Travel, Theatre, Music, Cricket, Tennis, Writing, Life
Janie is not quite as keen on St John’s Smith Square as she is on the Wigmore Hall. It’s not quite the same sort of warm, intimate space.
But whenever we go there she realises that she likes the bar in the crypt and that we often hear music that sounds great in a church, which is of course exactly what this venue used to be.
Easter weekend and some baroque music suited to that time of year:
Very high quality singing for a semi-professional choir.
It all sounded beautiful.
Some months earlier, Mike Ward had, over dinner on one of his visits to London, raised the idea of Casablanca The Musical with me. He was working on the book and wanted me to write some silly lyrics to well known songs with him.
I quite rapidly wrote one lyric, I Only Have Heils For You…
I Only Have “Heils” For You, Casablanca the Musical, Actor’s Workshop Halifax, 27 July 2001
…which (to be fair without my having provided much context) led Janie to wonder whether I had taken leave of my senses.
In the end, I wrote a few lyrics (now all Ogblogged, between the dates 27 July and 8 August 2001), including one jointly with David Seidel, who knew a lot more about 30s and 40s music than I did, although perhaps not quite as much about the sort of silly lyrics that might work in Mike’s show.
I took the brief quite seriously considering what a silly brief it was. I remember tracking down and reading the movie script as well as Mike’s musical book to help me remember the story and think through the bits that might lend themselves best to musical interludes. The joke in the programme notes about me not having seen the book until the very last minute is…a joke.
I also wrote programme notes for that original production; a mixture of serious and silly – available here and below:
The production was scheduled at fairly short notice for mid-September 2001. I had arranged to speak at a charity conference in Sheffield on the Monday (17th), so it seemed sensible for me to press further into Yorkshire on the Tuesday and see the show that second night, which I did.
My charity accountants conference talk is long-since forgotten, I hope. I do recall it was a double-act with Mary O’Callaghan and I expect I charitably let Mary deliver all the best jokes. You’ll simply have to imagine what those side-splitting, uproarious gags might have been and how those charity accountants must have laughed and laughed…
…but I digress.
Actually I do remember that I met a very pleasant woman from Norwood Ravenswood who connected me to their archivist who was extremely helpful in providing information on the orphaned (Krasey) side of my mother’s family…
…but that is even more of a digression.
Point is, on the Tuesday, mid to late morning, I headed north-west from Sheffield and checked in to the Imperial Crown. Janie, who had been up to the Actor’s Workshop for the Pausanias Affair earlier that summer, was unable to cancel out her work for such a one-nighter, so I braved Halifax alone on that occasion.
I don’t recall all the details of the afternoon and evening. I have a feeling that it was quite similar to my solo quick turnaround visit to see the revival in 2018; I think I went to the theatre to meet Mike. There was a sense of excitement as the show had been well previewed locally so was all-but sold out.
I’m pretty sure that Mike and I then went back to his house, where Lottie no doubt served up some splendid grub and good wine. Then we went back to the theatre to see the show.
I do remember enjoying the show. I recall the second half seeming to tail off a little – perhaps due to the book (which Mike subsequently edited for the revival to good effect I think) – more likely it is just an exhausting show for the cast. I remember that there were several girls playing the role of Ilsa, for reasons that weren’t explained in the script – I suppose Mike had written too few parts for women and wanted to give several young females a chance.
I do also recall feeling that, first time round, Ouagadougou Choo Choo had not quite been the rousing finale I had intended. That number certainly worked better (to my taste) in 2018.
In those days, The Evening Courier reviewed stuff for the Actor’s Workshop and this piece/production got a pretty darned hot review:
Tragically, the theatre was destroyed just a few week’s later, in an incident which seemed to be connected with the rioting in several Northern towns that autumn but in fact was later identified as to be youthful mischief that got seriously out of hand.
I couldn’t help wondering at the time whether my songs, in particular, Ouagadougou Choo Choo, had actually brought the house down.
Joking apart though, this show was a gargantuan effort for a tiny charitable youth theatre. But that effort was dwarfed by the efforts it must have needed to bring the Workshop back from the almost-dead after that tragic incident.
Looking back, Mike Ward just shrugs and says he can’t remember and sort-of wonders how he/they did it.
But back in September 2001, all of that was the future, while Casablanca The Musical took a highly irreverent look back at the past.
I have described the book signing aspect of this event in excruciating detail in a separate piece – click here or below.
I have also set out the programme notes I wrote for The Elland Affair – click here.
But what of the show itself?
Well, it seems I gave it a rave review at the time and also assembled some other reviews electronically. I have no idea how or why this information ended up in a “miscellaneous” file on my computer – it looks like a scrape from an on-line something-or-other from back in the mists of time. Anyway, I have just (11 Match 2023) discovered/recovered it, dated 19 July 2000, so here is the contemporaneous reviews of many:
Nicola Sedgefield
Play: The Elland AffairThe Actor’s Workshop Youth Theatre’s latest production, Mike Ward’s ‘The Elland Affair’ is not for the squeamish or sexually repressed.
This orgy of rampant testosterone exposes the physical abilities, acting skills as well as most of the flesh of a group of Yorkshire lads (I presume) who would win hands down in any contest of entertainment against ‘The Chippendales’. With the Workshop lads, what you see is clearly what you get.
Gore as well as sex is plentiful as our fearless heroes plot and ultimately exact revenge on the dastardly Sir John Eland and his thugs. If these lads had been on hand to fight the later Wars of the Roses, Henry VII and all those Tudors would never have made it.
It was a long show, but I wouldn’t have missed it.
Review by: Ian Harris
Play: The Elland AffairI enjoyed the play immensely. Before taking the world by storm with it, I think Mike Ward would do well to reduce the length by some 30 to 45 minutes. But even in its full length form, there’s enough really good stuff to maintain one’s attention throughout.
The Elland Affair is not for the squeamish or prudish, as other reviewers have no doubt pointed out. But then 1327 probably wasn’t a good time for squeams and prudes to be alive.
A tough but worthwhile assignment this, for a small youth theatre. The broad sword fighting scenes alone must have needed an enormous amount of rehearsal (and muscle building) but were pulled off with great aplomb.
Other youth theatres should take a look at this play and, if suitably ambitious, should do well with it.
Superb programme notes, I thought. (He would say that, wouldn’t he?)
Seriously, well done to author, director, cast and crew.
Review by: Mr G Phillips
Play: The Elland AffairYet again the actors workshop has pulled off another excellent performance – ‘The Elland Affair’, superbly written and superbly performed, and it does not cease to amaze me.
Although one or two mistakes were made, and it showed to a certain extent, it was understandable because of all the lines that needed to be learnt.
Kristian Wilkinson played an excellent part as Adam, also Thomas Vickery as Hugh, and they both worked well together showing that they had put a lot of time and effort into the production.
The one character that didn’t really stand out was Harry he could have been played a lot better, Christopher Cockroft did not prove to be much as there was no ‘umph’ behind his lines.
My wife thinks that the the one person that did stand out, even though he did not have a big part, was Aaron. He stood out with his witty humour on how he thought that he was a ‘sex god’ – very well played by Shane Gough. The thing that made him stand out is that he would always turn up at the right moment.’Hope to see him again’ she says.
Which also shows how well the play was written. Even though it was a bit long, there is not a single scene which I can think to leave out, one or two lines maybe, but none of the scenes.
Well done to Mr Ward and I can’t wait for your next one – I assume you are going to write one.
P.S don’t listen to Margaret Woods, you guys are doing a fantastic job and some of you could be the future of television.
Review by: Steve Cattell
Play: The Elland AffairThis was about my fourth outing to an Actor’s Workshop production, and by far the most enjoyable yet.
I had been fore-warned about the length of the play, but felt that the length was justified to contain the full story – a story which has been excellently written by Mike Ward.
Full marks to Kristian for learning so many lines !! What this must have done to his social life over the past two months is anyones guess !! and also a great performance by his right hand man who put in a blinding performance – a natural on the stage.
And of course, I have to mention the star of the show (although I am slightly biased !!!), Grace Siddall – who proved once more that a career in acting is definately looking promising…..
Keep writing Mike, it keeps us entertained…..
Review by: Mr F Smith
Play: The Elland AffairI must say that my evening at the Actors Workshop was superb whilst seeing the ‘Elland affair’.
I thought that everyone took on the challenge of being 13th century teenagers very well and it was obvious that they had all completly focused on the task.
My only fault was that occasionally the play was disrupted by loud backstage noise.
I also thought that the role of Harry De’lacey slightly lacked confidence.
Review by: A. Ward
Play: The Elland AffairA great world premiere.
A highly enjoyable swashbuckling tale of revenge, treachery, and humanity – one that will surely see future stagings throughout the country.
A trifle long – particularly the second Act – but this was a mere flesh wound to the body of work as a whole.
Some fine performances and some intriguingly insightful writing touches.
I suggest a sequel – ‘Confessions of a Miller’s Wife’…….
Review by: J.B.W.Summerskill
Play: The Elland AffairI sat in awe last week as I watched the Mike Ward work ‘The Elland Affair’. I thought it was the best show the company performed that I have seen.
With its carefully woven themes of loyalty, love, friendship and hatred thumping into the audience with welcome regularity, I was kept on my toes laughing and gasping throughout. Many congratulations to all on an exciting and provocative story which could be adapted into a blockbusting production on stage or screen were it to fall into the “wrong” hands.
No doubt Janie and I also enjoyed lavish hospitality at the hands of Mike and Lottie Ward after the show that night…
…after I had returned the pen(s) to their rightful owner(s).
