New York, New York Nov 09

On a recent trip to NY, I checked out some performing possibilities....Fringe, Blueberry Pond, Clubs. Visited friends, Mimi, Jo Bruno, Susan & Tillman and Martin.

Did a lot in two days. Found New York Finge office: 520 8th Ave 3rd fl, visited Galleries Frick, Gugenheim, Folk Art, and Moma. Went for dinner with Susan, Tillman and Martin at La Voce on Madison and 26th Ave and had traditional St Martins Day Goose dinner. Stayed with Mimi, in Dobbs Ferry 45 min train ride outside NY on the Hudson River.

Saw great show- verbatium monologues on US Health Care, "Let Me Down Easy", Anna Devears Smith....very inspiring. My next show will be a Verbatium show...I've already started, with interviews from Cassandra Project and now playwrights workshop writing exercises with Marcus.

Toasting Betty Parsons

Sept 1 / 09

Home again to my Oscar and Gizzyboy, hurray. Nothing like coming home.

Took a cab to Richmond and James' Mum Judy was there to welcome me back with open arms and tea and rasberry crumble. A lovely warm reception. She also gave me carrots, beets and a piece of cheese bread for the road so I'd have some food when I got home.

London was a whirl wind of people and sights and then two days in the countryside- Surrey, Leatherhead and my visit with Betty Parsons. At 93 she is still the gracious hostess, looking after all her guests as they pass through London. She is full of wisdom and good advise, I took notes.

I left at 5:30 am and she had another guest from Austrilia
arriving at 3pm, then family arriving later that day.
So now to prepare for the Victoria show of Stripes: The Mystery Circus for Aug 12th.

Trafalgar Square London , The Accusation

London 27th Aug 09

Speakers Corner Empty

Striped Fashion is IN

London August 27 09

London Aug 27 09

London Aug 26th 09

Nun see`s London .
Had a great day running around London with my friend Nick Sparks, who took these photo`s. Went to National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, walked around Picadilly Circus, went to a pub in Leicester Square, ate lunch at a delicious chinese buffet in London`s China Town and topped the day off with Phedra, at the Royal National Theatre staring Helen Murren....fabulous.

Prague Aug 25 09

Finding my way around Prague become much easier when I found the metro and tram map, tourists mostly don’t use them, (and they are very easy to use).
At the Opera last night I met Johannes Strauss and his wife, from Johannesburg. They had been on a bike tour down the Danube to Vienna and came to Prague for the Opera. They say it’s mostly Italian tourists in Prague and they are swamped with Art in Italy so that’s why the galleries are virtually empty here.
There was a Nun at the Opera and two women in full Geisha costumes and and man who looked like a 70 year old Santa Clause with a black tux and a thick black rimmed monnicle, who sat in the front row. An interesting crowd in a spectacularly ornate Opera House, with row and rows of special red velvet box seats, huge chandeliers, carved figures and ceiling paintings.
Earlier this week I tried the Czech cuisine, a Czech speciality meal, beef slices on a plate of creamy gravy with cranberry sauce and Whipped Cream on top!!! Plus sliced dumplings, yikes I could feel my arteries hardening.
Other menu items included: three kinds of fried cheese with tartar sauce; steak tartare, Mistress Katty’s hot tongues, stuffed with cheese on a salad leaf; White mould cheese Hermelin pickled in a soak of piquent spicy sauce and lots of sausages, ribs and ham dishes.

Set maquette in Prague Art Gallery.

Nun at the Opera

Prague Art

Cathedral at the Castle, Mucha Stained glass

Prague Aug 25th 09

Prague Aus 25 09

Finally found the best thing to do in Prague...go to the State Opera...saw Rigoletto last night, and it was amazing. There is an Italian Opera festival here this month. I found some great Art Galleries and they are empty...so tip to avoid the throngs of tourists,, go to Art Galleries and Opera.

Views of Prague '09