MEDITATION 101

As I sit here by my candle once more while the light slowly fades to summer twilight, I am filled with a sense of ennui. Having finally reached my one hundredth meditation, I am at a loss as to how begin the next one. What shall I reflect upon next?

A friend has come to my rescue. As this is Meditation 101, he suggested I might write something in the style of the TV programme ‘Room 101’. In the programme, (which I have rarely seen) celebrities are interviewed about their pet hates and have to chose several things that persistently annoy them. They have to persuade the host to assign their hates to oblivion in ‘Room 101’. Room 101 is taken from George Orwell’s novel ‘1984’. In the novel, Room 101 is a torture room which reputedly contains ‘the worst thing in the world.’ The pet hate of the celebrity is signified by a prop, which, if the host is persuaded, is thrown down a chute to disappear into the bowels of the earth, where Room 101 is presumably situated. The irony about the programme is that although the celebrity may succeed in assigning their pet hate to oblivion, no doubt they will still be aggravated by it once the programme is over!

I am grateful to my friend for his suggestion but, on reflection, I feel that a meditation based on my pet hates would be rather negative, especially as this is the first meditation of hopefully the next one hundred. It could dissolve into a rant and I have rarely been a ranter in my life, (I hope!).  Moreover, it would cease to be a meditation and would become a tirade. Besides I would emerge from the meditation as a ‘grumpy old man’, which is is not a persona I would like to cultivate nor project.  I do hope I haven’t given that impression in my previous meditations. 

Whenever I do find myself getting rather grumpy or even strident about something  I often correct myself by saying ‘Dear me, I am sounding like Victor Meldrew’ to whoever I am conversing with. You may remember that Victor Meldrew was the main character in the sitcom ‘One Foot In The Grave’ and was the retired grumpy old man par excellence. This was mainly because so many things went wrong around him and because he tended to be accident prone. 

My friend’s suggestion, however, has given me cause for reflection. Am I becoming crusty and curmudgeonly in my senior years, I ask myself? I certainly hope not. I must admit to being quite self-opinionated at times. But then it is important to have strong opinions. Having a strong opinion is different from being crusty and curmudgeonly and applies to people of all ages, not just seniors. And strong opinions are very different from pet hates.

It is important to have an opinion, a stance on issues in the world around us, some of which are being debated in the lead up to the Election. They are in the air at the moment. In fact, an election can and should bring our opinions into relief and focus them. It could even lead someone to rethink their opinion. There is nothing wrong about being forthright in our opinions on current affairs. We are in a democracy and have the freedom to express our opinions. This is a very precious freedom and should be exercised. 

However, it is one thing to be forthright, but another to force our opinions on others in conversation. I must confess to having a tendency to do this myself sometimes, even on the phone. I go into lecture mode. It is the teacher in me I suppose. Perhaps it also stems from living alone and not having the opportunity to continually converse with another person. Perhaps I am not very used to relaxed conversation. No doubt, any of my friends who are reading this will now quickly get together to find me a companion to shut me up! 

Inevitably I do have strong opinions about anything to do with Drama: plays, operas, films, TV. It is my passion after all, indeed it is in my DNA. Passions and enthusiasms are always accompanied by strong opinions. Drama to me is what football is to others. Whenever I see a production or a film or TV Drama, my critical faculty goes into overdrive. 

I can therefore be overcritical at times. I often discuss TV dramas with my sister on the phone and not only does she tell me not too tell her the ending if she hasn’t seen the drama or episode before but also not to tell her what I think about it! I can get annoyed by long drama series on streaming platforms like Netflix, which expand the plot of the drama to breaking point and overstay their welcome. I am sure, you may agree with me, dear reader.

  A few months ago, I went to a wonderful production of Eugene O’Neill’s classic drama ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’ starring Brian Cox. I waxed lyrical (and in detail) about the outstanding performances afterwards to my friends who were with me. One said to me, ‘Now tell me what is wrong with the production, like you usually do.’  He was so used to the drama critic in me that he was waiting for the  negative comments. 

I may sometimes come across as being crusty and curmudgeonly in my reactions to new innovative productions, as if I have become a reactionary theatregoer. As if I am a kind of cultural Victor Meldrew: there I am seated in the audience and loudly exclaiming ‘I don’t believe it!’ if there is something on stage I don’t like. I must admit that I have not said it, but I have thought it sometimes! 

  But generally if I am adverse to an avante garde production or an updated version of a classic play, it is because, in my opinion, the director’s concept does not serve the play (or opera for that matter) and their bold, radical, new staging may put unnecessary demands on the performers. In other words, the production is all about the director’s concept and not the play or opera itself – nor in some cases, about the cast either!

Not all innovative productions are to my taste, I admit, but many are. I may have a jaded pallet from years of theatre-going but I can still become excited by them. In May,  I had the privilege of attending an international children’s theatre festival in Kaposvar in Southern Hungary. It was a biennial festival organised by my dear friends from the Kolibri  children’s theatre in Budapest, where my school drama students performed over many years  (since 1996). 

Eastern Europe has a strong tradition of children’s theatre, which we sadly do not have here in the UK (although the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon and the Unicorn Theatre in London do have impressive programmes). That tradition has embraced all the possibilities of modern theatre advances in digital image projection, sound, lighting, puppetry and music as I witnessed in the highly creative and sophisticated productions I saw in Kaposvar. The impetus behind this is that children of whatever age deserve the best of Theatre presentation. The audiences of children and young people at Kaposvar were totally engaged in the performances. 

Two productions in particular stood out for me. One was a dance drama performed by a youth dance group  based on the Hungarian legend of ‘Prince Csongor and Tunde’ which had a striking mix of modern dance and ballet and poetic digital projections and lighting and a haunting music score creating moments of real beauty. The other was the Kolibri’s own show, a thriller for the 16-18 age group called ‘Traitor’ based on a UK script. In the performance the action of the play was directed at times by the audience themselves, using a specially created App for mobile phones which were attached to the seats in the studio theatre. It was a truly innovative presentation and totally gripping.  

You have probably noticed, dear reader, that a few of my pet hates regarding Drama have crept into this meditation!  ‘Pet hates’ is a strong phrase to use for something that we dislike. We all have our likes and dislikes. What a strange phrase it is. It is far too strong a phrase for what are in reality only personal annoyances that niggle us and upset our equilibrium. 

It is as if, like a pet, hates can be housed, nurtured, fed, stroked, pampered, taken for a walk and exercised. Sadly true hatred can. As can the invidious prejudices which arouse hatred. Hatred is being taken for a walk and exercised vigorously in the tragic wars we are witnessing at present. Hatred and prejudice are also being exercised, although kept on a tight lead, within certain manifestos in our upcoming General Election and in the public debates and discussions surrounding it. But then, just as we frequently see a dog on a lead in a street or park, so we can unfortunately see prejudice and intolerance if we look for it.                

Ave atque Vale

Neilus Aurelius

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‘Room 101’ – TV and radio programme Theatre production

George Orwell Kaposvar, Hungary

‘1984’ Eastern European Theatre Practice 

‘One Foot In the Grave’ Polka Theatre, Wimbledon

General Elections Unicorn Theatre London 

Drama Criticism Netflix

‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’ ‘Prince Csongor and Tunde’

Eugene O’Neill ‘Traitor’

Brian Cox