Stephen Brown's Blog:

Stephen Brown

Whisked a clown

And sent it to

His aunt in

Istanbul,

He drank his

Bitter in a

Giraffe that was

Full.

I like Giraffes.

The surprise hit of last night was ‘Especially for You’ – a sort of improv gift service run by the youth theatre group at Bristol Old Vic.

The members of the Bristol Old Vic Young Company (7 to 25 years old) set about running this service with an attractive combination of charm, camaraderie and self-confidence. When the theatre was otherwise dark, the Young Company was the only bit still in operation, so these guys are used to having the run of the place.

Emma ordered me a surreal poem from the ‘Writing’ room (you could select Writing, Acting or Music). The result, concocted on the spot in the best automatic writing tradition, is above. I ordered an improvised barbershop piece for Emma on the theme of beginnings, which she pronounced astounding.

By this time, anyway, word had got around, and people were queuing to be serenaded, turned into literature or acted at (I’m not sure what that involved, but I rather wish I’d found out…)