The Greatest Showman #1300 – Perfect Ending

In the midst of laughter, Robbie looked at the sand and leaned back, mimicking the action from that time. He "lifted" the sheets and, in a succinct yet meaningful tone, replied, "Yeah." The audience was captivated, and Robbie continued, "Then she said, I'll slap it out for you."

Daniel and Ed, unable to hold back, burst into laughter, earning them 100,000 critical hits from the crowd.

Renly, calm and composed, softly clapped and remarked, "You should advise her to pay attention to herpes."

This comment only fueled the laughter, making Graham gasp for air. He clapped his hands continuously, and the studio seemed to be in stitches. It was as if they had all been scorched by laughter.

"That was before herpes," Robbie added seriously, before continuing his story. "I was young and creative, and I thought, maybe I could close my eyes and pretend it's someone else. So…" Robbie paused, then pulled back his "sheets." "I said, 'Okay, go!'"

Renly patted Robbie on the shoulder. "I think we might need an ambulance. These two young men's cheeks are about to explode."

Ed and Daniel, still in the middle of their laughter, took a moment to recover.

Graham, wiping tears from his eyes, chuckled. "Gentlemen, you're about their age. Don't forget."

It wasn't that Robbie's story was shocking, but the way Renly had consistently challenged Graham's limits throughout the show, this simple and direct story from Robbie seemed to have pushed everything over the edge. Graham felt that this episode might have been a bit too much for the audience to handle.

"Anyway…" Robbie cut off the teasing between Graham and Renly and continued, "Finally, she moved. But it felt very, very strange, like the fog in the forest. It was a slow, gentle process."

Renly picked up on Robbie's unusual adjective. "Tender," he said.

Graham chimed in with the same word. "Be gentle."

The two spoke in sync, and instantly, the audience's memories were triggered. Yet, they were too exhausted to laugh properly. One by one, they clutched their stiff stomachs, unable to make a sound, only emitting helpless, low vibrations of laughter.

Robbie caught on and protested, "Hey! Don't destroy my imagination!" His flustered expression only made things more amusing. But he pressed on with the story. "That night, I sat with the housekeeper of the castle. I just told her, 'You know what? Your cleaners are really weird.'"

Daniel's laughter was already anticipated.

"But the housekeeper asked, 'What do you mean?'" Robbie continued, mimicking the conversation. "I said, 'The cleaner today was acting very strange.'"

Robbie performed both sides of the conversation, "She said, 'We don't have cleaners on Wednesdays.'" The laughter intensified, turning into applause.

Just as everyone thought it was going to be a supernatural story, Robbie dropped the bombshell: "Actually, it was on the street. A random person broke in, gave me a plane, and then she was gone."

Renly, impressed, applauded Robbie. His story was absurd but captivating enough to be considered an odd experience.

But Robbie wasn't done. "Two or three years later…" He turned to Renly, "I brought this story up with my bandmates. My guitarist froze and patted his thigh, saying, 'That's Jasmine! Jasmine from the bar! She told people she did this, but no one believed her.'"

Renly couldn't contain his laughter, shaking his head. "Robbie, you should've said this earlier. Jasmine's been waiting for this day to come." Renly turned to the camera, speaking directly to the audience. "Jasmine from the bar, you can tell this story again now, someone finally believes you."

Daniel nodded enthusiastically. "God, that's definitely the best joke tonight."

Renly looked at Daniel with a raised eyebrow. "Did we just talk about a joke?" He pretended to be completely unaware of the humor surrounding him.

Ed, sitting between them, patted his thigh in mock frustration. "Why did I even come to participate in this show?"

The audience burst into applause, appreciating Ed's self-pitying remark. Laughter roared again, though it was more subdued.

Robbie, still smiling, added, "I'll give you the address of the castle later. Molly will definitely come to visit you." He aimed this at Renly, but Daniel, eager for attention, gestured widely with his eyes and pointed to the three of them, silently mouthing, "All?"

"Only Renly," Robbie said with a shake of his head, cutting off Daniel's hopes. Daniel's exaggerated reaction earned another round of laughs. "By the way, Renly, don't you live in a castle? So, you've never met a strange cleaner?"

The word castle hung in the air, subtly referencing Renly's aristocratic background. Robbie dropped this hint effortlessly, something Graham had avoided doing. Renly, however, remained unfazed. "So, after the topic turned back to me, I thought, Robbie might need to sing on stage now, the band members look so lonely, should we take care of them in advance?"

The band members, situated at the opposite end of the studio, began waving in sync with the performance, adding to the atmosphere.

Laughter erupted once more, but this time, Graham, Robbie, and others didn't let Renly off the hook. They kept their eyes on him as Graham smoothly redirected the conversation. "Robbie, we can wait a little longer, but he's right, haven't you experienced anything like this?"

Renly responded calmly, "No, of course not." Just when the audience thought he was about to reveal something, he added solemnly, "If necessary, the kitchen and laundry are better options. As for the bedroom, we don't do anything in it for the sake of decency. I mean, literally anything, not even a couple."

This remark humorously criticized the aloofness and isolation of aristocracy. Even in the bedroom, no such stories would repeat.

The audience paused, processing Renly's words and the implications. Whether they were startled or amused, they couldn't decide.

Renly added, "By the way, I've never lived in a castle. I think only a few still do in England." He raised his hands and began to count. "Apart from Buckingham Palace, not many nobles live in castles these days."

Robbie and Daniel clapped their thighs and laughed.

Graham shook his head, acknowledging Renly's flawless delivery. He appeared relaxed, yet was always one step ahead, never revealing a flaw. With the show nearing its end, Graham had no choice but to wrap it up. "So, you came here today to…?"

"Oh, finally!" Renly exclaimed, glancing at Robbie with a mock complaint. "My publicity plan got delayed after the musical guests. 'Les Miserables' is celebrating its anniversary at the Almeida Theater. We'll have activities coming up, so everyone is welcome to join."

Graham asked dutifully, "So, you'll be part of the anniversary event?"

Renly confirmed, "Yes. I won't be performing on the anniversary stage, but the current cast will surely deliver an outstanding performance. If not, feel free to come and criticize them."

Renly smiled as he added, "However, I'll visit the Almeida Theater and engage with the audience. John Codd's production of 'Les Miserables' has added more depth to the stories and characters. I encourage the audience to share their opinions."

"What if it's just for you?" Robbie asked bluntly. "You know, just to see the famous Renly Hall."

"Then we welcome them too," Renly said generously. "It's like a circus, and the show must go on."

His candid self-pity won over the crowd, earning whistles and applause.

Graham wrapped up the segment. "Very well, then remember to visit the Almeida Theater. It's a show you absolutely cannot miss. On top of the recent Oliver Awards, it won a record-breaking eight trophies, including Best Actor in a Musical for Master Renly."

As Graham introduced Robbie to the stage, Renly exchanged a glance with him but remained silent. He stood, applauding Robbie. The "Norton Show" reached its perfect conclusion.