A Quick One

It proved to be a very wet day, the first real rain we've had up in Yorkshire for many weeks. We've been missing out on all the heavy showers that my mum down south keeps telling me about.

I had an evening out with E to go see Ralph Fiennes perform TS Eliot's Four Quartets at York Theatre Royal. It's not something I'd ever have chosen to see for myself but it's usually good when I'm dragged out of my comfort zone. The words were often impenetrable but at times also deeply resonant. I'd not realised before that Eliot was so interested in mysticism. This is poetry where you open your mind and find your own meanings. Or not! It's often not easy.

Apparently, this production came out of RF's lockdown experience. He decided to learn the four long pieces to keep himself busy - as you do - over 1,000 lines of them. Before tonight I couldn't have imagined it was possible to turn a set of difficult metaphysical poems into a spellbinding performance, but he did just that. He was on stage for a little over an hour. My mind drifted on a few occasions, but only a few. I have to admit that at most poetry readings my mind drifts away most of the time! The quality of the poetry and the quality of the reading makes a huge difference. 

As I struggle these days to remember the very simplest things, it's utterly astonishing to me that he was word perfect in its delivery. I think it must be one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed.