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| Sunday, 19 January 2003 |
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The evening was a huge success with the revellers leaving the floor to ring the stage where the play-within-the-play was in progress.Among those ringing the play area was Lennox Lewis who was watching intently and chatting with -of all people-the good friar Tuck who always loved a good fight. The particular part of the play that was on at that moment was a skit titled Below the Belt. Bottom was playing Lennox while Quince had donned a black mask with bloodshot eyes, playing the part of Mike Tyson. 'That's a foul!'called Bottom as Quince darted a straight left at him right below the belt that sent Bottom to the ropes in agony, holding his stomach and shouting:'Send the American home! Send him back to wherever he comes from in that country. Friar! Can you send him one to take the stuffing out of him?'was Bottom's pathetic plea to the good friar who then proceeded to raise his cassock upto his fat knees and proceed to jump into the ring where he made a rush at poor Quince who was not like Tyson at all. In the meanwhile,Snug was counting down Bottom who lay cowering in a corner of the ring. 'No, no! Friar Tuck, I am not Tyson. I am Quince,Oberon's aide and Media coordinator! Please don't hit, please don't hit!' Quince cried. But the good friar, unable to resist any fight at all, with whoever, was making a ferocious rush at Quince who was dancing on his toes like a real boxer. Suddenly there was a power cut-pitch darkness all around.All you heard was Tuck skidding on the floor of the boxing ring. 'Find the lanthorn! Find the lanthorn!'cried Puck and Snout in unison, and then: 'Find the moonshine! Find the moonshine! ' in a moment of great drama. The audience was silent as Puck was seen floating off into the night sky to snatch the moon out of the depths and bring it down to light up the place. However, the lights were on again in a flash and everyone,players and revellers, kings and queens all said 'Aaaaaaaah!' as all people everywhere do when the lights come on after a power failure, power cut, system failure or whatever. Lennox Lewis held Quince up and a great cheer went up as Robin O' the Hood himself leapt into the ring to add just that bit of glamour to the scene. Press cameras flashed and TV cameras whirred as the whole scene was recorded.I saw Oberon go up to Lennox and Robin and congratulate them both. Ob's costume for the r Tuck got to his feet and was just about to make another rush at Quince when Lennox Lewis leapt through the ropes into the ring and restrained Tuck in time with a rather gentle flick of the wrist and everyone cheered, including the players. I saw Ob going upto Lennox and Robin and congratulate them both. Ob's costume for the evening was of glittering green and gold with a headband of diamonds in gold to match mine. And by the way, Ob also had to introduce the two to each other as they had never met before,being separated by about 900 years. They got on famously. 'On with the motley! On with the Motley!' chorused Bottom, Puck,who by then had returned from the sky without the moon but with a penlight torch-Starveling and Snug. Then they all put their heads together to plan another plot for the stage. Everything was impromptu, but they had secret rehearsals in the forest days before the event. After about five minutes they made an announcement that the next play would be a one-day cricket match between Ob's eleven and Alec Stewart's. The English cricketer was there looking fit after his bout of chicken pox and was selected to play, along with his captain Nazeer Hussein (my favourite) and the rest. Neon-lit wickets came up at the two ends of the stage. The ball was one that had been used,actually, at last year's Wimbledon Finals as it was decided not to use a leather ball. Then came a hushed stage whisper:'We have no umpires.'It was Bottom with a worried look creasing his brow.'Ask Friar Tuck and Little John,' said someone coming up with an idea, but it was vetoed as the two names mentioned were two of the greatest bowlers and batsmen in the history of the game and so it simply wouldn't do to have them standing looking silly, like real umpires. It was just then that Oberon came on centre stage to make an announcement, looking his most regal.' 'As we are short of umpires I have taken the decision to call off the proposed match and get on with the Ball,' he said,glancing at me. A huge cheer went up at that royal decision and everyone was on the floor once again dancing with glasses of the finest champagne in their hands. In fact, the god friar had a glass in each hand while balancing a bottle of the bubbly stuff on his head! |
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