‘Distressed – I sit for a while with a fallen tree and keep her company’ part 4
Portsmouth October 29th
The forth of 5 ‘catching up’ posts documenting the conversation and encounters on the next stage of the ‘Konfirm’ journey leading up to premier of play and start of ‘Konfirm 2’ which will then be a new blog later in 2014
‘tell me lies’
Sunday 20th October
Portsmouth – London – Portsmouth
We knew to attend 4 days before
a night of bad dreams herald the sunlight – alarms later than usual – we get ready – I shave – we bathe – we leave
Another train ride to London – third this week past familiar faces except this is the slow train – more stops – more faces – more people – thru the ‘dead zone with no radio signal -past 23 crows – through the hill – past ferns
past the rain
kids scream
I am scared
We arrive
we walk
the short
distance
frequent resting
rain
We sit just inside our destination and look about – we are at the BFI – Guests of Peter Brook – on the last day of the London Film Festival they are premiering the restored film ‘Tell me lies’ – made in 1967 – we sit to one side eating a sandwich watching – watching for others – familiar and non familiar faces – we chat to our neighbors also awaiting tickets – not long to the film we get them – we sit alongside the original cast with Simons daughter.
We say hello and enter the screening room – large plush we find our seats at the side in row G – we wait and talk illustration
the start: Introductions – Peter arrives at the side and is also introduced – a solid warm applause – he moves when the film starts
S E A T E D A N T I C I P A T I O N
1. An age gone and lost
2. Enduring relevance
3. A monk who burns
4. Acceptable costs considered
5. No gates to Number 10
S T U N I N G
Q&A – Warm applause
Duality of meanings
US and U.S.
The Lies we tell ourselves
The lies others tell to us
to soon it is over and all start to leave
We leave by the lower exit and head towards the reception – I have instructions – instructions I will not fulfill to the letter – The lady lifts the red rope and I enter – only the second and wait – Peter is there with someone – I wait – they say goodbye I say hello – ‘its me Jon’
I am greeted warmly – a hug a kiss to both cheeks – a 1000 year greeting – we chat brief to the point – we will wait till the cast and others have said hello then we will chat – pointing at a red bench we have more instruction to fullfill this time to the letter – others come so I move away bearing secrets
Clare finds her way to the area and I usher her in past onlookers – we sit on the red bench playing ‘spot the actor’ we have no I Spy book of actors to tick each box – we make our own as the crowd moves like moths
True to his word he finds us – seated we talk – hand on arm he meets us – the conversation now a blur – gentle words – after a long while he seeks out his wife and brings her to us – we talk more – share more – find more – we listen
soon its time to fly – we stand to say Goodbyes
walking in the rain to the station the words ‘Paris’ repeat and repeat
we are home 8:59 the train another blur
later
head to pillow
it hits me
I have continued on
the most wonderful and terrifying journey
