I
‘n Besonder boeiende gedig waarin die digter T. T. Cloete sy
verbluffende teoretiese kennis demonstreer, is die vers oor Peter Sellers, die
bekende komediant. Nie alleen word Sellers se lewe as komediant onder die loep
geneem nie, maar die digter gebruik etlike tegnieke om die verhaal te
konstrueer asof hy besig is met ‘n séance. “Die ektoplasma maak mislik”: hier
speel die digter dus asof hy ‘n medium is. Sellers se belangstelling in die
parapsigologie is alombekend. Hy was uiters bygelowig en het gereeld met
mediums gekonsulteer om beheer oor sy lewe te kry. Sy humeur is alombekend, so
ook sy gefnuikte flirtasie met Sophia Loren, sy eindelose depressies. Hy het by
geleentheid ook gesê dat hy net deur
die rol van iemand anders te vertolk, kan weet wie hy is … (
Cloete “verpak” in hierdie vers vele aspekte van Sellers se
lewe in ‘n lykdig wat die konvensies van rou en stigtelikheid oortree. Die
spreker is hier besig met ‘n séance
waarin hy as medium die figuur Sellers terugbring en ‘n oordeel oor sy lewe
fel.
In die eerste reël
verneem ons “Die ektoplasma maak mislik” en hier is Cloete dus besig om die rol
van ‘n medium te vertolk – en die ektoplasma mag dalk net ‘n blote doek wees
wat uit sy mond kom gedagtig aan al die vervalsings in die wêreld van mediums en spiritiste.
Cloete se stem dring deur as die medium in die ironiese obiter dicta soos “Vir die groot mededinging // met die lastige dood //
was Lynn Frederick // heel paslik // in ‘n rok wat inderhaas // spesiaal
ontwerp is …”
Maar ten spyte van die “designer” begrafnis met Glenn Miller
se In the mood, bly daar steeds ‘n
lyk; ‘n verleë een, dus afhanklik van
ander se omgee en bereidwilligheid om die lyk te laat veras by Golder’s Green.
Die begrafnis waar ‘n
donderstorm die diens versteur, oorstem In
The Mood en dus die stemming van die geleentheid. Hoewel die kanunnik ewe
vroom meen dit pas by Seller’s se humor, is die digter Cloete as medium nou
besig om in die Onsienlike die begrafnis te beoordeel as toneelspel of ‘n
produksie.
Is dit deus ex machina?
Die God uit die masjien wat in die Griekse dramas ‘n oplossing bied en in
modern dramas ‘n soort “suspension of disbelief” impliseer? Of is daar sprake
van “to steal one’s thunder”, met ander woorde, dat die begrafnis-as-toneelstuk
gekaap is deur ‘n mag groter as Peter Sellers en die digter.
En aan wie behoort die oorskot? Die Duiwel? Aan God?
En die donder (wat rym met “I wonder …”) wat eindig op ‘n
ellips neem ons terug na die begin van die gedig. So gelees is die digter
spiritis en die terugbeweeg op die Onsienlike waarmee hy (en Sellers ook in sy
lewe) probeer kontak maak het, dui daarop dat ons nie finale antwoorde kan vind
nie. Ons idee van ‘n Hemel of Hel (soos beskryf in die Goddelike Komedie) bestaan nie meer nie. Daar is nie Finale
Antwoorde nie.
Die gedig jukstaponeer komedie en erns; toneelspeel en
werklike emosie; en veral: Kerklike Sekerheid (gerepresenteer deur die
kanunnik) teenoor Spiritisme.
II
‘n Ander aspek van
hierdie gedig is dat dit nuwe lig werp op die problematiek róndom intertekste. Welke aspekte van
Sellers se lewe word betrek? Sy enorme tydsberekening soos in Blake Edwards se The party van 1968. (The Party (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Besoek 13 Mei 2015).
Ook die biografie oor sy verhouding met sy vader het in 1981
verskyn onder die titel: P.S. I love you met die subtitel “an intimate
portrait”. Hier vertel verontregte seun, Michael hoe hy grensoorskrydend moes
wees – selfs moes steel – sodat hy sy vader kon sien, al was dit net in die
hoof se kantoor! Dikwels het hy deur die pers verneem van sy vader se jongste
liefdesverhoudings wat hom erg depressief gemaak het.
Die humeurige, depressiewe vaderfiguur was Afwesig. Sy hele
lewe is opgeneem deur toneelspel waarin hy ‘n rol moes vertolk om Iemand te wees
omdat hy onseker was oor wie hy werklik was.
So, alle grappies op ‘n stokkie: hierdie gedig is in wese ‘n
analise van ‘n ikoon en belangrike aspekte van die figuur se lewe word aan ons
voorgestel – met T. T. Cloete wat oor die gegewe as ‘n medium beweeg en
belangrike metafisiese en intertekstuele probleme aan bod bring.
Soos die digter al gewaarsku het: “met ‘n omweg kan bysake
die aandag trek op hoofsake”.
Hierdie gedig is ook opgeneem in die bloemlesing Die baie ryk ure wat in 2001 by
Tafelberg verskyn het. Ek was saam met die digter, Heilna du Plooy en wyle
Charles Fryer deel van ‘n leserskorps wat ons 100 gunsteling-verse moes
saamstel. Agterna gesien het ons keuse bykans ooreengestem. Opperman het in
1980 die digter se debuut as “koningskos” tipeer en Die baie ryk ure is ‘n
representasie van die kwintessensiële
Cloete waaroor verskeie literatore en navorsers belangrike studies geskryf het.
Rena Pretorius, Heilna du Plooy, Bernard Odendaal, hierdie leser.
En die digter se enorme invloed op ‘n die digterlike
generasie van 80 kan nooit ontken word nie. Hiervan is alleen die gesprekke met
die Marilyn Monroe-figuur ‘n bewys en die jongste ekodebatte in die Afrikaans
digkuns het alreeds Met die aarde praat
(1992) begin.
The Paranormal Peter Sellers | Dangerous Minds. Besoek 13 Mei 2015:
“Alle grappies op 'n stokkie”
T. T. Cloete
Die ektoplasma maak mislik.
Alle vlae hang stigtelik
by alle teaters halfmas.
Peter Sellers is vandag veras
by Golder's Green. Wat mens afkerig maak
is dat die dooie vertrek en ander moet ontslae raak
van sy lyk. Die diens vir die lastige rou
en konvensie is deur John Hester gehou,
Peter se vriend, 'n kannunik.
Maak dit vrolik
om van die walglike oorlas
verlos te word. Slegs vriende uit die vermaak, kollegas
uit The Goon Show
sy eerste, sy derde en vierde vrou
mog die diens bywoon: Britt Ekland die seksbom
het ongenooid daar aangekom,
sy't vermetel met Spike Milligan opgedaag.
Sy is kywende weggejaag
deur Michael. Vir die groot
mededinging met die lastige dood
was Lynn Frederick
heel paslik
geklee in 'n rok wat inderhaas
spesiaal ontwerp is deur die modebaas
Yves St. Laurent. Terwyl hulle die lyk veras
vrolike musiek pas
immers by die toneel
is Glenn Miller se In The Mood
gespeel
op Peter se versoek. 'n Lyk is darem 'n verleë ding.
Laat die poppe speel, laat hulle hom wegsing.
Tog het iets vreemds gebeur:
'n donderstorm wat ineens losbars versteur
en oorstem In The Mood. Dis nes
Peter dit wou he,
dit pas by sy humor, het die kanunnik vroom gesê.
Wat pla
bedink agterna
in terme van tooneelspel: is dit deus
ex machina
of is die grap bygedra
deur die baaslykverbrander?
To steal one's thunder
Pas by die toneel. Behoort die oorskot
aan die duiwel, aan God?
behoort die donder
aan God, aan die duiwel? I wonder …
*
Many actors are superstitious. Some like Peter Bull kept a
collection of Teddy bears to bring him good luck; others like Jack Lemmon said
the words, “It’s magic time,” before filming each scene. But none were quite as
obsessed with superstitions and the Occult as comedy genius, Peter Sellers.
Sellers’ introduction to the Occult came via fellow Goon,
Michael Bentine, the Watford-born Peruvian, who had grown-up in a household
where seances and table-turning were regularly practiced. Not long after they
first met, Bentine told Sellers of his psychic abilities - how during the
Second World War, when Bentine served in the Royal Air Force, he had been able
to tell which of his comrades would die before a bombing mission. Bentine
claimed if he saw a skull instead of his colleague’s features, then he knew
this person would be killed. How often Bentine was correct in his predictions
is not known. No matter, Sellers was impressed by the shock-haired comic and
was soon obsessed with all things paranormal.
From then on he collected superstitions, as easily as others
collect stamps. He refused to wear green or act with anyone dressed in the
color. If anyone gave him something sharp, he gave them a penny. He read his
horoscopes every day, to divine what he should do.
Sellers often said he had no idea who he was: “If you ask me
to play myself, I will not know what to do. I do not know who or what I
am.” This was his way of renouncing any
responsibility for his actions. He
claimed he found comfort and stability in consulting clairvoyants and fortune
tellers, which again only underlines the fact he did know who he was - a
control freak, who wanted power over his future. It was inevitable, therefore,
that once under the spell of sooth-sayers and psychics, Sellers was open to
fraudsters, tricksters and con-men.
The clairvoyant who had most influence over his life was
Maurice Woodruff, the famed TV and newspaper astrologer, whose syndicated
column reached over fifty million people at the height of his career. Woodruff
received over 5,000 letters a week, asking for advice and had a Who’s Who of of
celebrity clients, including Lionel Bart and Diana Dors. He also famously
predicted the death of President John F. Kennedy and the end of the Vietnam
War. Sellers was devoted to Woodruff, consulting him before he accepted any
roles, and regularly had Tarot readings performed over the telephone. But
Woodruff was heavily in debt and open to the persuasion of a little cash earner
when film studios asked him to suggest film scripts for the actor.
One famous tale, recounts how Woodruff was asked to suggest
the initials of director Blake Edwards as being very important to him.
Unfortunately, Sellers failed to connect ‘B.E.’ with the famous director. On
return to the Dorchetser Hotel, his usual residence when in London, Sellers was
smitten by the sight of a beautiful, young blonde-haired woman at reception.
When he enquired as to who this vision of loveliness was, he was told Britt
Ekland. Sellers recalled Woodruff’s prediction and married Ekland within weeks.
Not long after the marriage, Sellers suffered a
multiple-heart attack in California, in part caused by his heavy use of Amyl
Nitrite. As he later told his close friend and first biographer, Peter Evans: “When a 38-year-old bloke marries a 21-year-old bird, he
needs all the help he can get. We used poppers (amyl nitrite), you know, to
tweak the thrill a bit. Bubbly, poppers and Britt. It was all too much. Before
I knew it, I was dead as a bloody kipper.”
Sellers ‘died’ on the the operating table, and had an
out-of-body experience that influenced the rest of his life.
“Well, I felt myself leave my body. I just floated out of my
physical form and I saw them cart my body away to the hospital. I went with it
... I wasn’t frightened or anything like that because I was fine; and it was my
body that was in trouble. I looked around myself and I saw an incredibly
beautiful bright loving white light above me. I wanted to go to that white
light more than anything. I’ve never wanted anything more. I know there was
love, real love, on the other side of the light which was attracting me so
much. It was kind and loving and I remember thinking That’s God.
“Then I saw a hand reach through the light. I tried to touch
it, to grab onto it, to clasp it so it could sweep me up and pull me through
it.” But just then his heart began beating again, and at that instant the
hand’s voice said, “It’s not time. Go back and finish. It’s not time.”
What Sellers probably saw was the doctor who massaged his
heart back to life.
Following his death experience, Sellers immersed himself in
the Occult. He began to practice Ouija and increased his use of marijuana to
open up his untapped psychic powers. Through Ouija, Sellers had conversations
with a variety famous people from history, leading friend and fellow Goon,
Spike Milligan, to jest that Sellers seemed to only make contact with the likes
of Napoleon, Julius Ceaser and Leonardo Da Vinci, rather than an ordinary Joe.
Sellers believed the Occult shaped his performances. For The
Optimists (aka The Optimist of Nine Elms) he believed he was possessed by Music
Hall comic, Dan Leno, who created the central character of Sam. Sellers used
Ouija to talk with Leno, who seemed oblivious to anything had gone wrong in his
life, which was odd, considering the great Music Hall comic died at the age of
43, from “General Paralysis Of The Insane,” or syphilis, in a lunatic asylum.
For his last great performance, as Chance, in Being There, he channelled Stan
Laurel to create the role.
When his mother, Peg, died, Sellers again kept in touch
through Ouija. Though Peg was more interested in her pet dog, who was also on
the other side, rather than what her son was up to. Convinced he would live to
be in his seventies, Sellers refused to have the open-heart surgery that could
have saved his life. He died of a heart-attack at the age of 54, in 1980.
