BARNESTORMING
BARNES PEOPLE
Award-winning BBC series
Sir Alec Guinness in Confessions of a
Primary Terrestrial Mental Receiver and Communicator: NUM III
Mark I.
"...Their first question was, 'Is there
intelligent life on earth?'. I thought for a long time before
answering that question. I still believe it was a trick. With
their vast powers they would've known whether there was or not.
Anyway I finally answered choosing my words with care. 'Yes...You
could say there was intelligent life on earth'. I wasn't going to
be caught out making wild generalizations. They must've thought
the reply satisfactory because they asked me there and then if
I'd help the cause of Cosmic Uplifting by becoming their
P.T.M.R.C.-'Primary Terrestrial Mental Receiver and Communicator:
Num III Mark I."....(For the fuller audio play, visit PLAY OF THE WEEK)
Sir Peter Ustinov and Sir Alec McCowen (not
shown) in Silver Bridges.
Millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt and Jay Gould
outswindle each other, the American way, heaping-up of numbers in
the indictment of crooked business practices: "You forgot to
mention your trip to the State capital with 500,000 boodle in
cash; bribe money for Courts, Legislature and the Press. You
covered 'em all with green stuff...Bribery and graft's never be
the same again. I could get any judge in the land for 35,000 top
dollar. Now they won't even talk for less than 50,000. You could
always buy journalists for nickels, now they're asking real
money. You've corrupted corruption."...
John Hurt, Sean Connery, and Donald Pleasance in
After the Funeral.
Three pimps lament the recent death of one of
their most "respected" hookers.
Laurence Olivier (Lord Olivier) in No End to
Dreaming.
Eighty-eight year old Nathan tells a
psychiatrist about his recurring dream. "Did I dream it? I
did and I didn't. Sometimes now I don't believe myself and my
mind wanders...But it's hard when dreams deliver us to dreams and
there's no end to dreaming."...
Alan Rickman in Billy and Me.
Billy is a dummy created by Jennings, a
ventriloquist who has gone mad and who converses with them as
part of his act and of his delusion that they live; partly
recognising his condition, Jennings tells Billy, "The fact
that you're becoming more independent is a sure sign I'm becoming
schizophrenic" but as his madness overcomes his reason, he
accepts Billy's order, "Now we've got some practising to do.
After all, you may be schizophrenic but you're still a pro."
Sir John Gielgud in Glory.
About to step ino a pyre in order to achieve
glory by suicide, Peregrinus delivers an oration to a crowd at
the Olympic games of 165 b.c. A real person and a true story--a
film star before his time, all he wanted was fame.
Trevor Howard and Harry Andrews in Lament
for Armenians and Grey Viruses.
Two tramps talk of their fears and aspirations.
Dame Joan Plowright and Paul Scofield in Worms.
A mother tells a priest of her son's irreligious
blasphemy.
Claire Bloom and Irene Worth in Right Time
and Place.
"Suicide by hanging, drowning, knife, gun,
razor, drugs, poison, noose or gas-oven--which do you recommend
Dr. Greenslade?" Driven to despair, she and her husband had
"proved two could live as bitter as one."
Eileen Atkins and Barbara Leigh-Hunt in Moondog
Rogan and the Mighty Hampster.
Two so-named female wrestlers rehearse. "I
like my men talk, dark and solvent."
Hobbies become obsessions, take over lives - or
elaborate defenses people need to survive.
A cult leader predicts the end of the world--but
what happens if it doesn't end. A true story about courage; the
courage just to put one foot in front of the other, to step out
when all we want to do is stay in bed, face to the wall.
AND MORE....there are 50 short plays in all, all
performed by the famous and finest... from snips and clips to
full performances will be added to the site over the passing
weeks...or to check out the STORE for
your own copy.