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Dundee, John Quinn, Joseph Lee, Juteopolis, Mary Brooksbank, Mary Queen of Scots, Mary Shelley, Mary Slessor, O halflins an hecklers an weavers an weemin, Play, Verdant Works, William McGonagall, William Wallace, Winston Churchill
SHEY…….
. was the story of jute in Dundee. How it got there, how Dundee came to be known as Juteopolis and how the mills are all gone now, how the Irish came during the famine in their droves, quadrupling the population in no time at all in a city which was unprepared for the onslaught, how they joined Highlanders being cleared off their land, courtesy of the Duke of Sutherland.
But it was also the story of weaving in the city and how the city and its people, who are not an easily impressed people, have always kept their story moving forward. The title says it all. Halflins were children who did half a day at school and half a day in the mills. Hecklers? Well, Dundee gave the world the word.
Weavers speaks for itself. As for the Weemin? To quote poet Dundee poet Ellie Macdonald… and I did get to quote these lines in the play and boy did it give me a thrill to deliver them.
‘For any woman brought up in the Dundee tradition there should be no straining for equality no, need for a new consciousness of the power of women. We have inherited a freedom which seems unnecessary to verbalize. We are just waiting for the world to catch up.’
Why did the women have this freedom? Because they were the family breadwinners.
Shey…Well…..talking that… because there’s a story that William Wallace went to school in Dundee and got in a ‘rammy’ –a row–with the English governor’s son, Selby, killed him,
thus becoming an outlaw but not before being hidden by a weaving woman just outside Dundee who sort of suggested he disguise himself…..
Shey. Indeed. Dundee has quietly furnished the world with one or two weel ‘kent’ folks, or folks who were inspired by their stay in the city.
Mary Shelley said Dundee was where she got her idea for the famous ‘unbeast.’ Ian Fleming’s grandfather worked in the jute mills here. We also had a scene involving from mill girl, to missionary to magistrate Mary Slessor.
She was also known as the Mother of All the People. So we had a wee song about her too , one of two we wrote especially for the show, here sung by the most fabulous choirs, Loadsaweeminsingin and The Lochee Linties. In the middle of the first proper utterly chaotic run through, what they had done from scribbled music with Mr Shey’s words had my jaw on the deck.
We had the world’s best known writer of bad verse,
William McGonagall … with two of his drunken hecklers….
and an enactment of the only known instance of the famous Scottish play where the lead character refused to die. We had a wee onstage riot courtesy of Dundee woman Mary Brooksbank who wrote the Jute Mill Song, a visit from Mary Queen of Scot’s ghost, . And did I mention Winston Churchill, famously served a maggot in his kipper here
and flung out the town which, despite being the drunkest city in the British empire elected a prohibitionist instead.
We also had a scene featuring Joseph Lee, Dundee’s fighter writer and forgotten WW 1 poet. Michael Marra’s daughter Alice, also a professional musician, sung her dad’s amazing Happed in Mist as a solo at this point. It was stunning. Here’s his version.
and then Mr and I recited one of the poems before the scene started. Alice was so stunning I could hardly speak. For once.
‘I dreamed that a man went home last night, from the trench where the tired men lie.
And walked through the streets of his own, old town. And I dreamed that man was I.’
Shey…I played tour guide Em Fae Dundee, opposite Mr who played Ken O ‘ Dundee, the sort of keeping everything together hardly off the bloody stage, parts, William Wallace, A singing Suffragette, and on the Sat night cos we were two members of cast short, Mary Brooksbank, mill worker Jeanie
and an American tourist. Oh and on opening night I do believe I also played an unscripted football fan…don’t ask……….A certain blond wig was on the wrong props’ island at that stage…
Shey. Pretty difficult because none of the stellar cast ever intended to be on this play and so far as I was concerned my directing days were done. Five weeks before the play was due on the theatre company who had been involved pulled out. Meantime the fabulous choir run by Alice Marra, had learned all the songs, several of which were written by her late father, Dundee musician Mike Marra. Tickets had been sold. It took two weeks to put together this cast under the name of a theatre co Mr and I once ran.
Oh and of this cast, if we now add in the sound technician, there were four originals. Lol, here’s an oldie. Anyway of our ‘new hastily constructed’ cast, only five had ever done any serious theatre work. And two who had, could not do the Saturday night. I had to think about the overall look of the play–hence the tee shirts and the cast never leaving the playing space, I had to think about the difficulties of that nonetheless wonderful playing space the High Mill at Verdant works, a former mill now a museum, about working each scene in a way that would let folks who had never been on a stage, shine–for example rather than cluttering the Highland clearance scene with a cast of thousands, why not just have the whole thing read, even the ‘Be off with you’ bit from the proclamation, as if it was part of it. I also divvied up the parts in a way that might allow them to rehearse together where they were related to one another. We had the mill during the day but that was no use to some of the cast. There was no time for blocking rehearsals going on for weeks, or technical or props ones either. This play went out there on opening night having been run start to finish twice. There were bits that had been talked through, in terms of business and props at a meeting and then only had one rehearsal. I have to say the cast were wonderful. LOL and I am not saying that cos more than my Mr were family.
And it’s not easy being right up against an audience, although, the audiences were wonderful, it’s not easy never going off stage either, although okay…we did have a slogan, ‘Every night a different show.’ That was in terms of the ad libbing Mr and me did after he did little things, like start the wrong scene, not know what scene we were meant to start.
Shey…No doubt, all down to the fact that on opening night, I spoke the word you never EVER say onstage or off…….
When, in a noble moment as Mr wandered up and down waiting to hear the immortal words ‘Turn Hellhound, Turn.’ and would be waiting yet since he’d cut the speech that made scene of the entire scene, and my older girl who had taken the sword fight scene off me the night before, stood saying, ‘ What do I do Mum?’ and she is trained, I stepped forward and spoke. I also had McGonagall escaping the killing fields not floors. Oh well. You know, a fabulous time was had by all. Mr Shey loved us for putting on a different play from what he wrote. And yep, the cast were so good, I’m glad they all said at the after show party, they are well up for another run.. ….
Woot… Hi she… It seems the play was great… or should I say The play”S”..
the fact that each times it turns out in a different way is something quite special I believe … a sort of creative recreation. It would never be boring, right!?.
I like the liittle clip too… (Advice: to the one who recorded it:remember to put your cell phone in horizontal position when you record, that way the whole screen is dispalyed and you avoid the black borders) 😉
Have a great week… Sending love 😀
AW hugs Aquileana. It was indeed a work in progress right to the last moment of the last scene on the last day! I will have to tell Daniel off for the black bit. He’s my son in law so…. Have a great week too xxxxxxxx
It would have been a riot to attend every performance and see all the different interpretations 😀 I’m impressed you didn’t say more than two bad words – one a noun and the other a verb……… and that your hair didn’t go white overnight or fall out and that the dudes are still all in one piece! What a sterling effort Shey I think you are my new hero!! xox
HA HA HA. I am surprised I didn’t too. Mr is half deaf in one ear. Of course I had no idea that anyone had heard, until the Sun when wee Alex said the audience on his side were in fits…. So if they were in fits on his side, they sure were in fits on ours. My hair did nearly go white that first night and I think so did the sounds folks, the rest of the casts’ and the lovely Alice Marra’s, cos the script was going out the window. The best bit was the enxt night though when I could see my daughter alld raped in white as the step in for Mary Queen of Scot’s ghost, I could see Richard all ready to come on as the jute wallah, I could see Mike who did the rapping in the McGonagall scene desperately getting the aht and specs off and that plaid tied on for the f’ing highlander scene…what is more I had said to him earlier, I have taken the lines at the start of this so there will be feck up tonight… and on goes the Mr and cuts right to it. I thought I can’t let this ghost scene go…. So I said, ‘ No yet. .We are going to have a spesh visitor Mary Queen of Scots.. etc.etc So we are all good and he gets that and he gives the right speech and I give mine and then THEN he started again about the f’ing highlanders….. Wonder my hair never feel oot. xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ah Lordy, Lordy 😀 😀 That was almost as good as being there 🙂 I hope Mr knows what a gem he has! And whatever it was that tried to derail the play in the beginning – I hope it too knows there was a Mrs there who weren’t having it!! xoxo
Hee hee.. I sure wasn’t having it in ANY way. In the beginning re derailment, there was every complaint and moan going, from not wanting that fabulous choir, removing key scenes and songs and finally the last straw stand off over the poster and the fact we had it on social media without their permission. I guess some folks just get above themselves and forget they ain’t Oscar winners directing the sodding Royal Shakespeare Co. Then there was bluff calling after the Mr said he would get someone else, knowing full well he could and something of a surprise, let us say when he didn’t back off. Thing is what wasn’t known was that we were better qualified than any of them…. There’s things I keep quiet… It aye makes these moments sweet….. xxxxxxx
I hope that you did not get heckled.
No no!! Lol, we didn’t. I made damn sure we had the audience on our side! xxxxx
Cool. Nice to have the audience on your side.
LOL We had to go out there determined to have them. I’ve played once before up close like that so I know how hard it is. This was harder cos we were all on all the way through except for the interval. We just sat about on the machines etc. So we were really exposed. like you could not come off and go AHHH about something. Anyway, we did have them and that was great .
Oh, how I wish I could have seen this play! Lady Shey, you do have a way of turning everything into sunshine and rainbows! So glad the play(s) worked out best for all and that, more importantly, you have a fine time presenting them. Congratulations! oxo
You are so sweet Pam. I just was not having anyone call the Mr’s bluff. I may not have stood on a stage or directed for over 20 years, I just thought re that carry on, you have no idea who you are dealing with dearand frankly quite enough shit has been eaten … !!!! We did have a fine time and everyone involved was brilliant. never worked with such a lovely cast. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And you a director, too! Who knew. You are truly a woman of many talents!!🌹💋❤️
Nah, yir too kind. I have not directed in 20 years but I have often kept my hand in by helping pupils with auditions for various things and Higher work.
Looks like you brought history to life, Shey. Looks better than a regular stage as well.
It was a hard space to play. Wonderful cos it was a mill and we were surrounded by so much history. But not easy. But we did try to bring the story to life xxxxxxx
I bet it was, but I bet you got better audience interaction. Good stuff.
Aw… Lord George xx The audience were great.
Congratulations!! 😀😀 Wow! What an experience and well done for putting on the play on such short notice! Talk of complex and the location is terrific and most unusual with the audience up close and personal! I wish I could have seen it but great to get a feel of it from the snippets of video. Planning on doing another soon??
You know something, it was abso brutal in that Mr and I never sat down all night. I think there were two scenes we were on, and it was brutal for everyone being out there on display as it were BUT I stand by my decision to do it that way in that space. The audience reaction was great. We were involving them so often. BUT we had a blast in so many ways, everyone wants to do it again and if we do we will start earlier, so it won’t be quite so sceery we have already done it S o yep, we prob will. Thank you Annika. I have not directed or stood on a stage for over 20 years and thre were times I thought I can’t do this, fold it, but then I thought we can’t. I wanted to see Mr’s play out there. xxxxx
Yeah!! I just love your exuberance and I can feel how enlivening this experience has been for you all! It must be amazing to have the audience participation and make it a real living work of art. Congrats to Mr’s Play!!
He was so happy that it went out there. it was all he’s wanted for a while now. I just wish I had said I would do it from the start but truly that was a river I left long ago, largely cos of the work involved Anyway, we got there. And yeah we will run it again x
i reckon you should go on tour. It sounds like a total success and a total riot. Great anarchic fun and that seems appropriate considering Dundonians have always been free spirits!
Indeed we have Cat. Alas Mr couldn’t get Monk’s siege of the town and how the folks here demanded his surrender after he demanded theirs in cos it didn’t fit with the story being told. But yeah, I gather that Churchill had to be spirited out of the meeting where he came to meet Dundee by police and he was in tears apparently, suffragettes were dropping in on ropes, The Irish were singing Fenian songs, every time he opened his mouth, The Socialists were wailing the Red flag , the women who had lost their men at the front,. were letting him have it. Then there was the kipper biz which we staged. So we are a bit like that. We would love to go on tour but the problem would be the choir and the choir bring so much to the show. We were taking today re other venues etc but have decided to run it again in Verdant Works.SO giggling. Coreen and Daniel’s neighbours were there on the Sat night with a crowd of friends and were astonished to bump into Daniel and see Cor out there, doing much more than the previous two shows cos she was standing in. Anyway in the write up on Shoestring it was mentioned how we toured extensively with the play about Bonnie Dundee..the man not the town . Now they are looking for us to do that play. I thought Not again xxxxx.
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What fun!
Yes……..
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
If you have been wondering what mistress of the Hamstahs and Smexy hysterical romantic novelist Shehanne Moore has been doing the last couple of weeks… A Play…. on a shoe string.. with fabulous cast including Mr. Shey and halflings…head over and the Hamstahs will fill you in but be prepared.. their snouts are out of kilter… #recommended
Sally the biggest hugs for that. It is LOVELY of you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Oh, my word, this description of events is so funny and entertaining, Shey. I wish I’d teleported to Dundee to watch this play. But you must have had steels of nerve to go ahead with it, after those blighters pulled out. I trust that Mr Shey was happy with the result, despite the mix up with scenes, which I’m sure entertained the audience heartily, increasing their mirth one-hundredfold.
Congratulations on pulling it off, even if it did give those hamsters a nervous breakdown of sorts xxxx
Lol… You would have seen one of three very diff versions Sarah. The audience were fabulous every time. You know on the first night Mr cut the last scene off at its knees by coming out with his last speech at the start….and I adlibbed it and we got it but when I looked later at where the probs came there I thought if I put in key words he won’t jump. As we sailed up to the very last page, I have a bit about Dundonians not being easily impressed and we have this bit we actually overheard at bus stop about the V & A coming here. The gist is the guy said, ‘I see the R & A are coming here.’ ‘Do you not mean the V& A?’ said his mate. ‘ ‘Same thing,’ said the first. SO I am thinking we are there, finito. YES> NOTHING can go wrong now and Mr steps up and ses, ‘ I see the V& A. are coming here..’ I had to say, ‘ What of it?’ and he stopped and went ‘I’ve corpsed this.’ And I said ‘Corpsed this? You’ve corpse the play but why worry? ‘ to much giggling. So he told the audience about how we had overheard these words and yep of course it should have been the other way round. Then he said, ‘ Will we take that bit again?’ so we did and we it was the most wonderful, unexpected applause ever.
When these blighters pulled out and it was their head honcho who did it without telling them too, which is why I guessed it was a bluff, I just felt that it would be unbearable if Mr had to go back cap in hand. I cannae be doing with folks like that. What she didn’t know was that we have years of experience here and it was experience of mounting whole productions in various places. I may not have directed for 20 years but I guess there’s things you don’t forget. We just needed a cast. I think these were the scariest moments really cos I thought there’s limits here too. Sitting there three weeks before with half a cast prob was a bit scary but that was the weekend we got the rest. SO I could go to the mill on Monday with me brass neck on and start rehearsing.
LOL. This is a hoot! I remember being told by my old singing teacher that if something goes badly wrong during a performance, then it’s best to calmly say “whoops, I think I’ll start that song again.” smile sweetly and the audience will love you for being so human. If it’s only slightly wrong and you have an experienced person accompanying who can skitter about a bit on the keyboard, or whatever, then you just carry on with the song, pretending it was meant to sound like that. The funniest thing that happened to me was when I had to sing the aria “Bright Seraphim” at a wedding and someone squeaked a chair at a pitch half a tone above what I was meant to be singing on one of those fast and twiddly vocal passages, so I sang in tune with the chair, but somehow got back to the right note at the end of all the twiddles. I was very calm about it.
Aye, it’s all in a day’s work!
I tell yah, if I had known the audience were gonna be so kind, they’d be there yet as we retook all the scenes that were rewritten on the hoof. I put some pics on facebook and one is of the sound guys and I captioned it re the odds they were probably laying on the many corpsed scenes. Cos I tell yah they missed sound cues, they were that busy watching the shenanigans. I had to say to Alice Marra that regardless of what the hell was going on she would have the half page before each song and it would be right WHATEVER.
Now I am giggling at the Bright Seraphim. By god that’s hysterical. A squeaking chair. I have heard it all. You are so brave to sing. I think I ‘d have left it to the chair.
This sounds like so much fun, Shey. I thought it was you beating up the lead man in the first videos before the Dudes clarified it. You seem to have had a few challenges to overcome but it all worked out so well in the end. Very entertaining.
I kind of was beating up the leading man, since Mr was playing Selby here. LOL! But yeah of course the dudes clarified it. We did indeed have several challenges but hey, now we are on the others die we are now planning the rerun xxxxx
I’m adding Dundee to my visit wish list. – well, I did that already. There’s so much to comment on Shey, but this is what I had to elevate: “the most fabulous choir.”
I’m impressed by all…. ❤ wish I was there, but this was closer look. Bravo. xoxo
The choir are beautiful they are professional and run by a professional musician. Mr wanted them on board from early on cos of their sound and what that would bring to a show. xxxx
This is a fantastic infectious post Shey. It was a joy to read and to watch the clips. Your unique take on the proceedings above is funny and informative. Stellar! I don’t you should mention this to the dudes but reading their words I think even they had been swept up into the thrill of it all…. They sound quite literary in places….although they will probably eat me for saying so!
They will indeed Paul. They are just frightened I take a placard to them. And there is rather a lot of placards at that. Thank you for your kind comment. I don’t have a lot of clips or pictures to share. We couldn’t get any but some have been coming in so it is good. I just added the Duke of Sutherland’s bit there just now which I just got. It has my younger girl in it and she has never been on stage before. Glad you enjoyed and thought all that xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When I go to your blog — even before I’ve read the first word — I start laughing. It is all so oddball, & I mean that in the best way.
Aw thank you!!! You have no idea what that means to me xxxx
Dundee was ahead of its time – the rest of the world is still doing its best to catch up, particularly when it comes to women being the breadwinners. I know you’ve told me that before and I’m glad that you’ve publicized it here now in this post. It’s a good reminder for other places to smarten up 😉 Loved seeing the photos and that footage again of the scene.. all so great with the Mr.’s play and the talented cast, including YOU. Wishing you all the best, dear heart xx
Thank you so very much Christy. Your words mean so much to me. I don’t have a lot of pics or footage cos we couldn’t really take any. I ahd to get the sound guy to get me that choir footage as we were all stood onstage at that point. I just got the vid clip of a bit of the Duke of Sutherland proclamation just now and put that up. It has my younger girl in her first time onstage in a speaking part. So funny. She couldn’t pronounce the word Cheviot, the name of the sheep people were flung off the land to make way for. So I told her to mispronounce it. Made it more kind of ironic I felt. Indeed Dundee was called She Town and it was cos of the women xxxxxxxxx.
LOL true family love, Mr. Shey loved the variation to the play he wrote, lol. What a fun adventure for the fam history books! And what guts for an author to come out of the introverted state to take the stage. Touche my friend! 🙂 xoxoxox
Hee hee. And not just any stage. LOL. I done a lot of acting . Just not for over 20 years. We ran a theatre co way back. (In fact just added in a then and now piccie!!!! ) Toured it too. Just a question of reusing the name and getting it back on the road. We managed to get our sound guy from then too. (Well sort of a a question anyway. Botom line, we got there!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t aske me how but we did.) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Fortunately the show we toured was up close and personal with the audience. Cos that is quite an experience but fortunately the audiences were super.)
I’m sure the crowd ate it up! You’re a star on any stage my lovely! ❤ xoxoxo
Lol.. If only my darling xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It sounded like a wonderful mix of challenges, chaos and absolutely bloody wonderful Scottish history. Wish I could’ve been there to see it. love to you and the dudes. xxx
It was a wonderful experience and I am glad that for all the times I stepped up to the foot of that mountain at the start and thought, maybe not, I started walking. I really admire the way the cast got this. They were out there with no stage manager, no props person, no cover and they never flinched. The chaos was nutz but hey that made it xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Wish you could have been thre too. it was a mix of Scottish and local history and Mr also blended lots of wee true stories, like my dad trying to run away to the Spanish Civil War as a boy. It was quite a night xxxxx
wow, I’d love to hear more about your Dad trying to run off to fight in the civil war. xxx
Well, my dad had a very difficult, hard upbringing.. By the time his father was 27 he had fought four years in France, first as a gunner then after he was badly wounded, as a driver, , some of them as a boy soldier, had six, possibly seven children…not sure re that oldest sister, lost one, lost his wife, thrown away the middle class upbringing to live in the slums. I gather he was a fiendish drunk, totally unhinged by his experiences of war and of course, in these days, no-one offered any counselling or support. Anyway Dad and his brother decided to go fight in Spain and the one thing their father probably ever did for them, was get hold of them at the railway station and stop them. Afew years later Dad went to fight in WW2 . his brother went to prison as a conscientious objector. Their time in Spain probably would have been short. 17 men from Dundee died there holding the road at Jarama. and there is memorial to them in Dundee. At the end of the scene involving Dad, the choir sang a bit of a song Mr and I had written…they never had time to learn the rest. it was called No Pasaran. And two members of the cast held up two placards with the names of the 17 on them. basically what we were saying wasn’t just No pasaran which was the business of holding that road, It was don’t pass these memorials by. Learn from them.
In the context of war Dundee lost thousands of men in ww1 and the 17 was so small by comparison but we chose them because we couldn’t choose them all.
Yay ! Well done Shey & cast ! 🙂 ❤ xxx
Aw hope your new lady does not mind me saying, hugs Raplha xx
Umm, I am sure that she doesn’t mind as it is you dear friend. Hugs back. Ralph xx ❤
Aw.. The best of to you Ralpha x
what a hoot Shey!! and all that about Dundee ( great marmalade too). When is the tour!!?
Yeah we gave them jam and marmy too. Mr just wasn’t covering that. though it was mentioned. Tell yah hoot did not begin to cover it. We would love a tour but there’s a 50 strong choir there. BUT we are going to rerun next year. Decision is made. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
🙂 Wish I was over there!!
Wish you were too xxxxxxxxx
You did good girl, what a carry on! I love theatre Shey, I am in awe. Well done to you Mr. Shey and all the cast and of course I’m so glad the hamstas didn’t get eaten!
Aw Marje, hugs, hugs and bigger hugs. It sure was some week but hey we got there mainly cos we love theatre too xxxxxxxx
I’m desperate to go up to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe but struggling to get time off work! Sigh, hope I’ll squeeze in a few days. I love it so! xxxxxxxx
Awwww… We live about an hour away . You will get there and enjoy, I am sure xxx
Thanks so much for the video tidbits of the play. You got to direct the show and play a cross-dressing William Wallace among other roles?! Very cool. You are such a multi-talented lady.
William McGonagall sounds like quite a character. I’d like to check out some of his bad poetry 🙂
Lol, p[lease do. I also played Macduff in THAT sword fight scene until the night before when I gave it over to my older girl who had decided that she wished she had signed up for more than the filly in. I thought…have this one do. I have read McG’s biography and it is so interesting. What my MR did not mention was how folks tapped McG for money after a show and he gave them it. But he is fascinating in that he once walked all the way from Dundee to Balmoral Castle cos he said Queen Victoria had offered him patronage. He was turned away at the gate and had to walk back. He was selling his poems on the streets and writing to the papers under false names saying follow this poet etc before social media kicked in!. Also I gather halls would be booked out in advance by the humble work folks who paid their money simply to throw things at him and riot. But he would pocket a good sum for that.
As for Wallace? I did do some cross dressing…. xxx
You all plainly had a fine time, Ms S. Well done, all of you.
We did indeed Mike. Hope you are feeling better xx
If the left eye wasn’t a sea of octopus ink I’d be 100%. I can even spell my name again.
Die Erste THANK YOu for the reblog xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxhttps://t.co/ccSDEKta3C
Wow ma’am….👏👏👏
Eliza xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for reading xxxxx
I almost felt I was sitting in the audience. Nice show. And thanks to your son in law for recording the clips. Wow! What a wonderful show.
Aw my darling , thank you. Thank you and I will tell Daniel you thanked him. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks, Shey, for giving us this unique treat. We all feel we were there watching you all. And congrats to you and Mr and all involved. Loved it.
Kate, lovely to see you and thrilled you liked. If we rerun as we hope to I can bore everyone again! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mr Militant Negro Hugs for reblogging. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx https://t.co/e7LTAmDsDl
😊😊Hai!! Im new here! 🙂 would u mind to take a look my blogs and give me some ur opinions? It would mean a lot for me! Thanks and have a good day!! 🙂
My pleasure.x
Very weel done, I really enjoy it
Have fun dear
Kisses
Anita, hugs and kisses to you and the very best for the week ahead. x
This is just…wow. This is the stuff of story, honestly, Shey. It’s all that goes awry and yet proves just how sharp your wit moves on those boards, because you’re right–when the audience is RIGHT THERE, it’s bloody hard to think! My heart lurched when I read how the other theater company pulled out, and yet you succeeded and then some. Huzzah to that! I can’t help but ask: what’s next for your trial-by-fire theater troupe? 🙂 xxxxxxxx
Hee hee. Well we are going to rerun it next year. And some of the other members from these far off days, who we didn’t ask cos, we thought they were done with it all, and also this production was brutal in terms of the physicality it demanded, have been in touch and are desperate to do things again. So we just need to get our heads round that and think what. We can certainly get them in the play by spreading the load a wee bit more. Part of the trouble was that Mr and I couldn ‘t ask anyone to take on the two leads at such short notice but cos we were also dipping in and out of scenes right left and centre,–Wallace and Selby for example– Mr was cutting bits which then required huge adlibs. I even took bits off him after the first night, and he still got in muddles that required pages of adlibs… I tell yah the sound guys missed cues galore, they were so busy watching with their jaws on the deck. But that was cos we had so much. There was even a football scene where he .played both team managers. He simply stepped forward and back doing diff voices, had that blond wig for one and a wooden rattle for the other. Now the audience thought that was great and laughed and laughed but we did it that way cos we could not ask the cast to do any more. There was a balance to be struck there too. I felt that when I was meeting with each one of them and putting parts on the table. Also there was the fact that we were two cast members down one evening and all of that had to be covered. (Still keeping Wallace and the singing suffragette though!!)
My heart also lurched when that lot pulled out. And actually it was the person in charge who did it without telling the others in a bluff calling exercise with Mr. over yet another moan re the poster you see in the blog. Of course, what she didn’t know was whose bluff she was calling in terms of past experience. As for me, to paraphrase my heroine Sapphire, just because I haven’t stood on a stage or directed for 20 years , doesn’t mean I can’t……
Thank you for your lovely comment xxxxxx
Oh holy fremoly, woman, you and Mr. are Stage Warriors, and no mistake! My theater experience only dates back to college, and I do miss it. I’ve told Bo that when the kids are older I wouldn’t mind giving it a go at the community theater, but I could never, EVER take it on as you and Mr. did. You two=amazing! xxxxxxxxxxx
We were very lucky Jean to have so much experience between us. Truly. Or we could not have looked at it. I once took Shoestring on tour. LOL. That was in my younger stupider days. We could have done the show from the start but we did not want the work which was why Mr asked the local college and got put onto this lot. I once took a part at three day’s notice. I have never taken a show at three weeks though. Ocht well, all part of life’s rich tapestry. Get back in there on the boards doll xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I think this production of the play three different ways should be the Mr S ‘s goal from now on!
Your daughter did an amazing performance as the Duke of Sutherland and the poignant Dundee history. The Mary Slessor part made my eyes tear up, so special to have choir singing. She was tough to go through what she did!
Loved the mispronounced words, third act playing first and near catastrophes! 😀
The song by a father, Michael Marra who is gone, sung by daughter, Alice.
AW Robin. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for watching and everything. We are gonna try and make sure the rerun is perfect…. Aye right. Just wish I had a copy of Alice singing that song. She has a beautiful voice. I am sure some of her music folks will have it. Still getting sent bits and pieces ! . Thank you thank you, your comment is so touching xxxxxxxxxxx
I was a little out of it when I saw it before and today, really paid attention! It was quite entertaining and lively action scenes, too! Tell your husband I liked it very much! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx💞
Oh we had a lot of lively action scenes I tell you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I will tell him. he will be thrilled. xxxxx
Bravo, Shehanne! 💞 xo 💐