The Final Curtain

/ September 13, 2014

shoulder2Ok. Change of plan. No exhibition review today. I think this day merits a bit of celebration. I am scheduling this particular post for exactly 11.10pm – round about the time when The Crucible usually finished these last twelve weeks. And why do I do so? To mark the last time the curtain falls on the play (despite lack of curtain on round stage), to celebrate the achievements of the director, cast, and crew of The Crucible, and to say well done to everyone who played in, worked on, and enjoyed The Crucible. That, dear readers, includes all of you, because you have supported and encouraged the artists and theatre workers with your enthusiastic reports, visits, blog posts, letters, tweets, status updates, instagrams and presents, too.

nose2What a summer we have had. The RA blog world turned into a crucible of its own – with daily news reports, play reviews and SD recounts. I thought it was quite intense (even though I missed most of the first third of it). But it also gave a lot of structure. My morning ritual included getting up to check RA’s latest SD outfit. During the day I would catch up on reviews and accounts, and adding my own two Cents’ worth to it. Many an evening I would check my watch and unwittingly think “Oh, it’s 8pm. Now he’s on stage.” And by 11.30pm I’d be thinking wistfully of the SD, and envy the ladies and gents who’d be excitedly waiting for RA to show his face…

eye2I admit, there is a slight feeling of sadness in the pit of my stomach. Change, although exciting and good, also evokes my resistance. If you ask me, this could’ve gone on indefinitely. Preferably with monthly overnighters to London to see the play and with allocated SD spots. Maybe with brass name plaques on the pavement? But well, panta rhei.

And so I raise my glass to Mr Armitage and I say

“Well done! Marvellously done, in fact. You were great. You proved your acting chops. You shocked me. You awed me. You made me cry and made me wince. I tensed inside and shook on the outside. There were goosebumps on my skin and my blood boiled in my veins. I came out of that play inspired and impressed. And disgusted and deflated. Full of rage and full of hope. *You* did that. And that is something to be proud of. Whatever you turn to next, you can always be proud of this. You have done something unforgettable. For yourself and for your audience. Thank you.”

mouth2To make the farewell to Proctor, inflationary RA news and daily chest hair updates a little sweeter, I have a little give-away for you. When in London for the play, I remembered Jane’s little scheme and bought three more Crucible posters. They need to go (I already have one). Each of them comes with a couple of surprise gifts, all RA-related. Postage and packaging all paid by Guylty, smoulder courtesy R.C. Armitage. Leave a comment on the blog post and you are in. Give-away open until 1pm (GMT) Wednesday, 17th September, 2014.

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135 thoughts on “The Final Curtain”

  2. Wonderful send off post for our hero! It’s hard not to be choked up thinking about all which has passed this summer for Mr. A., and for all of his well wishers. Thank you for all you’ve shared too!

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    • It would have been only half the fun for me if I hadn’t had the opportunity to share this with others – both while I was there, as well as when I came back. What an unforgettable summer. Thanks for following along xx

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  3. I don’t want it to end. And yet I know he (and we) have to move on. Bitter Sweet. Your post was lovely, and now you give us something to look forward to. Thank you for making this day not quite so sad. And everything else you share with us. Your humor, talent, perception and kindness enrich us all. And to think, I got to meet you! (And other special friends) All because of Richard and his beautiful play. I feel especially lucky today, because all those variables came together for such a wonderful outcome in such a short time. Amazing!

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    • You know Kathy, all of that is mutual. There would be no point for me to engage in it if I didn’t get all that I am giving back. And I do, and so much more. But yes, much credit also to Mr A. Whether he realizes what impact he has or not – by touching others his life gets enriched, I am pretty sure.
      It was a short but blissful time, wasn’t it? I don’t think we will ever have something like this again, and that makes me sad, but I am simultaneously happy about having these memories forever. You are part of them. x

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  6. Das Ende eines unglaublichen Sommers. Was mache ich ohne die SD-Bilder? Und ja klar, ich war natürlich bei der ersten Aufführung vollkommen hibbelig in Gedanken dabei (unfassbar, hätte mir das mal einer vor 6Monaten prophezeit). Auch mir wird diese Konstante des Sommers 2014 fehlen. Und das Gefühl der “relativen” Nähe zum OdB (=Objekt der Begierde). War ja nur in Hops über den Kanal. Aber, ehrlich: ich weiss, dass es mir leid tut, WEIL es gut war. Und ich bin lieber ein wenig wehmütig, weil Schluss ist, als total genervt darüber, dass jetzt zum Glück endlich Schluss ist. Und deshalb ist es auch ein Segen, dass es jetzt nicht noch jahrelang vor sich hin crucibled, bis uns das Geproctere zu den Ohren raukommt 🙂 Wenn’s am schönsten ist, soll man ja bekanntlich aufhören. Für mich WAR es schön! Besten Dank für die gute ca. 2/3-Begleitung. Und die restlichen 1/3 hättest du unter anderen Umständen auch mit links gewuppt ❤

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      • LOL “vor sich hin crucibled” und “das Geproctere” :-D. Indeed. Man kann des Guten auch zu viel haben. Und man soll ja immer aufhören, wenn es am schönsten ist. Heißt das, wir dürfen RA jetzt nicht mehr anhimmeln??? 😉 Nee.
        Das mit der relativen Nähe ist wohl wahr. London war nie so aufregend wie zu den Zeiten, wo man ihn auch an der Themse wähnte. Völlig irrational. Aber egal, solange es der eigenen Glückseligkeit dient. Und das hat es.

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  7. it seemed like RA and the fans who were able to experience The Crucible, were sharing in a collective life altering experience together. and that is something they will always share with him 😎

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    • You know, I think you are right there. I personally feel as if we all pushed and made it what it was. Not taking away from his success at all, but we were there, tangibly or in spirit, and I think the collective mood can carry over to the stage. I don’t mean to say that he has to be grateful for that, but it just makes *me* happy to think that I showed my appreciation and my admiration. And to share it with so many others.

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  8. I’m sad it’s ending but more for me than for anyone else…and I have this in my head:

    You have brains in your head.
    You have feet in your shoes
    You can steer yourself
    any direction you choose.
    You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
    And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

    Good luck to Mr Armitage!

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  9. Lovely ‘farewell The Crucible’ post- I especially like the framed RA body parts! Thanks for all that you’ve shared with us lately, Guylty- it’s helped bring it all a little bit closer, for those of us who couldn’t be there in person.

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    • I wish I could’ve shared it personally with so many of you with whom I have close(r) relations. That’s what makes the experience even more special. But even with those who were not there or whom I have not met, I feel we have bonded very much over all this. Thanks to Mr A, again 😉

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  10. Spot on, as always, dear guylty. 🙂 As the live experience wanes that accompanied my daily life as well for the last 12 weeks the excitement rises for new projects, the Hobbit’s last installment (which will certainly bring another emotional highlights), the Olivier Awards (fingers crossed!). And the upcoming release of The Crucible filmed by Digital Theatre will be a small consolation tonight as well for me.
    Thank you for accompanying this part of the journey brilliantly – here’s looking to the next ‘stage’ 🙂

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    • Yes, let’s look forward to the next stage. It was great that he shared his upcoming projects with us. Helps lessen the farewell pains. And I so hope that the play will be recognized at the Olivier Awards. For starters, Mr A is over-due an award for his acting abilities, as are so many of the other players. One of the effects of this summer of Crucible love has been a renewed interest in theatre for me. I’d grown a bit lazy in that respect. And now I am looking forward to several plays that I have already booked to see in the upcoming months. Plus I have been kissed by the muse. (Only virtually, unfortunately.)
      It was a pleasure accompanying you on this journey, and I hope we’ll continue to be travel companions in the next while 🙂

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  11. Lovely post. Would have loved the play to have gone in indefinitely, with lots of the RArmy scheduling regular meet-ups in London. But as you said, change is inevitable and Mr A will move on to his next triumph (hopefully, a nice relaxing Sunday!). This will certainly be a year for him (and us) to remember and celebrate.

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  12. Like many others have said (and I’m glad they did otherwise I would sound seriously weird!) I shall miss the daily knowing where RA has been these past 12 weeks. Especially round 7.30pm Mon to Sat and 2.30pm Wed and Sat I always wished him a silent ‘good luck’!

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    • So true, for over two months we knew where RA was– on stage and then outside the Old Vic greeting his admirers –which was quite comforting to me in way and I had also silently wished him well in his transformative moments under the lights.

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    • So did I, and no, I don’t find it weird 😀 I see it as a wave of benevolence sent out towards him from all over the world. I can tell you it works, because I felt it when I was having my own private meltdown earlier this summer. I didn’t know who was thinking of me, but I could feel waves of love coccooning me. If Mr A has any sensitivity in him, he will have felt it too. And if you were one of the ones sending him the love, you have proven to be a generous, well-wishing human being. There can never be anything wrong with that.

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  13. A very lovely post, Guylty. It is sad to be saying goodbye to the daily posts, pictures and stories from everyone. I have enjoyed immensely my inbox being full almost all of the time. You have delighted and informed 🙂

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    • It is a little sad for those of us who did not get there to see this remarkable achievement in person, but kudos to the man for making this so memorable and astonishing for us all. And thanks to you for such a lovely giveaway idea–it is appreciated more than you know.

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        • No, I wasn’t lucky enough to be there–would have sold my soul to see it, but guess I will have to be content with seeing the download once it’s available. Luckily, I had several friends who were able to go and allowed me to live the experience vicariously through them–but it’s not quite the same as seeing the man in person, especially in such a towering performance.

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    • Thanks, Tree – and yes, it’ll be quieter from now on. In a way I need that – a bit of a breather after so much excitement. I don’t think I ever want to get used to predictability, though. The surprise element is more exciting :-D. May he surprise us again and again. And thus provide many more comments and posts 🙂

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  14. What a summer it has been in Armitageworld! And not so bittersweet for me anymore, knowing now that I will eventually get to see the performance hailed as “must-see.” I feel as though we have all scored a triumph, together, with Richard at the helm.

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    • Yes, the news that they were filming the play was the best news ever. I can’t wait for it to come out. I know that I will relive those feelings I had in the theatre every time I watch it. And I am genuinely pleased that every fan now has the chance to see for themselves that RA did a good job. It also prolongs the discussion a bit longer, I suppose, because we will get many more new reviews and impressions of the play. And I really look forward to all of you weighing in.
      And yes, as a fan of RA I really feel that we have been validated, too 😀

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  16. Wish i’d read this before heading over instead of getting weepy on my own. Well said and i love all you guys sending things to other people, hopefully it will go to someone who hasn’t had the chance to see it 😉 I need to make a massive decision over next few weeks, which poster do i put on my wall (which is a big honour for Mr A as i only have 1 other in my entire flat and he’s the first actor in my entire life who will be up on any of my walls ) ? eyes open or eyes closed? i was only going to buy the one i liked best but just couldn’t decide… still don’t know what to do but i need to figure it out soon to get it framed properly etc. also need to decide if i want it signed or not…

    Oh and tonight he was amazing, powerful and at very top of his artistic powers 🙂 i promise to expand on that 😉

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    • Oh, so you were there last night? Lucky you. It must have been extra special.
      A difficult choice indeed – which poster to frame and hang up. I have kept the naked shoulder one for myself. Not that it will be framed and hanged. (Mr Guylty might have a word or two to say about that…) but for some reason it gives me a thrill just *owning* that poster 😀
      Looking forward to your post!

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  17. You don’t need to include me in the draw ( I wouldn’t want you to have to paythe postage all the way to Oz!) but I wanted to pop in to say what a lovely post this is. Also, to thank you for all the great posts you have written for TC – for those of us not able to be there, it was wonderful to experience it vicariously. It’s sad to think of it ending but exciting to be moving onto the next exciting chapter.

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    • Bolly!!!! I am always delighted when I see your name come up in my comments!!! And what do you mean – postage to Oz too expensive? Rubbish. If your name comes up, this poster will go to you (unless you insist you don’t want it…) (Postage to anywhere in the world is the same with An Post, whether it is Belgium or Fiji!) It was a real pleasure for me to write about it, accompany the run of the play, and to exchange opinions over it. I will miss that very much. But new things will happen… We’ll brave them together 🙂 xxx

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  18. Everything has already been said by the lovely folk preceding me, all of it true and heartfelt, so I will just simply say thank you Guylty for your kindness in sharing everything you saw so that I could ‘see’ it too. Best wishes xx.

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  19. You said it, austoz – not a lot I can add other than thanks again, Guylty and I love the framed body parts too 🙂

    Mornings will never be quite the same again. Though I hope we can all imagine that right now, RA is fast asleep somewhere in South London 😉

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    • Hehe, yes, we’ll have a hard time adjusting our morning rituals. It wasn’t so bad today because it is a Sunday, oh, but from tomorrow it’ll be… sad and empty 😦 Ah well, we’ll adjust. We are good at that. We are women 😀

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    • Yes, I was very distracted last night. I was watching Northanger Abbey on the box, and my mind kept reminding me of the time. “Second act now. – Interval – Oh, now must be the scene where he’s taken away. – Is he ripping the confession now. – 11.10pm, last minute? – Oh God, it must be over… is he crying?” I nearly wish RA would be writing a blog, giving us an insight into his feelings about the last performance. I imagine it must have been heartbreaking… like anything that you put your heart’s blood in it. Whoa, what a summer indeed.

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  21. Well said and thanks for sharing. The end of The Crucible leaves me with two-fold emotions: Sad that the energy is abated, summer is ended, RA is to go far away, but glad that I now can concentrate on my work 🙂
    Besides, the BOTFA Tour/mania will begin soon enough, and then we can all have our daily dosage of the lovely Mr Armitage.

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    • My work is definitely going to benefit from the upcoming hiatus 😀 Much needed. I need to concentrate and earn a bit of money for my upcoming trip to New Zealand. Otherwise I’ll be sleeping rough there 😀 But yeah, I think I’ll be ok with some BOFA goodness, though.

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  22. Ich unterschreibe alles, was bisher gesagt wurde. Danke, Guylty. 🙂

    Das einzige, das ich noch hinzufügen kann: Ich bin erleichtert, dass ich nicht mehr alle paar Tage zu grübeln anfange, ob es nicht doch *irgendwie* machbar wäre … (Wissend, dass die Chance realistisch nie bestand. Pech.)

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    • Absolut richtig. Ich hatte dieses Gefühl auch oft, obwohl ich ja dreimal da war. Immer wieder der Gedanke, oh, ich würde es so gerne noch mal erleben. Meine Güte, man kriegt den Hals auch nie zu voll… Nee, gut, dass es jetzt vorbei ist. Dann kann man auch nichts mehr bedauern.

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    • Yes, that will be really interesting to see, indeed. Will he receive different work? Will he be cast as different sort of characters? Will there be more theatre in his future? I find it very hard to predict. Exciting times ahead!

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  24. Thank you for the chance to get a poster, never got one, when I was there 🙂
    I think it is so great, how many people traveled and crossed borders (in more than one sense, I guess) to see this fantastic play, myself included!

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  26. As a big admirer of your blog and photos, I want to say thank you , Guylty. This is my first time leaving a comment (apart from a few timid tweets to Servetus) usually because you’ve said it all and so beautifully, it’s like you’re in my brain! It’s funny to read how great a summer it’s been over there, but for me it has truly been a winter of discontent, not only because I couldn’t hop on a plane and fly 23 hours to London to witness The Crucible, but also due to suffering a personal loss. Reading you blog and seeing everyone’s SD photos were like the next best thing for me, until the Digital Theatre announcement & cinema release YAY! Even though I’ve been soooo jealous of you all, I’ve enjoyed sharing your experiences, and love reading how RA moves and affects fellow admirers in the same way, and I’m not just talking about his eyes, or his voice *melts*, or his beard, and oh his hands, or his, ummmmm thighs of thunder! Thanks Guylty, you’ve just given me a great idea! New Zealand is a 5 hour flight from Sydney…it’s either BOFA, or run away to join the circus!

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    • Hello Malamo and welcome to my blog. So nice of you to come out and say hello 🙂 I hope you will do it more often, now that you have left the shadows 😉
      Thanks for your kind words – I am always glad to know that what I write has resonance with my fellow sisters-in-RA.
      I am so sorry to read that you have had a personal loss to deal with. As a reader of my blog you know that I can very much feel with you. (I still can’t quite believe what has happened… the brain knows but the heart rejects the reality.) And I can also empathise with the whole issue of only remotely following this intense summer of live Richarding ;-). Even though I was there, I was envious of each and every theatre goer who was able to go to a performance that I couldn’t go to… I join you in looking forward to that DVD release.
      And I wonder what the great idea is? Flying to New Zealand for the BOFA premiere? Sounds pretty exciting to me. I wish I was there in December, but alas, I won’t be in NZ until February 2015. If you can’t make it to the BOFA premiere, then let’s make a date for February :-). xx

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  27. Sad that it’s over but happy Richard can now get some rest. I live in the US and could not make it to see The Crucible. Loved the many posts that kept me up to date. Looking forward to seeing the filming of it.

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  28. Das hast Du wunderbar zusammengefasst, Dankeschön! ❤ ein einzigartiger Sommer, mit ständigen Auf- und Abs, mein email Postfach ist zeitweise expoldiert, es brauchte ot Stunden um all die Posts, Kommentare, twitternachrichten (bei Servetus, erst seit dem 22.8.habe ich einen eigenen Account 🙂 ) zu lesen – und jetzt? Kommt jetzt das tiefe schwarze Loch? Wohin mit all der Energie?
    Ich fand es auch ganz nett zu wissen, wo die Person des allgemeinen Interesses sich gerade befindet, jeden Abend in TC in London und nun? Jetzt können wir nur wieder seitenlang darüber diskutieren was als nächstes folgt, Theater, Film, was auch immer….kreative Schaffenspause? *großerseufzer*
    Die Buttondiskussion ist wunderbar zum – Lücke füllen – gut, dass Du so viele Ideen hast 😉

    Weiß jemand ob der Bart inzwischen ab ist?

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  29. The paragraph in purple… yes! Yes, exactly that. While I’m sorry for all of us that the run has ended, I know it’s been a grueling work schedule for Himself. The weary eyes in SD photos of late will now have a chance to regain their twinkle. That’s something to smile about. =)

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  30. Like many others above who were not able to see The Crucible in person, thank you for giving us vicarious glimpses of the production and stage door. It made the tyranny of distance a little easier to bear. Eagerly awaiting the release of the Digital Theatre recording.

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  31. I got here a little late for the posters, but what a lovely post. Well said. And I can’t wait for the digital recording either!! I’m so jazzed up to see this after reading everyone’s accounts, it’s ridiculous!! lol Thank you for this.

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  33. Pingback: RA Pocket Shrine 42/? – Vive la Révolution | GUYLTY PLEASURE

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