Discworld Monthly Issue 240 April 2017
Table of Contents:
1. Editorial
2. News
3. Upcoming Book Releases
4. March and April Events
5. Future Events
6. Recurring Monthly Fan Meetings
7. Readers' Letters
8. DiscTrivia
9. Review: The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents in Cardiff
10. Review: Wyrd Sisters in London
11. Review: Wyrd Sisters in Bolton
12. Discworld Monthly 20 Years Competition
13. March Competition - KISS THE COOK Result
14. The End
1. Editorial
Welcome to issue 240. Next issue Discworld Monthly will turn 20 years old. It's funny how sometimes it doesn't actually seem that long and at others it feels like I've been doing this forever. So two decades in and I am glad to say that we are still managing to find Pratchett and Discworld related news to report and long may the ripples continue.
To celebrate that we've been going for 20 years we've created a special limited edition mug and pin badge / fridge magnet / keyring design. The 20 Years of Discworld Monthly designs will be available until the end of June and after that they will be gone forever. If you want to be part of Discworld Monthly's birthday celebrations visit: Discworld Monthly Shop
Rachel and I visited Beaconsfield on Tuesday 7th March for the unveiling of the new memorial plaque in honour of Sir Terry Pratchett. The event was huge fun and reminds us how important libraries are. As Rhianna Pratchett has said in interviews, this isn't where Terry Pratchett was born, this [the Beaconsfield Library] was where TERRY PRATCHETT was born.
Both Rob Wilkins and Beaconsfield Mayor Patrick Hogan reiterated that we need to use libraries to keep them open. Terry was a volunteer for Beaconsfield Library in his youth. More and more libraries are becoming dependent on volunteers but they also need users to justify their existence. Rob suggested we all hug a librarian today - much to the shock and slight concern of the librarians present.
The plaque reads:
Sir Terry Pratchett, OBE
Born in Beaconsfield 28th April 1948
World Famous Author of the Discworld novels and many other literary works
1948 - 2015
Bucks Advertiser - Bucks Advertiser: Terry Pratchett Honoured
Bucks Free Press - Bucks Free Press: Terry Honoured by Daughter
BBC - BBC Plaque Unveiled
Discworld Monthly is a fan-run volunteer organisation that is partially funded by online sales of our fully licensed and authorised products. Please take a look at our range of pin badges, keyrings, fridge magnets, car "cling" stickers, mugs and mouse mats at: Discworld Monthly Shop
All profits are used to pay for prizes, postage, travel expenses, web site fees, domain renewals and various sundry costs that we have to cover to keep everything going. Without your ongoing support and sales of Discworld Monthly items we would not be able to continue to produce the newsletter.
You can also if you so wish donate directly to the Discworld Monthly paypal account info@discworldmonthly.co.uk
Want to ensure you get all the latest news direct from Discworld Monthly between issues? Then visit the Discworld Monthly Facebook page and hit the "Like" button. The page is an announcement-only page and is always the first place we post new information.
Discworld Monthly Facebook Page
We include all our back issues on our website at discworldmonthly.co.uk where you can also find Terry Pratchett quotes, a full bibliography and links to articles we have written over the years.
If you visit a play or a talk and would like to let the world know about it, please feel free to email your review to info@discworldmonthly.co.uk and we will consider it for publication.
Also if you have written an article that you think we might want to include in the newsletter please feel free to email us at the address below. We will of course give credit for anything we use.
Please let us have any submissions for issue 241 of Discworld Monthly BEFORE Friday 21st April 2017.
Jason Anthony (Editor and Wizzard) info@discworldmonthly.co.uk
William Barnett (Deputy Editor / Proofreader)
Rachel Rowlands (News Hound / Feature writer)
Richard Massey (What does this button do?)
2. News
"Be More Terry" lives on in a feature on The Bookseller Website by Molly Flatt. Molly suggests that Be More Terry should be mounted in flashing neon cathodes on every author, agent, bookseller and publisher's wall.
The Book Seller: Be More Terry
Paul Kidby was recently at the unveiling of the bronze of the bust he has created to honour Terry and it looks fantastic. [I recently had the honour of seeing the wax original which was amazing - Ed]. The BBC were there to report on the unveiling.
BBC: Bronze Bust of Terry Pratchett Reveiled
Eventually the bust will be scaled up and a seven foot tall statue will be installed in either Salisbury's marketplace or in Elizabeth Gardens, Salisbury. We will, of course, keep you informed of any progress.
The Mayor of Beaconsfield will be holding a Charity Appeal on Friday 12th May 2017 at 6:30pm at the Bekonscot Model Village. It will be an evening of exploring creative imaginary worlds and there will be a talk by local author Jacqui Hogan (DTM) Deputy Town Mayor entitled adventures in Terry Pratchett's Discworld.
Other activities include: a private viewing of the model village, a vignette by The Young Theatre, a buffet and drinks, a sweepstake quiz and a bar.
Tickets cost 15GBP each and are available from prjhogan@btinternet.com or via 07972 452434
Birdworld in Farnham Surrey will be holding a Discworld Day on Friday the 28th April 2017.
Birdworld recently created a new Owl Parliament dedicated to Terry and are celebrating in style on Terry's 69th Birthday with Rob Wilkins and Stephen Briggs in attendance.
The Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament houses nine different species of Owl. These are Barn Owl, Brown Wood Owl, Burrowing Owl, Boobok Owl, Spectacled Owls, Long Eared Owl, White Faced Owl, Great Horned Owl and Snowy Owl. The exhibit is also decorated with many Discworld references.
Terry always loved seeing his fans dressed as his characters and Birdworld are hoping that many of his fans will come along in costume. To encourage as many as possible to dress up, Birdworld are offering a special rate of just 10 GBP to anyone who arrives in costume.
Tickets: Adult: 15.95GBP Child 3-6: 12.95GBP Child 7-15: 13.95GBP Under 3:Free Family: 49.95GBP Concession: 13.95GBP Adult in Discworld Costume: 10GBP
3. Upcoming Book Releases
The US edition of Terry Pratchett's Discworld Coloring Book will be released on 25th April 2017. ISBN: 1481498460
Hardback Gift Editions * (No we don't know what that means either but the cover on TWFM looks gorgeous -RR)
The Wee Free Men (Discworld Novel 30) Hardback - 27 Apr 2017
(with a beautiful golden bee on the cover)
R.R.P: 12.99 GBP
ISBN: 0857535455
A Hat Full of Sky (Discworld Novel 32) Hardback - 25 May 2017 (tbc)
R.R.P: 12.99 GBP
ISBN: 0857535463
Wintersmith (Discworld Novel 35) Hardback - 25 May 2017 (tbc)
R.R.P: 12.99 GBP
ISBN: 0857535471
I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld Novel 38) Hardback - 25 May 2017 (tbc)
R.R.P: 12.99 GBP
ISBN: 085753548X
The Shepherd's Crown (Discworld Novel 41) Hardback - 25 May 2017 (tbc)
R.R.P. : 12.99 GBP
ISBN: 0857535498
The Wee Free Men (Discworld Novel 30) Paperback - 27 Apr 2017
Cover by Laura Ellen Anderson
R.R.P: 7.99 GBP
ISBN: 0552576301
(The lovely Laura Ellen Anderson confirmed that she has done the coves for all of the Tiffany Aching series and that they will all contain her spot illustrations within their pages. - RR)
A Hat Full of Sky (Discworld Novel 32) Paperback - 25 May 2017 (tbc)
R.R.P: 7.00 GBP
ISBN: 055257631X
Wintersmith (Discworld Novel 35) Paperback - 25 May 2017 (tbc)
R.R.P: 7.99 GBP
ISBN: 0552576328
I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld Novel 38) Paperback - 25 May 2017 (tbc)
R.R.P: 7.99 GBP
ISBN: 0552576336
The Shepherd's Crown (Discworld Novel 41) Paperback - 25 May 2017
R.R.P: 7.99 GBP
ISBN: 0552576344
The Long Cosmos will get released in paperback in the UK on Thursday 18th May. ISBN: 0552169374
Raising Steam Paperback - 18th May 2017
(continuation of the Corgi black covers)
ISBN: 0552173614
The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner will get released in paperback format on 15 June 2017. ISBN: 055257449X
4. March and April Events
While we would love to attend each and every Pratchett production it simply isn't possible so if you manage to get to one, please consider writing us a review. It doesn't matter if you've never written a review before. Just see if you can write 200-500 words about your experience. All submissions should be emailed to info@discworldmonthly.co.uk
Don't forget to visit Pratchett Stage Productions for our most up to date list of stage productions.
[New: Australia] CHATS Productions present Wyrd Sisters as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: Jetty Memorial Theatre, 337 Harbour Drive, COFFS HARBOUR, NSW 2450 Australia
Dates: Thurs 23rd March - Sun 26th March, Weds 29th March - Sat 1st April 2017
Times: 23rd-25th and 29th-1st 8pm, 25th-26th and 1st 2pm
Tickets: Adult AUD25, Conc: AUD22, Under 21 AUD20, Groups 10+ AUD20,(26th March and 29th March AUD20) All tickets Subject to a AUD2 booking fee
Website: jettytheatre.com
[New: Canada] The Theatre Student's Association present Mort as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: The Shu-Box Theatre, Riddell Centre, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2 CANADA
Dates: Tues 28th March - Sat 31st March 2017
Times: Curtain Up at 7.30pm CST
Tickets:10.00CAD at the door, or 11.20CAD at our online box office
Website: eventbrite.ca
[New: UK] Collingwood RSC present Dodger as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: Millennium Hall HMS Collingwood, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 1AS
Dates: Wed 29th March - Sat 1st April 2017
Times: 7.30pm
Tickets: 6GBP from 07502 037922
Website: Dodger: HMS Collingwood
[New: UK] East Bergholt Dramatic Society present Wyrd Sisters as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: Constable Memorial Hall, Gandish Road, East Bergholt, CO76TP
Dates: Thurs 30th March - Sat 1st April 2017
Times: 7.30pm
Tickets: 6GBP if bought in advance, 7GBP if bought on the door
Website: EBDS Wyrd Sisters
Box Office: 07803475750 and 01473 311553 or The Fountain House Tea room
[Poland] April Rally for fans of Terry Pratchett.
Location: Winding Mountain, near Krakow
Dates: 31st March 2017 - 2nd April 2017
Program: Paint your face and prepare for the unexpected. Who knows what you might find! Here live dragons!
[New: UK] University of Kent Players present Wyrd Sisters as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: Gulbenkian, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NB
Dates: Thur 6th - Sat 8th April 2017
Times: 7.30pm
Tickets: 10GBP / 8GP Concessions
Website: thegulbenkian.co.uk
[New: UK] Birdworld Discworld Day celebrations
Location: Birdworld Holt Pound, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 4LD, UK
Date: Friday 28th April 2017
Tickets: Adult: 15.95GBP Child 3-6: 12.95GBP Child 7-15: 13.95GBP Under 3:Free Family: 49.95GBP Concession: 13.95GBP Adult in Discworld Costume : 10GBP
Website: birdworld.co.uk
5. Future Events
[New: UK] Bekonscot Model Village Charity Appeal
Location: Bekonscot Model Village, Beaconsfield
Dates: Friday 12th May 2017
Time: 6:30pm
Tickets: 15GBP from prjhogan@btinternet.com or via 07972 452434
About: An evening of exploring creative imaginary worlds and there will be a talk by local author Jacqui Hogan DTM entitled adventures in Terry Pratchett's Discworld.
Other activities include: a private viewing of the model village, a vignette by The Young Theatre, a buffet and drinks, a sweepstake quiz and a bar.
[UK] Newbury Dramatic Society present Maskerade as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: The Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, near Newbury, Berkshire
Dates: 17th-20th May 2017.
Times: Wednesday - Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 6:30pm.
Tickets: 12.50 GBP (12.00 GBP concessions).
Box Office: 01635 46044
Website: watermill.org.uk
[Germany] All the Witches and denizens of the Chalk are invited to the 5th German Discworld Convention which will take place at Castle Ludwigstein from May 18th to 21st in 2017.
Tickets are still available from: Discworld-Convention.de
[Australia, NSW] Milton Follies present Wyrd Sisters as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: Milton Theatre, 69 Princes Highway, Milton, NSW 2538
Dates: Friday 9th - Sunday 11th June and Friday 16th - Sunday 18th June 2017
Times: Fridays 8pm, Saturdays 4pm, Sundays 2pm
Tickets: 25AUD Adult, 20 AUD Child / Concessions / Group
Website: miltonfollies.org
[UK] We Are Theatre present Wyrd Sisters as adapted by Stephen Briggs.
Location: Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York
Dates: Tues 20th June - Wednesday 21st June 2017
Time: 7.30 pm
Tickets: 12GBP 10 GBP - Groups of 10+ 8GBP
Box Office: 01904 50 1935
Website: josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk
[Netherlands] Cabbagecon 4 (July 2017)
The Cabbagecon team is proud to announce a new edition of the one and only Dutch Discworld convention.
After visiting the Ankh-Morpork Assassins' Guild in 2015, we will team up with the Guild of Merchants to explore the great city of Ankh-Morpork some more in 2017.
Come and see the sights, meet the colourful city-dwellers, try the local food and, in general, experience the unique atmosphere of the Disc's most famous city. The Ankh-Morpork Guild of Merchants has gracefully agreed to provide a balanced and representative programme of activities to keep all visitors entertained.
Cabbagecon 4 will be held at the Hotel Carlton President in Utrecht on 1-2 July 2017.
Check out our new website at: dutchdwcon.nl
[UPDATED :Australia] Nullus Anxietas VI - The Australian Discworld Convention - THE DISCWORLD GRAND TOUR - 4th-6th August 2017 at Lakes Resort Hotel, West Lakes, South Australia
Tickets for The Discworld Grand Tour in August are now SOLD OUT! Eeek!
If you're still wanting to attend this fabulous convention then we suggest you do three things.
1. Get on the waiting list right now! Don't wait even a second here's the link ausdwcon.org
2. Follow Dymocks Adelaide, We've heard they have some tickets
3. Pray to all the Gods
The Special Guests have also just been announced. They are: Stephen Briggs, Daniel Knight, Professor David Lloyd and Martin Pearson. Appearing virtually will be :Professor Ian Stewart, Ray Friesen and The Discworld Emporium.
If you purchased a Supporting Membership prior to February 4th 2017, you can upgrade at a later date to the early-bird price: Membership Shop
No tourist is complete without a cheesy hat or t-shirt, and we've got plenty available! Check out our full range of souvenirs at Souvenir Shop
And of course, for all the information about the Discworld Grand Tour, including activities, venue, and more, visit our website at ausdwcon.org
The Australian Discworld Convention and the City of Small Gods Terry Pratchett Fan Club will be at OzComicCon Adelaide on April 1st and 2nd. You can find them in Fan Club Central at stand C1! Go along and grab a postcard, and have a chat with them. They can even play a game of Thud or Clacks if there's time.
[USA] The Fourth North American Discworld Convention - THE GENUAN ™ EXPERIENCE - 1st-4th September 2017 at The Sheraton New Orleans.
Join us in Genua for a banananana dacquiri* because our theme is all about the witches of Discworld and the many things they've encountered on their travels. You can now purchase your membership and book your hotel room! nadwcon2017.org
Early-bird pricing available until February 28th, 2017. Get your tickets here: Purchase NADWCON Tickets
Want to reserve your ticket but can't quite afford it until after the early-bird rate date? We also offer the Supporting Membership which if purchased before the cut-off date, will allow you to upgrade at a later date to the early-bird price!
Pre-con tee-shirts also available, in a selection of 3 colors - Purple, Green and Glod - the 3 colors of Octarine!! NADWCON Merchandise
For all other information, please visit the website nadwcon2017.org or follow one of our social media outlets Facebook (NADWConvention), Twitter (@nadwcon), Pinterest (nadwcon), Tumblr (nadwconvention.tumblr.com), Instagram (nadwcon) and many more....
*Ogg approved.
[New: UK] Terry Pratchett: HisWorld - a new major Terry Pratchett Exhibition will take place at The Salisbury Museum from 16th Sept 2017 to 13 Jan 2018.
"This is an exclusive major exhibition based on the extraordinary life of Sir Terry Pratchett ... This unique exhibition will include artwork by Terry and treasured items owned by Terry which have never previously been on public display. It will also feature over forty original illustrations by Paul Kidby"
Tickets: Adult 8GBP, Children 4GBP (under 5's go free) and Family 20GBP.
All tickets are valid for 12 months and can be used as many times as you like.
[Australia] Brisbane Arts Theatre present Lords and Ladies as adapted by Irana Brown
Location: 210 Petrie Terrace, PETRIE TERRACE QLD 4000
Dates: 16 September - 21 October 2017 (7.30pm Thursdays, 8.00pm Fridays and Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays)
Tickets: Adults 34AUD, Concession 28AUD, Group 10+ 27AUD, Student Rush 15AUD (10 mins before curtain)
Website: artstheatre.com.au
[UK] Twyford and Ruscombe Theatre Group present Mort as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: Loddon Hall, Loddon Hall Road, Twyford, Reading, Berkshire, RG10 9JA
Dates: Thursday 5th October - Sat 7th October 2017
Times: 8pm
Tickets: 7-10GBP (concessions available if ordered in advance)
Website: twyrusdrama.org.uk
[Ireland] The 2017 Irish Discworld Convention will take place from 6-9th October 2017 [the weekend of my 46th Birthday - Ed] at the Cork International Hotel.
It has SOLD OUT of tickets but if you wish to get on the waiting list do so here:
To keep up with all the news that is happening visit their website here :
[UK] Studio Theatre Club present Raising Steam as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: Unicorn Theatre, 18 Thames St, Abingdon OX14 3HZ
Dates: Wed 22nd - Sat 25th November 2017
Times: Wed-Sat 7:30pm, Sat 2:30pm
Tickets: 10GBP - Wed+Thurs, 11GBP Fri+Sat (NOT YET AVAILABLE)
Website: studiotheatreclub.com
6. Recurring Monthly Fan Meetings
[UK] The Broken Drummers meet at The Monkey Puzzle, Paddington, London, W2 1JQ, England at 7pm. For more information contact Helen Nicholls on helelnicholls@gmail.com
May's meetup will take place on Monday 8th May to avoid clashing with The Gathering of Loonies event in Wincanton.
Unless otherwise stated the Drummers meet on the first Monday of each month.
The Drummers are now holding irregular weekend meet-ups in addition to their regular Mondays. Dates are posted on their Facebook page and sent out via their mailing list.
The Drummers are always happy to welcome new visitors. You can find out more at: brokendrummers.org or Broken Dummers Facebook Page
The Northern Institute of Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists is planning a re-birth of the group with a meeting at The Narrow Boat Pub in Skipton, North Yorkshire on Sunday 19th March. New members will be made welcome.
For more information see the Discworld Emporium Forums at: Forum Topic: Meet Up
This will be the group's first meeting since August 2016.
[Adelaide, Australia] The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia. They have regular monthly dinner and games nights, longer games days, plus play outings, craft-y workshops, and fun social activities throughout the year. For more info and to join their mailing list, visit: cityofsmallgods.org.au
[Brisbane, Australia] The Pratchett Partisans meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. For more info about their next meetup, check out: The Pratchett Partisans Facebook Group
[Melbourne, Australia] The Victorian Discworld Klatch is a social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett. We meet monthly for fun activities and to talk all things Pratchetty. Information on our current event can be found on Victorian Discworld Klatch Facebook Group or email victoriandiscworldklatch@gmail.com
[Perth, Australia] The Treacle Mining Corporation meet up to celebrate the works of Sir Terry Pratchett, and welcome any fans of science fiction and fantasy.
Join them for their monthly discussion of Discworld, Terry Pratchett and all things sci-fi and fantasy. They meet the first Monday of each month, subject to holidays, and all are welcome.
The group meets up at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, WA. Meeting at a cafe means they are under-18 friendly!
For details follow them on Twitter @TreacleMiningCo, Instagram treacle_mining_corporation, and Facebook Treacle Mining Corporation Facebook Group
Otherwise message Alexandra Ware directly at alexandra.ware@gmail.com
Unless otherwise stated the group meets up on the first Monday of each month.
[Sydney, Australia] Sydney Drummers normally meet on the first Monday of every month.
Meeting location: 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney, 2000 from 6:30pm
For more information contact Sue (AKA Granny Weatherwax) on kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk
[Sydney, Australia] Western Drummers (western suburbs of Sydney NSW Australia) meet 6pm on the third Tuesday of the month at the Nepean Rowing Club for dinner chat and games.
Western Drummers Facebook Group
* Calling USA / Canadian Fans *
Appreciate Discworld and Sir Terry Pratchett? Want to chat and gather with other Discworld fans in the US and Canada? Regional Discworld fan Facebook groups are linked below!
Holy Wood Dreams (covers WA, OR, CA, NV, AZ, NM, and HI):
Holy Wood Dreams Facebook Page
Central US Discworld Fans (covers ID, MT, WY, ND, SD, NE, UT, CO, KS, OK, and TX):
Central US Discworld Fans Facebook Group
Midwest Discworld Fans (covers IL, IN, WI, MI, KY, MN, IA, and MO):
Midwest Discworld Fans Facebook Group
Southeast US Pratchett Fans (covers AR, LA, TN, MS, AL, GA, NC, SC, and FL):
Southeast US Pratchett Fans Facebook Group
Mid-Atlantic Discworld Fans (covers PA, OH, WV, VA, Washington DC, and MD):
Mid-Atlantic Discworld Fans Facebook Group
New England Discworld Fans (covers DE, NJ, NY, Ct, RI, MA, VT, NH, and ME):
New England Discworld Fans Facebook Group
Canadian Discworld Fans (covers Canada and Alaska):
Canadian Discworld Fans Facebook Group
If you are in a border state or a province between two groups, feel free to join both groups.
[Australia] Drumknott's Irregulars is a newly established Terry Pratchett social group based in Canberra. The group is open to anyone and their events are not heavily themed.
Facebook: Drumknott's Irregulars Facebook Group
Google Groups: Drumknott's Irregulars Google Group
7. Readers' Letters
If you have any letters or comments, please email them to info@discworldmonthly.co.uk
We assume any correspondence is eligible for use in the newsletter unless otherwise stated, including the sender's email address. We may edit your letters with a view to infinity and beyond.
It is vitally important that you don't pass off other people's work as your own. If you use information from other resources please let us know so we can give proper credit.
* From: "Stephanie Lee" stephlee1960@yahoo.co.uk
I first got into our dear departed and quite brilliant Sir Terry Pratchett almost by accident, it was around 1997 and I was in a charity shop when I found Discworld - The Game. I took it home and the minute I played it I was hooked, it was clever, absorbing and very funny and I could not stop playing it. When I finished the game I began trying to find out if there were other games in the series and then found out that there were books of the same name, so I purchased The Colour Of Magic, mainly because it had Rincewind in it, who I loved.
That was the start of a lifelong passion for Sir Terry's books and I own every book that's been published. I was lucky enough to meet the great man several times and I loved the way he dedicated signing books and not simply just his name in them.
Is it not about time that the game makers made more games? My all time favourite character is now Tiffany Aching and I think this series of books would make amazing role-playing adventure games, and with Rhianna Pratchett being so brilliant at writing games she would be the perfect person to do the job. This seems to me another way of continuing Sir Terry's legacy and another introduction to his incredible work.
Very kind regards.
Stephanie Lee (A fan forever)
PS. Thank you Discworld Monthly for all the great work you do. xx
* From: "Peter Devers" tierfalc@aol.com
Last summer there was a note that a new edition of The Arts of Falconrie and Hawking - A Beginners Guide by David Hodges (Hodgesaargh) would be published in the fall. Was this book ever printed? Please let me know the status of this book should you know.
Jason Anthony replies: Sadly this hasn't happened yet but we are hopeful that it will happen at some point in the future. Dave Hodges is very busy and needs time to search through his old PCs for the files that contain all the book's assets (images etc) before he can even consider having it republished.
* From: "Angela" angel.wysiwyg@yahoo.co.uk
I'd love to get a copy of Back in Black when (if?) it comes out on DVD as I no longer live in the UK. Do you know if this is in the pipeline - unless you know if it will be shown on freeview in New Zealand any time soon?
Jason Anthony replies: We understand that BBC worldwide now have ownership of the documentary and would hope that they will make it available in non-UK markets. As of yet we have had no information about regional availability or if there will ever be a DVD release either.
* From: "Alan Exelby (LIB)" A.Exelby@uea.ac.uk
At the end of section 7 in this month's DM, you have a reply to a reader's letter that includes this:
"Rhianna has also stated that she considers Discworld to be sacrosanct and that nobody will be allowed to continue the series. Though we won't get any new material we will still get new screen and stage adaptations."
This sounds like it could be saying that 'The Watch' (or 'CSI Ankh-Morpork') has now been dropped, because that would count as 'new material' not an adaptation. However, the Wikipedia page has a comment from Rhianna Pratchett from last October suggesting that it was still ongoing, and the source cited does include that statement. Can you confirm the current position one way or the other? I hope it is still on, as I have thought this was a brilliant idea from the first time I heard of it and remain very keen to see it (no matter how long it takes)!
Jason Anthony replies: What I was trying to say is that Rhianna has stated that there will be no new Discworld novels. We still hope that The Watch television series will go ahead at some point in the future. We do know that there are several TV / film projects in the pipeline so the future of Discworld will continue through other mediums.
From: "Greg Wolff" greg.wolff@gmail.com
My son pointed out that PTerry's Luggage is now a reality based on "a new breed of 'droids that are about to take to the world's pavements" as reported by the Economist at:
Economist: Robots To Share Pavements
The picture says it all really. I expect that Pterry would have found vast amusement in this and that all such "disruptive technology" would have ended up as the basis for another great Discworld theme.
8. DiscTrivia
We're back with five challenging trivia questions for you - this month all the questions relate to Wyrd Sisters. Good luck, Jason.
- Q1.
- Why couldn't Nanny make next Tuesday?
- Q2.
- Who taught Magrat Garlick?
- Q3.
- What did Granny / Nanny name the baby?
- Q4.
- What was King Verence's murder weapon?
- Q5.
- Why didn't the Fool die when he was stabbed by the Duke?
The (hopefully correct) answers can be found at the end of this issue.
9. Review: The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents in Cardiff
Review by Jason Anthony.
We visited the opening night of Monstrous Productions' production of The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (TAMAHER) at the Gate Theatre in Cardiff. TAMAHER is an adaptation we've not seen on stage before before so we were excited to see how it worked. Director Amy Davies chose to perform Stephen Briggs' stage adaptation.
In this adaptation Maurice is part character and part narrator, occasionally breaking the fourth wall to express ideas and to expedite the story. Luckily Matthew Hitchman was an excellent frontman, er, cat. He effortlessly switched between the roles and instantly made us feel at home. Every character was well cast and all projected well into the audience. I loved the simple but effective use of baggy trousers for the rats and their authentic looking tails and ears. Dangerous Beans' albino look was completed with a pair of red shades and plenty of white greasepaint.
The stage was as usual kept very simple to allow for quick scene changes which were accompanied by live flute music (a first for Monstrous Productions), played expertly by Ingrid Lagouanelle. The props were really good. I loved the massive Mr Bunsey Book that Peaches and Dangerous Beans dragged around and the giant candle and match. (Beautifully illustrated giant book of Mr Bunsey I must add, kudos to the artist who created it -RR)
TAMAHER is a story about the interaction between humans, rats and cats. With all roles being played by humans it meant that sometimes the audience had to accept that many of the rats are taller than their human co-characters but that really didn't matter. The excellent storytelling immediately grabbed you and kept you engrossed.
While TAMAHER is quite a dark novel it was also written as a young adult novel which meant that its storyline was probably more linear than some of the adult Discworld novels. This I think allowed easier translation to the stage.
There were so many great moments in the production with lots of laughs and drama. I particularly loved watching Matthew Hitchman howl, screech and dance around the stage in the dramatic battle with the rat king. Followed shortly after by the tenderness of the conversation between Maurice and Death.
Monstrous Productions have always set their target high and once again they have proved that they really know what they are doing. This run of TAMAHER has raised over 2,000 GBP for Forget-me-not Chorus, a Cardiff-based charity that support people with dementia and their families through singing and workshops.
Monstrous will be back in August with their production of Guards! Guards! Be sure to keep a lookout on our diary dates for more details as they become available. We'll definitely be there.
10. Review: Wyrd Sisters in London
Review by Carolanne Ellis-Brewer carolanne13@icloud.com
With hope in our hearts and our heads held high, a group of us set off for the Imperial College on 3rd March from different corners of the Disc, meeting at the Beit Quadrangle. We were excited to see a production of Wyrd Sisters, performed by students from the College.
The set for Lancre was brilliant, sparse but suggestive of the main locations with small changes. Scene changes were at times slightly awkward and at others relatively smooth.
It was an enthusiastic performance, principally by the 3 main characters of the Witches, with a standout performance by Nanny Ogg. One comment to me was that she WAS Nanny, and I agree wholeheartedly that she certainly filled the part with the vigour and sauce you expect from Nanny. Granny Weatherwax was played well, hampered only by being too young and possibly not 'haughty' enough, but she had the right 'tilt' to her head you would expect of Granny. However, slightly out of kilter was the wearing of a black leather corset - you just know Granny wouldn't be having any of that!
Whilst Magrat was played well, she was perhaps too spirited in the part to suggest Magrat's drippy personality but the Fool/Verence was spot on for the nervousness and intelligence of the part. Other plaudits go to the two young men playing Duke and Duchess Felmet - one was beautifully maniacal as the Duke (at one point using a grater on his hands!), and dressing the Duchess as a pantomime Dame was a brilliant idea and he/she was as nasty as you would hope for in the role. The cast as a whole obviously cared that the story was told properly and that the audience enjoyed themselves. As a Discworld fan, I was obviously anticipating the lines of dialogue, but all in all a sterling performance from a young and energetic company.
11. Review: Wyrd Sisters in Bolton
Review by Jason Anthony
We visited the final performance (Saturday 11th March) of Bolton Little Theatre's run of Wyrd Sisters (based on Stephen Briggs' adaptation). After meeting the director and enjoying a quick pre-show drink we made our way into the main theatre (the Bolton Little Theatre has two) we had tickets in the front row.
Bolton Little Theatre appear to follow Stephen's stage play very closely and that's no bad thing. The production was tight with the scene changes quick and efficient, meaning little distraction for the audience.
All the performances were very polished. It was nice to see a production where Nanny and Granny were played by slightly more mature actresses. Sue Gill and Sheila Wicks were both excellent as Granny and Nanny. The trio was completed by Catherine Hayes who played Magrat with just the right amount of excitable naivety you'd expect from a young witch. As I said, no standout performances just everyone doing the job really, really well.
There were a few pyrotechnics which made us jump and a lot of laughs from the audience at appropriate moments in the performances. We particularly loved the Fool (played by Ben Latham) and Magrat shuffling off the stage while in mid-15 year kiss at the end of part 1 and the return shuffle back onto stage still mid-kiss after the intermission.
Wyrd Sisters has a natural break in the story - it's located about two thirds of the way through. This means the first act is much longer than the second. I've found, in all the productions of Wyrd Sisters that I've seen, the second act always appears rushed and over far too soon.
The first part of the second half (set 15 years later) features a mostly new set of characters and almost feels like a different play. In the middle of the act the two casts converge in Lancre where the crux of the story is resolved.
I find it disappointing that Death doesn't make an appearance as I've always loved the idea of him getting stage fright, but I suspect that Death is a sacrifice made in the script. Given the short running time of the second act I would have liked to have had some of those scenes put back in.
This was The Bolton Little Theatre's first foray into the Discworld and I hope that they decide to come back and visit the Disc again. Lords and Ladies or Witches Abroad could work really well with this cast.
We thoroughly enjoyed this performance of Wyrd Sisters and would love to see more Discworld performances from the Bolton Little Theatre.
A second opinion:
Review by: Steve Ryder steve.ryder@btinternet.com
Wyrd Sisters, Bolton Little Theatre, Friday 10th March 2017, front row seat 'coz my faculties aren't what they were.
This was my first stage adaptation and I wasn't sure what to expect so after re-reading the book in the preceding week, I set off to find out. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening although none of the actors precisely fitted my mental picture (but isn't that always the case?).
First, the witches worked well together - Sue Gill (Granny Weatherwax) and Sheila Wicks (Nanny Ogg) successfully quashed the flights of fancy of Catherine Hayes (Magrat Garlick) and with the minimum of props (a cauldron, stools, rolling pin and washing copper) succeeded in conjuring a demon, making tea and putting the right man on the throne.
Second, Louise Robinson was a VERY STRONG LADY FELMET - I had a teacher like that and it scarred me for life. The rest of the cast fooled, shot, stabbed, handwashed, demoned, guarded, robbed and acted well if sometimes a little hesitantly with up to four parts each (not all at the same time though). Special note must be made of Aldis Kreicbergs who, despite being vertically challenged, played Hwel the dwarf playwright very well.
As I said above, I had an entertaining evening and look forward to seeing another thespic depiction of one of Terry's books in the future.
And here is a third opinion!
Review by: Elaine houseoffreyja@hotmail.co.uk
Wyrd Sisters, Bolton Little Theatre. 11th March
On a rainy evening in March, a small bunch of us met up in Bolton. The Little Theatre is well named, it is small but has a very pretty 1930s look from the outside and good acoustics inside.
The stage setting was minimal with very few props but good use of lighting transported the audience from the blasted heath to the castle and even to Anhk Morpork itself.
The casting was good, Nanny (Sheila Wickes) was a bit thin (needs more padding) but got the character well. Granny Weatherwax (Sue Gill) looked the part, but I felt could have been a bit more stern. The witches all had the local accent and with Bolton originally being part of Lancashire, was a nice nod to the Pendle witches and a suitably Pratchett type pun. (Lancre / Lancashire).
The character of Magrat (Catherine Hayes) came across very well, alternatively downtrodden and then, defiant but still desperately wanting to be accepted as a proper witch.
Felmet (Matthew Seber) was very well cast, subtly descending into madness without going over the top. Bullying and wheedling in equal amounts, he really got into the character and had fun with it.
Tomjon (Andrew Manning) while a small part, is always the hardest to cast and Andrew, tall and good looking, looked the part but didn't really come across as the charismatic actor.
However, many of the scenes that establish his character, which are in the book, have to be cut from the play to make it a reasonable length. So, this cannot be helped.
The cast stayed true to Stephen Briggs adaptation and managed to achieve much on a minimal budget, no fancy sets or props, but good solid acting and clever lighting effects.
Knowing this book well and having seen the play a few times didn't detract from this version at all. Waiting for certain lines, which were then well delivered was all part of the fun and seeing a few members of the audience in costume added to the night.
Overall, a good night out in a lovely "little" theatre
12. Discworld Monthly 20 Years Competition
This month to celebrate our upcoming 20th anniversary we have a set of our new 20 Years of Discworld Monthly products to give away. The winner will receive a mug, fridge magnet, keyring and pin badge and also a facsimile of our very first issue that was signed by both Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs.
In order to be in with a chance to win the prize you need to answer the following question:
- Q1.
- According to our website when was issue 1 of Discworld Monthly published?
Send your answer *and* postal address to competitions@discworldmonthly.co.uk before Friday 21st April 2017. Your address will only be used for sending out your prize should you be the lucky winner. Once prizes are sent out all address details will be destroyed. Entries received after the closing date or sent to any other address will be ignored. No more than one entry per person will be accepted - multiple entries will result in a ban from the competition. Failure to answer the questions or provide your postal address will prevent you from being entered into the competition. Answers to the questions must not be posted to any websites before the competition ends. The judges' decision is final. The competition is open to all readers.
13. March Competition - KISS THE COOK Result
Last month we offered a brilliant Kiss the Cook poster illustrated by the wonderful Catskind.
We asked you to send the answer to the following question:
- Q1.
- What musical instrument does Death try (and fail) to play?
The answer we were looking for was the violin. We got many people suggesting Guitar and we suspect that this comes from the wonderful illustrations by Paul Kidby.
Extract from Hogfather:
There were changes here, too. By the look of it, he'd been trying to learn to play the violin again. He'd never been able to understand why he couldn't play music.
The randomly selected winner of the Kiss The Cook poster is Keith Wolstenholme from Higher Blackley in Manchester.
14. The End
Please let us have any submissions for issue 241 of Discworld Monthly BEFORE Friday 21st April 2017.
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If you have any problems un-subscribing visit our removal help page.* DiscTrivia Results *
- Q1.
- Why couldn't Nanny make next Tuesday?
- A1.
- She was babysitting Jason's youngest
- Q2.
- Who taught Magrat Garlick?
- A2.
- Goodie Whemper (maysherestinpiece)
- Q3.
- What did Granny / Nanny name the baby?
- A3.
- Tom John
- Q4.
- What was King Verence's murder weapon?
- A4.
- His own dagger
- Q5.
- Why didn't the Fool die when he was stabbed by the Duke?
- A5.
- It was a trick dagger. As Granny says: 'Actors probably can't be trusted with real ones.'
* Small Print *
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Thanks for reading this issue of 'Discworld Monthly'. We hope you enjoyed it. If you have any comments or suggestions for the future of this newsletter please email: info@discworldmonthly.co.uk
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