Tuesday 14 January 2014

Ad Lib


Martin Schwab
image credit: Kurier 

Ad Lib

I remember a scene  
Unscripted - 
How a leading actor 
The veteran Schwab 
Abruptly halted a play 
And thereby saved 
As they say 
The day  

With a flick of the wrist
He produced a white square
From his pocket
To show a full house
The role of a cloth -
How to stifle a cough

To great and thankful applause. 



8 comments:

  1. (a) Was the play so bad it needed this diversion, or (b) did he have a coughing fit coming and he needed to stifle it quickly but hadn't expected to hold up proceedings?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rachel, it was a section of audience who were continualy coughing and habitually so and making no attempt to smother their coughs, as is often the case, in fact it got so bad in the konzerthaus that a notice was published in the programme, a quote from sir Alfred Grendel that silences are also a part of a performance ...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brendel not Grendel of course!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, I see. Sorry I was a bit dense.

    I also promise I would turn my mobile phone off in the theatre and stop talking to myself.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Not long ago I was given a ticket to a concert by the Vienna Philharmonic by someone who had a cold and couldn't go. Halfway through the first part of the concert someone's mobile phone started ringing. It wasn't your good self was it ;-) ??

    ReplyDelete
  6. I fumbled quickly for my phone as the conductor took his place and then couldn't see how to activate the silent button ......


    ReplyDelete
  7. No, that was in Waitrose at the checkout.

    ReplyDelete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.