The world just lurching from one crisis to another. Of course the coronavirus is to the front of most of our minds, to escape lock down or not? To join a protest march or not? To visit a beach or not? It’s on going as we watch that ‘R’ marker with trepidation. It’s hard to realise that lockdown has been a fact of life since March, the brilliant weather helped and tending the tomatoes and watching them grow strong and seeing the huge number of little flowers gives hope for a good crop in a couple of months. I remember buying a friend three tomato plants and she was delighted and planted them and nurtured them and was excited when the yellow flowers appeared. I asked how it was going only to be horrified when she said she’d nipped off all the yellow flowers! She didn’t realise these were the first stage of the fruit. You live and learn!
There is little to celebrate at the moment what with violence in America spreading to other parts of the world, the coronavirus and Brexit yet to come. The sight of George Floyd having the life stifled out of him was appalling as a brutal cop pressed his knee into the poor man’s neck – in full view of a worldwide audience. Then clown Trump rambled on during a televised address to his nation. How could he be so cruel, how can his henchmen and women stand there listening to such an evil diatribe without turning a hair. Whatever spectrum he’s on has turned him into a threat to us all.
This is the report:
Speaking at a news conference at the Rose Garden, Trump also took time to discuss George Floyd, saying: “We all saw what happened last week. We can’t let that happen again. Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that’s happening for our country.
“It’s a great day for him, it’s a great day for everybody. This is a great day for everybody. This is a great, great day in terms of equality. It’s really what our constitution requires and it’s what our country is all about.”
Trump added: “Equal justice under the law must mean that every American receives equal treatment in every encounter with law enforcement regardless of race, color, gender or creed.”
Well it hasn’t happened Mr. Trump. The violence again the public protesters goes on and shows little signs of abating. Nor does the public reaction to Trump and his madness, how can the team around him not speak out, surely they must be horrified with his attitude? Americans certainly have shown their feeling mostly in a peaceful way, it’s a sad thing that these can be disrupted by people who can’t control their behaviour.
And we haven’t even thought of Brexit for the last few months – that nightmare is still ahead.
BRINGING JOY
I’ve been reading a lot and watching films on my invaluable little iPad. Most recently I binged on the entire transmission of The Vicar of Dibley and laughed out loud and cried in silence. The programme always finishes with a little joke between the vicar and Alice Tinker, her church warden.
It always finishes with a little chat and a joke between the vicar and Alice.
Example! “Three nuns get killed in a car crash,” Alice is sympathic. “And they go up to heaven. Peter’s at the gate and he says I’m afraid you have to answer a question before you can come in.” Alice is all ears. “So he says to the first one don’t worry this is an easy one, what was the name of the first woman, Eve says the nun, Yes says Peter , you’re in. And he says to the second on where did Eve live and she said the Garden of Eden. He says Yep, you’re in. Then he says to the third nun, who was the Mother Superior, I’m afraid the question will have to be a little more tricky for you, What did Eve say when she first saw Adam and the Mother Superior said, oh, that’s a hard one. And Peter said Yep you’re in!” Alice didn’t understand.
Dawn French and Emma Chambers were a class act. It must have been a terrible shock for Dawn French and all those involved in the show and the audiences when the 53 year old comic actress died of a heart attack in 2018.
At the moment, scrolling through films and TV shows, I stopped on Victoria Wood’s Dinner Ladies and now I’m hooked on that. It all proves that the writing is the thing, the script is paramount and the correct selection of actors vital both on television and in the theatre. That way you get loyal audiences both on television, radio and of course theatre.
There’s a public belief that acting is a pastime, a couple of hours play acting and then off to party.
It makes me mad because I know better.
If you think of the arts in general, underfunded to a disgraceful degree, ask yourself – what would happen if artists weren’t part of our lives? Before you say, ’not part of my life I can take it or leave it’, think on.
We need entertainers in every walk of life including storytellers, musicians, the clowns who go into children’s wards, all the stage crews, lighting and props and actors on television – not a reference to Dominic Cummings!
And what of these talented people today? It’s a frightening story.
For over 30 years Marty Maguire has kept us entertained here at home and abroad. He lives with his partner Jo Donnelly, both freelance actors so security doesn’t exist. Life was looking good, he was one day into rehearsals for ‘1984’ . “On the first day of rehearsals at the Lyric there was a feeling that something was up then it was pulled next day, a nine week contract gone although a percentage was paid to us which was as fair as possible.” But nothing in the future.
Marty lived in Los Angeles for 20 years where, like so many actors, he worked in a pub when he wasn’t on stage; today juggling two or three jobs to keep bread on the table isn’t an option because casual jobs just aren’t there and once there is a relaxation of lock down everything will be scaled down so still casual employment will be very difficult to get.
A Pantomime Dame Is Upset.
“Decimated in one foul stroke.” For the first time John Linehan’s diary is empty for the next 12 months. “Obviously here’s a question mark over the Opera House pantomime – if we’re still social distancing how can it be done? Through The Troubles we kept going and people turned out but that’s not possible at the moment, it’s a bad scene.”
John adds that he’s just thankful to be above ground. This man who keeps us in fits as May McFettridge, survived a bombing and was given the Last Rites after a serious operation so he knows what fear is. “I can’t even do standup to entertain people for instance in nursing homes, I need to be close, see their eyes, make them laugh – that just can’t happen, yes, it’s a bad scene.”
“Between a Friday and a Wednesday life changed dramatically.” Richard Orr had prepared himself for those times he had no acting work. He trained to become a guide bringing visitors to the major places of interest. Now, not only has his theatre work ceased, cruise ships are not coming into Belfast so there’s no demand for his expertise as a tour guide. “What was a burgeoning work load last year is now zero. Fortunately when the weather is warm I can cut down on heating, I go for a walk and try not to think about the future. I really worry, when it comes back to normal, will people come back to me for work?”
Carol Moore is one of our best known actresses who has developed her writing skills. You’d think her one woman show ‘The Experience of Being’ would be ideal for stages up and down the country – no social distancing required except – what about an audience? She had a bad time trying to access any grant aid.
Grants Are Minimal And Hard To Get.
“It seems the self-employed are an afterthought for government. We were told to wait until June for a grant. Then the good news that we could potentially apply from the 13th May, except no one at HMRC had thought through how their own portal discriminates against people with Northern Irish driving licences and Irish passports.”
She kept trying, computer kept saying NO! Then she got an actual tax advisor.
“There’s nothing like speaking to a human being who calms the soul and who on the morning of the 13th May, after 1hr 40 mins in a phone queue, sorted my grant in 5 minutes.”
It’s hard to keep a creative person down and many of those working in the entertainment industry are turning to other forms of creativity, Jimmy Fay at the Lyric is out and about making short, small cast films for BBC. Some are turning to hobbies to keep occupied and maybe a way of making a living in the future. Market gardening, baking, scripting an idea or like Carol writing the book which has long been percolating, in her case the story of Charabanc Theatre Company.
“If this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s to be in the moment and seize those moments like they were your last.”
No Project No Pay
18 years ago Michelle McTernan opened her public relations company and a lot of her work involves engaging personalities to get her client’s message across indeed her first project was with a relatively unknown comedian in 2002 – Peter Kay. “You have to learn to adapt and use your time well. I’m devastated that eight different festivals have been cancelled, as events manager you don’t get paid till you complete the project.” So she has turned her hand to supporting charity organising 26 artists and local nurses who collaborated to record the hit single ‘Broken Land’. The fundraising single has raised £21,000 so far for life-changing research at Queen’s University for survivors of COVID-19.
“Suddenly it’s all gone.” Over 200 cancellations. Conor Taggart is 23 and had built up a very successful business as a wedding singer and as a singing waiter. He has finished his degree course and is waiting for results so it’s a nervous time. “I’d a wedding booking but at 11 am that morning the phone rang, it was a very distressed bride who was in her dress, hair done and ready to go to the church when the hotel cancelled the reception.” He also attended a ‘socially distancing’ wedding the day after lock down, the hotel went ahead but opened three rooms and gave guests coloured wrist bands. “And there was no congo line – all a bit eerie!”
Spare a thought for the many men and women who contribute so much for very little reward.
And it’s not only adults who are loosing out. Theatre is a most important part of growing up. When I worked with the Ulster Actors Company in the Arts Theatre we had children’s shows at Christmas and Easter and the primary school kids arrived by the bus load with not a word to say, filed silently into the auditorium with their teachers. At the interval they would answer the question – are you enjoying the show? But not engage in conversation! But on the way out after the show during which they were allowed to shout back at the baddie or cheer the goodie and sing along, they were liberated souls full of chatter and delight and theatre meant something to them and I know that quite a few went into the profession whilst others support them on the other side of the footlights.
Well, another week hits the hay and there seems no safe end to what’s going on. The fear of economic disaster, more deaths, mental health issues make it a scary time. Take one day at a time even that’s difficult because it’s difficult to differentiate one day from the next – when you’re stuck at home every day is Saturday! Take care, keep positive if you can and wait it out. With love from me to you.