No, sorry, I didn’t enjoy Dona Croll reading This Sceptr’d Isle from Richard II. Not because she isn’t good – she clearly is. Not because one of my pet peeves is people explaining speeches and stories instead of just delivering them: I’m used to that, I can get over it.

No, it’s the politics.

That England, that was wont to conquer others,
Hath made a shameful conquest of itself

I can’t listen to it just now. I just can’t.

• Novelty: new reading, old speech
• Content: unendurable just now, by reason of collective insanity
• Performance: 8
• Soul: hurting