Cul de Sac by Richard Thompson for August 17, 2011

Mrs. Otterloop! You’re not supposed to say the name of “the Scottish Play”! It’s bad luck!

Who gets to play Yorick?

I’ve only seen banjos in Hee Haw, Alice….but I do know an unemployed banjo player.

Walking home with Madeline, Alice cuts right to the chase…. Timothy “Timmy” Fretwork will also play the rôle of Miss Bliss’s special friend (thus answering Mom’s implicit question). I see all the old familiar faces in panel 1: Alice, Sofa (—whatever), Dill, and good old Kevin the Buckethead.

My great grandfather came from Alabama with one on his knee.

“Hair 2000+”“Auntie Mame”

What is up with that hair???

Béla Fleck

It’s a great week when Timmy Fretwork returns.

Can’t tie down a banjo man.

Wait, “fight choreographer”?

Did any of you see the “Bladkadder” episode involving the “Scottish Play”?

Well, at the banquet scene, maybe we will at least see banjo’s ghost.

Sounds like Timmy is used to not being recognized without his banjo. This includes when he goes home for Thankgiving and Christmas family dinners.

Um, yeah. Fight choreographer? Just what kind of play are they doing? And the kids look so bored, too! Bet they won’t be when they get to start fighting and not get in trouble for it.

You can’t tie down a Banquo man. Just when you think you’ve had him safely killed, BAM!, there he is sitting in your chair…

Strictly speaking, it’s only bad luck to say “Macbeth” if you’re in a theater. So Madeline hasn’t jinxed anything. And here in the safety of my home, I’m free to say “Macbeth” to my heart’s content. Watch:

Macbeth Macbeth Macbeth Macbeth Macbeth Macbeth Macbeth Macbeth MacBZZZXT$MAMAMACCCC%^#hhg$% . . . zzzzzt . . . fsssssssssssssssssssssssssssss………..

On a related note, richardcthompson (who has been known to post in this forum) drew my attention to a production of “Macbeth” mounted at the Folger Shakespeare Library in DC (that’s where mrsrichardcthompson works) directed by Teller (of Penn & Teller). Lots of “stage magic” is worked into the production. It’s lurid and sensational, a real horror show, just the way I like to think Shakespeare intended. (“People have this strange idea that Shakespeare is somehow tasteful.” – Teller) It’s bloody great fun.

If you buy the Folger edition of the play (fully annotated), it includes a DVD of the performance (with lots of extras). Check it out.

Wait… aren’t the banjos supposed to have a duel near the end?

“Old Macbeth had a farm, eei eye eei eye oooo!

Weren’t banjos once called the poor mans’ bag pipes?

“Sorry, Pater, see you later, we must make amends!”