#welsh playwright

[do-you-know-this-play]

[yourdailyqueer]

Roger Rees (deceased)

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Gay

DOB: 5 May 1944  

DOD: 10 July 2015

Ethnicity: White - Welsh

Occupation: Actor, director, playwright

Note: Converted to Judaism in the 1980s

[theshatterednotes]

Dylan Thomas

[radianttruthsii]

Ivor Novello for "The Rat" (1925)

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

With playwright Jeremy O. Harris tapped as “librarian” emcee, the evening was filled with readings — Joseph Gordon-Levitt chose the foreword of Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” while Shanola Hampton took on “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss. Patton Oswalt made the room laugh with a passage from “Tamarisk Row” by Gerald Murnane, as did Jon Hamm, reciting “Good Omens” — Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s 1990 novel — which Gaiman adapted into a fantasy-comedy television series. Hamm is among its cast.

“Hot mic, hot mic,” Hamm said. “You’ll have to excuse me…I can only hear the voices of the co-leads,” he went on, referencing his costars, Scottish actor David Tennant and Welsh actor Michael Sheen. “I’m going to do a ridiculous approximation of their accents. Bear with me.”

Anyone knows if there is a recording of this? 👀❤

[thealogie]

My new playwright buddy was like “yeah so my wife is welsh” and before I could help it I was like “I LOVE WALES ♥️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 I LOVE THE WELSH. Sorry I know that’s a weird nationality to have that reaction about” and he was like “no i get it my wife is welsh”

[invisibleicewands]

Welsh should stand up to attack on culture - Sheen

Actor Michael Sheen says the Welsh public must rise up and defend its cultural institutions to prevent an "unthinkable" end to the Welsh arts sector.

He listed funding cuts at Welsh National Opera, National Theatre Wales and Museum Wales as examples of "an attack on culture" in Wales.

His comments came ahead of the Welsh debut of the play Nye, in which Sheen portrays Welsh politician Aneurin Bevan, the architect of the NHS.

The Welsh government said it has had to take “extremely difficult decisions” to focus funding on core public services, including the NHS.

Sheen, from Port Talbot, said it would "an outrage... terrible" if a continuation of funding cuts meant an end for the Welsh arts sector and insisted the public would not let that happen.

“We are not going to let our country die, are we. We are not going to let it culturally die and wither on the vine," he said.

"We have to do something about it. We’re not going to sit here and let people take everything away from us.”

On taking on the role of Aneurin - or Nye - Bevan, Sheen said he felt an "emotional and passionate connection" to the Tredegar politician, but said it was also "a lot to live up to".

The play was written by Welsh playwright Time Price and is a co-production between Wales Millennium Theatre and the National Theatre in London, where it premiered in April - it will play in Cardiff from 18 May to 1 June.

It tells the story of Nye in a series of flashbacks as a morphine-induced Bevan lies in a hospital bed battling terminal stomach cancer in 1960.

Sheen said it is now time for Wales to tell its own stories - despite the squeeze on public funding.

"Walking in here yesterday, walking onto the stage I got a real excitement about the potential for this space, for plays telling Welsh stories, the story of Wales," he said.

"No one else is doing it. Where is the great play about the Chartists, the Miner’s Strike, our cultural life and history?

"We have to make sure our voices are heard. Even if the opportunities for those voices to be heard are being shut down, then we have to shout louder don't we."

The Welsh government said: “Wales’ culture, art and sports institutions are an integral part of our society and well-being, enriching our communities and inspiring future generations.

"We have acted to mitigate the full scale of the budget pressures on these sectors.

"However, we have been clear our budget is up to £700m less in real terms than when it was set in 2021.

"We have had to take extremely difficult decisions to focus funding on core public services, including the NHS.

"Based on [the UK government's] plans our budget will be lower per person in real terms in 2028/29 than it was in 2022/23.”

[justforbooks]

Quincy Jones, dies aged 91

Widely and wildly talented musician and industry mogul worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Will Smith and others

Quincy Jones, a titan of American entertainment who worked with stars from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson and Will Smith, has died aged 91.

Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, said he died on Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”

Jones was arguably the most versatile pop cultural figure of the 20th century, perhaps best known for producing the albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad for Michael Jackson in the 1980s, which made the singer the biggest pop star of all time. Jones also produced music for Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer and many others.

He was also a successful composer of dozens of film scores, and had numerous chart hits under his own name. Jones was a bandleader in big band jazz, an arranger for jazz stars including Count Basie, and a multi-instrumentalist, most proficiently on trumpet and piano. His TV and film production company, founded in 1990, had major success with the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and other shows, and he continued to innovate well into his 80s, launching Qwest TV in 2017, an on-demand music TV service. Jones is third only to Beyoncé and Jay-Z for having the most Grammy award nominations of all time – 80 to their 88 each – and is the awards’ third most-garlanded winner, with 28.

Among the tributes to Jones was one from actor Michael Caine, who was born on the same day as Jones: 14 March 1933. “My celestial twin Quincy was a titan in the musical world,” Caine wrote. “He was a wonderful and unique human being, lucky to have known him.”

Playwright and actor Jeremy O Harris paid tribute to Jones’s “limitless” contributions to US culture, writing: “What couldn’t he do? Quincy Jones, literally born when the limits on how big a black boy could dream were unfathomably high, taught us that the limit does not exist.”

Jones was born in Chicago. His half-white father had been born to a Welsh slave owner and one of his female slaves, while his mother’s family were also descended from slave owners. His introduction to music came through the walls of his childhood home from a piano played by a neighbour, which he started learning aged seven, and via his mother’s singing.

His parents divorced and he moved with his father to Washington state, where Jones learned drums and a host of brass instruments in his high-school band. At 14, he started playing in a band with a 16-year-old Ray Charles in Seattle clubs, once, in 1948, backing Billie Holiday. He studied music at Seattle University, transferring east to continue in Boston, and then moved to New York after being rehired by the jazz bandleader Lionel Hampton, with whom he had toured as a high-schooler (a band for which Malcolm X was a heroin dealer when they played in Detroit).

In New York, one early gig was playing trumpet in Elvis Presley’s band for his first TV appearances, and he met the stars of the flourishing bebop movement including Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. (Years later, in 1991, Jones conducted Davis’s last performance, two months before he died.)

Jones toured Europe with Hampton, and spent much time there in the 1950s, including a period furthering his studies in Paris, where he met luminaries including Pablo Picasso, James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. At the age of 23, he also toured South America and the Middle East as Dizzy Gillespie’s musical director and arranger. He convened a crack team for his own big band, touring Europe as a way to test Free and Easy, a jazz musical, but the disastrous run left Jones, by his own admission, close to suicide and with $100,000 of debt.

He secured a job at Mercury Records and slowly paid off the debt with plenty of work as a producer and arranger for artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan and Sammy Davis Jr. He also began scoring films, his credits eventually including The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, The Getaway and The Color Purple. (He produced the last of these, which was nominated for 11 Oscars, three for Jones himself.) In 1968, he became the first African American to be nominated for best original song at the Oscars, for The Eyes of Love from the film Banning (alongside songwriter Bob Russell); he had seven nominations in total. For TV, he scored programmes such as The Bill Cosby Show, Ironside and Roots.

His work with Sinatra began in 1958 when he was hired to conduct and arrange for Sinatra and his band by Grace Kelly, princess consort of Monaco, for a charity event. Jones and Sinatra continued working on projects until Sinatra’s final album, LA Is My Lady, in 1984. Jones’s solo musical career took off in the late 1950s, recording albums under his own name as bandleader for jazz ensembles that included luminaries such as Charles Mingus, Art Pepper and Freddie Hubbard.

Jones once said of his time in Seattle: “When people write about the music, jazz is in this box, R&B is in this box, pop is in this box, but we did everything,” and his catholic tastes served him well as modern pop mutated out of the swing era. He produced four million-selling hits for the New York singer Lesley Gore in the mid-60s, including the US No 1 It’s My Party, and later embraced funk and disco, producing hit singles including George Benson’s Give Me the Night and Patti Austin and James Ingram’s Baby Come to Me, along with records by the band Rufus and Chaka Khan, and the Brothers Johnson. Jones also released his own funk material, scoring US Top 10 albums with Body Heat (1974) and The Dude (1981).

His biggest success in this style was his work with Michael Jackson: Thriller remains the biggest selling album of all time, while Jones’s versatility between Off the Wall and Bad allowed Jackson to metamorphose from lithe disco to ultra-synthetic funk-rock. He and Jackson (along with Lionel Richie and producer Michael Omartian) also helmed We Are the World, a successful charity single that raised funds for famine relief in Ethiopia in 1985. “I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him,” Jones said when Jackson died in 2009. In 2017, Jones’s legal team successfully argued that he was owed $9.4m in unpaid Jackson royalties, though he lost on appeal in 2020 and had to return $6.8m.

After the success of The Color Purple in 1985, he formed the film and TV production company Quincy Jones Entertainment in 1990. His biggest screen hit was the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran for 148 episodes and launched the career of Will Smith; other shows included the LL Cool J sitcom In the House and the long-running sketch comedy show MadTV.

He also created the media company Qwest Broadcasting and in 1993, the Black music magazine Vibe in partnership with Time Inc. Throughout his career he supported numerous charities and causes, including the , National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Jazz Foundation of America and others, and mentored young musicians including the British multiple Grammy winner Jacob Collier.

Jones’ illustrious career was twice nearly cut short: he narrowly avoided being killed by Charles Manson’s cult in 1969, having planned to go to Sharon Tate’s house on the night of the murders there, but Jones forgot the appointment. He also survived a brain aneurysm in 1974 that prevented him from playing the trumpet again in case the exertion caused further harm.

Jones was married three times, first to his high-school girlfriend Jeri Caldwell, for nine years until 1966, fathering his daughter Jolie. In 1967, he married Ulla Andersson and had a son and daughter, divorcing in 1974 to marry actor Peggy Lipton, best known for roles in The Mod Squad and Twin Peaks. They had two daughters, including the actor Rashida Jones, before divorcing in 1989. He had two further children: Rachel, with a dancer, Carol Reynolds, and Kenya, his daughter with actor Nastassja Kinski.

He never remarried, but continued to date a string of younger women, raising eyebrows with his year-long partnership with 19-year-old Egyptian designer Heba Elawadi when he was 73. He has also claimed to have dated Ivanka Trump and Juliette Gréco. He is survived by his seven children.

Other artists paying tribute included LL Cool J, who wrote: “You were a father and example at a time when I truly needed a father and example. Mentor. Role model. King. You gave me opportunities and shared wisdom. Music would not be music without you.” Femi Koleoso, bandleader with Mercury prize-winning jazz group Ezra Collective, called Jones a “masterful musician and beautiful soul”.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[emailsfromanactor]

More from Hume Cronyn's memoir, relevant to today's Redfield letter:

Billy [Redfield] writes, “The personal conviction of the individual ac­tor is what finally persuades an audience.” I don’t think that’s an absolute, but there’s a considerable measure of truth in it. But what if the actor’s conviction is in conflict with that of the director? In extreme cases they would best wave goodbye to one another—especially if there is no playwright around to arbitrate and speak passionately of his conception of the char­acter. Who can say with total authority what Shakespeare had in mind for Hamlet? Perhaps Richard Burbage, presumably with Shakespeare at his elbow (and playing the Ghost in the same production), could have spoken with authority, but he’s long gone, and over the past four hundred years it’s been up to the conviction of the actor at bat. No interpretation of Hamlet can satisfy everyone. Gielgud had his, and Burton a somewhat dif­ferent one—“more modern,” he felt—yet both actors had im­mense respect for one another. Richard hoped to learn from John; John felt that Richard’s gifts, his very lyric Welshness, his vigor, sensibility, beautiful voice—and yes, his modernity—would make for an exciting and contemporaneous Hamlet. Both actor and actor-director wanted to work with one another, and yet, and yet... To an extraordinary extent the play Hamlet, Prince of Den­mark is the character of Hamlet alone. He is the sun around which the other characters revolve. So there’s little wonder that the director’s first and foremost concern must be given to that character and the actor playing it. As I’ve said, I’m not sure that Billy or the rest of the company appreciated that fact. We were all in desperate need of John’s attention. The production was awkward, the wardrobe gave trouble, and the bare stage, surrounded by the brick walls of the theater, was as distracting as an unnecessarily elaborate set might have been. The production did not jell. Richard was brilliant but uneven, and the rest of us uneven and less than brilliantly supportive. As Polonius, I never felt any lack in John’s attention to me. My principal concern was that I not be too “cute,” too adorable in mannerism—in short, that I not be too funny. There are marvelous comic aspects to the character of Polonius, but they are there, Shakespeare provided them. The actor adds more at his peril. Having run a sword through Polonius’s guts, Hamlet says, “Thou find’st to be too busy is some danger.” That might be addressed to the actor who plays Polonius as well.

Every actor goes into rehearsal hoping that his director will turn out to be God, that he can do no wrong, and that some­how he will annoint his actors with a magical balm of inspira­tion and capability. They expect him to lead them into some promised land where they will finally be recognized as multi­talented or at the very least “brilliant.” When it comes to this sort of faith, I am not merely heretic but downright agnostic. Directors can be obtuse, blind, abusive, insensitive and wrong. I know, I’ve been one. If there is an actor’s prayer to be ad­dressed to his Godlike director it might run “Dear Father, may you be kind, patient, long-suffering, inspired, and above all may you have reliable taste and judgment: for I, your not-too-humble servant, am extremely vulnerable and in dire need of your blessing.” Afterthought. “Oh, yes, and may you have the gift of com­munication, so that even after having said the same thing to me ten times without result, you will be prepared to try an eleventh—if necessary, in Swahili.” Of course, John had certain idiosyncrasies as a director that were easy to mock, but the mockery was exercised with great affection. For one thing, he believed in trial and error (what else are rehearsals for?) and he moved so quickly—particularly in the matter of staging a scene—that the actors sometimes felt they were caught in a blender. John also didn’t hesitate to read a line for an actor or to demonstrate a move he thought might be helpful. This is a practice some American actors find repre­hensible, even downright insulting. Not me, I like it. Some streak of arrogance in my makeup will allow me to say, “Oh, I see what you mean; now I’ll do it—only better.” Commu­nication needs all the help it can get, either verbal or physical.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

The Strange Historical Origins of the Humpty Dumpty Nursery Rhyme

By Carl Seaver | 24 January 2023

Nearly all children who grew up during the twentieth century are familiar with the nursery rhyme of Humpty Dumpty.

This modern version of the short rhyme runs as follows:

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;

All the King’s horses

And all the King’s men,

Couldn’t put Humpty together again.”

So far, the story is quite simple. However, there is a much wider story to how this nursery rhyme came into existence and developed over five or six hundred years.

This is the story of the strange historical origins of the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme.

The Modern Origins of Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty has been around for centuries, but the modern, standardized version of the rhyme is largely derived from the version published by an English publisher and organist Samuel Arnold in 1797. This ran:

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

Four-score Men and Four-score more,

Could not make Humpty Dumpty where he was before.”

Slight evolutions occurred after that throughout the nineteenth century until the twentieth-century version was arrived at.

Was Richard III the inspiration for Humpty Dumpty?

The Humpty Dumpty rhyme can be traced back to at least the late fifteenth century and is an allusion to King Richard III.

Richard III briefly reigned as King of England between 1483 and 1485 after his brother, King Edward IV, passed away.

Edward was to be succeeded by his son and namesake, Edward V, but as the young Edward was a minor in 1483, Richard was chosen to serve as regent until he reached adulthood.

Richard can hardly be said to have honored his brother’s faith in him and quickly placed young Edward and his younger brother Richard in the Tower of London, from where they never reappeared.

The assumption is Richard had his two young nephews killed, and thereafter, he usurped the throne.

He did not go unchallenged in this, and Henry Tudor, a Welsh upstart, overthrew him in 1485 by defeating Richard in combat at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

All of this is relevant to Humpty Dumpty because Richard suffered from scoliosis and was a hunchback.

Additionally, his horse was allegedly called ‘Wall.’

So, in later years, when figures such as the great playwright William Shakespeare wrote about Richard, they emphasized his humped back.

By modern standards of ethics, it hardly seems acceptable to refer to somebody with a physical disability as ‘Humpty Dumpty,’ but this seems to have been a reference to Richard’s humped back.

When the rhyme refers to him falling off of a ‘wall,’ this would seem to be a reference to his horse, which Richard is recorded as falling off of at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

The King’s soldiers and men are a reference to his forces at the battle being unable to win the day against Henry Tudor’s army.

Other Possible Origins of Humpty Dumpty

Richard III’s story is the most plausible origin of the Humpty Dumpty rhyme, but several others exist.

Some suggest that Humpty Dumpty is a derivative of a Swedish or Germanic fairy tale character, many of which were immortalized by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen in the nineteenth century.

There is also a plausible link to seventeenth and eighteenth-century slang terms.

For instance, Humpty Dumpty was a drink consumed in Stuart-era Britain composed of a mix of brandy and ale.

This, combined with other pejorative terms which were used at the time to refer to people of shorter stature, would suggest that at least in the eighteenth century before Arnold publicized the largely modernized version of the rhyme, Humpty Dumpty was a bawdy, insulting comedic figure of some sort which term was widely applied to people when inebriated.

Humpty Dumpty and the English Civil War

One final interpretation is that Humpty Dumpty was the name of a large piece of ordnance, or a canon, which was mounted on the walls of the town of Colchester in the mid-seventeenth century.

During the 1640s, England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland were enveloped by a series of conflicts collectively known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms or the English Civil War in England.

Colchester was besieged during the civil war between King Charles I and the English Parliament in 1648.

Humpty Dumpty was the name of a huge canon atop the town’s walls.

The Royalists, the King’s supporters, held the town while the Parliamentarians besieged it.

The wall, which Humpty Dumpty was perched on top of, was shattered by parliamentary ordnance fire, and Humpty Dumpty fell off this great wall.

The King’s Men, in this interpretation, were the Royalists, who could not remount the canon, and eventually, after an eleven-week siege of Colchester, were forced to surrender to the Parliamentary forces.

Again, the theory that the Humpty Dumpty rhyme originates in the siege of Colchester in 1648 is speculative.

What seems clear from all of this is that there is no one origin story for the Humpty Dumpty rhyme.

Rather, it was a rhyme inherited from the early modern world from medieval times.

Each successive generation reimagined it to suit the circumstances of their age, whether that was Richard III falling from his horse in 1485, a canon falling from the walls of Colchester in 1648, or somebody who had drank too much brandy and ale falling over in the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries.

Each generation brought its interpretation to the rhyme we all know today.

[scotianostra]

The Scottish author and artist Alasdair Gray was born on December 28th 1934.

“People who care nothing for their country’s stories and songs are like people without a past- without a memory- they are half people”

Alasdair Gray, wrote this in his award winning Novel, Poor Things, that won the Whitbread Novel Award and Guardian Fiction Prize in 1992, and it’s a quote I live by.

Gray was born in Riddrie, east Glasgow and spent most of his childhood there except a period during WW2 when he was evacuated to Perthshire. After an education which involved, in his words, state schools libraries and the BBC he trained in art at Glasgow School of Art. He worked as a part-time art teacher, muralist and theatrical scene painter before becoming a full-time painter, playwright and author.

Alisdair worked at the Peoples Palace for a time as the city’s “artist recorder” during this time he produced hundreds of art pieces for the city, although well known for his literature he has also painted many murals in the city, including ones at the Hillhead subway station and in the Oran Mor.

His highly-acclaimed first novel Lanark was published in 1981, winning both a Scottish Arts Council Book Award and the Scottish Book of the Year award he went on to publish extensively, becoming one of the most immediately recognisable figures in contemporary Scottish literature. 

His 1993 collection of short stories, Unlikely Stories, Mostly, won the 1983 Cheltenham Prize. In 2001 he was appointed, with Tom Leonard and James Kelman, joint Professor of the Creative Writing programme at Glasgow and Strathclyde University.

Alisdair Gray passed away on 29th December 2019, the day after his 85th birthday, following a short illness. He left his body to science and there was no funeral. Tributes were paid by many including Val McDermid, Ian Rankin and Irvine Welsh.

I started this post with an Alasdair Gray quote I can relate to, and I will end it with another;

I ought to have more love before I die. I've not had enough.

Aint that the truth!

[yourdailyqueer]

Emlyn Williams (deceased)

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Bisexual

DOB: 26 November 1905  

RIP: 25 September 1987

Ethnicity: White - Welsh

Occupation: Screenwriter, playwright, writer, actor, director

[ryqoshay]

Putting on Hairs: Post Production - Hiraeth of a Wolf and Ghost

Primary Pairing: N/A Starring: Ryo and Shizuku Also Starring: Chika, Setsuna, Kasumi Secondary Pairing: ShizuKasu Words: 655 Rating: G AU: Theater, Monsters Fandom: several LL gens, including an N girl from SIF Time Frame: Sometime during the main story Prompt: Hiraeth

---------

Author's Note: Bonus 2nd entry for the 8th that I forgot to post before the primary for the 9th

Summary: Ryo and Shizuku both may suffer from a form of hiraeth

---------

“Yes, Aikawa-san?”

“Ryo, please.”

Chika smiled. “Alright, Ryo-chan. Did you have a question about your character?”

“Indeed. I am curious as to Gwyndolyn’s motivation.”

The main roles of Putting on Hairs had been assigned and now the actors had gathered with the playwright and the director to go over some preliminary things before lines would be practiced and rehearsals started.

“She hates werewolves.” Chika explained.

“Yes, I saw that.” Ryo nodded. “However, there must be a reason for such burning hatred, and for her to take such extreme actions as she does. And I must know these motivations for me to truly understand the character and become her on stage.”

“Uhm…” Chika pursed her lips.

“If I may make a suggestion?” Shizuku spoke up.

“Mm?”

“Gwyndolyn’s name comes from Gwyn ap Nudd, I am correct?”

Chika grinned. “I’m happy someone caught that. I had a lot of fun looking up things for this play.”

“Then you know the name is of Welsh origin.”

“Yup! And associated with the Wild Hunt. And that’s why I made her a Hunter.”

Shizuku nodded. “Then perhaps her motivation could be <hiraeth>?”

“Hee-rye-th?” Chika sounded out the unfamiliar word.

“Oh!” Setsuna suddenly perked up. “A deep sense of longing or yearning for that which has passed. Gwendoln longs for a time when werewolves did not plague her lands!”

“Yes, that was what I had in mind.” Shizuku confirmed. “Perhaps someone she knows or loved was harmed by a werewolf. Or she perceives an imbalance in nature by their existence.”

“Or perhaps she regrets being turned…” Ryo murmured.

“That wasn’t exactly what I was going for…” Shizuku admitted.

Nico bit her tongue, unsure of what to make of her fellow werewolf’s statement.

“Please do not misunderstand me, Shizuku-san.” Ryo bowed slightly. “I am grateful for your observation and believe I have a better understanding of the character I am to play.”

“Right.” Chika spoke up. “I’m gonna add this heerythe thing to the script. Uhm… how do you spell it?”

---------

“Shizuku seemed to have a better understanding of that hearee thing than she let on.” Kasumi observed as she and her girlfriend made their way home.

“Mm…” Shizuku responded neutrally.

Of course Kasumi would be the one to notice. The little gremlin could be clueless about many things, but she often lived up to her proclamation of knowing everything about Shizuku. It was an endearing trait Shizuku loved about her girlfriend, even if it meant situations like this.

“<Hirgaeth.>” Shizuku repeated the term. “My guardians taught me the idea years ago to help me work through my own feelings of longing, loss and grief. I cannot return to the life I once had. The world cannot return to the way it once was. But I can move forward in the world I am in now.”

“And you can resolve your regret and pass on…”

“Well, I cannot exactly die of old age anymore.” The ghost said, perhaps a bit too cheerfully, considering the topic. “But I did promise my Kasumi-chan that I would not pass on without her.” She slipped an arm through her girlfriend’s. “For she is one of my main reasons to stay here.”

“One of?” Kasumi furrowed her brow. “Not the main reason?”

Shizuku smiled. Kasumi pouted. Shizuku laughed.

“Of course Kasumi-chan is the main reason.” Shizuku decided to stop teasing.

“Hmph. Keep that up and Kasumin won’t be making her super special dinner for Shizuko tonight.”

“That’s alright, I don’t need to eat if I discorporate my body.” Maybe the teasing wasn’t done after all.

“He~y! That’s no fair!”

Shizuku laughed again. “Alright, then perhaps I will make dinner instead?”

Kasumi considered the offer for a moment. “No, as much as Kasumin loves Shizuko’s cooking, I already have everything planned for tonight.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“You’d better.”

Yet again Shizuku couldn’t help laughing. Happily, she pulled her girlfriend closer as they approached their apartment.

---------

Author's Note Continued: I was trying to think about a second entry for the prompt when I remembered that I have a Welsh named character in one of the plays in PoH, specifically the namesake play. Add in some prior existing thoughts about Shizuku's longing or homesickness for a place lost to time and... other events, and I got this.

I will probably rework a few things when I get around to adding this into the PoH:PP collection. Perhaps mention Maki at some point, as she is playing one of the leads. Maybe give Nico an actual line or two, and Kasumi as well during the character discussion. And since Shizuku is an understudy here, I would want to include Hanayo, the other as well. We'll see.

[whatsonmedia]

Thursday Thrills: Dive into the Summer Festival Extravaganza!

August has arrived, and the festival frenzy is on fire! From beats that move your soul to moments that make you whole, this month is a symphony of experiences waiting to unfold. Let the rhythm of August lead you to unforgettable adventures, where music, magic, and memories collide in a spectacular dance of life. Step into the spotlight and let the festival season ignite your spirit! Edinburgh Festival 5 - 29 August With over 3,000 shows taking place, there is something for everyone at the Edinburgh Festival 2023. Headline acts include Sir Cliff Richard, TV presenter Gail Porter, film director Ken Loach, comedian Rhod Gilbert, playwright Alistair McDowall, and the musical "The Book of Mormon." There will also be a number of special events taking place, such as the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The festival is a celebration of the arts and culture from all over the world, and it is a great opportunity to see some of the best performers in the world. The lineup is diverse and eclectic, with something to appeal to all tastes. Whether you are a fan of theater, comedy, music, dance, or something else entirely, you are sure to find something to enjoy at the Edinburgh Festival 2023. So what are you waiting for? Book your tickets today and experience the Edinburgh Festival 2023 for yourself! Tickets & More Info>edinburghjazzfestival.com Stowaway Festival 18 – 20 Aug Stowaway Festival, a remarkable independent event, has firmly etched its place on the festival calendar. Elevate your festival camaraderie to new heights at this open-air extravaganza. Unleash your inhibitions, embrace the carefree spirit, and immerse yourself in a boundless realm of fun. Stowaway Festival is the ultimate destination for a grand-scale, all-out celebration. Dive into the beats and rhythms, as top DJs and live music artists set the stage for an electrifying experience. From seasoned ravers to newcomers and even the little ones, everyone can dance beneath the stars until dawn. But that's not all – Stowaway's enchanting concoction includes hidden parties, a serene woodland spa, exhilarating wild swimming and canoeing, moments of wellness and relaxation, and an array of activities for kids. Embark on a journey of discovery, unveiling the secret wonders of Stowaway's realm. With a big line-up to keep you toe-tapping all weekend which includes Crazy P, Dan Shake, David Rodigan, Eats Everything, Soulworks, Nicky Blackmarket, Roy Ayers, Easy Star All-Stars, House Gospel Choir, Irvine Welsh, Jamz Supernova, Joe Goddard, Little Dragon, Todd Edwards, Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy, Junior Jungle, Balearic Ultras, Ben Virgo, A For Alpha, Harvey Skipper, Jono McCleery, Dr Dubplate, Diego Soundsystem, Alabaster, Llewellyn Brothers, Robots With No Soul and more Tickets & More Info> stowawayfestival.co.uk Notting Hill Carnival 27-28 August The Notting Hill Carnival is back in 2023, and it's going to be bigger and better than ever! With over 2 million people expected to attend, this is the ultimate celebration of Caribbean culture. The lineup for 2023 is still being finalized, but you can expect to see some of the biggest names in Caribbean music, including Machel Montano, Beenie Man, and Spice. There will also be a wide variety of other performers, from steel bands to dancehall artists. In addition to the music, the Notting Hill Carnival is also known for its colorful costumes and vibrant atmosphere. So whether you're looking to dance the day away or just soak up the culture, the Notting Hill Carnival is the place to be in August 2023. Tickets & More Info> nhcarnival.org/ Escape 19 Aug Big brand festival company, Climax Live are going all out to host one of the biggest mash ups in Swansea Wales, this summer.  Taking things up 10 notches, party loving people going to this danceathon can get their groove on to some of the biggest current names in House, Trance, Drum & Bass and more.  It’s a one dayer for the hardcore stayer making the most of every moment.  Think rave to the grave! With expectations to dance to the hotest tunes from the packed dancefloor clubs to the field of dance music dreams.  EDM heaven.  With all the festival paraphernalia making this one raver one stop until ya pop n drop. It’s a time for the great dance music Escape! Expect a line-up of DJ royalty for the marathon rave up. Including Alex Kidd, Ben Hemsley, Born on Road, Bryan Kearney, DJ Isaac, Danny Howard, David Rust, Disrupta, Ellie Cocks, Faze 2, GW Harrison, Gally & Jusice, Ilario Alicante, John O'Callaghan, Judge Jules, Juliet Fox, Kanine, Kings of the Rollers, Layton Giordani, Marco Carola, Marco Faraone, Maria Healy, NOIZU, Nicole Moudaber, Paul Clark, Paul Clark, Paul Woolford, Sander Van Doorn, Shy FX, Wilkinson, Will Atkinson, Will Rees, Zatox Tickets & More Info> escapefestival.co.uk Green Man 17 – 20 Aug Long standing independent festival, returns each year bigger and better in beautiful Welsh surroundings of Breacon Beacons South Wales.  Offering a mixture of arts, music and also includes literature, film and children's entertainment, as well as stalls and organic foods on the 'village green'. It’s such a good festival, its loyal 25,000 festival goers always leave happy yearning for next year.  The festival has sold out Expect live music from bands, solo artists and a mighty selection of DJS including Confidence Man, First Aid Kit, Devo, Spiritualized, Amyl And The Sniffers, Slowdive, The Walkmen, Young Fathers, The Comet Is Coming, Lankum, Snail Mail, Squid, The Delgados, Horace Andy, Daniel Avery (LIVE), Sudan Archives, Obongjaar, Courtney Marie Andrews, Dur-Dur Band, Alabaster Deplume, Beth Orton Tickets & More Info> greenman.net Trentham Live 17 – 20 Aug Trentham gardens in Staffordshire hosts its annual live music events across this weekend in its amazing location.  The line-up for the weekend’s entertainment features sells out tours from some of the UK and Global most favourite bands, well-known singers and legendary DJs whichever night you choose to go. You’ll be met by a crowd of people who are up for a great time with likeminded people. The line-up includes McFly, The Hoosiers, Feeder, Jake Bugg, The Feeling, Chase and Status, Sigma, Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, Olly Murs, Natalie Imbruglia Tickets & More Info> trentham.co.uk Beautiful Days 18 – 20 Aug The Levellers' Family Music Festival, orchestrated by DMF Music, stands as an independent labor of love, free from sponsorship or funding. Welcoming all to Devonshire's divine Escot Park in 2023, it offers diverse stages, Site Art, a Children's Area, Healing Village, Walkabout Theatre, family camping, and real ale bars. The coveted lineup includes Suede, Primal Scream, Levellers, Johnny Marr, The Waterboys, Indigo Girls, The Dead South, The Proclaimers, Gaz Coombes, Reef, and Gok Wan. Don't miss this enchanting, sold-out event uniting music, art, and celebration. Tickets & More Info> beautifuldays.org Hospitality In The Woods 19 Aug Returning to magnificent surroundings of Beckenham Place Park London. One of the biggest and best drum n bass DJ line-ups on the UK summer festival calendar.  It’s time to get your best rave on for the supreme d'n'b brand, Hospitality records festival. Promising to deliver big on every aspect. All you have to do is show up in your best happy vibe. Featruing a stellar line-up of d'n'b elite to feast ya dance music feet on this is going to be one very special one-dayer that its festival lovers have been waiting all year for.  Hot on the line-up is Netsky, High Contrast, Camo & Krooked, Ayah Marar, Metrik, London Elektricity, Roni Size, Calibre, LTJ Bukem, Etherwood, Harry Shotta, LTJ Bukem, Sub Zero, Bladerunner, Goddard, Kasra, Disrupta, Bryan Gee, 2Shy, MC GQ, Nu:Tone Tickets & more> hospitalityinthewoods.com Read the full article

[gkminz]

Benedict Cumberbatch Net Worth 2023

Benedict Cumberbatch is a highly acclaimed English actor known for his versatile performances on stage, television, and film. He was born in London in 1976 and studied drama at the University of Manchester before training at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Cumberbatch gained recognition for his roles in the television series "Sherlock," for which he received multiple awards, and the film "The Imitation Game," which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He has also appeared in numerous other films and TV shows, including "Doctor Strange," "Star Trek Into Darkness," and "The Hobbit" trilogy. Cumberbatch is widely regarded as one of the most talented actors of his generation and has a devoted fan base around the world.

Family Background

Benedict Cumberbatch comes from a family with a rich and diverse background. His ancestry includes English, Scottish, Welsh, and even a distant French Huguenot descent. Let's take a closer look at his family background.

Cumberbatch's father, Timothy Carlton, is also an actor who has appeared in numerous TV shows and films. He was born Timothy Carlton Congdon Cumberbatch in 1944 and later changed his name to Timothy Carlton to avoid confusion with another actor. Carlton's father, Henry Carlton Cumberbatch, was a British diplomat who served in various countries, including Turkey, Lebanon, and Iran.

Cumberbatch's mother, Wanda Ventham, is also an actress who has appeared in several British TV shows and films. She was born in 1935 in Brighton, England, to a British father and a Czechoslovakian mother. Ventham's father, Frederick Ventham, was a British army officer who served in India and Burma during World War II.

Cumberbatch has a younger sister named Tracy Peacock, who is a novelist and playwright. She was born in 1973 and has published several acclaimed works, including the novel "The Life and Loves of a She-Devil."

Cumberbatch's family has a long history of academic and artistic achievements. His great-grandfather, Henry Arnold Cumberbatch, was a prominent British mathematician and logician who served as a fellow at Cambridge University. His great-great-grandfather, Robert William Cumberbatch, was a bishop of Barbados in the late 19th century.

Cumberbatch's family background has undoubtedly influenced his own interests and pursuits. He has often spoken about the importance of his family and how they have supported him throughout his career. With such a diverse and accomplished family, it is no wonder that Cumberbatch has become one of the most talented actors of his generation.

Net Worth And Salary

Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the most successful actors in the world, with a career that has spanned television, film, and theater. As a result of his success, he has amassed a significant net worth through his earnings from acting roles, endorsements, and investments.

Net Worth: According to Celebrity Net Worth, Benedict Cumberbatch's net worth is estimated to be around $40 million as of 2023. This is a significant increase from his reported net worth of $30 million in 2021. His net worth is expected to continue growing in the coming years as he takes on new projects and expands his investment portfolio.

Salary: Benedict Cumberbatch's salary for acting roles varies depending on the project and his role in it. For example, he reportedly earned $250,000 per episode for his role in the BBC series "Sherlock." His salary for films has also varied, with some sources reporting that he earned $2.5 million for his role in "Doctor Strange" and $6.5 million for "Avengers: Infinity War."

Endorsements: In addition to his acting earnings, Benedict Cumberbatch has also earned money through various endorsements. He has been a brand ambassador for brands such as Dunhill, Jaguar, and Samsung. In 2018, he signed a deal with high-end watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre to become a brand ambassador for the company.

Investments: Benedict Cumberbatch has also made investments in various ventures, including the production company SunnyMarch, which he co-founded in 2013. The company has produced several successful films and television series, including "Patrick Melrose," "The Child in Time," and "The Courier." Cumberbatch also owns a stake in a London-based restaurant and bar, called the Marylebone Filling Station.

In conclusion, Benedict Cumberbatch's net worth, salary, and endorsements are a testament to his success and talent as an actor. He has earned a significant amount of money through his acting roles, endorsements, and investments, and his net worth is expected to continue growing in the coming years. His diverse range of investments and endorsements indicate that he is not only a talented actor, but also a savvy businessman. Read More...

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Birthdays 11.10

Beer Birthdays

Martin Luther; religious leader (1483)

William Hogarth; English artist (1647)

Jacob Betz (1843)

Edward Cecil Guinness (1847)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Bill Bryson; writer (1946)

Neil Gaiman; English writer (1960)

Billy May; composer, bandleader (1916)

Roy Scheider; actor (1932)

Carl Stalling; composer (1891)

Famous Birthdays

Francis Maitland Balfour; British biologist (1851)

Paul Bley; Canadian-American pianist and composer (1932)

Richard Burton; Welsh actor (1925)

Jacob Cats; Dutch poet, jurist (1577)

Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1433)

Winston Churchill; author and painter (1871)

Francois Couperin; French composer (1668)

Tommy Davidson; comedian (1963)

Zoey Deutch; actress (1994)

Taron Egerton; Welsh actor (1989)

Roland Emmerich; German film director (1955)

Robert F. Engle; economist, Nobel Prize laureate (1942)

Jacob Epstein; American-English sculptor (1880)

Ernst Fischer; German chemist (1918)

Oliver Goldsmith; Irish writer (1728)

W.E.B. Griffin; writer (1929)

Hachikō; Japanese dog (1923)

William Hogarth; English painter, illustrator (1697)

Russell Johnson; actor (1924)

Mikhail Kalashnikov; Russian general, designed AK-47 (1919)

Jared P. Kirtland; naturalist (1793)

Greg Lake; rock guitarist, singer (1947)

Louis le Brocquy; Irish painter and illustrator (1916)

Vachel Lindsay; poet (1879)

Dave Loggins; singer, songwriter (1947)

J.P. Marquand; writer (1893)

Johnny Marks; composer and songwriter (1909)

Mike McCarthy; Green Bay Packers coach (1963)

Tracy Morgan; comedian, actor (1968)

Ennio Morricone; Italian composer (1928)

Brittany Murphy; actor (1977)

Zofia Nałkowska; Polish author and playwright (1884)

Tom Papa; comedian, actor, tv host (1968)

Mackenzie Phillips; actor (1959)

Ellen Pompeo; actress (1969)

Henri Rabaud; French composer (1873)

Claude Rains; actor (1889)

Ann Reinking; dancer, actor (1949)

Tim Rice; lyricist (1944)

Friedrich Schiller; German poet and playwright (1759)

Sinbad; comedian (1956)

David "Screaming Lord" Sutch; English entertainer (1940)

Bram Tchaikovsky; English singer-songwriter (1950)

Steven Utley; author and poet (1948)

Friedrich von Schiller; German writer (1759)

Brooks Williams; singer, songwriter (1958)

Arnold Zweig; German author (1887)