Wednesday 15 September 2010

Once More With Feeling

What Now?
Celebrity Q&A

This week we put your questions to playwright, philosopher, diarist and former hand model, William Godwin.


Q
What book are you reading at the moment?
A
To call it a book would be to call the wedding in Cana a simple luncheon. No it’s more of a poetic guide to existentialism.

Q
Yes but what is it called?
A
Milking the bulls and other hot hazing stories.

Q
What is currently your favourite sandwich?
A
Mozzarella, rocket, red onion, tapenade, tomatoes and black pepper on herb ciabatta.

Q
Which one thing do you think would go further than anything else to correct the UK’s current financial situation?
A
This ‘impasse’ would be eradicated tomorrow if children were re-introduced to mines and chimneys.

Q
When were you last truly happy?
A
The night of the Oddbins’ fire in Stockwell, June 1994 - the looting opportunities put me on such a high.

Q
What is your greatest fear?
A
Nowadays – that I’ll bump into someone I know when I am out shopping and have to chat. As a young man, running low on cleaners’ fags.

Q
What’s your last thought as you fall asleep at night?
A
If those girls don’t shut up in a minute I’m going to shit through their letter box first thing tomorrow.

Q
And your first thought on waking?
A
Whether it is safe to iron.

Q
What is your favourite quote?
A
'Kindly close that hatch!'

Q
What is your greatest extravagance?
A
Grand Crus and fillers.

Q
Who has been your greatest influence?
A
All men are influenced by their mother, and she gave me great patience, sociability and openness to the views of others, but I would have to say overall it is Danny La Rue. His wit, his agility with rhyme, his ability to be all man yet also all woman, his simple philosophy for happiness and of course the gowns.

Q
Who would be your ideal dinner guests?
A
Which course?

Q
For the whole meal.

A
Well I would have to say Alan Whicker, Dorothy Squires, Lulu, Kate Adie, Patti LaBelle and Dora Bryan. I would serve wild goat and raspberry fricassee and be damned!

Q
Which one thing would improve your life?
A
Slip on shoes.

Q
Are you ruled by your head or your heart?
A
It depends whether I am lying down.

Q
What is your greatest weakness?
A
Rugby players' thighs.

Q
And your greatest strength?
A
My compassion and knowledge of the Dewey decimal system.

Q
What would you like your epitaph to be?
A
‘Good night my Darlings, I hope I haven’t bored you.’


William Godwin's new play 'get your Junk outta my trunk’ reflects mournfully on a society teetering on the brink of dereliction. The key protagonist Doraleene embodies a real and painful sadness as she journeys in hand with the audience through the gratingly slow realism of a future devoid of warmth and suppleness. The crescendo, which builds, is a release for the characters and the audience, or as Godwin likes to call them 'participates', but a release to an unknown destination(mostly to their homes or a Counsellor). 

His most recent book 'Was Lulu really taller than Dana' featured impressively in the Leamington Spa Courier’s top 350 books for Christmas feature last November and received such reticent praise as 'I can't believe I read this book' and 'The cover design gave the book an aesthetic sense of being a great and valuable libretto'.

William Godwin, 34, lives in East Dulwich with his barn dance instructor and his Spanish sommelier. 

1 comment:

Michael Patrick McKinley said...

Funny, I thought Milking The Bulls was long out of print. I wonder what my copy would fetch on Ebay? The cover's a little tattered.

Refreshing insight into the man behind the genius of Was Lulu Really Taller Than Dana. That Godwin fellow never ceases to entertain.