THE PAST IS A FAIRY TALE

AMANDA AT THE MAYR CLINIC, MARIA WORTH

I have just arrived back from Salzburg, the land of opera, where the first night of Carmen by Bizet opened with Mr and Mrs Simon Rattle doing their bit. 
I am a huge fan of Simon Rattle's wife Magdelena Kozena, who was playing for the first time the lead role. She will be singing in Los Angeles on the 5th May at the Waltz Disney Consort Hall. 
It was an incredible evening. I stayed at the Sacher Hotel in the heart of Mozart land. Quaint, old fashioned, the people were so elegant in old fashioned clothes with little mink stoles. The men looked handsome, aristocratic and uptight. It was a fairyland, and for a few seconds I could grab the past.  
While there, I tried to stick to the Mayr clinic rules: very tricky as no one outside is interested in the process. Everywhere I looked there were forbidden things to eat.  
My son and I were so hungry that we resorted to drinking linseed oil from the bottle with a bit of his protein supplement. It tasted like bread.

Marshall is a fifty year old brand.

I felt great comradeship  in the Mayr and it was especially good to have bumped by chance into one of the best Theatre directors on the planet, the famous Russian director Oleg Tabakov.
In 1988 I was fortunate enough to study with him. During the mad Summer I was in Oxford being taught by Sasha Kaleyagin from the Moscow Arts Theatre.  
I loved Chekov and every afternoon I would dart into shops learning my lines. Anyway one day I was called in and Sasha said, "What do you do every afternoon?" 
I said I learn my lines and  go to the library.  He said, "No you don't, you go shopping with a script".  He then said, "Will you come to the Moscow Arts Theatre and study, we will make you the actress you should be?" 
I foolishly said "No". I had just got into The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts and I wanted to take the easier route in England. He tried to persuade me, but I was frightened. However, I agreed to go on the Chekhov course in London and New York with  Oleg Tabakov. 
Oleg is a genius. For me, life changing. In any case. this week at the Mayr Clinic of all places I see him again.  Unchanged after twenty four years and still as vibrant. Yesterday at lunch he was recommending that American Actors should teach the talented actors of their country.
Now I am hope back again and battling with the fridge. Everything looked wrong, nothing to eat. I walked through Gatwick Airport and thought it was no wonder so many people are overweight in this country.
There were only bad things to eat.  Flavoured water, sweets, chocolates, crisps, pre packed sandwiches, salads, nothing of any nutritional value.  I can't wait to go back to the haven in Maria Worth.

Maria Worth

The Mayr V Clinic