Tag: David Seidel

The Unintended Consequences Of Laws: Gun Barrel Polka By David Seidel

Reading pre-release while on holiday in Sri Lanka…tough job…

Before launching into a review of Gun Barrel Polka by David Seidel, I need to declare three material facts.

Firstly, David is a friend whom I have known for more than a quarter of a century. We did some work together, back in the day, and have even collaborated over writing some comedy.  I take full responsibility for the worst excesses of our lyrics for “Casablanca The Musical”, not least “I Only Have Heils For You” and “The Ougadougou Choo Choo”.  But I digress, not least because Gun Barrel Polka is far from comedy.

Secondly, Gun Barrel Polka is really not my kind of novel. I explained that to David, having read the synopsis, to which he said, “please read it and review it anyway, if you are willing to do so”, which of course I am.

Thirdly, I read Gun Barrel Polka while on holiday in Sri Lanka, mixing and matching the screen reading required with some physical book reading, which I find much easier on my eyes in bright light. The physical novels I read alongside Gun Barrel Polka were:

  • Rabbit Redux by John Updike;
  • Sabbath’s Theater by Philip Roth.

The juxtaposition of my choice of physical book novels with reading Gun Barrel Polka is interesting but also might lead to unfair comparisons.  I don’t suppose that David Seidel is aspiring to Pulitzer Prizes and National Book Awards for fiction…just yet.

However, Gun Barrel Polka has several characteristics in common with the fiction of those two great writers. Set in the USA of today, Gun Barrel Polka explores several modern political and social tensions.  Seidel does this in a similar manner to Updike’s juxtaposition of Harry ‘Rabbit’ Angstrom in several political eras across the Rabbit novels.  Philip Roth also places his characters in societal context – especially in his later novels – Roth arguably piloted his migration to that political style in Sabbath’s Theater – especially Mickey Sabbath’s 1960s human rights / freedom of speech back story.

In Gun Barrel Polka, the narrative line takes us through several acts of random gun violence…plus more shooting that occurs as unintended consequences of attempts to reduce gun violence.  At times in the novel, the killing and misery that ensues seems like a procession, such that the reader might even become numb to it.  The final act of Hamlet came to my mind at one point, as the body count mounted.

The “random acts of loving kindness” promised in the synopsis seems, to me, less random and in many cases self-serving. The central characters are nearly all lawyers, which possibly explains the procedural and calculating ways in which they try to address their issues – both political and personal.  If you want to read about random acts of ardour or random acts of lasciviousness, better you stick with Updike and Roth. I was oft reminded, while reading Gun Barrel Polka, of the wonderful Jackson Browne song, Lawyers In Love.  If you are ready for a musical interlude, enjoy this embed.

The elephant in the room, for Gun Barrel Polka, is of course, James Madison’s Second Amendment to the United States Constitution: the right to bear arms. This piece of late 18th century US law, borrowed from English Common Law of the late 17th century, has been the source of much consternation in the USA in modern times, since random mass shootings became commonplace.

For me, by far the most interesting aspect of Gun Barrel Polka is the internal politics within and between US States when the fictional politicians and legal civil servants of Vermont try to mitigate the worst excesses of the Second Amendment.  The scary part…and the part that especially rang true to me…was the almost complete inability for the Democrat and Republican political machines to communicate with each other, let alone collaborate and/or formulate bipartisan solutions to problems. 

David Seidel hails originally from Canada, a nation that has similar levels of gun ownership to that in the USA yet somehow seems able to keep gun violence to much lower levels. In Gun Barrel Polka, David explores the profound societal and political flaws in the USA currently. The novel succeeds in illustrating those flaws, exploring, beyond the Second Amendment alone, the complex issues around gun ownership and gun laws. 

Gun Barrel Polka is not a great novel, but it is a fascinating and important read for anyone who is intrigued by modern US society.

Gun Barrel Polka, David Seidel, Ace of Swords, 2026, ISBN‎ 978-1834320052. For Amazon, click here – other book seller sources are available.

A Visit To Halifax To See A Revival Of Casablanca The Musical & The Ward Family, 26 September 2018

Your lyrics live on, Ian; we are reviving Casablanca The Musical at The Workshop in the last week of September…

Out of the blue, I received a letter from Mike Ward in early September to the above effect. As it happened, I had a couple of clear days, the Wednesday and Thursday of that week.

I felt very much motivated to see a revival of that show; I had written the lyrics for several songs. Also, to all intents and  purposes, that show brought the house down at the old Actor’s Workshop in Halifax; the place was tragically razed a few weeks after Casablanca The Musical’s first production in 2001:

Casablanca The Musical by Magnolia Thunderpussy, Actor’s Workshop, 18 September 2001

It had been many years since my last visit to The Workshop in Halifax; I think my previous visit was soon after the new place opened, phoenix-like from the ashes of the old place – perhaps 2004.

Anyway, I picked up the phone and called Mike, only to learn that speaking on the telephone doesn’t work very well for Mike any more:

I’m wirtually deaf phonewise, but I think you said you would like to see the wevival of Casabwanca on the Wednesday. Wonderful.

I then remembered why the Rick character is styled, in Mike’s book for Casablanca The Musical, as Wick. I also remembered some only marginally successful attempts at familiarising Mike with the use of e-mail back in the day.

Old style correspondence by post followed, mixed with some e-mails via Richard Kemp, to make the arrangements for my visit.

It was a similar itinerary, I think, to my 2001 visit for the same show, except this time I took an AirBnB apartment in town rather than a night in the Imperial Crown.

I got to the Workshop around 16:00. Mike and Richard (especially the former) looked after me and gave me a guided tour. Whereas on my previous visit the new place looked spanking new but devoid of all the props and costumes that had been lovingly accumulated at the old place…

…now, the new place reminded me of the old place; chock-a-block with stuff that might come in handy for some production or another. Cast-offs from the RSC and some smaller regional theatre companies. All sorts. Ever a theatrical magpie, is Mike Ward.

Then to the house, where Lottie had prepared a most delicious meal of fish soup. Their daughter, Olivia, was there and would join us this evening for the show. I hadn’t seen Olivia since the early days of meeting Mike, through son Adam who briefly wrote for NewsRevue, in the mid 1990s. It was lovely to see Olivia again; of course it was lovely to see all of them again.

Lottie spoke very highly of the revival production, which she had seen when it opened, the night before. In fact, she talked it up so much I think she and Mike were a bit concerned that we might be disappointed after such a build up; but they needn’t have worried.

Mike departed ahead of me and Olivia, enabling us and Lottie to chat, eat and drink some more, before Olivia and I headed off to The Workshop.

I thought the show really was excellent. Better than I remembered it from the first time – perhaps because Mike had edited the book a little – perhaps other elements of the production were just slicker and tighter this time.

Any resemblance purely coincidental?

For sure, I thought the big numbers, such as La Cage Au Wick’s…

The cast performing La Cage Au Wick’s – starting the second half of the show suitably silly

…and the Ouagadougou Choo Choo…

Ouagadougou Choo Choo, Casablanca the Musical, Actor’s Workshop Halifax, 27 July 2001

…worked especially well this time around, with more energy and poise, together with a musicality beyond my rememberings from 2001.

I was genuinely delighted and very impressed. Mike invited me to congratulate the cast backstage, which I gladly did. Several members of cast and crew stuck around to chat for quite some time after the show.

Lots of fun.

The morning after, I read the programme and was much taken with the “dissenting programme note” by Philip Ralph, which I commend to you:

Casablanca the Musical, Actor’s Workshop Halifax, Philip Ralph’s Programme Note: “Dissent – Who Do You Choose To Be?”, 27 September 2018

Casablanca The Musical by Magnolia Thunderpussy (aka Mike Ward), Actor’s Workshop, 18 September 2001

Some months earlier, Mike Ward had, over dinner on one of his visits to London, raised the idea of Casablanca The Musical with me. He was working on the book and wanted me to write some silly lyrics to well known songs with him.

I quite rapidly wrote one lyric, I Only Have Heils For You…

I Only Have “Heils” For You, Casablanca the Musical, Actor’s Workshop Halifax, 27 July 2001

…which (to be fair without my having provided much context) led Janie to wonder whether I had taken leave of my senses.

In the end, I wrote a few lyrics (now all Ogblogged, between the dates 27 July and 8 August 2001), including one jointly with David Seidel, who knew a lot more about 30s and 40s music than I did, although perhaps not quite as much about the sort of silly lyrics that might work in Mike’s show.

I took the brief quite seriously considering what a silly brief it was. I remember tracking down and reading the movie script as well as Mike’s musical book to help me remember the story and think through the bits that might lend themselves best to musical interludes. The joke in the programme notes about me not having seen the book until the very last minute is…a joke.

I also wrote programme notes for that original production; a mixture of serious and silly – available here and below:

Casablanca The Musical, Timeline And Programme Notes For Original 2001 Production, Written By Yours Truly, 31 August 2001

The production was scheduled at fairly short notice for mid-September 2001. I had arranged to speak at a charity conference in Sheffield on the Monday (17th), so it seemed sensible for me to press further into Yorkshire on the Tuesday and see the show that second night, which I did.

My charity accountants conference talk is long-since forgotten, I hope. I do recall it was a double-act with Mary O’Callaghan and I expect I charitably let Mary deliver all the best jokes. You’ll simply have to imagine what those side-splitting, uproarious gags might have been and how those charity accountants must have laughed and laughed…

…but I digress.

Actually I do remember that I met a very pleasant woman from Norwood Ravenswood who connected me to their archivist who was extremely helpful in providing information on the orphaned (Krasey) side of my mother’s family…

…but that is even more of a digression.

Point is, on the Tuesday, mid to late morning, I headed north-west from Sheffield and checked in to the Imperial Crown. Janie, who had been up to the Actor’s Workshop for the Pausanias Affair earlier that summer, was unable to cancel out her work for such a one-nighter, so I braved Halifax alone on that occasion.

I don’t recall all the details of the afternoon and evening. I have a feeling that it was quite similar to my solo quick turnaround visit to see the revival in 2018; I think I went to the theatre to meet Mike. There was a sense of excitement as the show had been well previewed locally so was all-but sold out.

I’m pretty sure that Mike and I then went back to his house, where Lottie no doubt served up some splendid grub and good wine. Then we went back to the theatre to see the show.

I do remember enjoying the show. I recall the second half seeming to tail off a little – perhaps due to the book (which Mike subsequently edited for the revival to good effect I think) – more likely it is just an exhausting show for the cast. I remember that there were several girls playing the role of Ilsa, for reasons that weren’t explained in the script – I suppose Mike had written too few parts for women and wanted to give several young females a chance.

I do also recall feeling that, first time round, Ouagadougou Choo Choo had not quite been the rousing finale I had intended. That number certainly worked better (to my taste) in 2018.

In those days, The Evening Courier reviewed stuff for the Actor’s Workshop and this piece/production got a pretty darned hot review:

Tragically, the theatre was destroyed just a few week’s later, in an incident which seemed to be connected with the rioting in several Northern towns that autumn but in fact was later identified as to be youthful mischief that got seriously out of hand.

I couldn’t help wondering at the time whether my songs, in particular, Ouagadougou Choo Choo, had actually brought the house down.

Joking apart though, this show was a gargantuan effort for a tiny charitable youth theatre. But that effort was dwarfed by the efforts it must have needed to bring the Workshop back from the almost-dead after that tragic incident.

Looking back, Mike Ward just shrugs and says he can’t remember and sort-of wonders how he/they did it.

But back in September 2001, all of that was the future, while Casablanca The Musical took a highly irreverent look back at the past.

Renault And Clouseau, Lyric Co-Written With David Seidel, Casablanca the Musical, Actor’s Workshop Halifax, 8 August 2001

This is one of the numbers for show Casablanca The Musical:

Casablanca The Musical by Magnolia Thunderpussy, Actor’s Workshop, 18 September 2001

This one was more David Seidel than me. I edited David’s fine work on this one but he deserves most of the credit.

RENAULT AND CLOUSEAU VERSION 1.1

By David Seidel and Ian Harris – (based on “Five Guys Named Moe”)

 

CLOUSEAU:        Gonna tell you ‘bout our Chief of Police

RENAULT:           With a know-it-all of an accomplice

I’m Renault

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

RENAULT:           I’m in the know

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

CLOUSEAU:        I’m Clouseau

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

RENAULT:           He’s a real thick-o

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

They’re the suckers, They’re the suckers

Sucking up to Strasser!

Woe Woe Woe Woe Gestapo

 

CLOUSEAU:        He’s the greatest cop in town

Is he crooked, is he sound?

You wanna find out? Stick around

COMPANY:         Louis Renault

RENAULT:           I’ve a useless gadabout

A busybody with no clout

Gets onyer tits more than “Beadle’s About”

COMPANY:         Monsieur Clouseau

 

CLOUSEAU:        I pop out of nowhere

Interfere with everything

I’m the pest who knows what’s best

RENAULT:           At least that’s what he thinks!

 

CLOUSEAU:        His name is a brand of cars

RENAULT:          His bowels are irregular

BOTH:                   We both talk out of our arse.

COMPANY:         Like guys on blow!

 

RENAULT:           I’m Renault

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

RENAULT:           I’m in the know

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

CLOUSEAU:        I’m Clouseau

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

RENAULT:           He’s a real thick-o

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

LAZLO:                 I’m Lazlo

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

LAZLO:                 I’m Ilsa’s beau

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

WICK:                   I’m Wick – yo

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

WICK:                   I’m Ilsa’s beau

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

NAZIS:                  We’re Gestapo

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

NAZIS:                  Whaddya know?

COMPANY:         Doo dee a doo da

They’re the suckers, They’re the suckers

Clouseau and Renault!!

Here is a video of Five Guys Named Moe:

 

Spinning Into Butter by Rebecca Gilman, Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, 13 January 2001

This was a really interesting play and it was an excellent opportunity to reciprocate David & Rachel’s hospitality from a couple of month’s earlier:

Kinky Friedman Live In Brighton With David Seidel & Rachel Barnard, 12 November 2000

Apart from the quintessentially US nature of the production and the left field approach to tackling racism through performance, it’s hard to see much similarity between the evenings.

Rebecca Gilman’s play was memorable through its “warts ‘n’ all” approach to anti-racism and political correctness on campus. Also memorable was a superb performance by Emma Fielding in the lead role. The supporting cast were also “Royal Court good”, as was Dominic Cooke’s directing.

Our friends David and Rachel found it interesting and we had plenty to discuss over grub after the play.

Our other friend, Michael Billington, gave it a very good review in the Guardian:

Spinning Guardian Billington

Article from 11 Jan 2001 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England)

Paul Taylor did not like the play, describing it as self-conrgratulatory white guilt in search of a play:

Spinning Taylor Indy

Article from 10 Jan 2001 The Independent (London, Greater London, England)

Nicholas de Jongh couldn’t put aside his issues with the play, describing it as mediocre and giving it the dreaded Standard blob:

Spinning Standard de Jongh

Article from 10 Jan 2001 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England)

Charles Spencer thought the play flawed yet intriguing and well worth seeing:

Spinning Telegraph Spencer

Article from 11 Jan 2001 The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England)

Suzannah Clapp gave it a very balanced review in The Observer, concluding that a play that makes you argue is a play worth seeing:

Spinning Observer Clapp

Article from 14 Jan 2001 The Observer (London, Greater London, England)

Kinky Friedman Live In Brighton With David Seidel & Rachel Barnard, 12 November 2000

Kinky live in Texas 2006

I had been a bit of a Kinky Friedman fan for a while before I met David Seidel. Michael Mainelli had recommended/lent two or three of Kinky’s novels to me, which I had very much enjoyed. Elvis, Jesus & Coca-Cola is a title I especially remember.

Also, fascinated by the idea that a group could even be moderately successful with the name Kinky Friedman & the Texas Jewboys, I had bought a couple of his albums on CD and found myself listening to them surprisingly often. Sold American in particular pleased me – here’s a link to the album on YouTube Music. I also have a copy of Lasso From El Passo – here’s the YouTube Music link to that one.

Anyway…

…Kinky came up in conversation with David Seidel one day, as well it might have done, given our shared interest in humorous music. David said that Kinky was due to play Brighton in November and that he and Rachel planned to go, as they lived out that way – Hove, actually.

Would Janie and I like to…

…naturally, that Sunday meet up was set.

I remember that afternoon/evening fondly. We started off at David & Rachel’s house – I think it might have been the first time that Janie and I met Rachel, then went under their local guidance to the show.

I’m pretty sure we all thought the show was good fun.

I remember talking about Janie’s and my visit to the Royal Court the previous evening and agreeing that we would arrange a reciprocal visit to London for the Royal Court in the new year, which we did.

But the centrepiece of the evening was Kinky Friedman, accompanied by but one of the former Texas Jewboys, Little Jewford, who was the last of that sub-tribe.

The following previous piece by Clark Collis in The Telegraph (of all sources) provides more background than most readers will want about Kinky and that tour…with plenty even for the most diligent readers.

Kinky Collis Telegraph Kinky Collis Telegraph 4 Nov 2000 The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Maddy Costa in The Guardian gave the show a rave review…sort of:

Kinky Costa Guardian 1 of 2 Kinky Costa Guardian 1 of 2 18 Nov 2000 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Kinky Costa Guardian 2 of 2

Article from 18 Nov 2000 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England)

Kinky’s performances at that time looked a bit like this. Trigger warning – Kinky Friedman parodied bigots and misogynists by using their style of language, some of which is very offensive:

And if you would like to learn more about Kinky through a documentary, here’s a 50+ minute documentary made about a year after that concert.