For Winnie

I am honoured to present this reading for Winnie with felicitations on the occasion of her birthday. What a beautiful theatre! I have always wanted the chance to play Nick Bottom playing Pyramus:

O grim-look'd night! O night with hue so black!
O night, which ever art when day is not!
O night, O night! alack, alack, alack,
I fear my Thisby's promise is forgot!
And thou, O wall, O sweet, O lovely wall,
That stand'st between her father's ground and mine!
Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall,
Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne!

(Wall holds up his fingers)

Thanks, courteous wall:
Jove shield thee well for this!
But what see I?
No Thisby do I see.
O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss!
Cursed be thy stones for thus deceiving me!