Broadway Laxative

As one would expect from an address which includes the word 'Broadway', the Gnome's office sits adjacent to a theatre. A theatre currently performing 'The Color Purple', the worthy and Oprah Winfrey-approved musical version of the book by Alice Walker. On its gala opening night the Gnome could, by peering out of his fifth floor office window, see the stars slowly make their way up the red carpet, pausing for the paparazzi. This vantage point provided an excellent angle to view, in revealing detail, the decolletage of many a famous actress. But the Gnome digresses. For however tempting it is to dwell on past voyeuristic pleasures, this entry is about something else.

To advertise the show, there are four large video screens outside the theatre on a continual loop of TV coverage from the opening night (thankfully there is no mention of any fifth floor pervert) and interviews with the cast and crew.

Now by chance, it seems everytime the Gnome walks past these screens the director is telling passers by they will find the show a 'cathartic'. One must presume he means emotionally challenging, but the actual definition of a cathartic is 'an agent for purging the bowels', something no self respecting theatre afficianado would surely wish to do in their $100 seat, however much the director felt the show deserved it...