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"To put a play on in the West End nowadays costs four to five hundred thousand pounds. So once a producer has settled on a piece, signed up the star and booked the theater-and it's not always possible to get all three at the same time-he relies on his angels to raise the capital."
"How many angels do you have?" asked Da
"Every producer has his own list, which he guards like the crown jewels. I have about seventy angels who regularly invest in my productions," said Duncan as a steak was placed in front of him.
"And how much do they invest, on average?" asked Da
"On a normal production, units would start around ten thousand pounds."
"So you need fifty angels per play."
"You're sharp when it comes to figures, aren't you?" said Duncan, cutting into his steak.
Da
"If the theater is sixty percent full for the entire run, he'll break even and get his money back. Above that figure, he can make a handsome profit. Below it, he can lose his shirt."
"And how much are the stars paid?" asked Da
"Badly, by their usual standards, is the answer. Sometimes as little as five hundred a week. Which is the reason so many of them prefer to do television, the odd advertisement, or even voiceovers rather than get themselves involved in real work. We only paid Larry Davenport one thousand."
"A thousand a week?" said Da
"So were we," admitted Duncan as the wine waiter drained the bottle. Da
"Fine wine, that," said Duncan. Da
Another question answered. "So what are you pla
"I'd begin with something small," said Da
"I survive on my regulars," said Duncan and drained his glass. "I'll be in touch as soon as I've signed up a lead actor. By the way, I always throw a small drinks party for the investors when I launch a new show, which inevitably attracts a few stars. You'll be able to see Larry again. Or his sister, depending on your preference."
"Anything else, Sir Nicholas?" asked the headwaiter.
Da
After Big Al had returned him to The Boltons, Da
He began to read through his attempt at a prize essay, and after only a few paragraphs his suspicions that it wouldn't be good enough to impress Professor Mori, let alone the panel of judges, were confirmed. The only good thing about the time he had spent on it was that it had occupied the endless hours of waiting before he could make his next move. He had to avoid the temptation to speed things up, which might well result in him making a fatal error.
It was several weeks before Gary Hall managed to close the two property deals in Mile End Road, without either seller becoming aware what he was up to. Like a good fisherman, Da
He also had to wait for Charlie Duncan to find a star for his new show before he could legitimately meet up with Davenport again. He also had to wait for-The phone rang. Da
He picked up his pen, returned to his essay and tried to think of a more arresting opening line. John Maynard Keynes would surely have known the popular song, "Ain't We Got Fun," with its damning line, "There's nothing surer, the rich get rich and the poor get children." He may well have speculated on its application to nations as well as individuals…
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
"JAPANESE KNOTWEED?"
"Yes, we believe that Japanese knotweed is the answer," said Bresson. "Although I'm bound to say that we were both puzzled by the question."
Da
"If Japanese knotweed is discovered on a building site, it can hold up pla
"So how do you get rid of Japanese knotweed?" asked Da
"A specialist company moves in and sets fire to the entire site. Then you have to wait another three months to make sure that every last rhizome has been removed before you can reapply for pla
"That wouldn't come cheap?"
"No, it certainly doesn't come cheap for the owner of the land. We came across a classic example in Liverpool," added Segat. "The city council discovered Japanese knotweed on a thirty-acre site that had already been granted pla
"Why is it so dangerous?" asked Da
"If you don't destroy it," said Bresson, "it will eat its way into the foundations of any building, even reinforced concrete, and ten years later, without warning, the whole edifice comes tumbling down, leaving you with an insurance bill that would bankrupt most companies. In Osaka, Japanese knotweed destroyed an entire apartment block, which is how it acquired its name."
"So how do I get hold of some?" asked Da
"Well, you certainly won't find a packet on the shelves of your local garden center," said Bresson. "However, I suspect that any company which specializes in destroying it could point you in the right direction." Bresson paused for a moment. "It would of course be illegal to plant it on someone else's land," he said, looking directly at Da