Shakespeare's Spy Quotes

“It occurred to me, then, how nearly real life resembles the first rehearsal of a play. We are all of us stumbling through it, doing our best to say the proper lines and make the proper moves, but not quite comfortable yet in the parts we've been given. Still, like players who trust that -despite all evidence to the contrary- the whole mess will make sense eventually, we keep on going, hoping that somehow things will work out for the best.”
― Gary Blackwood, Shakespeare's Spy

“I hurried after Sam, calling, "You might wait for us!" The last word, though it was but one syllable, covered two octaves, for my voice broke, as it had been doing lately with alarming frequency.
Sam turned back with a mischievous grin on his face. "Was that your voice cracking, or were you attempting to yodel?”
― Gary L. Blackwood, Shakespeare's Spy

“Sam laughed. "One of these days you're going to forget your lines and have to thribble, and it's going to come out in Yorkshire-ese." He put a hand to his brow, in a parody of the way I played Ophelia in Hamlet. "'Gog's blood! I wis some scanderbag has brast his noble costard wi' a waster!'" He yodeled the last word in imitation of my uncertain voice.
I tried to scowl at him, but my features kept wanting to break in to a grin. "You sot! I'll never again be able to do that scene wi' a straight face!”
― Gary L. Blackwood, Shakespeare's Spy

“We'd best find Sal Pavy now, afor some scanderbag pounds him into a pudding and takes all his money."
"Some SCANDERBAG?"
"Aye. What's wrong wi' that?"
Sam shook his head. "How long have you been in London?"
"Nearly two years. Why?"
"You still sound as though you'd arrived from Yorkshire yesterday.”
― Gary L. Blackwood, Shakespeare's Spy