It’s been all over the news of late …. No, not Brexit, nor the troubles facing the Labour Party. Instead the papers have been obsessed with the break-up of Brad and Angelina! Branjelina Alert!!! Its been headline news feeding our never-ending obsession for celebrity gossip. The most picture-perfect couple are no longer, adorn your hip Shoreditch black clobber and start your mourning process immediately! Do not pass go and do not collect £200!
This got me to thinking of a theatrical bust-up that I once witnessed. Where no love was lost and divorce was inevitable!
I was part of a show where the leading lady fired three leading men in quick succession. Let’s just say leading man ‘number 1’ barely lasted a week beyond our doomed press night and was shipped off back to America without so much as a Bon Voyage! A week later on our midweek matinee day we did the the first performance with leading man ‘number 2’. We were then called to the stage between shows to say that ‘number 3’ would play the role from that evening on due to more issues of misunderstanding and conflict! The theatre was awash with unhappiness, all of us in were in a constant state of fear for who the leading lady would throw overboard next! A theatrical bust up indeed worthy of headline news.. well maybe in The Stage anyway!
The audience however would never have known. I used to watch said leading lady plus anyone of her trio of leading men from the wings believing in their on stage romance. The minute they entered the wings daggers were drawn and the loathing recommenced. It was oddly delicious to watch and kept us all entertained during our rather limited run!!
Thankfully I made it through the run and I’m still here to tell the tale!
Perhaps the best advice I could offer anyone dealing with a bust up is something my brilliant ballet teacher at college once said to me…… “Andrew, never let them see the pain”.
Wise words indeed!
25/9/16
