Corin Rhys Jones

Again, may have posted before but it sadly bears repeating, from ‘Voices of the Dead’ by Ambrose Parry:

“Sarah often wondered about the seemingly insatiable appetite men displayed for prosecuting war when famine and pestilence were doing such a good job on their own.”

I learned it from He-Man comics: Skeletor was fond of ‘egad’, and also of the equally fun ‘gadzooks’!

I always appreciate it when an author puts themselves in the shoes of a character in terms of the little details:
“Never having been in one before, she was unsure what an ancient tomb was supposed to smell like.”
From Voices of the Dead by Ambrose Parry, just a nice touch worth noting.

I could author a hundred posts bemoaning how badly written/produced lots of adverts are, many actively off-putting (and Xmas ads pre-Halloween should be banned, btw).
But the Cadbury ad with the lass & her father with dementia is SO well done, avoiding sentimentality. Difficult balance to strike!

Opening tomorrow for four nights, then I’m giving the show a looong rest. Catch it while you can, or direct your friends if you’re not in striking distance of Edinburgh!

To paraphrase Blackadder III, “turning heads, and, dare I say, not a few stomachs.”

From ‘Voices of the Dead’ by Ambrose Parry, “your first lesson in detecting charlatanry… no matter how it is dressed up, as soon as someone puts his hand out for money, you know that is the purpose of the exercise and the sum of his intentions.”
I doubt many Maga folk follow me, but still…

Less than two weeks to book your tickets (if you’re in the Central Belt, if you’re not then you’re off the hook) but also if you know any horror fans in the Edinburgh area, point them to Edinburgh Horror Festival! We have such sights to show you.

Very much enjoy the Raven & Fisher books but these 2 lines next to each other do clash:
“No-one with any money to spare would allow themselves to be admitted here.” Followed literally immediately by, “The patients were well cared for- supplied with regular meals, clean clothes and bedding.”
Soooo…?

And immediately on its tail: “He has the right to judge harshly, for he chose his parents well.”

Rarely a truer word, from A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry: “If you were born into wealth, it was not difficult to make your mark, and your achievements ought to be measured accordingly, but this was not a perspective shared by the rich.”
So many names I could hashtag…

One for all of us, I’m certain, again from The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry:
“I would say, do not judge a man by his mistakes, but by whether he learns from them.”

Lovely throwaway line in The Art of Dying: “The tale concerned a scientist who created a man from constituent parts of different people. He did not recall the details, but it had not ended well.”
Back at ROH I heard a woman summarise Carmen: “Well, she chose the wrong man.”
😂🙏

“Irrespective of financial means, or lack thereof, the treatment was the same: need alone was deemed just qualification.” From The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry, & not actually referring to the NHS. But it might as well. I dislike patriotism on principle, but the NHS does stir up a similar feeling!

The above from The Way of All Flesh. Honestly, though, I was once pulled over for a driving infraction & my Black passenger said it was the first time he wasn’t searched, because he was with a white man. Not being unfairly searched isn’t White ‘Privilege’, it’s a fucking ‘Right’ denied to too many.

“they were of similar backgrounds and she was damn sure they were of similar intellect, yet he had opportunities that were denied to her, and seemed not always to appreciate the privilege.” Sums up why I don’t like the term Privilege. It’s not that I’m privileged, but that you’re denied rights.

From The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry: “No absurdity is ever too groundless to find supporters.”
Sadly, very true.
Also, such a good line that I may have posted it last time I read it, but it’s the last day of Fringe and I could forget my own name at this point…

That there's never been a multi-Doctor Doctor Who Christmas special called "The Three Wise Men" is absolutely flabbergasting.

Second time reading The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry, it’s possible I posted this before as it’s a fabulous line:
“Set upon an ostensibly humanitarian undertaking and yet giving off as much warmth as a dying penguin’s last fart,”

Just starting re-reading The Way of all Flesh, in advance of getting the newest once I’ve caught myself up. Weirdly, honestly hoping Raven would somehow avoid his scar, as though this time it could be different 😂
Any rate, look forward to the new book. 3 more Renfield shows to go if you’re able 😉

Day off tomorrow, so you have 3 more chances to see Renfield at the Fringe. And after the Edinburgh Horror Festival I’ll be giving him (and me) a rest for a while, so don’t miss out!

Another nice line from The Salt Path by Raynor Winn: “The shock of something going right is almost as powerful as when it goes wrong.” Certainly, like pleasure and pain, they’re two sides of the same coin (sorry for the cliche).

Interesting line from The Salt Path: “Does it take a time of crisis for us to see the plight of the homeless? Must they be escaping a war zone to be in need?”
Sadly I’ve seen many posts saying our homeless are more important than refugees, as if it were a zero sum game. A falsity fostered by power.

Cheers! Really glad you enjoyed it. In all honesty, I can do better than tonight’s performance, so yes, do come back in October 😉🙏

Seven more performances of Renfield to go. If you’re intending to see it, careful time doesn’t run out on you, as it often can at the Fringe 😉

“We bought a pasty from the oldest pasty shop ever, probably…” from The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. But I can’t read that one line without hearing Tom Baker’s delivery in the truly brilliant City Of Death: “Well, you’re a beautiful woman, probably…”
Perfect throwaway delivery!

Ooh, lovely line in The Salt Path by Raynor Winn: “When you tell a story, the first person you must convince is yourself; if you can make yourself believe it’s true, then everyone else will follow.”
Not exactly how I write, but for sure how I perform!
For a demo, come see Renfield!

Starting ‘The Salt Path’ which I won in a quiz. Very engaging, but slightly irked that you don’t always know who’s speaking:
“We stood together like a pair of stranded turtles.
‘This is crazy.’
Crazy but we had to do it.”
Sure, but which one of you spoke? 🤯

Last night’s performance was great fun, and I’ve rarely had a more effusive audience; several agreed it was the best thing they’ve seen here. Others called it ‘insane’. Come find out what they mean!

Honest question: Why do long-term tyrants want power? They’re invariably rich, yet they cling on even when it’s clear no-one wants it. Is it that in their minds they are doing it for the people? Like Putin. Does he think Ukraine will be better with him in charge? How? & if not, what’s in it for him?