Great Expectations

A topic for discussion - is it better to have great expectations, or to expect nothing? If you have great expectations and they are disappointed, how can you recover? But if you have no expectations, isn't that a sign of being depressive?

These things were discussed over breakfast at our place this morning. By whom? Well, there were four of us. Guests were Helen Moulder, a visiting actor, plus her friend and roadie, Megan. Helen and Megan arrived at luncthime on Saturday, for the long awaited performance, in our lounge room, of Helen's solo play titled "Playing Miss Havisham"  http://www.willowproductions.co.nz/playing_Miss_havisham_intro.htm

David and I had met Helen and Megan in Sydney in August last year, in Belvoir Street, near Linda and Phil's place, while we were all queueing for hours to get cancellation tickets to a sold-out performance of "Neighbourhood Watch" http://rovrallover.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/so-tired.html

It's quite a thing to have an internationally respected actor/playwright staying and performing in your home.  We feel very privileged and I think our audience appreciated it too. Helen has performed this play over 300 times, all over her native New Zealand, in Australia, the UK and in the USA. We hope she will be back next year, as she promised.

The play is the story of a woman who dreams of winning the role of Miss Havisham from Dickens' book "Great Expectations" It is funny but also poignant. Good thinking fodder, too. This year 2012, is the 200th anniversary of Dickens' birth. Helen brought a suitcase full of props, including an amazing Havishamesque wedding dress. For the rest, she just used our furniture and lighting, very adapatable.

We set up the room with all our chairs and the audience of 19 was well pleased. After the performance, supper and lots of champagne. Helen doesn't like photos being taken during the performance, but here is a link to some photos from a performance in New York in 2010. http://www.dickensnewyork.com/Havisham%20092510/Playing%20Miss%20Havisham%20Event-1.html

This morning we did the Blackhead markets, a walk on the beach and of course, a visit to the house. They asked for it!

This is Megan picking her way through the mud. I'm comin' through the rye, she said.