THEATRE: CURTAIN CALLS
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Name that woman: Nixon appointed her as US representative at the UN in 1968, she was in Ghana from 1974-76 and Czechoslovakia in 1989. And the answer is... Shirley Temple Black, she who sang the title song from Animal Crackers: "Animal Crackers in my soup/ Monkeys and flagons Guadeloupe..."
Oh, OK, you got me. That's not the real lyric but if the Marx Brothers had got their hands on it, it might as well have been. Their stage show and film Animal Crackers bears all the hallmarks of their best material: high-speed, inspired absurdity and physical lunacy dedicated to the puncturing of pomposity (and bad puns). Indeed, should I be invited to describe their entire oeuvre, I would name it "Snook-cocking a gogo".
All that and Margaret Dumont too. You remember her - the gloriously long- suffering, stuffed sofa of a woman whose extravagant embonpoint and purse proved so alluring to Groucho in all his guises, in this case Captain Spaulding. Manchester Royal Exchange revived the show to tumultuous reviews and now they've lured Jean Challis to play Dumont's role of Mrs Rittenhouse. And just who is Jean Challis? Why, the voice of radio's late-lamented lunchtime request show Two-Way Family Favourites.
At the Lyric Theatre, London W1 (0171-494 5045)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments