In Spite of Myself: A Memoir by Christopher Plummer

Author:Christopher Plummer
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Entertainment & Performing Arts
ISBN: 9780307396808
Publisher: Vintage Canada
Published: 2008-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

RICHARD opened successfully, but a few nights later our madly complex duel at the play’s climax came to grief. Right at the start, Brian Murray and I both skipped a beat, failed to count correctly and froze! But the force of Richard’s adrenaline drove me back into action and I began to flail away with sword, ball and chain, improvising wildly. Brian simply stood still, every now and then attempting lamely to parry in self-defense. This was rather unfortunate as Richmond must be the victor. It was the opposite scenario to the famous Macbeth story of the well-known actor who, playing the tortured Thane, went so berserk in the duel one night, chasing Macduff all over the stage, that the stage manager had to yell at him from the wings, “You’ve got to lose!” In my case, I found myself hissing at Brian, “Kill me! Kill me, for Christ’s sake; you’ve got to win!” I finally decided to make one last desperate sword cut before pretending to run onto his blade. A great gash appeared where his left eye had been and blood literally burst from it like a fountain. With an agonized scream which was more than real, I pinioned myself onto his sword, fell back and died. Richmond then speaks the long victory speech that closes the play. Brian delivered it with an amazing authority, all considered, as I lay there not daring to open my eyes for fear he had lost one of his own. When it was all over he came to me offstage and told me it was all right. I had just missed by a hair. He was still bleeding profusely. The stage was, by now, covered in rivulets of red. I guided Dame Edith on for the curtain call. She tiptoed through the splatters, stepping high to avoid the gore (Lady Bracknell slumming it on Bosworth Field) and with grand hauteur whispered in mock disapproval, “A trifle eager tonight, were we?”

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