#St. George Theatre

[shakespearenews]

Boards trodden by the Bard have been discovered under layers of flooring at England’s oldest medieval guildhall as it undergoes a big refurbishment.

The 600-year-old oak floorboards are believed to be the only surviving stage from William Shakespeare’s time.

The discovery was made at St George’s Guildhall in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, which was a religious meeting house in the early 15th century. It later became a theatrical venue and it is claimed Shakespeare performed there.

In 1593, when London’s theatres were closed because of an outbreak of plague, Shakespeare and his company of actors were on tour in King’s Lynn. A note in the theatre’s account book shows Shakespeare’s company were paid by the borough to perform there.

[horsegirl]

the victorian poster: every butcher’s shop is called gremble and sons every music hall is called middlesex emporium theatre every newspaper is called the wensleydale telegraph every temperance group is called the order for the promotion of orderly behaviour every member of parliament is either called sir percival hilary st. john dyke-moore 6th viscount of cuntington or george brown every household management book is called mrs frumper’s complete encyclopedia of practical homemaking etiquette technique etc for the home every poetry book is called the selected poetical works of william f. boner volume one. and we experience all these things and more by god’s grace

[weirdlookindog]

St. Georges Theatre's production of “Destination inconnue” was directed in part by former Grand-Guignol director, Camille Choisy, 1928.

Poster art by Paul Colin

[scotianostra]

On December 27th 1904 J M Barrie's play "Peter Pan" premiered at the Duke of York Theatre, London.

J.M. Barrie created his character based on his older brother, David, who died in an ice-skating accident the day before his 14th birthday. His mother and brother thought of him as forever a boy. The "boy who wouldn't grow up"

The story of free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, interacting with fairies, pirates, mermaids, Native Americans, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside Neverland.

Peter Pan has become a cultural icon symbolizing youthful innocence and escapism. In addition to two distinct works by Barrie, the character has been featured in a variety of media and merchandise, both adapting and expanding on Barrie's works. These include a 1953 animated film, a 2003 dramatic/live-action film, a television series and many other works.

J. M. Barrie first used Peter Pan 2 years before, as a character in a section of The Little White Bird, an adult novel where he appears as a seven-day-old baby in the chapter entitled Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Following the success of the 1904 play, Barrie's publishers, Hodder and Stoughton, extracted chapters 13–18 of The Little White Bird and republished them in 1906 under the title Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, with the addition of illustrations by Arthur Rackham.

Barrie never described Peter's appearance in detail, even in his novel, leaving it to the imagination of the reader and the interpretation of anyone adapting the character. In the play, Peter's outfit is made of autumn leaves and cobwebs. His name and playing the flute or pipes suggest the mythological character Pan. Barrie mentions in Peter and Wendy that Peter Pan still had all his "first teeth".He describes him as a beautiful boy with a beautiful smile, "clad in skeleton leaves and the juices that flow from trees"

Traditionally, the character has been played on stage by a petite adult woman. In the original productions in the UK, Peter Pan's costume was a reddish tunic and dark green tights, such as that worn by Nina Boucicault in 1904. This costume is exhibited in Barrie's Birthplace museum at Kirriemuir.

In the Disney films, Peter wears an outfit that consists of a short-sleeved green tunic and tights apparently made of cloth, and a cap with a red feather in it. He has pointed elf-like ears, brown eyes and his hair is red. In Hook , the character is played as an adult by Robin Williams, with blue eyes and dark brown hair; in flashbacks to him in his youth, his hair is light brown. In this film his ears appear pointed only when he is Peter Pan, not as Peter Banning. His Pan attire resembles the Disney outfit (minus the cap). In the live-action 2003 Peter Pan film, he is portrayed by Jeremy Sumpter, who has blond hair and blue-green eyes. His outfit is made of leaves and vines.

Barrie commissioned a statue of Peter Pan by sculptor George Frampton which was erected overnight in Kensington Gardens on 30 April 1912 as a May Day surprise to the children of London. Seven statues have been cast from the original mould, they are in, Egmont Park, Brussels, Belgium, Bowring Park, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, Bowring Park, Johnson Park, Camden, New Jersey, USA, Queens Gardens, Perth, Western Australia, Sefton Park, Liverpool, and Glenn Gould Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Various other statues have appeared around the world, including three in Scotland, the first is at Mearnskirk Hospital for children in Glasgow, the first superintendent of the hospital, Dr John A Wilson, was a school friend of Barrie, the other one in Scotland is of course in Kirriemuir, one in the main town square and the other in the Peter Pan Garden by Barrie's Birthplace, now owned by the National Trust of Scotland.

The most famous of the other statues is at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, who JM Barrie gifted the rights to the play in 1929, the copyright first expired in the UK (and the rest of Europe) in 1987, 50 years after Barrie’s death, but the government of the day made an amendment to the copyright act giving Great Ormond Street Hospital the unique right to royalties from stage performances of Peter Pan (and any adaptation of the play) as well as from publications, audio books, ebooks, radio broadcasts and films of the story of Peter Pan, in perpetuity.

[cliozaur]

Hauteville House. Part 1

I’ll start with the oriental motifs in the interior of Hauteville House. Hugo was one of the intellectual founders of orientalism: though he never travelled to the East, he held strong opinions about it and was never shy in sharing them. The entire house is a curious mixture of oriental and gothic elements. He had a particular love for low divans inspired by Muslim interiors—they’re everywhere. But the strongest sense of oriental influence is felt in the so-called Red and Blue Rooms, both designed as sitting rooms.

The Red Room evokes a theatre and was partly inspired by Hugo’s childhood in Spain, but it also features African figures and Asian ornaments. The Blue Room, on the other hand, is covered with damask and adorned with chinoiseries. Hugo and his son scoured shops on Guernsey and in England for various pieces of Chinese furniture. A beautiful set of blue and gold glass-bead embroideries, originally bought for his lover Juliette Drouet (who lived next door), adds a stunning touch to the room’s decor.

This mixture of oriental and gothic aesthetics is present throughout: a medieval mirror against Chinese wallpaper, and Chinese figures above the entrance of his eclectic Delft-style dining room.

A gift from Hugo’s close friend, Alexandre Dumas, a bronze scent burner.

My favourite orientally-inspired piece is the two wooden panels in Hugo’s private room. He personally carved a story of a knight and a dragon (reminiscent of St. George's legend) for his grandchildren. The dragon itself is very oriental—it was inspired by another piece of Chinese furniture on the ground floor of the house. He used to tell his grandchildren stories about the dragon, and then he carved and painted it. The panels feel strikingly modern, almost Art Nouveau. You can even see Hugo’s initials carved in the lower corner.

[gardenerian]

actually i have been meaning to ask you... if you would tell me all your thoughts about Dracula and Landlordism 🙂

well!!! okay! whew yeah alright! let's do thissssss 🧛🏻‍♂️ i wrote an actual paper about this in grad school but... alas... i can'T FIND IT !! so here are some insane and incoherent thoughts i have cobbled together. it's, uh, long:

so. here's a bunch of stuff:

we know bram stoker was irish (anglo-irish, technically, but he was born and spent his first 30 years in dublin). his mother was from sligo - she herself was a writer/activist, and she published a record of the 1830s cholera outbreak in western ireland (it's argued by some that even this piece of writing + theories of public health partly inspired dracula... more on that later!).

but also! bram stoker was a sickly kid and spent a lot of his early childhood bedridden. during those long days stuck in bed, his mother told him irish folk stories and other tales. he later said that his illness "gave opportunity for many thoughts which were fruitful according to their kind in later years."

some theorists have written that he would have heard stories like this:

from an early irish legend, abhartach was said to be a demonic tyrant who terrorized parts of derry. the locals tried to kill him with the help of a chieftan - but he kept returning night after night with increasing violence (later versions of the myth say that he demanded blood from villagers to sustain him, but this is a more modern addition). a druid said that abhartach had to be killed and buried in a very specific way (upside-down, for one) in order to stay dead. and this worked! the people were free! yay! spooky!

charlotte stoker also lived through the famine (she moved to dublin after marrying in 1844, bram was born in 47), a pretty bleak fucking period in history. while she was in the city, her family remained in the stricken west. there are folk tales from that time that involve menacing undead who would drink the blood of the poor and dying as they slept - this is likely inspired by the actual famine practice of mixing animal blood with oatmeal to supplement starving diets.

then you have ACTUAL family history! bram stoker's great uncle, george blake, took part in the 1798 rebellion of the united irishmen (wolfe tone, etc.) and was executed for his part in leading 1500 irishmen against the crown. another branch of his family, the o'donnells, were involved in the gaelic revival movement. charlotte's cousin richard o'donnell facilitated the donation of gaelic artifacts (the psalter of st. columbcille) to the royal irish academy.

some of these influences hold more weight than others, and so far this has little to do with landlordism BUT i do think it sets a precedent for stoker to be influenced by and concerned with irish matters. stoker was always interested in irish affairs, even if he didn't always come to the conclusions i wanted him to 😂 still, combined with his early career in the irish civil service and as a critic of irish theatre.... despite the fact that the novel was written in london, with obvious influences of the empire, i really do think there are some elements of the novel that are quite irish.

so! landlordism. what's going on in ireland in the latter half of the 19th century? this is a period of major agitation in the lead up to the revolutionary decade in the early 20th century. the main conversation here is about LAND. ireland is hugely rural and agrarian at this time:

in 1841, 4/5 of the irish population lived in villages with fewer than 20 houses

meanwhile, by 1870, 50% of the land on the island was owned by just 700 families - many of whom did not live in ireland

between 1850 and 1870, landlords collected 340 million pounds in rent, and reinvested just 5% back into the irish economy

so in the late 1870s, the irish land league is formed. the land league's goal was land reform - they wanted irish people to have the right to own the land they worked on. they used rent stikes and boycotts - and sometimes intimidation and violence - to achieve reform (1881 land act did restrict rights of landlords). under charles stewart parnell, they also succeeded in extending the right to vote to many agrarian workers. the land league soon became the national league, which pushed for home rule and other economic reforms beyond the land.

what's funny is that the land/national league agitators were themselves depicted as vampires in contemporary criticism - in order to paint the league as a secretive, sinister force that could disrupt imperial stability and suck the life of the irish colony. look at that poor damsel:

that bat even has the face of parnell 😭

so!!! the land!!!! is a constant thread in irish revolutionary activity. the 1916 proclamation declared "the right of the people of ireland to the ownership of ireland and to the unfettered control of irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible." the irish revolution was in many ways a socialist revolution, and the right to LAND was a huge part of their goals. this is also seen in literature of the period, no matter the perspective - there are constant references to soil, earth, environment, and land.

so....... dracula. here is an aristocrat who not only drinks and lives off the lifeblood of people, but also literally removes soil from the land and brings it to england with him so he can live. the ultimate absentee landlord - and a poor one, too. like the ascendency class he may well be based on, dracula continues to drain people of life and resources while his ability to retain his fortune grows weaker (perhaps a nod to reform?). this has been read by some scholars as a depiction of a class that is losing its grip on power, unable to adapt to a changing social and economic landscape. there's also van helsing's constant reference to their plan of campaign/attack, etc. in describing their hunt of dracula... this is curious in that even though it was certainly a commonly used phrase, it's also a direct reference to a specific strategy by the land/national league against landlords in the late 1880s.

then you have the similarities between the eastern question and the irish question.... basically two anxiety-ridden issues from the imperialist point of view on "what to do" with the ottoman empire and the ireland as a colony. as these regions are beset by economic decline... war..... nationalist rebellion.... the question becomes "how do we fix this AND maintain power over people and land?"

we do have to remember that while stoker grew up hearing distinctly irish stories of folklore, rebellion, and famine, he was still a member of the anglo-irish class: he was not writing from an anti-colonial perspective, nor did he hold much anglo-irish guilt for his status. stoker was concerned with irish affairs, but he was never a nationalist. he was instead known to write off both militant fenianism and british landlordism as damaging.

stoker labeled himself as a "philosophical home ruler," meaning he, in theory, supported irish home rule if achieved through peaceful means. he supported irish self-government as internal autonomy - as a monarchist, he believed that ireland should remain in the british empire. stoker was a protestant, even if a liberal one, which also put him at odds with a largely catholic ireland.

so while we can (and i do!!) read the irish political influences here, what stoker himself was more concerned with was the idea of modernity, and he felt like both national and capitalist allegiances held people back from progress.

stoker was hugely interested in medicine as a way to advance progress. there is an anxiety here about infection. back up to charlotte stoker's record of the cholera outbreak in sligo - 10% of the town's population died. it was bram stoker who suggested that his mother write her history of the outbreak - where she noted that the illness came from ships and then infected people as it moved over the land... just like dracula. many cholera victims, nearly dead but still undead, loaded up with morphine and waiting to pass, were burned or buried alive. stoker was said to be morbidly interested in this... the idea of being buried in the earth before being truly dead. the original title of the novel was the undead, before stoker settled on dracula.

i had a whole thing about medicine written out here but i have veered so far away from landlordism that i am going to shut up. i just think that what stoker is messing around with here is a massively changing world, with conflict and advancement alike. landlordism is an obvious influence, but i think it goes hand in hand with an overall sense of: the order as we know it is crumbling.

this pairs well with contemporary anxieties about race, sexuality, and gender.... but that's another post altogether. there are also obvious influences of eastern european history at play here as well, and if i had another post in me i would get into that too!

this is all to say that there is nO WAY stoker didn't have at least some thought of land and empire - mixed with anxiety about the future as modernity and a new century rapidly approaches... a very victorian concern! what makes societal progress - power, knowledge, capital??? everyone at this time seemed to have a different answer!

shut up mel!

[waywardxrhea]

Part of Your World - George Weasley

Chapter 16

pairing: George Weasley x fem!Muggle!reader

installment list / previous chapter / next chapter

word count: 4,806

content: overall fluffy with some sprinkles of angst throughout! injury, language, mention of surgery and stitches, medical things, body image issues, suggestive comments (George will always be cheeky🤣), alcoholic beverages, parental advice, some light dissociation, mention of adult sexy time (absolutely no detail lmao), Arthur being fascinated with Muggle stuff

Ever since you graduated with your degree in performing arts from your uni in June of the next year, you had gotten your foot in the door on the West End and taken on many smaller ensemble roles in the beginning. You had supplemented yourself with going for lead roles in your usual theatre troupe too until you started to get larger roles on the West End. You went from being in the ensemble to getting small featured roles, and even sometimes lead roles in some productions! It was just around the two year mark from graduation that you made your debut as Jane Seymour in Six that you felt like you were really starting to make it in the industry. That was until the last Sunday showing of the fifth week of the show. 

During the final high energy number, you were singing and dancing your heart out when you felt a pop in your knee in the last few moments of the song as you and your castmates struck your final poses for the night. Within seconds you had to lean nearly all of your weight on your castmate playing Katherine Howard as you suddenly felt like you couldn’t even hold yourself up on that leg anymore. As your mics cut off and the curtains closed after the audience’s standing ovation, you groaned in pain, tears beginning to fall from your eyes.

“Are you okay?” your castmate asked as you continued leaning on her. 

You shook your head, and through gritted teeth managed to get out, “Knee popped. Can’t walk.”

“Shit!” she whispered sharply before motioning for the stage crew to come help her out with moving you to the backstage area. 

Your memory of the next hour was hazy as you felt like you were in and out of it from the excruciating pain you were in. Before you knew it, you ended up at the nearest emergency room. You felt your whole world come crashing down around you when you heard the doctor say, “You tore your ACL all the way through, Miss. We can get you back for surgery within the hour. The recovery time is going to be at least nine months.” At least nine months. At least nine months that you’d be off of the stage. At least nine months away from doing what you love. As your heart shattered, you signed the consent forms for the surgery, not even thinking about the fact that your husband could probably whisk you away to St. Mungo’s and have the ailment fixed up within seconds. How would you even explain that to your fellow cast members though, one of which was right by your side holding your hand as you both waited for George to arrive? She heard the diagnosis, there would have been no way around it. Well...there were memory modification spells, but the sheer number of people who were involved at this point, modifying memories would be quite the undertaking.

So, you told George as much when he arrived fifteen minutes after your admission with Hermione in tow to help him with the Muggle aspect of things. George did his best to assure you that everything would be okay and that you would get through it, but even with his kind words you still had your doubts… 

Your surgery was uneventful, and in an attempt to cheer you up, George brought Arthur with him to visit on your second day of recovery. He marvelled at the stitches holding the incision together as the nurse did your wound care. His discussion with the nurse about the task really did entertain you, enough to where you were distracted from the pain, at least for a little while. 

What came next was physical therapy, which you started early, and your therapist’s kind words and encouragement were what really inspired you to think about your career in a different way that you hadn’t since New York. You didn’t have to just perform on stage to have a career in theatre. You could write and direct your own play! Just like you had with Claire, but this time on a larger scale and on a proper stage with a big cast of people who were just as passionate about entertainment as you were. 

So, that was what you did. Between physical therapy sessions throughout the week, you would work on writing your first full-length play: a tale of two lovers destined to be together, but their circumstances tore them apart. It would be inspired by your story with George and of course would have lots of comedy woven throughout some of the darker moments. In between therapy and writing your play, you would give voice lessons to secondary school and university students who wanted to also have a career on the West End one day. Sure, there were still some days where you got upset that you couldn’t perform on stage with your Six cast, but your understudy was killing it, and you were glad she got the opportunity to perform the role. 

During this time of harsh self-thoughts and insecurity, George was there for you every step of the way, making sure you remembered how talented you were, how strong you were, and especially how beautiful you were. You two spent many late nights half asleep discussing how this time off from stage performance could benefit your personal lives as well, which always ended up leaving a smile on your face before falling asleep in his arms. 

When Halloween rolled around later that year, you were getting ready to go out with Abbie and Jasmine for the night. The three of you were all dressing up and having dinner before going to watch an old horror movie they had re-released into cinemas for the occasion. After putting on the red dress you had bought a few months prior and wore to the after party for the premier of Six with your cast, you began pulling at the fabric around your stomach. The dress was a lot tighter than you remembered, and a frown made its way onto your face at the realisation. 

“You all right?” George asked gently as he looked up from the potions book he was reading and noticed the look on your face. 

“I’ve just gained a lot of weight since not being able to workout as vigorously or dance on stage is all…” you mumbled in reply as you once again pulled at the fabric to try and loosen it a bit. 

“These things happen, it’s okay. You’re still just as beautiful as the day I met you,” George replied as closed the book and got up from the bed to wrap you in an embrace from behind. He moved your hair aside and kissed your neck before mumbling into it, “Sexy devil is really doing it for me though, you may have a surprise waiting for you when you get back later.”

“Oh really now?” you asked with a giggle as you relaxed into his embrace. 

“Really,” he replied, nipping at the skin on your neck before soothing it with his lips and letting you go. “Now, let’s get you out of here before I make you late,” he said as he summoned over the little devil horn headband you had, as well as your red plastic pitchfork before guiding you out of Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron to get to where you were meeting the girls for the night. 

After a great dinner, Abbie and Jasmine were heading to order drinks from the bar, the latter asking, “Do you want your usual? Pina colada?”

“I think I’m good, thanks though,” you replied, forcing a small smile onto your lips as a wave of nausea hit you at the thought of alcohol after the meal. 

“Jaz, you go ahead and order, I’ll send you the money for mine,” Abbie told her before sitting back down across from you while eying you suspiciously. After a few seconds of silence, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I just don’t feel great… Physically or mentally,” you replied with a quiet sigh. “I barely fit in this dress anymore, and it just made me really upset. And then I ate too much, so I feel like I’m going to be sick. It’s just a lot all at once…”

Having noticed you picking at your dress specifically around your stomach all night, Abbie leaned in closer and asked quietly, “Could there be… Is there any chance you’re pregnant?”

“P-pregnant?” you asked, shock written all over your face. 

“Yeah. When was the last time you had your cycle?” she asked, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest with raised eyebrows. 

“I… I mean it’s been a bit, but I’ve also been under a lot of stress here lately! It’s normal to miss it for a while when you’re as stressed as I’ve been with what? Getting injured during a performance, being told I’ll be on the shelf for nine months or more, writing a play, doing voice lessons! I’ve just got a lot on my plate…” you defended yourself. And while the explanation felt plausible enough to you, your heart began to speed up at the potential of it. 

“You need to take a test,” Abbie told you sternly as Jasmine returned with their drinks. 

“What kind of test are we talking?” Jasmine asked curiously as she took her seat beside Abbie once more. 

“A pregnancy test,” she replied simply, never taking her eyes off of you. 

Jasmine nearly spit out her drink and had to adjust the cat ear headband atop her head before asking, “Come again?”

“She hasn’t gotten her cycle in a bit, she’s nauseous, and has gained weight in her belly,” Abbie explained. “That seems a good enough reason to check.”

“Oh my gosh you may be pregnant?!” Jasmine gushed, a wide smile on her face as she squealed. 

“Keep it down, will you?” you asked sharply as you wrapped your arms around your stomach and cast your eyes toward the table. 

“We can get some tests from the grocery and head back to mine to find out,” Abbie suggested. “Thomas is out with friends for the night, so we would have the place to ourselves.”

“We have to!” Jasmine shouted as she downed her drink in one go, motioning for Abbie to do the same so you could all leave as quickly as possible to head to the grocery for the tests. 

It turned out that Abbie was right. Across three different brands of tests, you tested positive for pregnancy. “Oh my God…” you whispered, your shaking hand covering your mouth that was slightly open in shock at the three tests sitting on the counter in front of you. 

“Oh my God, you’re pregnant!!” Jasmine squealed as she jumped up and down in excitement, already ranting about being the cool aunt to your future child, and what all they’ll get up to once they’re old enough. 

As Jasmine went to the kitchen to grab some champagne for her and Abbie to celebrate, Abbie smiled at you softly and asked, “Are you okay?”

“I…I don’t know…” you whispered. “I-I think I need to talk with my mum…”

“Of course, we can get you a lift there, no worries,” she replied, already taking out her phone to dial a ride share service to take you to Camden. When the car arrived and Abbie got you in securely, she told you, “Keep us updated, okay? We love you.”

“Love you guys too,” you replied quietly as about a million thoughts ran through your mind at once. 

Your mum and dad were ecstatic to say the least. When you quietly told them what you found out at Abbie’s, they were nothing but supportive while listening to your fears about what a pregnancy meant for you. As your mum warmed you up a cuppa, she gently reminded you, “Well honey, now is as good a time as ever for this to happen, you know? You’ve still got a minimum six months left of recovery before you’re able to go back on stage. I’d say this is an ideal time for you to start growing your family!”

“I know, it’s just… It’s scary is all…” you mumbled as you wiped a tear from your now makeup free face. 

“It is. Having a kid is one of the scariest things you can do,” your dad said, which earned a frightened and wide-eyed look from you. He put a reassuring hand on your shoulder before adding, “But it’s one of the best things you’ll ever do. Trust me, kiddo.”

Your mum laughed softly before telling you, “When we first found out I was pregnant with you, we were both terrified. We were just two punks who thought we didn’t wanna be parents, but when that reality hit us, we got it together and figured things out.” The three of you sipped on your tea for a few moments in silence before your mum said, “I think you should get home and tell George. Something tells me that he’s looking for you.”

When she said this, you looked over to the window sill and saw George’s owl sitting there with a letter tied to his leg. You smiled at him and opened the window to let him in and perch on his place in the kitchen while you read the letter. You gave the beautiful bird a treat before writing back to George, telling him that you would meet him outside of the Leaky Cauldron as soon as possible. So, with the reply heading back after the owl got his break in, your mum accompanied you to meet George outside of the pub. 

There was an almost stiff silence only you seemed to sense that filled the air as the two of you entered the pub before making your way to the flat above the shop. When the door shut behind you, George’s hands and lips were on you, surely to make good on his promise from earlier, but when you didn’t reciprocate as enthusiastically, he pulled away and asked, “Is everything all right?”

“I-I…” you said, unsure of how to deliver the message you had for him. 

George’s eyes softened and he ran his hands up and down your arms as he asked, “Did something happen?” When you didn’t respond and simply gazed at the floor, George began to worry, asking, “Did someone hurt you? I swear to Merlin if someone hurt you I’ll-”

“No! No one hurt me,” you told him in order to stop him from freaking out. “I-I’m pregnant,” you said, barely above a whisper. 

“I couldn’t hear you, come again?" George said, turning his good ear toward you. 

You cleared your throat the slightest bit and said a little louder, “I’m pregnant,” the statement feeling even heavier and more real as you stood there saying it to your husband. Before he could respond, you began rambling, saying, “I know we didn’t really plan it and with my PT it probably isn’t the ideal time and all, but I know we’ve been talking about it and wanting to start a family. I was just never sure when that would be. And I know we haven’t been as careful when it comes to sex, but-”

You couldn’t finish your rambling though as your lips were suddenly sealed in a gentle kiss. When George pulled away, he had the widest smile on his face as he asked, “Y-you’re pregnant?” 

You nodded, telling him, “I guess that would be a good explanation as to why my dress is tighter than it was before… And why I’ve been sick a lot more lately…”

“That’s brilliant!” he whispered excitedly before leaning in to kiss you once again. When he pulled away, he guided you to stand in front of the full-length mirror in your shared room. He wrapped his arms around you from behind and rested one of his hands on your stomach, telling you, “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

“Really?” you asked, tears once again starting to fall from the corners of your eyes. 

“Absolutely,” he replied. He kissed your cheek and asked, “Are you?”

“I don’t know yet,” you replied truthfully. “I guess I’m just more shocked than anything else right now…”

“That’s okay,” he told you, rubbing gentle circles on what you now knew was your small bump. “How about for now, we get in bed and rest up? I’m sure you’ll have a clearer head in the morning, and we can discuss what we do next.”

“That sounds good,” you replied. And so, George helped you out of the dress and into your favourite pyjamas before you both settled in for the night, both of your minds running wild with thoughts of how you would be as parents in the not so distant future. 

Within the next few weeks, you and George found yourselves at your OBGYN’s office for your first appointment to check on your and the baby’s health. When the kind looking woman walked into the room, she smiled at you and asked, “How are you?”

You huffed out a quiet laugh and said, “Nervous? Excited? A little scared?”

“All of those are completely normal to feel right now,” she told you, sending you a warm smile. She turned her attention to George and asked kindly, “And are you dad? A friend? What’s the relationship here?”

“Husband. And father of the baby, yes,” George replied as he returned her smile. 

“Wonderful!" she said, returning his smile. Turning back to you, she started putting her gloves on as she explained, “So, today what we’re doing is a basic panel of blood and urine tests, a physical exam, an ultrasound to check on baby, and just give you some handouts on what to expect in the coming months! The nurse earlier already got the tests, yes?”

“Yes,” you confirmed. 

“Great! So all that’s left is a physical exam and the ultrasound, then some education. Sound good?” 

“Sounds good,” you replied, your voice quieter than usual due to all of the anxious thoughts running rampant in your mind. 

George could see the far away look in your eyes, so he took your hand in his and rubbed gentle circles in it with his thumb as he said quietly, “Hey, come back to me. I’m right here.” You blinked rapidly and shook your head to get out of that headspace, turning your head to see George’s soft eyes looking back at you. “There you are,” he said with a smile. “Now I’m going to step out into the hall while the doctor does your exam. Is that okay or do you want me to stay? It’s not like I haven’t seen all of you before.”

“Cheeky git,” you said with a more genuine laugh this time in response to your husband’s antics. You squeezed his hand before telling him that he was good to step out in the hall.

When he left the room, the doctor began the exam and made small talk as she went, asking, “How long have you two been married?” 

“It’ll be three years this Christmas,” you replied, a smile on your face at the memory of your wedding. 

“Three years is a good amount of time to wait for kids. Feel out what it’s like living together and all before introducing someone new into your lives,” she said. “What is it you do for a living? You just seem so familiar.”

“Oh I perform on the West End,” you replied. “Kinda on the shelf right now though because I tore my ACL during a performance back in June…”

A wide smile made its way onto the doctor's face as she said, “I knew that’s where I had seen you before! My wife and I went to see Six back in June, and we adored the performance!”

“Well, thank you, we appreciate that,” you told her. “Right now since the injury though, I’ve been writing my own play and giving voice lessons.”

“With that voice, there’s plenty to learn from you I’m sure!” 

The two of you continued your discussion about musical theatre during the exam, and when she was done, she summoned George back into the room. As she put some cold gel on the tool in her hand, she asked, “Are you two ready to see baby and hear the heartbeat?”

You both nodded and George grasped your hand in his as you both watched the monitor with bated breath. The instant that you heard the rapid swooshing sound the monitor made, tears sprung to your eyes and you squeezed George’s hand tight. “That’s the heartbeat?” you whispered, your voice choked with emotion. The doctor nodded and your tears finally fell. That was proof that your baby was in there. That this was all real.

“Do you two want to know the gender?” she asked as she moved the wand just so, and an image appeared on the dark screen. You both looked at each other before nodding, so the doctor said, “Congratulations, you two are having a little boy!”

“A-a boy?” George asked, a smile beginning to break out onto his face at the news. 

“That’s right,” the doctor replied enthusiastically while pressing some buttons on the machine to capture the image. “I’m going to print out those pictures and get your education packets going. My nurse will be back with all of that and to answer any more questions you two may have. I will see you in four weeks!”

“Thank you,” you replied, giving the doctor a smile as you replaced your shirt over your now clean tummy. 

When you two got back to the shop just as Tulip was closing up for the day, you both greeted her with smiles before you parted ways up stairs to look over your education packets while George helped with closing duties. After a little over an hour, George came up the stairs and found you staring at the ultrasound pictures with a small smile on your face. “What’s on your mind?” he asked, placing a kiss on your temple as he sat on the loveseat beside you. 

“Just thinking about all of this…” you whispered, leaning into his embrace. “Do you think he’ll be a wizard?”

“We’ll just have to wait and see, some kids don’t exhibit magical abilities until they’re seven,” he said. He chuckled before adding, “Although with the Weasley genes, it would be hard for him to not be.”

“That’s true,” you replied thoughtfully. Your mind flashed back to your first time back in Diagon Alley upon your return from New York, and you smiled as you remembered the kids that passed by you. “I can’t wait to get him his first broom. If he’s anything like his dad I’m sure he’s going to love Quidditch!”

“I’m sure he will,” George agreed as he placed a hand over your small bump. “What should we name him?”

“Well I’ve been thinking and…what if we named him Fred?” you asked, turning your head up to see George’s reaction to the proposition. 

At first, there was shock on his face, followed by a hint of sadness, before settling on bittersweet happiness as a smile graced George’s lips. “Fred Weasley II, I like it a lot,” George replied, his attempt to keep his voice steady failing as a tear slipped from his eye and he pulled you close. “Thank you,” he whispered into your hair as he pulled you even closer, “Merlin, imagine what he would be saying about that, us naming our kid after him!”

“Probably something snarky but sweet nonetheless,” you said with a quiet laugh. “If this kid’s anything like his namesake though, I’m going to have a hard time keeping up with you boys!”

“With two Weasley men coming up with pranks together you’ll never see us coming,” George said with a chuckle. You could hear the smirk in his voice as he added, “Maybe we can try for a girl to even things out.”

“George!” you chastised with a laugh. “One baby at a time! We haven’t even gotten to the hard part of this pregnancy!”

Soon after, the two of you cooked dinner together and ate before settling down for the night with George reading some spell book or another while you worked on finalising some details for your play, the manuscript on your little elevated table that sat over your legs. Now and then George’s hand would wander over and settle on your tummy, and when you looked over you saw that he was purely focused on his reading. You smiled at the fact that even after only knowing you were pregnant for a few weeks, he seemed to be grounded by the little bump and seemed dead set on protecting both you and Fred with all he had. You were always grateful for George, but in this moment that fondness only grew. 

Both you and George wanted to wait to get the whole Weasley family gathered to tell them that you were expecting, and that would finally happen on Christmas, one of the only times of year everyone got together. Sure, Arthur and Molly had visited from time to time, but it was only for a bit when they were getting necessities from Diagon Alley. During these visits, you were usually out either with voice lessons or physical therapy, so it honestly hadn’t been too hard to hide the pregnancy from them. 

Sighing in both amusement and frustration, you pulled your jumper on as you and George got ready to leave so you could get to Devon in time to walk to the Burrow. “We’re already half an hour late to meet my parents to start the drive to Devon, George, hurry along!” 

“Why can’t we just-” George tried as he waved his wand and a pair of shoes began flying his way. 

“George, we’ve been over this. I’m not apparating,” you told him sternly, pulling on your boots, wanting to protect your maternity bottoms from the snow on the ground. 

“But-”

“No, love! What if something goes wrong? What am I going to tell the doctor if part of the baby is splinched, and suddenly at the next appointment he doesn’t have an arm that was clearly there at the appointment the other day?” you asked, straightening up and resting a hand on your ever-growing bump. You were just under halfway through the pregnancy and it was now a habit to run your hands over the bump after any sort of activity as a way of reassuring Fred that everything was okay Earth-side. 

Trailing his eyes down to your hand on your stomach, George finally relented, saying quietly, “I didn’t think about that…”

You nodded, moving over toward George and wrapping your arms around him, your bump slightly in the way, but that didn’t stop you. You ran your hand over his back as you said, “I know it’s second nature to do that, but I just worry about what magical transportation could do to the baby…”

An idea popped into George’s mind, so he started to ask, “What about-?”

“No Floo Network either,” you said with a giggle. “I know it’s less demanding on the body, but travelling that way made me sick before I was pregnant. I don’t even want to think about how sick I would be now.”

George sighed and nodded, saying, “You’re right. May ruin the surprise too, huh?”

“Exactly,” you agreed. You leaned up to kiss him quickly before giggling and telling him, “We’re just going to have to be fashionably late. You did this to yourself, you know.”

George chuckled before pulling you into a deep kiss, mumbling against your lips when he pulled away, “What did you expect? For me to not enjoy my wife on our anniversary?”

“Mmm, you have a good point,” you said, a content sigh leaving your lips at the memory of the lazy anniversary love-making just a while before. You pulled away and grabbed his coat, handing it to him as you said, “We should get going though. I’m sure Mum and Dad are waiting for us on Charing Cross.”

After the long drive to Devon with your parents alternating driving, you all finally arrived at your destination: a little inn located in the mixed magical and Muggle village of Ottery St. Catchpole. Once you got things settled into the rooms the pairs of you would be staying in - because let’s face it, there would be far too many people at the Burrow - you all started on the walk toward the Burrow. George checked the watch on his wrist and chuckled as he said, “See, we're only a little late!”

“And your mother will undoubtedly still be freaking out about our tardiness,” you reminded him with a laugh. 

The four of you made the walk to the Burrow through the cold and snow, with you pulling your winter coat snug to your body to keep warm as the harsh wind bit through it. When you all arrived, George popped his head into the door and called out, “Everyone here?”

“All except you lot!” Charlie called from his spot in the sitting area. 

“Mum's miffed that you’re late,” Ginny warned as she walked by, motioning her head toward the kitchen where Molly was, now making her way toward where George was peeking his head in. 

“George Weasley! What are you doing showing up so late? And why are you making your lovely wife and in-laws stand out in the cold? In! In! All of you!” Molly exclaimed as she began trying to open the door around George. 

“Hold on, hold on, Mum! We have a reason for being late!” George said with a chuckle. “If I may present the first gift of the festivities?”

“Better be a bloody good gift if you couldn’t apparate with it,” Ron said with a quiet laugh, earning a light slap on the shoulder from Hermione who shook her head and giggled. 

George opened up the door fully for you to walk in and as you opened your coat, your hand landed on your growing bump. You smiled wide as you called out, “Surprise!”

“We’re expecting!” George added, wrapping his arms around you from behind and kissing your temple as his hands landed on either side of your tummy. “We wanted to wait so we could tell everyone at once!”

Tears sprung to Molly’s eyes and all evidence of annoyance left her features as she rushed forward and enveloped both you and George in a hug, making sure not to squeeze you too hard. When she pulled away she said tearfully, “Oh I’m so happy for you two!”

After Arthur made his way over to embrace you as well, you pulled something out of your coat pocket and asked, “Do you want to see him?”

“See him?” Arthur asked, perplexed. “Wait, him?”

You giggled and nodded, unfolding the ultrasound pictures you got taken at the office the other day. You turned the photos toward them and said lovingly, “Meet your first grandson, Fred!”

Upon hearing the name you chose, the tears began falling faster from Molly’s eyes as she pulled you into another hug. You ran a hand up and down her back and looked over her shoulder at Arthur marvelling at the photos in his hand, showing them to the other family members who had started to gather around to give their congratulations. “How…how do they get these photos?” he asked as he handed them over to Bill and Fleur.

As Molly let you go once more and rushed to look at the pictures herself, you explained, “It’s called an ultrasound. They use sound waves to visualise the baby and make sure he’s developing properly.”

“Fantastic!” Arthur gushed, a wide smile on his face. 

“And that Ronald is why we didn’t apparate!” George said matter-of-factly to his little brother, letting go of you and ruffling Ron’s hair as he teased him. 

Your mum and dad came up beside you and she said, “So we decided to drive! We’re staying at a little inn up the road.”

“Though I will say I do quite enjoy magical travel, much more efficient,” your dad said. 

The next few minutes were filled with hugs and congratulations and some more tears before you all sat down to celebrate the holiday while the meal finished cooking. By the end of the evening, before you, George, and your parents left to head to the inn for the night, Molly presented you with one last gift. It was a second sweater she enchanted her knitting needles to make, one that would fit your pregnant belly. The sweater not only had your first initial on it, but also a little ‘F’ over your bump. Overcome with hormones and emotions, you changed into the sweater before giving Molly a long hug, giving her your thanks over and over again for the thoughtful gift. 

******

 okay, yes, I know that realistically it’s hard af to get a lead role in what turned out to be such a big musical only two years after graduation, but this is just our little fantasy where things turn out okay :)

also, yes, this is going to end up being a kid fic now that George and Reader are married and living their adult lives together! i personally love the idea of George as a dad, and i hope over the next section of the story you guys will agree! that being said, i know some people aren’t into kid fics, so if this is no longer your cup of tea, i understand, and i appreciate the support you have given me up until now!

likes and comments are always appreciated! xo, brooke <3

ps: the way i tried so hard to keep the content section vague as to not spoil the pregnancy announcement lmao

taglist: @willowlovestheweasleys @v1ckycheesue @superduckmilkshake @5starl1ght

[paralleljulieverse]

From the Archives: Musical Legends Backstage

Julie Andrews and Gene Kelly pay a backstage visit to Tommy Tune and Twiggy after a performance of My One and Only at the St James Theatre, New York, May 1983. Also pictured are Julie’s daughter, Emma (far right), and Twiggy’s mother, Nell Hornby (far left).

My One and Only was a nostalgic pastiche musical set to the classic songs of George and Ira Gershwin. Despite a long and problem-plagued production process, it defied the odds to become a bona fide Broadway hit -- due largely to the charisma of its two stars and their vibrant musical and dance routines (Shewey, 1983).

Twiggy later admitted, "She never suffers from stage fright, but was a bit nervous when Gene Kelly and Julie Andrews were in the audience" (Women's Wear, 1984, p. 6C).

Sources:

Shewey, D. (1983, May 1). How My One and Only came to Broadway. The New York Times, Section 2, p. 1.

Women's Wear. (1984, January 1). Eyes still the most fun for Twiggy to make up. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 1 January, p. 6C.

© 2025, Brett Farmer. All Rights Reserved.

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in February 2024

01/02 Visited ReBoot (Moray Computer Recycling) in Forres. 🖥️

As Warden, opened the Queen Elizabeth II classrooms at Gordonstoun School. 🏫

Visited Lossie Community Hub at the Warehouse Theatre, in Lossiemouth. 🎭

Unofficial Sir Tim, as Chair of the Board of Trustees, attended the opening ceremony of the Zimingzhong 凝时聚珍: Clockwork Treasures from China's Forbidden City exhibition at the London Science Museum. 🐉🧧🕰️

03/02 With Sir Tim As Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, attended the Six Nations Rugby Match between Wales and Scotland at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏉

05/02 Visited Dressability Clothing Alterations Charity in Swindon, to mark its 25th Anniversary. 👗🪡🧵

As Commandant-in-Chief (Youth) of St John Ambulance, attended the dedication of a new Community Response Unit in Devizes, Wiltshire. 🚑

06/02 Held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

As Patron of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, attended the launch of Nottingham West Primary Care Network’s Interactive Group Therapy at Plumptre Hall. 🩺

As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association Limited, visited GH Hurt and Son in Nottingham. 🪡

With Sir Tim As Royal Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, attended the announcement of the winner of The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering at the Science Museum in London. ⚙️🥂

07/02 As Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Logistic Corps, visited the Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment at St George’s Barracks in Bicester. 💥

As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, visited the Commission’s Headquarters in Maidenhead. 🪦

As Patron of Catch22, visited the Commissioned Rehabilitative Services at Community Links in London. 🔗

08/02 As Vice Patron of the British Horse Society, visited Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre in West London. 🐎

As President of the Royal Yachting Association, attended the Annual Luncheon at Trinity House in London. 🛥️🥪

09/02 In Wales, Princess Anne; 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

As Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution, visited Worms Head Station in Rhossili, followed by a Reception at South Gower Sports Club in Scurlage. 🔎🍾

Visited Newport Medieval Ship. 🚢

Visited Newport Transporter Bridge which is undergoing maintenance. 🌉

10/02 With Sir Tim As Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, attended the Six Nations Rugby Match between France and Scotland at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. 🇫🇷🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏉

12/02 As Patron of Swinfen Telemedicine, attended a Meeting at the Royal Society of Medicine. 💊

As Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, held a Dinner at Buckingham Palace. 🎓

13/02 Held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, chaired the Quarterly Meeting of the Court at Trinity House. 📆

14/02 As Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution, visited Hengistbury Head Station near Bournemouth. 🌊

As Colonel-in-Chief of the Intelligence Corps, visited I Company at Hamworthy Barracks in Poole. 🕵️‍♀️

15/02 Visited the Ordnance Survey National Mapping Agency in Southampton. 🗺️

With Sir Tim Attended Evensong and the James Caird Society’s Dedication Service followed by a Reception in Westminster Abbey, to mark the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Sir Ernest Shackleton. 🔭🧭🇦🇶

16/02 Visited knife crime community group ‘Off the Streets’ North Northamptonshire in Wellingborough. 🚫🔪

20/02 As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, visited Laxtons Limited in Baildon near Bradford. 🧶

As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, visited Marton Mills in Otley, West Yorkshire. 🪡

21/02 In Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Princess Anne;

Visited Agemaspark Precision Engineering Company. ⚙️

Visited Haith Group Vegetable Processing Machinery Company. 🥕🥦

As Patron of the Butler Trust, visited HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Doncaster. 🚓👮‍♀️

As Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Carmen, attended a Joint Services Awards Dinner at Painters’ Hall in London. 🍽️

22/01 Visited London South Bank Technical College and Lee Marley Academy. ✏️👷

As Patron of Save the Children UK, visited Mary’s Living and Giving Shop in Wandsworth. 👚

23/02 unofficial Departed Heathrow Airport for Namibia 🇬🇧✈️🇳🇦

24/02 unofficial Arrived at Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport in Namibia. ✈️🇳🇦

Representing The King, Princess Anne called upon Mrs Monica Geingos (widow of Dr Hage Geingob). 🖤

Unofficial Sir Tim represented Princess Anne, Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, at the Six Nations Rugby Match between Scotland and England at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏉

25/02 Representing The King, Princess Anne attended the Burial Service for Dr Hage Geingob at Heroes’ Acre. 🕊️

Later attended a State Luncheon given by The President of Namibia at State House. 🍽️

26/02 unofficial Arrived at Heathrow Airport from Namibia. 🇳🇦✈️🇬🇧

With Sir Tim Attended the British Horseracing Authority’s Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards at Ascot Racecourse. 🐎🏆

27/02 With Sir Tim Attended a Service of Thanksgiving for the late King Constantine II at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle with members of 🇬🇧, 🇬🇷, 🇩🇰 and 🇪🇸 royal families.

28/02 As Patron of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, attended the Emergency Medicine Trainees' Association Annual Conference at Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. 💉💊

As Royal Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, attended a Rugby League Reception at Leeds Rhinos Rugby Club, in Headingley, Leeds. 🦽🏉

29/02 unofficial Departed from Heathrow Airport for the United Arab Emirates 🇬🇧✈️🇦🇪

Unofficial Sir Tim, as President of Never Such Innocence, attended a 10th anniversary celebration for the charity at Edinburgh Castle. 🏰

Total official engagements for Anne in February: 44

2024 total so far: 85

Total official engagements accompanied by Tim in February: 6

2024 total so far: 23

FYI - due to certain royal family members being off ill/in recovery I won’t be posting everyone’s engagement counts out of respect, I am continuing to count them and release the totals at the end of the year.

[theemmtropy]

I think I've found the wildest piece of music history in existence. So I went to a audio/visual store today, and they had vintage cassettes, and I was amazed to find a Travelling Wilburys one. The Travelling Wilburys were a musical supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty. (I've linked their most popular songs, just in case you're not sure who they are.) So I was very excited to add it to my collection. (Side note: it plays great.) Upon opening it up this evening, I was looking at the inside pamphlet, you know, the kind that has designs and track lists and such. And I found an incredible piece of fake lore for the band, which I have typed out (CW for brief racial stereotype):

“The etymological origins of The Traveling Wilburys have aroused something of a controversy amongst academic circles. Did they, as Professor “BOBBY” Sinfield believes, originate from the various Wilbury Fairs which travelled Europe in Medieval times, titillating the populace with contemporary ballads, or rather, were they rather derived from “YE TRAVELLING WILLYBURYS”, who were popular locksmiths during the Crusades used to picking or unlocking jammed chastity belts (rather like today’s emergency plumbers.) Dr. Arthur Noseputty of Cambridge believes they were closely related to the Strangling Dingleberries, which is not a Group but a disease, an unpleasant form of crotch-rot; arguing that a “WILLBERRY” is often used as an expression for a piece of crud found in the crevice of an ancient pair of y-fronts; but I think this can be discounted, not only because of his silly name but also from his habit of impersonating Ethel Merman during lectures. Some have even gone on to suggest tenuous links with the Pillsburys, the group who invented Flour Power. Dim Sun, a Chinese academic, argues that they may be related to “THE STROLLING TILBURYS”, Queen Elizabeth the first’s favourite minstrels, and backs this suspicion with the observation that The Travelling Wilburys is an obvious anagram of “V. BURYING WILL’S THEATRE”, clearly a reference to the closing of Shakespeare’s Globe theatre by Villiers during an outbreak of plague. This would account for the constant travelling. Indeed, many victims of plague and St. Vitus’ dance literally danced themselves to death, and it is this dancing theme that resurfaces with The Wilbury Twist. Not a cocktail but a dance craze, reminiscent of The Wilbury Quadrille made famous at Bath in 1790 by Beau Diddley, and the Wilbury Waltz, which swept Vienna in the 1890’s. One thing, however, remains certain. The circumambulatory peregrinations of these itinerant mundivagrant peripatetic nomads has already disgorged one collection of popular lyrical cantata, which happily encapsulated their dithyrambic antiphonic contrapuntal threnodies as a satisfactory auricular experience for the hedonistic gratification of the hoi polloi on a popular epigraphically inscribed gramophonic recording. Now here’s another one. Tiny Hampton (Professor “TINY” Hampton is currently leading the search for Intelligent Life amongst Rock Journalism, at the University of Please Yourself, California.)"

(I've included links that might help contextualize the jokes/puns/references that I could pick up on.)

HELLO?????? WHICH ONE OF THEM WROTE THIS I NEED TO KNOW

And APPARENTLY, they all had Wilbury personas.

And BEST OF ALL, they named their SECOND ALBUM (which this is pulled from), "VOL. 3". IM WHEEZING.

[princesssarisa]

Inspired by @thatscarletflycatcher's list of actors who have appeared in multiple Jane Austen adaptations, I've made a list of actors who have appeared in two or more adaptations of Brontë novels. I've covered all three of the sisters' books and included radio dramas as well as screen and stage adaptations.

*Timothy Dalton played Heathcliff in the 1970 Wuthering Heights film and Rochester in the 1983 Jane Eyre miniseries.

*Toby Stephens played Gilbert Markham in the 1996 Tenant of Wildfell Hall miniseries and Rochester in the 1983 Jane Eyre miniseries.

*Tara Fitzgerald went from playing Toby Stephens' love interest to playing his love interest's childhood abuser – Helen Graham in the 1996 Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Mrs. Reed in the 2006 Jane Eyre.

*John Duttine holds the distinction of having played both Heathcliff and Hindley Earnshaw in different Wuthering Heights adaptations: Hindley in the 1978 miniseries, Heathcliff in the 1995 radio drama.

*Amanda Root played Catherine Earnshaw in the 1995 Wuthering Heights radio drama and (showing her versatility) Miss Temple in the 1996 Jane Eyre film, as well as narrating the 2004 Naxos audiobook of Jane Eyre.

*Emma Fielding is heard in both the 1995 and 2018 radio dramas of Wuthering Heights: as Catherine Linton in 1995 and as Nelly Dean in 2018. She also narrates the 1996 Naxos audiobook of Jane Eyre.

*Geoffrey Whithead played St. John Rivers in the 1973 Jane Eyre miniseries and Mr. Linton in the 1995 Wuthering Heights radio drama.

*Jean Harvey appeared in both the 1973 and 1983 Jane Eyre miniseries: as Mrs. Reed in 1973 and as Mrs. Fairfax in 1983.

*Judy Cornwell played Nelly Dean in the 1970 Wuthering Heights and Mrs. Reed in the 1983 Jane Eyre.

*David Robb played the Count de Hamal in the 1970 Villette miniseries and Edgar Linton in the 1978 Wuthering Heights miniseries.

*Bryan Marshall played Gilbert Markham in the 1968 Tenant of Wildfell Hall miniseries and Dr. John Graham Bretton in the 1970 Villette miniseries.

*Sarah Smart played Catherine Linton in the 1998 Masterpiece Theatre Wuthering Heights, and Carol Bolton, the female Heathcliff character, in the 2002 TV film Sparkhouse, a modernized, gender-flipped retelling of Wuthering Heights.

*Holliday Grainger played Lisa Bolton, the female Hareton/Linton composite character in Sparkhouse, and Diana Rivers in the 2011 Jane Eyre film.

*Sophie Ward played Isabella Linton in the 1992 Wuthering Heights film and Lady Ingram in the 2011 Jane Eyre.

*Morag Hood played Frances Earnshaw in the 1970 Wuthering Heights and Mary Rivers in the 1983 Jane Eyre.

*Angela Thornton played Isabella Linton in the 1958 TV Wuthering Heights and Blanche Ingram in the 1961 TV Jane Eyre.

*Jean Anderson played Nelly Dean in the 1963 TV version of Wuthering Heights and Mrs. Maxwell in the 1968 Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

*Barbara Keogh played two unpleasant Brontë maidservants: Zillah in the 1978 Wuthering Heights and Miss Abbot in the 1997 TV film of Jane Eyre.

*Norman Rutherford played the lawyer Mr. Green in the 1978 Wuthering Heights and Sir George Lynn in the 1983 Jane Eyre.

*Anna Bentinck narrated the 2015 Dreamscape Media audiobooks of both Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

*Janet McTeer played Nelly Dean in the 1992 Wuthering Heights film and reprised the role as co-narrator of the 2006 Naxos audiobook (she reading Nelly's narration, David Timson reading Lockwood's).

*Edward de Souza played Mr. Mason in two different adaptations of Jane Eyre: the 1973 miniseries and the 1996 film.

Adding Brontë family members and friends into the mix:

*Ida Lupino played Isabella Linton in the Lux Radio Theatre's 1939 adaptation of Wuthering Heights based on the 1939 film, and Emily Brontë herself in the 1946 film Devotion.

*Chloe Pirrie played Emily Brontë in the 2016 TV film To Walk Invisible and Catherine Earnshaw in the 2018 Wuthering Heights radio drama.

*Ann Penfold played Polly Home in the 1970 Villette miniseries and Anne Bontë in the 1973 miniseries The Brontës of Haworth.

*Gemma Jones played Mrs. Fairfax in the 1997 Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Branwell in the 2022 film Emily.

*Richard Kay played William Weightman in The Brontës of Haworth and Lockwood in the 1978 Wuthering Heights.

*Megan Parkinson played Catherine Earnshaw in the 2015 Ambassador Theatre stage adaptation of Wuthering Heights and Martha Brown in To Walk Invisible.

*Susan Brodrick played a barmaid in The Brontës of Haworth and Mary Rivers in the 1973 Jane Eyre.

I'm sure there are plenty more, but this list is long enough for now.

[ginandoldlace]

York’s forgotten cinemas 

Have you passed by this grand structure on Fossgate and wondered what it once was?

The building where Cosy Club now resides was actually the first purpose built cinema in York. The Electric cinema was built in 1911 and was renamed the Scala before it closed in 1957. Inside, plaster mouldings from the cinema still survive today.

At the start of the 20th century cinema was thriving and so York continued to open theatres across the city.

Before the Picture House on Coney Street we know today, in 1915, there was an original Picture House further along the street which can be seen in the fantastic image of soldiers lining up to enter! The Victorian building was once a doctors home and surgery but was demolished after the closure of the cinema in 1955. Woolworths expanded into the site that is now Boots.

The final cinema we are featuring is Fairfax House, formerly St George’s cinema, a 1000-seater auditorium, the largest independent cinema in the country at the time in 1921. Fairfax House was merged with 25 Castlegate to make up the cinema as well as an L shaped ballroom.

[syvvieon]

idea my theatre friends n i came up with. something like into the woods where it's a mass crossover between all the fairytales but instead of fairytales it's musicals taking place in highschools. like. some of the antics there would be actually WILD.

like. imagine the absolute BEEF that would go down between the plastics and the heathers. imagine how tracy hairspray would react to the death of the entire st. cassian chamber choir (excluding penny lamb who decided not to ride the rollercoaster that day). imagine ellie/katherine from freaky friday fighting savannah as WELL as heather chandler, regina george, amber von tussle, and ocean o'connell rosenburg.

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday to the actor Tony Curran born 13th December 1969 in Glasgow.

Tony took to acting while still in his teens, he recalls the days in the Scottish Youth Theatre with Gerard Butler. Young Anthony Curran went on to attend the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama before gaining notoriety with a prominent role on the BBC series This Life. He would go on to make a name for himself in movies with a sci-fi/fantasy bent, like The 13th Warrior, Blade II, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Beowulf, of his small screen credits, our old favourite Taggart returns after not appearing on Kenneth Cranham’s CV yesterday!

Curran has made a name for himself in over the Atlantic in a number of US shows which include, Numb3rs, Medium, 24, Sons of Anarchy and Elementary. His most notable appearances over here have been in the ITV series Ultimate Force, Dr Who, as Vincent van Gogh , and more recently in the E4/Netflix original series Crazyhead.

Tony appeared in the 2018 Netflix film Outlaw King about Robert the Bruce and the Wars of Scottish Independence, where he played the part of Aonghus Óg of Islay, ( Angus Macdonald) chief of Clann Domhnaill. Back over in the states he has recently been in Ray Donovan, which is a great series series and few episodes of the CBS show SEAL Team. He also turned up in the mini series, Your Honor, which also stars the excellent US actor Brian Cranston of Breaking Bad fame, it’s great hearing Scottish accents in US shows, don’t you think?

Tony is another guy I follow on twitter, the guy has a heart of gold, I remember he tweeted “Me and my lass woke up this morning temperatures dropping compelled to help our homeless, loaded up some blankets pillows clothes, sweaters jackets, I’m sure we all have stuff we can donate, it all helps.” He was then out on the streets handing them out to the homeless, Tony was involved in a charity weekender with all funds raised going to St Mary’s & St Alphonsus and the great community work they do. He has in the past played charity football matches in Glasgow.

In the past few of years Tony has been playing Despero in the Super Hero series The Flash, Tony has also appeared in the US movie, Two Deaths of Henry Baker where he plays a town Sheriff, this year he appeared in the US crime series The Calling, the show has some good reviews on IMDB with a 7.1/10 rating, and in an episode of the US show For All Mankind.

In 2022 Tony appeared in a homegrown project. The two part “series”, Mayflies is set in a Scotland and Manchester in the 80′s Martin Compston co-stars along with new Shetland star Ashley Jensen, it is on BBC1 on December 28th. The show is based on a novel by Scottish author Andrew O'Hagan's book of the same name. It tells the story of Jimmy (Compston) and Tully (Curran) who ignite an “unforgettable friendship” defined by music, films and their shared rebellious spirit in a small Scottish town in the 1980s. if you haven't seen it, please look it up, and keep the hankies close by. He has also appeared in a couple of US series, an unexpected second season of Your Honor and Secret Invasion.

Earlier this year Tony played King James IV in the historical based drama Mary & George. The popular actor has two big projects on the go, the Outlander prequal, Blood of my blood and the sombre drama Lockerbie.

The first pic is Tony, with his mum, who turned 91 last month.

[theholmwoodfoundation]

THE HOLMWOOD FOUNDATION PILOT EPISODE CAST/CREW - PART TWO

BECKY WRIGHT - THRALLS/PHONE VOICE

Becky voices weird things. Her speciality is small children and demons, make of that what you will... She works across every medium. She played Nic Grundy in ‘The Archers’ for 11 years and continues to appear in regularly in radio dramas on the BBC. Recent credits include: ‘You Must Listen’, ‘Car Crash’, ‘Children of The Stones’, ‘The Battersea Poltergeist’ (Bafflegab/BBC), ‘Lola vs Powerman’, ‘Making Plans with Nigel’, ‘Mythos’ (Sweet Talk/BBC), ‘Barred’ (B7 Media/BBC), ‘Billie Homeless Dies at the End’ (Holy Mountain/BBC) & ‘The Waringham Chronicles’ (Audible Originals). For Big Finish she has appeared in many episodes of ‘Dr Who’, ‘Doom’s Day’, ‘Blake’s 7’, ‘Avalon’, ‘Unit: Nemesis’, ‘The Avengers’, ‘Star Cops’ and ‘Pathfinder’.ops and development sessions for countless new writing initiatives. She has narrated numerous audiobooks and amassed a vast and varied array of weird and wonderful dubbing, animation and computer game credits. On stage she has performed for The Being Human Festival, Nutkhut, The Birmingham Rep, Wolverhampton Arena Theatre, The Bike Shed in Exeter, Hampstead Theatre, The Pleasance and The Tricycle, amongst others. She has toured open air Shakespeare and performed a rep season in a lift shaft! She is very passionate about new work and has been involved in rehearsed readings, workshops and development sessions for countless new writing initiatives.

JESSICA CARROLL - NEWSREADER

Jessica trained at LAMDA. Most recently she played Disciple Z’rell in the multi-award-winning video game Baldur’s Gate 3. Other video games include Divinity: Original Sin 2, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, Elex, Spellforce 3, Dragon Quest XI, Unforeseen Incidents and Code 7. Jessica also voices Darcy the Driller, Riff and Jiff in the UK version of the Thomas & Friends cartoon.  Theatre includes Fence (Finborough); Fishskin Trousers (The Park Theatre, Finborough); The Broken Token (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Lakeside, William Andrews Clark - Los Angeles); Quirks (Southwark Playhouse); Old Bag (Theatre 503); Ghosts (Battersea Arts Centre); Hellcab (Old Red Lion); Last Seen (Almeida); The Woman of No Importance (Assembly Rooms Ludlow); Taking Steps (Assembly Rooms Ludlow); Daisy Pulls It Off (Lyric Hammersmith). Film and TV includes Hotel Inferno, Polar, The Space In-Between, David & Olivia. Radio includes Life Begins at Crawley and The Future of Radio (Radio 4); The British Are Coming and Liberation Is Not A Recognised Protocol (Apple). Jessica has an extensive voiceover career in commercials, dubbing and the TV and film ADR circuit where she can be heard screaming, crying, doing the news and squawking down police radios in everything from Happy Valley to Bridget Jones.

LUKE KONDOR - ROBERT SWALES

Luke Kondor is a writer, creator, and the voice behind The Other Stories podcast, which has amassed over 12 million downloads. He was recently commissioned by the George A. Romero Foundation to write a Night of the Living Dead audio drama. Currently, he lives and works from a dining room table in the middle of Sherwood Forest. For more, visit www.lukekondor.com.

PART ONE: HERE

PART THREE: HERE