Pondering The Archers: peggy woolley

Has Lilian run off to Paul?

Yesterday, we heard Paul encouraging Lilian to run away and join him in Dubai.

After a relentlessly angry day at Matt, we hard Lilian call someone and asking to "make a booking".

BUT.

Turns out Lilian was booking her and Peggy into a break in Whitby, as they’d talked about on Christmas Day.

Seems last time Peggy was here was 1943 with Jack

[Peggy] "It was so romantic"

She won't have any romance going there with her daughter, but a lovely time shall be had anyhoo, I'll bet.

So - do we think it's only family ties that are keeping Lilian from running to Paul?

Dedicated to Bob Pullen

Nice thought to dedicate the show to Bob.

Though he probably would have hated it ...

Peggy wishes Clive ill

Gossip about Clive resurfacing at Bert's has made its way round Ambridge. Though, of course, Tom and Brenda live next door, so saw everything.

David can't fathom why Clive came back to Ambridge, but Peggy doesn't give a hoot.

[Peggy] "Let’s hope this time they put Clive Horrobin away for good"

Quite right too, Peggy.

Kenton's great plan? Audience participation

the evening starts off with Kenton hitting David over the head with his pig bladder on a sick. (Well, a balloon on a stick, to be exact).

[Kenton] "No pig was harmed in the making of the costume ... I am the Lord of Misrule, and boy do I intend to live up to my name!"

Kenton tells the audience that Shakespeare always played to the audience. Which is exactly what he intends to do.

[Kenton] "This evening is all about audience participation"

[Lynda, to Robert] "No it’s not!"

Robert tells Lynda to calm down, and give Kenton's way a chance.

[Robert] "He’s not spoiling the acts, he’s adding to it"

After every act, Kenton had something to do for the audience, related to the act.

For example, he asked Jim to repeat a line from his soliloquy, then gave the audience their response:

[Jim] "Friends, roman, countrymen, lend me your ears"

[Audience] "Here they are!"

(I suppose we needed to be there ... As an aside, I really can't hear those lines without seeing Kenneth Williams speak them as Caesar in one of the Carry Ons. I used to love the Carry Ons. Though they’ve not aged well ...)

Kenton has the audience up dancing, wearing bells, and generally taking part. Which they seem to enjoy.

[Lynda] "I can see he’s taking the audience with him, but why didn’t he tell me?"

Robert reckoned Kenton reckoned Lynda wouldn’t have agreed.

[Lynda] "It’s not the show I planned. I shall have to go and hide"

[Robert] "You can’t hide. Don’t you want to try one of those new-fangled potato things!"

Kenton gives Lynda the credit

The overall reaction to the Elizabethan Christmas Extravaganza was that a grand time was had by all.

[Peggy] "Extraordinary, but very enjoyable."

[David] "I had no idea what I was letting myself in for"

Jim wonders aloud how Lynda kept a straight face during rehearsals, considering what the reality of the show was going to be.

Kenton doesn't mention that Lynda also didn’t have a clue. In fact, she gets all the credit.

[Kenton] "Lynda knows how to strike the balance … High art, and low comedy."