No Ordinary Bank Holiday

‘Grinning as if it were all an August Bank Holiday lark’ 

these words from Philip Larkin’s poem ‘MCMXIV’ were the inspiration behind the latest offering from one of our favourite theatre companies  Northern Broadsides at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme.  Written by Deborah McAndrew especially for the start of the 100 years commemorations of the beginning of WW1.  It has all the humour, pathos and energy of other Northern Broadsides productions. I’m always amazed at the talent of the performers, acting, singing, dancing and playing musical instruments as well as moving their own props when necessary – which in this productions included the building up and breaking down of a Rushcart.

It's Wakes Week August 1914, the cotton mills of East Lancashire are closed and the Greenmill Rushcart lads are rehearsing for the Bank Holiday Rushbearing Festival.  Changes are in the air, not many young men are left to perform in this tradtional ceremony as who wants to stay in Greenmill on a Bank Holiday when the delights of Blackpool are on offer?  The old stalwarts like the Squire and Bagman are getting too old and heaven forbid women should be allowed to participate.  Looming on the horizon though is an even greater challenge to tradition and three of the young Rushcart lads are eager to enlist to escape the mill,  to seek new horizons and to do their bit for their county and country in the coming conflict that surely will be over by Christmas.   Who goes and who will return to Greenmill?  Whatever the outcome life will never be the same again.

We cried with laughter in the first part – we applauded the performance of the Denshaw Morris Dance, the building up and the taking down (in the interval) of the Rushcart, we applauded the women musicians who played on whilst this took place, we tapped our feet at the wedding dance and cried again as we learned the fate of the lads.

At the end the audience rose to their feet to say thank you for such a wonderful performance.  If this play comes near you – do go and see it.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Link  to trailer on YouTube

'Weer it, enjoy it, and mek mooch of it'

So saith Lord Stanley to Richmond as he handed over the crown plucked from the brow of the dead King Richard on the Battlefield of Bosworth. This can only mean one thing and, yes, indeed, Northern Broadsides are back in town.

As we took our seats* the actors wandered on to the stage and began playing jazz, I’m always amazed by the many talents of the actors who make up this company and was to be even more amazed later on by an additional talent I’d not yet seen. Just before the lights went down I spotted the gangling, ungainly figure in black at the top of the stairs – here was Richard. Played wonderfully well by Conrad Nelson this Richard weaved and cajoled and simpered and struggled his evil way to the throne.** A throne he soon lost on Bosworth Field where White Surrey was replaced by a barrow and the battle was won accompanied by the wild clashing of drums, the swirling of banners and clog dancing. I did wonder why all the soldiers were carrying a spare pair of shoes over their shoulders and at the start of the fight instead of armour they donned clogs and danced their way onto the battlefield, the noise of their feet getting louder and louder as the bitter struggle drew to its inevitable conclusion. After the battle there followed a wonderful choral display as The Earl of Richmond accepted his challenge. I love Northern Broadsides.

*my seat was against the main entrance and exit for the company and right by the ‘butt of malmsey’ so I heard the gurgles and saw the struggles in great detail.

** Of course, as much as I love Shakespeare, as a Yorkist I don’t believe Richard was either as evil or as deformed as Will portrayed him, but if I had lived in Tudor England I think I would have done the same.