"Le Spectacle" or Bovingdon Players comes to St Germain

As you will have realised by now, if there is a "Bit of a Do" advertised John is up for it and I agree to go along. However, as we were walking down to the village last night, I had severe misgivings. All we knew was that a Theatre Group was doing something called "Gargantua" some where in the Village. On the way John was explaining that some classical French author had a character called Gargantua in one of his works. So I envisaged sitting for a couple of hours through something like Shakespeare, not understanding a word.

The "play" was due to kick off at 9pm but in true French tradition it started around half past. As we sat in the Salle de Fete we were taken back 40 years to our days with Bovingdon Players - and a lady walked in who was Betty's double, stick and all, which completed the picture. Our friend Betty was then Stage Manager for the Players). In the end there were people sitting in the aisles (no Health and Safety here). The audience encompassed every generation in St Germain so, what had we come to see? Well it turned out to be like a pantomime and was great fun. It was marvellous for Les Anglais; because of the format they spoke very slowly, but it wouldn't have mattered if we couldn't speak a word of French.

Le Spectacle was very professionally presented with some members of the cast doubling up on the drums, guitar and flute (a far cry from our Heath Robinson efforts at Bovingdon). However we are still not sure whether it was a local amateur group.

We walked home after 11 o'clock by the light of the full moon. Whatever will we do next!