When I was back in senior school, around the age of 13 or 14 we were given Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ as one of the books to study for our GCSE exams.
It came with a relatively plain book cover; bright orange with black writing, no picture or design.
Simple, yet it spoke volumes!
We started to study the book and whilst many of my classmates found it boring and hard going, being the bibliophile that I had already developed into, I was completely sucked in to the story of Scout, her brother Jem and the ‘Father’ of the book, in more ways than one, Atticus Finch.
I am sure it is more than 11 million now!
For those of you that have either never read the book or seen the seminal film, starring Gregory Peck, the story is based in the Deep South in the 1930’s.
There has been the great depression and poverty is a major plot line through the book. Add in Southern attitudes, Ku Klux Klan and widespread racism and you have the start of a great book.
What a View!
Harper Lee was born into a era identical to this. In fact, there are several similarities between characters in ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ and her own relatives and the small town she lived in.
Initially going to University to become a lawyer, she never graduated but went to New York in the 1950’s to pursue becoming a writer.
One of her biggest breaks was when her childhood friend and famous writer himself, Truman Capote introduced her to two of his friends. In Christmas of 1965 they gave Harper a check that covered a years worth of wages and told her to ‘go write, just go and write anything’.
Atticus Finch, Himself
Her first ‘novel’ was called ‘Go Set a Watchman’ and this was a rough draft only. Following edits, this story became the first draft of ‘TKAMB’.
Finally in 2015, Go Set a Watchman was published as a book in its own rights, based on the same Finch family and other associated characters. This is set around 18 to 20 years after ‘TKAMB’
When TKAMB was published in 1960, it coincided with the Civil Rights Movement and the timing couldn’t have been better.
FINALLY HERE!
A commercial success, it eventually went on to become required reading in many schools and Universities, mine included.
Anyway, I somewhat digress.
When I studied the book for my English literature exam, I didn’t realise that 35 years later I would still consider that book to be my favourite book of all time.
All Dressed Up
Now when I say I am a bibliophile, I read ALL the time.
I read on my phone, I read physical books, I listen to an audiobook as I go off to sleep, when I shower, in the car and when I am on my break at work. My main genre of book tends to be thrillers, cosy mysteries, mythology and the odd chick-lit style of book.
On average I read 3 – 5 books (or listen) every week.
Adding those up over 35 years means I have read a veritable mountain of books and have no intention of stopping.
Currently I am reading a series called ‘The Magic Bookshop’ and also ‘The Vinyl Detective’.
The audiobook I have is a private detective thriller involving child slavery by the wonderful Jana Deleon.
ALL RISE
Depending on the type of mood I am in, depends on which book I pick up.
And yet, ‘TKAMB’ is still my favourite book.
At the start of this year, I became aware that the book was being performed in the West End at ‘The Gielgud Theatre’.
Ready To Go
On a limited run until the end of May, the play was featuring Hollywood actor Matthew Modine as the indomitable Atticus, a white lawyer who is employed to defend a black man accused of rape.
I headed there on a Saturday night, dressed in my finery; 1930’s green floral velvet dress and vintage fur cape. I had wet-set my hair and brushed it out and it had gone in a pretty good style, considering it was the first time I had wet-set it since getting it cut.
The play started with Atticus discussing defending Tom Robinson, the accused and follows the story as told by Scout Finch, the tomboy daughter and her brother Jem and friend Dill.
Beautifully Decorated Ceiling
Add in Boo Radley, the mysterious crazy man who lives in a derelict house nearby and their quest to get to see him and you have a touch of mystery which isn’t solved until right at the end.
I knew the play was around 2 hours 50 minutes long (including an interval) and I can honestly say I had never sat during a performance quite as long. However, it was as if the minutes flew by.
The Stage Is Set
One minute I was engrossed in the tale of Tom and what he was being accused of, the next eating salted caramel ice cream. The second half really ramped up and I found myself getting highly emotional about the topic and the similarities to the World we still live in.
As the play came to a close, a devastating realisation hit me, that 60 years have passed since the first publication yet we have not learnt a single thing from it.
Awaiting Part II
In fact, there is a quote in the ‘GSAW’ book which says
‘As sure as time, history is repeating itself, and as sure as man is man, history is the last place he’ll look for lessons.
This is absolutely spot on, in so far as people are still dying because of the colour of their skin, their sexuality, their beliefs. We have not learnt anything and in fact, it seems to becoming more prevalent every day.
Neon Lights
Anyway, I have gone off on another tangent.
The final act was so moving and I felt my emotions were right on the surface. I was both elated by the viewing of the play as it was an outstanding production and the cast were sublime yet sad that times have not changed much at all.
I was sat in the dress circle and as I left the row, the theatre had opened the side door and the theatre-goers were able to exit directly into the night air.
The Gorgeous Gielgud Theatre
At the top of this side street was the huge neon signage for the long closed Raymond RevueBar, a striptease club which put on the only full-frontal performances in Soho.
I decided I would stop to take some photographs as the Revuebar sign was all rainbow coloured.
Sitting down on the rolling walker I was using, and it was then that one of the security guards from the theatre, Jay came over and quietly told me that Matthew Modine, the actor playing Atticus Finch was coming out and would sign my copy of the programme.
An Outstanding Production
This completely blew me away and I walked a few paces around the corner to see the great actor emerging from the stage door.
I waited to speak to him, and he thanked me for coming to see the play and asked me if I had enjoyed it.
It was at this point I turned into a complete emotional wreck and as I tried to tell Mr Modine that the book was my favourite since childhood, all I could do was squeak this out as tears ran down my cheeks.
Looking Towards Raymonds Revuebar
What a complete Jelly Baby!
Mr Modine was absolutely wonderful; he put his arm around me and said ‘Tanya, don’t cry, it’s okay. I am so glad you loved it’. Well, that only made me more emotional, didn’t it.
He was such a wonderful Southern kind of man, and I thanked him profusely for his work and taking the time to sign my programme.
Mr Modine and my Tearful Face
I walked back around the corner and sat down on my walker, gazing at the programme in my hand. A complete dream come true, and a memory I will never forget.
Till next time,
SPSG xxx