Hi All:

While I was waiting for Father Christmas to try and squeeze down my chimney past the DSL dish thingie on the roof, I got thinking of a movie outline. It goes like this:

Real life British actor, Rupert Graves, famous for roles in Merchant Ivory films and the like, is in America to do a tour of smaller theatres putting on a revival of Oscar Wilde's drawing-room comedy THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Graves is playing JOHN (Jack) WORTHING, one of the male leads.

While in America, the theatre company staging IMPORTANCE, has agreed to allow for American understudies of the lead characters.

So, who applies to be an understudy, but DAT PHAN, winner of the LAST COMIC STANDING.

Have DAT turn up for the audition (and you know, there aren't going to be 10,000 men looking to play in a Wilde stageplay in America, so this could be reasonable) and a few others, and then go into the whole area of casting by race, age, size, reputation, et cetera.

This would give the opportunity for some on-screen comedic discussion of the matter, along with some hilarious readings of the Wilde play.

What do we get? An interest in Wilde for the younger folks in the USA, something that deserves thinking about and can do good regarding stereotypes and types, it would give Dat Phan opportunity to reach the British public (who like Rupert Graves, now on PBS in THE FORSYTE SAGA, in case the name seemed familiar). And you can throw the cast & crew party in Bermuda and invite me along for a few diet sodas.

Imagine the deal with Wilde's lines like "I can resist everything except temptation ..." and "I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time. That would be hypocrisy." and "None of us are perfect. I myself an peculiarly susceptible to drafts."

And, somewhere along the way, it should reveal that comedy is for all, and should not be denied to any.

So, that's what I was thinking today. Hark! I hear reindeer hooves on the roof, I think. Er, maybe not, might have been a seagull. Do they bring gifts? Gad! I hope it's not a stork!

ROSS ELDRIDGE