Difference between revisions of "Sugar and Spice (1984)"

Latest revision as of 14:00, 7 November 2011

Poster by Poster Designer

by Various

Devised & Directed by Valerie Elliott

Performances: Sat 21st & Sun 22nd January 1984, Prompt Corner

Introduction

Dedicated to Theo Semple

A revue based on the nine ages people pass through between nursery and maturity - from nappies to OAP bus pass. Poems, lyrics, songs, dances, games and a playlet.

Act 1

• Introduction
• Baby's Drinking Song
• Morning Song
• Infant Song
• Old Man in the Well
• A Child Half Asleep
• Mucky Kid
• My Parents Kept Me
• Children's Song
• Mime - Non Verbal Education
• The Puzzle
• I Don't Wanna Be Nice

Interval

Act 2

• La Belle Dame Sans Merci
• Monster From Outer Space
• This City Never Sleeps
• The Official
• The Liberal Christ Gives An Interview
• The Planner's Dream Goes Wrong
• Whether Opposing Cloudy Skys Ends Them
• Having
• Ten Ways to Avoid Learning
• Burning Sky
• Little Boxes
• Old People
• Let Me Die A Young Man's Death
• When I'm Sixty Four

Cast

• Jeanette Hoile
• Frances Johnson
• Jeni de Haart
• Christine Dodds
• Gillian Condon
• Wendy Jones
• Alva Semple
• Anita Sollis
• Julie Swain

Crew

• Lighting - Roger Taylor
• Sound - Brian Fretwell
• Production Assistant - Wendy Jones

Reviews

"What are little girls made of?" Hardly, one would have thought, the matter contained in the title of Val Elliott's all-female review... in SLTC's Prompt Corner, "Sugar and Spice".

The performers in this fast-moving cradle to grave symposium were, in alphabetical order, Gillian Condon, Jeni de Haart, Chrissie Dodds, Jeanette Hoile, Frances Johnson, Wendy Jones, Alva Semple, Anita Sollis and Julie Swain. The show charted not so much as the seven ages of man as the nine of women, by means of poems, songs, mime and sketches.

Childhood was a dark, mysterious landscape of witches and lurking devils, and the perils of education were enacted in an impressive three-handed mime....I was rather mystified by the treatment of Keat's "La Belle Dame Sans Merci", but enchanted by the bizarre "Monster from Outer Space", with the chorus making knee-jerk responses to one of the strangest love stories ever told.

I loved the content of "The Liberal Christ Gives an Interview", though I certainly quarrel with the adjective. Liberalism has a bad enough name already without being identified with a Christ who won't walk on water without proper insurance or feed the multitudes without adequate media coverage!

Sherd points were made in the piece wherein the planners' well-meant dream turns into a nightmare, and in "Ten Ways to Avoid Lending".

Director Val Elliott has now gone to live in Leicester. Her departure will certainly be SLTC's loss.

From the March 1984 issue of SCENE, which quoted parts of Don Madgwick's review published in The Croydon Advertiser, with permission.

Gallery

Reminiscences and Anecdotes

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See Also

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References

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External Links