill.

Reference 3: https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/6093mi4g7c/SunResults_150724_assisted_dying_w.pdf.