Charlie

Standing in a corner nursing a tumbler of red wine and flicking through a stray copy of Esquire magazine, I am approached by a stranger.  She is tall with cropped hair and plastic earrings in the shape of small red bows.  'Are you working for the Off-West-End awards?' she asks.  I tell her I am not.  'I've asked everyone standing by themselves in the room', she says.  She has an Australian accent.  I ask what she is doing.  She tells me she is the preliminary scout for a theatre award but that usually there is another.  'It's a good way to see free theatre', she says.  She is also an actress and today auditioned for a play set on a bus.

She tells me she doesn't have a middle name.  Then, after a pause, 'Well, technically, I do have one...', she adds, 'if it helps'.  I say it does.  She tells me that a friend of hers had four so gave one to her.  'Charles', she says, 'but I use the shortening'.  Unsure as to how this consists a technicality, I ask if she has used it on any official documents.  'No', she replies, 'but I know I have it if I really need it'.  A moment.  'Actually this has probably been the most urgent use of it so far'.

The barman announces the one minute call.  We go back into the auditorium, shake hands and return to our respective seats for the second half.