Reunion
Hello! Hello! Hi there! What’s new?
How are you? How have you been?
I’m fine. And you? I’m just fine too.
So glad that you dropped in.
It’s good to have a party with all our closest pals
Like dear old You-know-who-I-mean and all of the Whatsit gals
And all the people we like best like little Can’t-think-who
That’s why we give a party with all the old-time crew
There’s Lady How’s-your-father, she’s someone we all know
And Doctor Blah and thingie’s son. Well it’s all so long ago.
Why hi!, there’s Hector Who-the-hell!, and jolly Whatsisname
Whoever you are you look so nice.
We’re awfully glad you came
It’s nice to have a party that’s not too small or big
With mates like little Doodah and dear old Thingummy-jig
And Madame Quelquechose (she’s French), Ha, comment allez vous
It’s really good to celebrate the ……
I dunno, do you?
© Aline Waites
Regression
Does one advance into age
Or is it regression?
Yesterday slipped by in a whisper
But 70 years ago is sharp in the mind,
Remembered
Like a highly coloured dream
“Your whole life is a skit”
Said Donald Kobrin of Palo Alto
As we bathed in his outdoor pool
‘No suits’ was the rule
But this was a mere 30 years ago
A little research is required
70 years ago is much clearer
If you have a period of life on your own
You are able to reset the heart, brain, the soul
And the people you call your heroes.
At twenty I fell in love with my funny friend
Who had the number one essential
A mind with humour
We laughed a lot each time we met
But we married other people
And had children
At fifty years old he wanted us to marry
Down on one knee he asked the question
I said “No”. I can’t remember why
Maybe just pride
That demon in my life
© Aline Waites
Lots on Aline. Have a look:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aline_Waites
Excerpt:
At the BBC, (Aline) worked with famous actors of the day, including John Gielgud,[2] to whose Ernest Worthing she played Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest. She played Gwen, the daughter of Mrs Dale for many years in the BBC‘s famous fictional diarist in Mrs Dale’s Diary, later known as The Dales.[1][3] Her mother was first played by Ellis Powell and later by Jessie Matthews.[4] Latterly, single-again Gwen took increased prominence as the parental characters aged, with her choice of new husband a major cliff-hanger just before the serial ended.
As a stage actress, Waites did many tours and seasons, including Rep at Torquay, Bournemouth, Southampton and Bangor in Northern Ireland.[5] Favourite roles were Marilyn Monroe in The White Whore, Jane Eyre and Melanie in Gone with the Wind 2.
On television Waites debuted as Lottie in The Puppet Master, a live transmission in 1956. She played Nurse Joan Edwards in Emergency Ward 10,[6] and was in A Life of Bliss[7] and other drama productions.
Waites started Aba Daba Music Hall, the first fully professional pub theatre company, at the Mother Redcap, Camden Town, and from 1970 at the Pindar of Wakefield Theatre in Gray’s Inn Road. This venue (now the Water Rats) was purpose built for the company. In 1980 Waites produced a political twice nightly revue for Kennedy’s in the Kings Road called Downstairs at Kennedy’s. A new project at Underneath The Arches in Southwark, begun in 1991, continued until 1996. The music hall performances were at first traditional, but soon became well known for their radical nature.
Her life partner for many years was Robin Hunter. With him, Waites created political pantomimes each year for the Pindar, The Arches and the Canal Cafe Theatre. Together they wrote twenty-five shows. With Hunter and John Gould she wrote Hit the Fan or Not the News Revue, performed at the Canal Cafe.
Waites wrote Stairway to Paradise, a musical biography of Marilyn Monroe, with music arranged by David Wykes, which was performed at The Arches and the Canal Cafe.[8] She has organised large charity performances at venues including The Old Vic, the Shaftesbury Theatre, the May Fair Theatre and Charing Cross Music Hall, in addition to shows in Scandinavia, France, Germany, Canada, and the USA. Her company did three summer seasons in Copenhagen and toured major cities in Denmark many times throughout the seventies.
.