Birmingham Stage Company

The Real Skellig


17 January 2010

Awful, awful, awful.

I was driving down to HORRIBLE SCIENCE rehearsals on Saturday when I saw a tramp falling over and unable to get up. I stopped the car to help him up and noticed a huge lump on his back - what looked like a football-sized tumour - sticking out of the top of his coat. I helped him to rest against a shop window ...

...his brown teeth jutting out and shreds of white hair - but he refused all offers of help and made clear he wanted me to leave him alone.


David Almond has written an allegorical character in Skellig, but it is based on such truth, that no-one can doubt he or she exists in every city, in every country. It was deeply upsetting to meet him face to face.


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