We were aware of each other in the early days of our respective involvements in Theatre Group (more on that another day). But it was a little further down the line that we came into closer contact with each other.
I was giving a really bad performance of Howard (the upstart boss) in Death of a Salesman and she was 'producer' of the 'Premier League' production of Troilus and Cressida. It was Premier League in that it was being performed in the 'proper' theatre whereas I was appearing in a mere lecture theatre. It was amusing to discover, again further down the line, that she was also performing in it - coming in during the course of Act I, in a rather unflattering smock, telling all assembled that they were well and truly doomed. Thanks Cassandra.
But it was an early Summer weekend when both productions were rehearsing and we all ended up at the pub for lunch. Burgers and Castlemaine XXXX's were assembled and the majority of the company drifted away after lunch, making rough plans to reconvene in the evening.
But me and C were deep in conversation. A mutual and passionate interest in the theatre, gay plays particularly and, most importantly, Vietnam films, was the source of meandering and excited discussion. The morbidity of this interest was a particular source of fascination as was the fact that although the genre was more-or-less pertinent to our age-group, the subject matter was, of course, not.
It wasn't until the previously-disassembled group started reconvening that we realised that we'd been talking (and, indeed, drinking) all afternoon. Non stop.
We've remained friends ever since. She's not necessarily part of the same 'circle' as those mentioned before. But we see each other reasonably regularly. Drinking, and rarely eating, but always talking. Non stop.
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