THE TIES THAT BIND

For once the room was quiet, all resemblance to Dibley had temporarily, vanished. The guilty parties examined their fingernails or looked hungrily at the biscuits. 'The point of the blog,' said the speaker, more in sorrow than in anger, 'is to show to any interested party who cares to look, who we are,' Warming to her theme, she continued, 'the website does an excellent job passing on INFORMATION , but says nothing about us as people, our family, here.

It seems to me that drama is obsessed with relationships, good, bad and indifferent. Our present production concerns itself with that very theme, life within a family. CADS is exactly that, with all a family's strengths and weaknesses and, notably, what can happen within it that would never be tolerated outside the 'nest'.

Sitting back listening to the speaker's justified complaints, I was reminded of an incident way back in Society anecdotes. CADS had,somehow, become involved in a pageant. The more sensible amongst the membership suddenly remembered previous engagements and made their apologies. The few that remained rapidly wished that they had done the same when rehearsals commenced. Dave M..... attended one rehearsal, made his excuses, in the manner of the best News of the World reporter, and left. At the next rehearsal the director was very terse about his departure calling him 'David' and mispronouncing his surname. It took a few seconds for the rest of us to realise who she was talking about. Kate T..... was up in arms. 'Who does she think she is, having a go at him like that!' she said over her pint later that evening. We pointed out that what had been said was actually very mild by CADS standards. 'That's not the point,' said Kate. 'we're family, we're allowed to slag him off.'

The rest of the CADS family would be waiting in the pub for us after rehearsal, dying to hear the next instalment.Margaret S....., glaring at everyone as she processed around the stage. Daring us to laugh, she re-enacted Elizabeth Tudor's triumphant reaction to the defeat of the Armada. I think her 'And where are the galleons of Spain?' will stay with me until my dying day. There we all sat,CADS and our cousins from CAOS. Roy C... head down in pain, Gaynor S... trying, unsuccessfully, to stifle screams of laughter beside me. 'How many verses are there?' she muttered therough clenched teeth. 'At least six,' I replied. 'Oh God,' she groaned and looked to the heavens. Finally Malcolm K.....holding his wig, the one that made him look like a forlorn spaniel, across his face like a yashmak. Not daring to catch Margaret's eye at the performance, I glanced at Tom S..., her husband, he was bent double.

As in all good families by the evening of the performance all those who had backed out were looking for back-stage jobs, their claim being the nned to provide moral support. We,who were still involved, knew better. The old adage still holds firm, who needs enemies while they've got family? Think positively, at least family do it with a smile.