#Clyde Henry Productions

[tyttetardis]

Macbeth Donmar Supporter's Zoom Conversation

On the 9th of May 2023 Donmar Warehouse held a Zoom "meeting" for supporters where Michael Longhurst talked about their two newly announced productions - Clyde's and Macbeth. This was a week before tickets went on general sale and before they announced that Cush Jumbo would be playing Lady Macbeth.

At the time it was all, of course, quite exciting since everything they revealed during the talk was brand new info! Most of which wouldn't be known at large until the play was being perfomed (or later). I think only about 80 people participated, most of which I think either worked for the Donmar or were members at much higher levels.

Today it's no longer new information as such, but I thought it might still be interesting to make a post about what was said during this talk :)

Michael first spoke about Clyde's (which I didn't actually listen much too) and then introduced Macbeth as their Christmas show (using the word Christmas "incredibly tenuously") saying the cast was yet to be revealed, but called it a beautiful ensamble piece, and that they were in the process of casting with the cast to be revealed "shortly".

He then went on to say that the casting that was revealed the week before made a bit of a spark - David Tennant coming to the Donmar to play Macbeth :) He mentioned it being directed by Max Webster since Michael was so impressed with how he did Henry V the year before. He said they had a joyful process of going to their favourite actors trying to match slots and titles to the actors that they love - and that they were thrilled that Mr. Tennant was stepping up to the Scottish play - "we felt it was time!"

"He [David] has obviousley given amazing Shakespearean performances - Hamlet, Richard II at the RSC - I, yeah, I think his verse speaking is frankly unparalleled, it's a thing of beauty. He's quicksilver, but he can push himself into the most extraordinary characterisations."

He went on to say that David and Max were deep into discussions about what this production should be. He said there's always Macbeths, but he thought what they would do so spectacularly would be to allow it to be a deeply psychological take on the play (facilitated/inspired by the Donmar's space).

He said they had a very exciting Lady Macbeth who would be announced in a week. He said she was a Donmar alumni who had a great Shakespearean set of works under her belt. He was thrilled to reunite her with David, saying that they had just done a TV series together. "So you can go do some subtle googling, but please don't share it" :P "It's amazing, they are gonna be a fierce combination!"

Someone then asked about whether the show would be streamed to which Michael said they were having conversations about it since there was a LOT of interest and they knew demand for this show with David would be incredibly high. So they would be doing everything they could to get the show streamed, it was their absolute ambition. Not least since it would be amazing to be able to share it with students. So they were in those conversations "as we speak". He later talks about it again - saying that streaming is a way of mass sharing, even if it can't recreate the experience of closeness at the Donmar. That they would try to secure screenings of it since they were aware it would be very popular "It's almost a curse of having such an intimate theatre - that when you program a star like that, it becomes huge".

Choosing to stage Macbeth was down to Michael and Max having a conversation about a short list of Shakespeare plays Max was keen to have a go at and them talking about various leading actors (later he expands on this as Max having had conversations with potential leading actors on which titles they were inspired with/ to perform - sorta like an Actors dating spree, 6 months ago) to decide which one would be the best one for this moment - "David's availibity created this window between two massive screen projects and it felt like the one to grab". Macbeth hadn't been staged at the "Donmar" since 1976 - with the legendary Dench and McKellen version. Michael said he thinks that the Donmar stage is the perfect space for Macbeth since "it allows the director and the lead actor to utterly hold a room of people in a way that'd be thrilling and terrifying, that you can't necessarily do in other spaces". He then said that he didn't think Max was interested in the witches and the supernatural as real entities but rather looking at psychological, trauma related reasons to explore those devices within the play. He also said Max was very passionate about making it very Scottish and that he had already been meeting with Scottish folk musicians to create his ensemble team. Also that he was very interested in Lady M being from outside the Scottish hiearchy - that she's be unafraid to challenge that Scottish status quo.

For Michael it's about "the synergy of an actor who should be playing that character - and that is Mr. David Tennant because he is one of our greatest verse speakers, let alone the greatest Scottish verse speaker".

He said that the production would definitely be a contemporary set. A modern dress Macbeth.

He then said that the reason he wanted to back Max as a director is that he thinks he offers a brand of total theatre that is really exceptional. There was a question about the music used in Henry V, and Michael said he just knew about the Scottish folk music and that music would be a part of the show, and that music is always a big part of Max's shows.

Someone then asked if they consult with scools on what plays they are studying in order to choose what they put on. Michael says they were obviously very aware of Macbeth being part of the curriculum and that being one of the reasons they thought this was "the text. And obviousley with David and his DW background, he brings a huge appeal and accesibility for young people who might find Shakespeare challenging - and you know, being brought into that story by someone they know and love so well is...you know we saw the effect happen on Henry V, 40% of people coming to the Donmar were coming for the first time when we had Henry V on - and it's thrilling to expand that connection, and we know David will do the same".

[scotianostra]

On October 23rd 1295 the “Auld Alliance” treaty was signed between John Balliol, King of Scots, and Philippe IV of France.

The treaty stipulated that if either Scotland or France was attacked by England, the other country would invade English territory. However, this wasn’t quite as even-handed and mutually helpful as it seemed. For one, because the English had lands in France, all the French were required to do was continue their struggle against the English on their soil.

The cost of any outright war between Scotland and England, meanwhile, had to be borne entirely by the Scots.

But for a tiny nation like Scotland, alliance with mighty France was of great symbolic importance – even if it didn’t stop the English frequently invading Scotland during the centuries the Auld Alliance ran.

If you read my posts you will have seen the mention of battles fought, not only in England, but on French soil, where Scots fought and died, we were regarded as elite soldiers.

Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’ rightly portrays the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 as one of England’s greatest military victories. For the French it was a disaster that led to the near collapse of their kingdom. In their darkest hour the Dauphin turned to the Scots, England’s enemy, for salvation.

Between 1419 and 1424, 15,000 Scots left from the River Clyde to fight in France. In 1421 at the Battle of Bauge the Scots dealt a crushing defeat to the English and slew the Duke of Clarence.

Honours and rewards were heaped upon the Scots army by the French. The Earl of Douglas was given the royal Dukedom of Touraine and the Scots army lived well off the land, much to the chagrin of the French peasantry.

Their victory was short lived however; at Vernuil in 1424 a Scots army of 4,000 men was annihilated. As mercenaries they could have expected no mercy and those who were captured were dispatched on the spot. Despite their defeat, the Scots had brought France valuable breathing space and effectively saved the country from English domination.

Many Scots continued to serve in France. They aided Joan of Arc in her famous relief of Orleans and many went on to form the Garde Écossais, the fiercely loyal bodyguard of the French Kings, where they were at the very heart of French politics.

Many Scots mercenaries settled in France although they continued to think of themselves as Scots. One such man was Beraud Stuart of Aubigny: a third-generation Scot immigrant, Captain of the Garde Écossais from 1493-1508, and hero of France’s Italian wars. To this day both he and other Scots heroes of the Auld Alliance are celebrated in Beraud’s home town of Aubigny-sur-Neve in an annual pageant.

The Auld Alliance wasn’t simply a military alliance; it was based on a long-established friendship founded on the Scots love of French wine.

The signing of the Auld Alliance in 1295 might have given the Scots French support against England, but it also gave the Scottish merchants the privilege of selecting the first choice of Bordeaux’s finest wines - a privilege which was eagerly protected for hundreds of years, much to the annoyance of English wine drinkers who received an inferior product.

French wine was landed on Wine Quay of Leith and rolled up the streets to the merchants’ cellars behind the water front. The wine landed was mostly for the elite of Scottish society, with most commoners drinking whisky or beer, but it seems to have been popular with everyone for Hogmanay celebrations.

Trade, especially of wine, has a tendency to fly in the face of political changes and alliances. After the Reformation, the Auld Alliance was no longer feasible between Protestant Scotland and Catholic France, but the trade in Claret continued. People simply kept drinking it.

An example of this process can be seen in the post-Reformation destiny of St Anthony’s fund: a charitable fund raised on the back of the wine trade. The fund was simply converted to Protestantism by King James VI and passed onto the Old Leith Parish Church.

As late as the 1670s, Scots merchants were still going to Bordeaux to get their first choice of wine. Even after the Union of Parliaments with England in 1707, Scots continued to smuggle Claret into Scotland to avoid taxes. Scots of all persuasions, Jacobite or Hanoverian, continued to drink Claret in preference to patriotic Port - especially when toasting the exiled Stuart kings as 'the King over the water’.

[byneddiedingo]

Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate (Mike Nichols, 1967)

Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, William Daniels, Murray Hamilton, Elizabeth Wilson, Buck Henry, Brian Avery, Walter Brooke, Norman Fell, Alice Ghostley, Marion Lorne, Eddra Gale. Screenplay: Calder Willingham, Buck Henry, based on a novel by Charles Webb. Cinematography: Robert Surtees. Production design: Richard Sylbert. Film editing: Sam O’Steen. 

The Graduate and It Happened One Night (Frank Capra, 1934) are both fine examples of the "runaway bride" trope, but there the resemblance ends in irony. In the latter, Ellie (Claudette Colbert) balks at the altar and runs away, veil and train streaming, into the arms of Peter (Clark Gable), but we never see them together: The film ends with the sound of a toy trumpet and we see the "walls of Jericho" blanket falling. It's a gratifying "happy ending," in which order is brought out of chaos, which is the way a romantic comedy is traditionally supposed to end. But in The Graduate the situation is reversed: The wedding that is supposed to restore order ends in chaos, as Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) arrives to carry off Elaine (Katharine Ross), interrupting the nuptial kiss after the wedding is over. And then we see them together on the bus, as Nichols holds the camera on their faces just a little longer than he might: The smiles on their faces begin to fade, and uncertainty takes hold. We aren't supposed to wonder about what happens to Ellie and Peter, but we can't help feeling the chill of reality fall over Elaine and Benjamin. Watching The Graduate today, I find it a troubling, even cynical treatment of some serious themes. Benjamin, for example, seems to be designed as a comic figure, with his little gulps and tics and his awkwardness when faced with the seductive Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). But a more sympathetic viewer might diagnose him as clinically depressed, desperately being borne along by the tide of events, just as he's borne along by the moving sidewalk at the airport in the film's beginning, and then trying to avoid the consequences of the freedom he has earned by graduating. He escapes from the adult world into his room, with its burbling fish tank that foreshadows his underwater escape when he's expected to "perform" in the scuba gear he's been presented by his parents. When he does commit himself to a course of action, deciding suddenly and almost arbitrarily that he will marry Elaine, he has clearly lost his mind. And is there a sadder figure in movies than Mrs. Robinson, who lives in alcoholic denial of the disaster her life has become? Bancroft's performance in the scene in which Benjamin tries to get her to open up about her life is simply stunning. The screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry is the only really funny part of the film, with its classically quotable lines: "Plastics." "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. ... Aren't you?" "I think you're the most attractive of all my parents' friends." It's Nichols's direction that turns our attention to the reality undermining the comedy. The Graduate is often seen as a kind of twin to Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn, 1967): two films that announce an epochal shift in Hollywood, upending audience expectations by addressing themselves to a more sophisticated young audience. As a satire on upper-middle-class life in the mid-20th century that masquerades as a romantic comedy, The Graduate was enormously influential. I just can't make up my mind whether that influence was for the good.

[hitchell-mope]

Hypothetical titles for season 31 of 88.

The family eye. Season premiere. Part one. The hunt is on for Griselda Windward. Meanwhile Glinda has some surprising news for Ethan about his heritage.

Tornado watch. Season premiere. Part two. Drummond gets an idea on how to trap Eula and Griselda back in Oz. But he’ll need Odessa, Lysander, David, Clyde and Justine’s help in summoning the required storm to do it though.

The wonderful wreckage of Oz. Now they’ve crossed worlds, Drummond and his team can see just how bad the Windward sisters have desecrated the land. Back in New York, Sidney and Tony work on a plan to trap Eula with Tattypoo’s help.

The man in the basement. In the ruins of the emerald city Odessa and come find a frightened old man clutching a battered old book. In New York, Ethan works on rewriting the Oz books to middling success. Guest starring Eric Stonestreet as Oscar Diggs.

Queendom. Drummond’s team is paid a visit by the army of Chinatown, run afoul of their government and learn Oz’s sociopolitical history. In New York, Griselda offers a trade. Delaney for her glass eye. Guest starring Abigail Spencer as the Little China Queen.

Straw, rust and fur oh my. Justine has a plan. And it involves some very notable figures. In New York, Jacob makes some enemies at Christiane Cambridge’s funeral. Guest starring Travis Schuldt as The Scarecrow/Cameron St. John, Scott Foley as The Tinman/Matthew Tisdale and Ed Helms as Cowardly Lion/Louis Chapman.

Beware the blood flowers. In Winkie Country Drummond has a stand off with a wheelchair bound woman keeping her niece under lock and key. In New York Griselda summons reinforcements from The Great Book. Guest starring Angie Harmon as Mombi/Aunt Em and Brooklyn Prince as Tip/Princess Ozma/Dorothy Gale.

Pulp. Drummond’s team gathers their newfound allies together to find a way to stop the Windward witch’s. Meanwhile. New York State is in lockdown as pumpkins rain down from the sky in Griselda’s latest attempt to return home. Guest starring Sean Astin as Jack Pumpkinhead/Uncle Henry.

No good deed goes unpunished. Justine is plagued by visions that end in tragedy. In New York, Griselda’s body and Eula’s left eye is found on a squad car outside the precinct with Eula herself nowhere to be seen. Guest starring Jennifer Coolidge as Aida Cambridge. Final appearance of Abigail Spencer as the Little China Queen

As long as you’re mine. With the forced transformations progressing rapidly, the three couples try to enjoy each other’s company one last time while they work on the reversal. In New York Glinda, grieving one daughter’s demise and another’s disappearance, begs Ethan to finish the book’s rewrite as soon as possible.

The gnome knows. Drummond and Odessa search for possibly the one person who can reverse the transformations. Back in New York A plastic surgeon might have become Eula’s latest accomplice. Guest starring Lee Arenberg as the Gnome King/Frank Stein.

Forsaken skin. Midseason finale. Part one. Gnome King does have a way to revere the transformations. But it’s going to hurt. Back in New York. It’s Christmas Eve. And the precincts forensics expert may have found out how the Windward sisters are creating the book. Guest starring Erin Cahill as Shona Kean.

The great book. Midseason premiere. Part two. Now back from Oz, Drummond helps Sidney and the team analyse the pages the have. Meanwhile, Tattypoo enlists the help of Findlay and Shona to play a trap for Eula as the Gale’s reunite. Guest starring Jamie Murray as the Patchwork Woman/Professor Polly Basildon.

March of the witch hunters. Eula’s getting desperate to finish what Griselda started with the whole of New York State on the lookout for her. Meanwhile Barnaby gets some air time on The Mages And The Mundane to promote his latest product. Guest starring Chris Pratt as Emerson Davenport and Jameson Oarlock.

Going biblical. Eula uses a spate of serial murders where male models are found shorn and mutilated to cover up her plans. However. Andy knows exactly who the culprit is. Guest starring Angourie Rice as Delilah Carthage-Montgomery.

Trike. Butterball is hit by a rogue cyclist with a very familiar attitude. From this episode Elizabeth Lail returns as both Griselda Windward and Almira Gulch.

Not my stable. Part one. Findlay plans to lounge around for the evening when Oswald takes Zoey and Arlene to the met for a fundraiser he’s holding for a charity he sponsors hits a snag when Griselda and Eula attack.

Not my horses. Part two. The fundraiser is held hostage when the Windward sisters demand horse blood. And they’re very spoilt for choice.

Brain stem. Sidney’s team is called to the hospital to protect a neurosurgery patient from Griselda and Eula’s hunt for human material. Guest starring Audra McDonald as Doctor Corinna Corsica and Rupaul Charles as Morton James

Dog in a basket. Much to Dorothy’s delight. Jonah is followed home by an impossibly agent old friend. Guest starring EG Daily as the voice if Toto.

Leak. Findlay uses an unwitting Arlene as a pawn on the chessboard so that she and Sidney can lure Griselda and Eula into a false sense of security.

Plethora. New York State is a powder keg set to blow sky high unless Andy, Gideon, David and Clyde can track down Shona and Delilah in time.

Volans simias. Season finale. Part one. With flying monkeys attacking the city the team puts their final plan into motion. As does the Windward Sisters.

Silver shoe blues. Season finale. Part two. Ethan finally completes the rewrite. Now all that’s left to do is to find somebody who can read it.

[telodogratis]

La grafica di South of Midnight è stata creata in collaborazione con degli esperti di stop-motion

La grafica di South of Midnight è stata creata in collaborazione con degli esperti di stop-motion Compulsion Games ha pubblicato un breve video diario in cui documenta la collaborazione con Clyde Henry Productions per le animazioni in stile stop-motion di South of Midnight. Powered by WPeMatico Compulsion Games ha pubblicato un breve video diario in cui documenta la collaborazione con Clyde Henry…

[vitapictura]

YASMYN. Clarity for a Day or Two | Documentary | Trailer from Vita Pictura on Vimeo.

Experience the captivating journey of Yasmyn (Sinencia Jasmine Kass), a visionary artist whose roots span Dominican and Estonian heritage, a fusion that reflects her unique perspective in a world still discovering diversity. Yasmyn's daring, experimental music carved a niche and won her a devoted following. However, when the pandemic brought live concerts to a grinding halt, Yasmyn faced a daunting challenge. Forced to navigate the uncertainties of her twenties, she found herself balancing a life as a nail technician while fiercely holding onto her musical dreams.

Witness her unwavering determination as she battles through the universal struggles of this pivotal age – the relentless pursuit of success in the unforgiving music industry, the quest for financial stability, and the nurturing of relationships, both onstage and off.

This gripping narrative of resilience leads to a triumphant crescendo, where Yasmyn defies the odds on the biggest awards night of the year. Experience the artist's journey from hardship to glory, in a story of creativity and perseverance.

Production Company | Vita Pictura  vitapictura.co

Film Distribution | Film Tower / Margus Õunapuu

Directors & Producers | Anastasia Zazhitskaya & Georgius Misjura Producer l Roman Pototski Cinematography | Anastasia Zazhitskaya, Kaspar Kolk, Nikita Jegorov, Nikita Kurashov Poster & Teaser | Felix Laasme

Additional Footage | Axel Barde, Clyde Sistach, Aleksei Kulikov, Feliks Laasme, Kaspar Kolk, Martin Raid, Max Kazmirevski, Serj Rimma, Georg Puhm, Kevin Kohjus, Bedwetters, ProLab, Eesti Rahvusringhääling

Post-Production Company | Vita Pictura Color Grading | Lev Kovalenko Video Editors | Isam Muhammad, Georgius Misjura, Grete-Elisabeth Lauri, Lev Kovalenko, Victoria Villig Sound Design & Mixing l Venla Rummukainen Motion Design l Henry Parelo, Sukhpal Bhogal Translators l Grete-Elisabeth Lauri, Sinencia Jasmine Kass, Roman Pototski 

Special Thanks to l FastRise, Peeter Ehala, TIKS rekords, Bon Bon Lingerie, Bedwetters, Anneli Savitski, Number One Fight Show, Igor Shinkevich, Martin Raid, ProLab

Music l YASMYN & Caspar Mágus

Listen to YASMYN’s latest album Round III:
open.spotify.com/album/2tqFO1Rq97rLFMNqDAc18Z?si=wlaSdVNPRDC3gIHqJDZtvg 

» Connect with Vita Pictura Facebook → facebook.com/vitapictura Twitter → twitter.com/vitapictura Instagram → instagram.com/vitapictura Youtube → youtube.com/vitapictura Vimeo → vimeo.com/vitapictura

Contact us via E-Mail: info@vitapictura.co

[nofatclips]

Good Morning Mr. Wolf by Patrick Watson from the album Love Songs For Robots - Directed by Maciek Szczerbowski and Chris Lavis

[gebo4482]

La jeune fille qui pleurait des perles

Dir: Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski

NFB / Instagram

[moviemosaics]

Madame Tutli-Putli

directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, 2007

[safarigirlsp]

How do you feel about adding Serge from Megalopolis to your roundup? (Personally, I'm not going super crazy over the pics and the little bit I've read about his character, but I suppose it'll depend on how he's revealed in the movie.)

Hi and thank you for your message!

I was seriously excited when the Megalopolis news dropped. Francis Ford Coppola made the sexiest Dracula movie ever and even managed to make Gary Oldman kind of hot! I assumed he would make AD smoldering hot! I even read the script myself and although I wasn’t blown away, I thought it could be fun and had potential. I even like the name Serge. And I definitely love and prefer anti-heroes, villains, and bastards!

It was a bad day for me when those pics of that absolutely hideous hair dropped. Omg I was and am so pissed about it! What a fucking travesty to butcher AD’s hair like that - a man who has some of the best hair out there. It’s criminal. It’s like one of my best friends has said — Paul Giamatti exists and he’s a superb actor, so if you want someone who looks fugly but can act, get someone who’s fugly and can act! Don’t get one of the hottest men in the world and turn him into Paul Giamatti!

I personally only like men with good hair that is at least on the longer side and facial hair, both in actors and in real life. Almost without exception, short hair and clean shaven is a no-fly zone for me, along with blondes, redheads, and small men 🤣 There are exceptions, of course! But the super short Serge cut is an absolute turnoff for me. I just can’t. There is nothing he could do to redeem himself into being attractive to me short of getting a makeover. I might like the movie and the character, that remains to be seen, and I actually assume I might. But he’s very very unattractive to me. Like White Noise, I actually liked the movie quite a lot, but I’m very not into Jack as an object of attraction lol. If anyone else is into them, that’s awesome and more power to you! But it’s not my thing.

I’m so so happy for and excited by 65! I’m absolutely adding Mills to my lineup and I already have a couple things in the works for him and a bigger story planned. I’m also working on a fun AU for one of my friends who made an AD edit that looks like Cruella DeVille and asked for a thing with him 🤣 After 65 though, it looks like I’m in for a long drought of characters I find hot and am excited by.

As of January 1, I dropped Clyde, Henry, and Charlie from my lineup because I’m just so much more into Jacques and Flip, and I know I’m going to be obsessed with Mills. For the foreseeable future, I’ll be keeping my lineup to them and Kylo AUs. I’ll have my plate full with those four for anything I try to write this year. I also just enjoy writing them the most. And some other guys may show up for cameos here and there or as specials for friends!

My lineup was starting to look like this for a while 🤣

I’ve really been losing steam with the fic business just because it seems like there are much more meaningful and productive things I could and should be doing with my time. I have a novel I’m finishing and another crank out this year, so those definitely take priority, but I’ve generally enjoyed splitting it up with fics. I’ve literally written over a million words in fiction since 2020, and I go back and forth as to whether or not its been worth it or just a pathetic waste of time and cry for help 🤣 It feels like throwing it out into a void a lot of the time. However, at least it’s been good practice, which is why I’ve kept it up!

If you are into or get into Serge, I’m sure there will be plenty of fics out there for him! I expect him to be one of the more popular guys in fics going forward. If you get into Mills, I’ll definitely be your guy for him!

Sorry, that was an overly long-winded answer to your question! Talk about obnoxiously over-sharing 🤣

[scotianostra]

On October 23rd 1295 the “Auld Alliance” treaty was signed between John Balliol, King of Scots, and Philippe IV of France.

The treaty stipulated that if either Scotland or France was attacked by England, the other country would invade English territory. However, this wasn’t quite as even-handed and mutually helpful as it seemed. For one, because the English had lands in France, all the French were required to do was continue their struggle against the English on their soil.

The cost of any outright war between Scotland and England, meanwhile, had to be borne entirely by the Scots.

But for a tiny nation like Scotland, alliance with mighty France was of great symbolic importance – even if it didn’t stop the English frequently invading Scotland during the centuries the Auld Alliance ran.

If you read my posts you will have seen the mention of battles fought, not only in England, but on French soil, where Scots fought and died, we were regarded as elite soldiers.

Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’ rightly portrays the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 as one of England’s greatest military victories. For the French it was a disaster that led to the near collapse of their kingdom. In their darkest hour the Dauphin turned to the Scots, England’s enemy, for salvation.

Between 1419 and 1424, 15,000 Scots left from the River Clyde to fight in France. In 1421 at the Battle of Bauge the Scots dealt a crushing defeat to the English and slew the Duke of Clarence.

Honours and rewards were heaped upon the Scots army by the French. The Earl of Douglas was given the royal Dukedom of Touraine and the Scots army lived well off the land, much to the chagrin of the French peasantry.

Their victory was short lived however; at Vernuil in 1424 a Scots army of 4,000 men was annihilated. As mercenaries they could have expected no mercy and those who were captured were dispatched on the spot. Despite their defeat, the Scots had brought France valuable breathing space and effectively saved the country from English domination.

Many Scots continued to serve in France. They aided Joan of Arc in her famous relief of Orleans and many went on to form the Garde Écossais, the fiercely loyal bodyguard of the French Kings, where they were at the very heart of French politics.

Many Scots mercenaries settled in France although they continued to think of themselves as Scots. One such man was Beraud Stuart of Aubigny: a third-generation Scot immigrant, Captain of the Garde Écossais from 1493-1508, and hero of France’s Italian wars. To this day both he and other Scots heroes of the Auld Alliance are celebrated in Beraud’s home town of Aubigny-sur-Neve in an annual pageant.

The Auld Alliance wasn’t simply a military alliance; it was based on a long-established friendship founded on the Scots love of French wine.

The signing of the Auld Alliance in 1295 might have given the Scots French support against England, but it also gave the Scottish merchants the privilege of selecting the first choice of Bordeaux’s finest wines - a privilege which was eagerly protected for hundreds of years, much to the annoyance of English wine drinkers who received an inferior product.

French wine was landed on Wine Quay of Leith and rolled up the streets to the merchants’ cellars behind the water front. The wine landed was mostly for the elite of Scottish society, with most commoners drinking whisky or beer, but it seems to have been popular with everyone for Hogmanay celebrations.

Trade, especially of wine, has a tendency to fly in the face of political changes and alliances. After the Reformation, the Auld Alliance was no longer feasible between Protestant Scotland and Catholic France, but the trade in Claret continued. People simply kept drinking it.

An example of this process can be seen in the post-Reformation destiny of St Anthony’s fund: a charitable fund raised on the back of the wine trade. The fund was simply converted to Protestantism by King James VI and passed onto the Old Leith Parish Church.

As late as the 1670s, Scots merchants were still going to Bordeaux to get their first choice of wine. Even after the Union of Parliaments with England in 1707, Scots continued to smuggle Claret into Scotland to avoid taxes. Scots of all persuasions, Jacobite or Hanoverian, continued to drink Claret in preference to patriotic Port - especially when toasting the exiled Stuart kings as 'the King over the water’.

[classicfilmfan64]

I’m watching the Criterion collection’s remastered version, of this classic film noir bank robbery, ‘take it on the lam, from the cops’, caper picture. This is definitely a prototype, for so many more bank robbery crime caper movies. I never understood why people would rob banks, commit murder and mayhem, then expect to magically get away with it? Why would you want to be forever paranoid, that cops were following your every move, lurking around every corner?

I recall reading about the infamous Hays Hollywood production code, which said that ‘crime must not pay’, in films, the bad guys must always be shown to have to pay for their crimes, in jail, or be killed by the police. Today, it’s even harder to get away with it, than in the 1930s and 40s, and yet these crimes still exist. The idea of getting something for nothing, by stealing, and robbing and burglarizing has never gone away.

Check out the movie, if you can. Netflix has the Criterion Blu Ray, and maybe DVD, too. Also try looking for DVD movies, online, at your local public library, I have found LOTS of great old movies, that way.

· Cathy O'Donnell as Catherine "Keechie" Mobley

· Farley Granger as Arthur "Bowie" Bowers

· Howard Da Silva as Chicamaw "One-Eye" Mobley

· Jay C. Flippen as Henry "T-Dub" Mansfield

· Helen Craig as Mattie

· Will Wright as Mobley

They Live by Night is a 1948 American film noir directed by Nicholas Ray, in his directorial debut, and starring Cathy O'Donnell and Farley Granger. Based on Edward Anderson's Depression-era novel Thieves Like Us, the film follows a young convict on the run who falls in love with a woman and attempts to begin a life with her.

The film opened theatrically in London in August 1948 under the title The Twisted Road, before it was released in the United States by RKO Radio Pictures as They Live by Night in November 1949. Though it received favorable reviews from film critics, it was a box-office failure, losing the studio $445,000.

Although the film is considered by many to be the prototype for the "couple on the run" genre, and is generally seen as the forerunner to the movie Bonnie and Clyde, the first telling of the story was actually the 1939 Persons in Hiding, based on the J. Edgar Hoover memoir of the same title.

[lesbian-stu-macher]

Musicals based on history/true stories that aren’t Hamilton (most of which are better imo)

my personal faves are bolded

- lizzie: THIS FUCKING SHOW OKAY— 1. all women cast. 2. lesbians. 3. sickass rock score. based on the borden axe murders (tw for murder, sexual abuse, and animal abuse)

- assassins: i fucking love this show ok. if you’ve seen the politician, yes it’s a real sondheim show about (most of) the people who killed (or tried to kill) us presidents. (tw for murder obv, suicide, and the n-word is used once)

- six: if you’re on tiktok, you probably know about it. i always said it’s like if lady gaga wrote hamilton. based on the six wives of henry viii (tw for death and some sexual assault mention?)

- catch me if you can: two words: Aaron Tveit. based on the autobiography of frank abangale jr, a conman during the 60s (based on the movie!) oh also kerry butler and norbert leo butz r in it

- jesus christ superstar: okay hear me out. alw wrote this without the intention of religion, he wrote it to tell a story of someone who was in the right place at the right time. written in the 70s and full of absolute bangers. the recent nbc version featured John legend, Sara barrellies, Jason tam, and Brandon victor Dixon. tw for death obv

- evita: okay so there is a total whitewashing issue with this cast, but the music really does slap. alw back at it again and you can’t move an inch in any direction of the theatre fandom without knowing don’t cry for me Argentina exists. tw for death

- 1776: this is an older one, but my local library had the movie, so i watched it. Hamilton actually references this show (“sit down, John, you FAT MOTHER-“ is a reference to one of the best songs from the show, sit down John.) and the music vibes. it’s a pretty short soundtrack, so definitely recommend. there’s a weird song about slaves in there somewhere but they don’t say the n word or anything in it, I’ll have to listen actively if there is an issue.

feel free to add!

UPDATE: others that i love sm and totally forgot abt bc this is an old draft

- fun home: inspired by the book of the same name! tells the story of Alison bechdel; a lesbian cartoonist. first broadway musical with a lesbian protag, very gay, jenn colella and Caitlin kinunen (I cant spell it’s fine) were in a reading of it as Alison and medium Alison respectively. oh Michael Cerveris too. tw for death, a literal song about kids having fun in a funeral home, and suicide (mentioned multiple times, given a visual description and acted upon)

- Bonnie and Clyde: cmon. it’s Jeremy jordan and Laura osnes, need I say more? Oh also Louis Hobson from n2n is in it as the antagonist. not gay but it’s the 20s and the music slaps hard. also harmonies that could literally kill. tw for death, murder, guns, crime, I think that’s it?

- come from away: probably my favorite show on bway rn. absolutely gorgeous show about the planes rerouted to Newfoundland, Canada after 9/11. shows the impact on real life people in multiple situations, how minorities are impacted, etc. tw for Muslim hate, 9/11, death mentions, I think that’s it?

- parade: haven’t heard it all, but the one song I have heard is amazing. Based on the true story of a Jewish man being sentenced to death (I believe?) after a false accusation of him raping a young girl. tw for rape, death mention, probably some antisemitism (again, haven’t heard it all the way)

These two are more so period pieces inspired by true events but nonetheless

- ragtime: haven’t heard it but I’ve heard it’s really good. talks about three different groups in the early 20th century America (African Americans, Jewish Latvian immigrants, and an upper class family)

- miss Saigon: original production is kinda a big yikes but the music is good. they’ve noted some of the error of their ways and there is no more yellow face and there is actual Vietnamese rather than gibberish in the show now. Pulls a lot of white savior bullshit too. (ppl can stop telling me about how problematic this show is because I’m fucking aware, okay? That’s why I wrote disclaimers. Jesus Christ.) About the Vietnam war. tw for death, war, prostitution

[whump-town]

The Fever That Burns

I don't want to hear a word-- this wasn't even my idea. This is all @genevievedarcygranger fault. I am a slave to the muse.

Hold on, keep hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times and brace for impact bc you're not gonna like this

No real warnings yet, I think but it's not going to be pretty

Part One:

When Emily Prentiss got the signal from Clyde Easter that she had the green light on getting Declan out of that house and away from Ian Doyle, she never looked back. Creating demons like that, leaving behind a past with men who hold grudges, means that she knew she would be haunted for the rest of her natural life. Her body and her mind will not recover but Declan will. He was a child, he deserved a world that he could not obtain anywhere near his father. She knew that the moment she took Declan, she could never go back. Forever from here on out, she would have to outrun that decision. She has to outrun Ian.

She could feel him closing in. The flowers-- the fucking flowers-- and that feeling in the depth of her gut. She knows he’s here and she didn’t run.

After Foyet, Hotch got sick. A fever that consumed his every thought with these twisted ideas about security while it ravished his healing body of what little energy he could spare. She’d seen it herself, the bloodshot aggravation that Derek threw words like “hypervigilance” and “social isolation” at. Before, she had seen Derek and Hotch go at it but not as much as what that fever caused them to say. The way that they looked at one another, wolves snarling at throats and she never knew which one she could put her back to. Which one to call down.

In the end, hypervigilance won out. Derek was right but he was too insistent, too hurt for her to take him too seriously at first. Then she’d had to work through the tangle of locks on Hotch’s front door, the only control he could formulate in his fever. He never took them down. When Jack came home-- more importantly, when Haley didn’t-- it took every bit of charisma and conviction she could give to convince him he didn’t more. Nothing would happen.

The monsters of the past are dead and they survived.

Nothing is going to happen.

At two in the morning, on the Saturday Hotch had spent the month promising Jack he’d take him to the aquarium, her monster comes knocking. The locks don’t matter-- a fever put them up and a fever brought them down. Ian Doyle stands in the living room of Aaron Hotchner’s apartment, two feet from the carpeted spot Derek Morgan spent an entire day ripping up, and he calls out for the man he knows is somewhere. For the man, and the boy, he can take away from Emily Prentiss the way she took his boy. There is no planning, intelligence breeds paranoia. The fever in Ian Doyle burns bright, strong. He will not be talked down.

The guns in their hands waver. Standing in only his boxers and a dirty white t-shirt, Aaron Hotchner’s hand tremors beyond his control. The sleep is still taking over his body and mind, his muscle haven’t woken enough to control themselves. To stifle the pains of the scars Foyet caused him but he’s there, he’s ready.

“Lower your weapon, Hotchner,” Ian drawls. He’s high as a kite, ready to die by the hands of the oaf in front of him or to take the boy as he plans. Either way… “I’d hate to see that boy of yours come out here. You already killed a man in front of him, how many more do you think it will take before he realizes you’re just like me?”

Hotch scowls, “I don’t even know who you are.”

Ian frowns, blinking for a moment as he takes in the man before him. “I know who you are,” Ian says. He knows everything about Aaron Hotchner. Pulled medical records, smirked into the fine lines of the abuse in his childhood spelled out in broken arms and countless contusions. He’s watched him with Emily, seen how close they are. She cares about him and with that thought Ian Doyle knows what he wants to do. He wants to take everything from her just as she took everything from him.

The gunfire shocks Jack awake, his little heart thundering in his chest as he recognizes the noise. It’s not the first time he’s woken with it but this marks the only time it was real. The only time that it had been a gunshot and not the product of an altogether far too lifelike feeling nightmare. Jack throws the comforter off his body, tearing out of his room with no more than the stuffed bear closest to him. He’s headed for his father’s room, feet carrying him blindly when he hits the living room.

He knows his father’s friends. The men and women he’s grown to call his aunts and uncles and he’d recognize them easily. He spends weekend nights with Uncle Dave on the occasional Saturday being pampered with blueberry waffles and toys. Uncle Derek and Aunt Penny take him to the park, always remembering the sunscreen. Sometimes Uncle Derek gives him his cool sunglasses and Jack feels like he runs so much faster with them on. Aunt JJ and Uncle Will have Henry, his very best friend but he’s also a baby so Jack has to be careful when they play. Aunt Emily comes over all the time and lets him watch Finding Nemo as many times as he wants.

Whoever this man is, Jack does not know him.

“Daddy?”

Ian looks up, leaving the sight of Hotch on the floor without a second thought. His gun still aimed at the downed man’s head. “Jack,” Ian recognizes with a smile. “You’re smaller than I thought.”

Jack can’t tear his eyes away from his father. He’s laid out on the floor, white t-shirt turning red as the blood on his chest expands rapidly down his sides. He doesn’t respond to either of the times Jack calls for him, no more than blinking heavily and making wet, choked sounds as blood pools out of his mouth. It scares Jack. His father is… he’s never lost. Not even with Foyet, Hotch saved Jack. He never burns pancakes and lets Jack get by only eating half the green beans on his plate. He never gets hurt.

“Will you come with me?” Ian asks, stepping into Jack’s line of sight and squatting down in front of the boy. Watching as his eyes move from Hotch and glue to Ian, allowing the man to get close to him. “I’d like it if you came with me, Jack. I think we can have some fun, you and I.”

Jack nods but glances away, “but--” His eyes wander back to his father, those choked sounds getting louder but Hotch doesn’t move. His chest starting to still but his eyes on them, watching Ian talk to Jack but unable to do a thing.

Ian places the gun against the side of Jack’s face, moving his head with light pressure back to him. “Never mind him,” Ian says. “Come with me, Jack.”

Jack nods because he isn’t sure what else to do. He goes with Ian, allowing the man to pick him up in his arms. Jack watches his father as Ian carries him away, confused by the tears streaming down his father’s face.

“Say goodbye to daddy.”

Jack waves and asks, “is he gonna be okay?”

Ian nods, shutting the front door behind them. “Don’t worry about him, Jack. It’s just you and I, now.” He smiles at the boy in his arms, “tell me, how much do you know about you Aunt Emily?”

Taking Declan away from Ian Doyle was a decision that Emily Prentiss promised herself she would never have to be guilty over. That boy deserved so much better than what he had with them and she hadn’t hesitated to put what little she had on the line to guarantee he got the chance at a normal life. Nothing she had was ever worth anything. Lauren Reynolds was just a shell and losing her was easy enough. No place had ever felt like home so moving on-demand hadn’t even crossed her mind as a con, if a place got boring she could just leave. Emily Prentiss had never had anything to lose, not a family or a life. She was, effectively, no one. A ghost. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Then they came.

The light she had only ever heard about reaching her darkness. She’d pulled away, afraid of what would happen when they saw her ink-black history, and noticed she always had more questions than answers. That she couldn’t smile like Reid and talk about where she came from as if her past was somehow behind her. How Morgan went dancing for the stress relief but she needed a mindless fuck, someone to forget. She found herself gaining traction, finally claiming worth. In the picture Will took at Henry’s birth, throwing up bunny ears behind Hotch’s head. Picking Garcia and Reid up at one of their conventions and hearing about a variety of far too new nerdy things for her to understand. Listening to JJ complain about living with a man and Morgan teasing her about past haircut disasters. Leaning on Hotch’s shoulder as the bourbon takes over, hearing Dave go one and on about his second divorce and Hotch humming occasionally so he feels heard. Realizing just how much she trusts them. All of them.

They give her something to lose and the first rule when outrunning the past-- never have anything worth taking.

“Alright, alright--” Emily stretches long and slow, her phone still wedged under her chin. She can hardly discern the information coming in through the other line. The thoughts in her mind are sticky, webbing of the past gumming up the cogs until she’s not entirely sure what’s being said. “Can you say that again?” she asks, stretching out to her left to feel that familiar pull on her ribs. The movement is nice without a bra on and she’s not sure if it’s JJ or Hotch on the other line but she doesn’t want to put on a bra and it’s tempting to just hang up and play dead. Emily who? She can’t come to the phone right now. You’ll have to call back lat--

“Hotch is in the hospital.”

Oh. All that stretching is for nothing, she can feel the ball of weight forming at the back of her neck. Pressing into her vertebrae, hurting from just holding her head up. “What happened?” Her fingers work into the groove, the chill of her skin shocking her, but the pressure she applies is futile. She imagines a thousand answers to that question but none of them are enough to prepare her for the real answer.

JJ clears her throat, her tears thickening her voice. “Shot,” comes her simple response and Emily is naive enough to consider that’s the end of it. He was shot. They’re going to have to hunt down another serial killer with a grudge but they’ve learned their lesson this time, right? Foyet taught them lessons about themselves that they needed to learn the hard way and they can beat it this time. Hotch will be fine and-- “And Jack’s gone.”

And Jack’s gone.

[amazingdriverfics]

Cleaning with the boys

A/N: Hey guys, how are you all doing? I hope you are all feeling good.

So I wrote some hc’s because it seems like forever since the last time and because I really miss my boyfriend, so I needed my heart to be filled with comfort and love and what better way to do that than to turn to the boys we love so much. 

I hope this warms your hearts just as much as it does mine and that you all enjoy the reading. As usual, my requests are open and feed back is always something I like - just be polite, ofc -. 

Warnings: none, just fluff 

My masterlist

Adam Sackler 

Cleaning your shared home is always funny, as a matter of fact you still haven’t found a single thing Sackler couldn’t make it enjoyable to you whenever you two were together. 

There is a little routine you and him always follow: the first thing is to play as loud as your phone could handle the playlist for the occasion, afterwards the two of you change into cleaning clothes: you use an old shirt of his that looked more like a dress in your body and he uses an old underwear stained with bleach and then you two are  finally ready to get the job done. 

The sound of the songs are quickly muffled by you and Adam singing completely out of key as you dance through the apartment, mop in hand while you watch as he cleans the kitchen. 

Although it might seem like a lie for some, you and him are actually really productive, dividing tasks equally and doing them the best you two can, making sure that by the end of the day anyone can eat from the floor or even lick the sink.

Of course things get messy, and it doesn’t really take that much time for it to happen, sooner than later you are soaked and Sackler is laughing and talking about your inability to clean like a grown up. You don’t let him stay dry as you hear it, making sure to wet your man with the water from your body as you kiss him deeply, causing him to forget every single word he had been saying. 

By the time you two finally finish doing the laundry, cleaning up the apartment and doing the dishes, you are both worn out, feeling like your muscles are on fire and ready to give up functioning any time. 

You lie on the floor next to him, looking directly into his brown eyes as you two talk about what to eat for dinner, both of your stomachs complaining and making noises that make you both laugh. 

The day ends just like it started, your body connected to his as you thank whatever it’s above there for putting Sackler on your life. 

Charlie Barber

Charlie is a methodical man and when it comes to cleaning your home, it is no different. 

He writes a to do list with all the things you, him and usually Henry need to do, just to make sure that nothing is left behind -at least that it is what he says -. 

Just because Charlie is organized, it doesn’t mean that cleaning couldn’t become something you liked to do. Especially when Henry is around, he tries to make things go as smoothly and light as possible, helping you both with every single thing you could possibly need and joking and playing around. 

The truth is you always love cleaning the house with your two boys. How domestic the whole thing is makes you heart warmer, remembering you in the best way possible that you were truly part of the family. 

It is always a good way to bond with Henry too. You and the boy really liked each other and you appreciated every single opportunity you had to make him feel comfortable with your presence, since not only it is important to Charlie for his son to like you, but mostly because you really want to please the kid. 

One of your favorite things to do with him as you two helped his dad is to prank the man, pretending some rat or roach is in the house as Henry got hidden somewhere, ready to scare the life out of his dad. 

In the end of the day, the three of you always sit on the couch, with popcorn and soda in hand, ready to watch a movie as a reward for all the hard work. By the end of it, Henry is already asleep in Charlie’s lap and you are holding his hand, pretending to pay attention to the screen as you look at him time and time again, knowing you had never been more in love in your life. 

Clyde Logan 

Just like everything he does, Clyde cleans the place with him with love and patience.

There is a certain ritual for chores day, it usually starts with a special breakfast that would help your bodies with the amount of exercise to come. You bake some pie as he does some scrambled eggs with the dry bacon he loves to eat. You two eat slowly, enjoying every bite as well as each other's presence. Afterwards you share a shower and get things ready to get started. 

The weekly event is always a sweet moment you two share, Clyde is, as usual, super helpful and he doesn’t let you do anything that comes close to something he considers to be dangerous, even if it is something not really that scary like carrying furniture somewhere else on your own.

You know that as the gentleman he is, he would definitely clean it all by himself as you lay on your bed if you hadn’t insisted on helping him the first week you two moved in together. 

Things go a bit slower than normal because you two don’t do separate chores, you both help each other with every task, making sure to clean every single corner with care.

Usually, you two listen to some romantic country songs while doing the chores, stopping with some frequency to dance a bit together, enjoying the sensation of each other’s body as you kiss him sweetly, your forehead touching his whenever your lips aren't attached. 

By the time you two are finally done with everything, you aren’t even tired. All the things and time you had spent with Clyde enough to make you feel brand new as he sits on the reclinable chair and you sit on his lap, your fingers massaging his scalp and feeling his smooth long hair as he massaged your back. 

You could do this every day.

[nofatclips]

Love Songs for Robots by Patrick Watson - Album trailer by Clyde Henry Productions