Sunday, September 24, 2006

A Random Thought

I was reading an article about 'the house guest from hell' by Duncan Wu (do you know him Banana?). It is a crit of the book 'The Friendship: Wordsworth and Coleridge' Wu said 'Read it, not just because it is a colourful tale, but because of what it reveals about the neuroses underpinning the creative impulse.'

I saw my husband was watching Sherlock Holmes played by the late, gifted actor Jeremy Brett. He was bi-polar. Then there was Daniel Day-Lewis who, when playing Hamlet believed the ghost was his dead father and had to leave the production.

It all just seemed very relevant to last weeks post on Stephen Fry.

10 comments:

LZ Blogger said...

You know what they say about house guests and fish? Thanks for stopping by my blog! ~ jb///

fatmammycat said...

I loved Jeremy Brett and think he is the ONLY Sherlock. You know he was very ill when filming the last few episodes, poor man. When Sherlock is in the country with a rug over his knees recovering from his opium abuse, Brett was actually too ill to stand so the scenes fitted perfectly. That made me love him all the more.

Pat said...

Hi lz and welcome: funny you should say that. Just heard today that the French branch of the family are coming a few days after the English brancb and the American branch are coming in the spring.

Welcome fmc: lovely to get two new visitors on a dull Sunday. I didn't realise Jeremy was so ill. He looked deathly pale but I had imagined that was make-up. He was such a beautiful young man way back, married to Anna Massey, one would have thought he would have the world at his feet.

Monozygote said...

Oh yes, I saw Daniel Day-Lewis on that programme about people who've played Hamlet. I think it's a testament to the power of Shakespeare on sensitive people.

Pat said...

Hi dandelion: I'd like to have seen that and I think you are right. It was also very soon after his father had died.

Monozygote said...

Hi 3.14159265: He spoke about his father's death and how it affected him while playing Hamlet, and they showed some of his performance which was, well, it was affecting to say the least. Spine-chilling. Heart-wrenching. Gut-pulling. It was spell-binding, yes, that's the word.

Sam, Problem-Child-Bride said...

Trivia: His cousin was Martin Clunes' mother. I love Martin Clunes and, I agree, Jeremy Brett will be forever the definitive Sherlock Holmes, in my mind.

Pat said...

Sam: I didn't know that and I'm good with trivia!

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Yes, that's the problem with being creative, all those neuroses fighting for attention. I think it's because of an over-active imagination.

Pat said...

GG: Yet being creative, whether its writing a blog or doing embroidery is such a satisfying feeling.