FF – Not To Be
Here is my contribution for Friday Fictioneers. Rochelle hosts, and also provided this week’s photo.
I’m a bit late this week. I finally got a little holiday now that furloughed staff are back in the office, and I forgot what day it was!

Copyright Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
“Ah, darling, the roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd…”
“I’d say you had that backwards, lovie-darling, but have you seen the audience tonight?”
“Plebs to a man.”
“Why let such riff-raff in? We are Actors. The hoi polloi have no right to enjoy our supreme talent, lovie.”
“Agree, darling, agree.”
Um, guys, your mics are on…
“Oh, um, well, lovie, that’s enough rehearsal for next week’s play, ‘The Arrogance of Actors’, um, um, oh.”
Guys, you know it’s the ‘El Lobo’ cartel’s annual get-together tonight, right…?
…
“To be… or not to be, that is the…”
Rat-a-tat-a-tat-bang-bang-rat-a-tat!
Not to be, evidently.
Never bad mouth your audience
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Words to live by.
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And thus do the hoi polloi express their sentiments.
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With disappointment, anger and a hail of bullets.
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Picked a bad night to have a go at the audience. I’m off on annual leave too, I can’t handle all these people back in the office, I preferred the quiet!
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It couldn’t have been worse.
Enjoy your leave!
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Unfortunately, it turned out to be the smell of the greasepaint and the shots from the crowd. It seems arrogance can kill at times. Well done, Alie.
— Suzanne
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Ha, yes! Their swan song 🙂
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Dear Ali,
Twould seem they performed for a bang-up audience.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Their final performance went off with a bang, anyway 🙂
Ali
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it ended with a bang but not the kind one would expect.
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No, it came as a bit of a surprise for them.
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Well I’d say they deserved exactly what they got! Made me smile. 🙂
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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A little harsh but yes, well-deserved 🙂
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I have always been grateful for the absence of live mics near me when I say something stupid. Well danced words of humor. 🙂
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Yes, quite a few TV personalities have been caught out like this, though the consequences weren’t quite so dire. I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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Little did they know that was their swan song performance. Good one, Alistair! 😀
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“… a lack-lustre performance… devoid of any real feeling… came as something of a relief when they were gunned down…” 🙂
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Careful with microphones you think are turned off, I always say.
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Words to live by indeed.
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Now it’s too late to ask them to autograph your machine guns. Idiots…..
Wait, you mean they can hear my comment?
(Quickly hides behind Buster)
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Buster, everyone’s favourite shield possum…
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Oops! One must always pay attention when saying bad things. That’s why I often mumble so no one can pick out the words.
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Heh, a cunning ploy!
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More of a cremation than an ovation! Nice one!
Here’s mine!
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Ha, yes! I’m glad you liked it!
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It must have been “The Scottish Play.”
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There is some bad luck often associated with that particular play!
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Well, they rather asked for it. Know your audience, I always say.
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Unfortunately this pair care only about the adulation rather than the audience which gives it.
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Oh dear, loose tongues cost lives again. I supppose that’s another theatre closed for the foreseeable.
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Come now, the show must go on! Maybe fire the sound engineer, though.
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Haha damn mics. They catch out many.
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Yep, one or two news stories over the past few years!
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An inventive and witty take on the prompt. Lots of story within the 100 words.
Well done.
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Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Et tu El Lobo?
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I can imagine those were the actors’ last, gasped words!
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MOL MOL no questions about it😸Extra Pawkisses🐾😽💞
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No, it’s a done deal for them 🙂
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The hot mic knows all and keeps no secrets.
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And it’s so easy to forget it’s there.
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LOL. Too funny. I’m sure everything will work for someone in the end. Possibly the police if they get there in time.
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I’m sure it’ll all be explained away as a horrific accident. Thought the gun was a prop, guv, very sad…
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This is as bad as deciding to speak another language so that other’s can’t understand you… but your assumption can always backfire when you don’t know your audience!
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It’s always a risky move!
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Oh my, what an adventure. Glad they lived to tell the tale 🙂 Happy you’re getting a little more free time to write.
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Well, the audience lived to tell the tale anyway 🙂
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LOL that adds a whole new dimension to your story!
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These unfortunate actors had a long COVID 19 break and lost their skills.
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Yes, they forgot the first rule 🙂
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I hope ‘The Arrogance of Actors’ is more exciting than ‘Waiting for Godot’! 😉
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Sadly we’ll never know, since the titular actors are now riddled with cartel bullets 🙂
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I think all politicians should be ‘mic-ed’ once they leave thier homes. All atheltes should be ‘mic’ed’ during thier events. That would be interesting conversation!
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That would bring down a few governments!
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