ZOOM0063 LR
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Well, that's not true. Father and mother, neither came from Edinburgh. My mother came from Elgin and my father came from a little place called Inner Wick 4.5 miles from Dar. And you wonder how they met? Well, they both came to Edinburgh, of course, in the course of time they did meet and married and lived happily ever after. I'm afraid that wasn't true either because it was rather sad. My father took ill and died quite early in age and left her with me, which was unfortunate as I said to him often. She would have got on far better if she hadn't been landed with me. She wouldn't agree to that. Thank you. Sounds a bit like my mom and I, so that's it. Story of my life short and sweet. So, can you tell me about the first time? Sorry. Can you tell me about the first time you went to the King's Theater? Sorry, I put this back in, I sometimes think it's no use. Sorry, my father, my family about this time. So what, um, sorry. Could you tell me when you went to the King's theater, you know, the kings, the Kings. Um, where did they live? Well, I lived in Bromfield, of course, Montpellier Park to be's Eye and which used to be up the top of the street used to be the post office, but it hasn't been that for years turned into a race room. No, there's been a lot of change in Edinburgh. And when did you go to the King's Theater? When? Oh, that was the early 19 fifties, uh, 50 two or 53 I think it was. But, uh, now how did that start? I suppose I was, I was in a choir, enjoyed singing always. And uh one of a banker, I bought the bank and the bank customer came in this day to see that he was, um, well, he was a member of the Bohemians Committee and I think I got to know that I like singing. I was asked for a, what do you call it interview? So I gave them her interview and was adopted there. And then, and the rest is history. As they say, what did you like to sing? We started off with Ivan Novello. The first two shows were Ivan Novello. And then we acknowledged the fact that fashion had changed and the American musical was all rage. So we did call me madam as our first one that was a great success and the opposition, the Southern Light was still sticking to the oldies. It did have no harm at all. Did that? Was there a rivalry between the different companies? Was there, was there a sense of competition between the Southern Light and the bohemians? Not really, not really. It just happened that way. That wasn't planned, but it wouldn't do to have the same company doing the same shows. You wouldn't get an audience. Did you ever do? No, you wouldn't. You know, Gilbert and Sullivan and they did a show at the theater and they talk to Gilbert and Sullivan. Did you see many performances by them? No, I didn't. Actually, that wasn't to mean this and by any man of a means I would have gone. But I hadn't any time between work and being in the bohemians and rehearsals, et cetera. A bit. Quite a busy girl. What part did you sing? Oh, my old, well, a little higher than all two. But I certainly wasn't. I wasn't soprano much to my regret. I would have loved to be in a Joan Sutherland. They are few and far between. I only know one of them and she is stunning. Have you seen her by any chance? I've been lucky enough to see and hear her. And, uh, she sang at the first festival we had 1953. Was it forgotten? No, so long ago I think it was the, the first festival opened and, uh, it opened with Jones Sutherland who managed to catch her in between engagements, which was absolutely wonderful terrific voice. Do you know what venue that was at? Was that at the Kings or it was at the Kings it, king theater to the opera operate? Um The, what was the other? I've forgotten the other theater. We did have more than two. but uh he, the other one did uh opera, more grand opera. Do you have a favorite opera? Alright. Let's go in again. This is dreadful. What did you bring it for you? I'll lend you mine. It seems balmy but it works. The staff don't seem to. Oh, I just saw the battery fall out. Yep, we'll get there. Oh, it's one of those. There we go. Two things that cross my mind are the rehearsals and the costumes. But you, you've got your own. We will, we will return to that. So, do you have a favorite opera? Do I have a favorite? Uh, well, I must say la o him because it was my first, first one I was taken to see at the age of 15. And who was it? Now, a friend was also with Princess Elizabeth the queen. Now was the queen. Uh, yes, she was taken to it as her first uh, mother. So there you are with the, um, what, what was your favorite costume you ever wore for a performance? I don't know that any, I think the first because we were just in ordinary, well, ordinary dresses. We got them from move trees. So they didn't, uh, fit as well as your own, but it was what we needed. Did you have any seamstresses or anything in the company that helped any seamstresses? People who dresses, we hire them from? Gotcha. So, it was very exciting when it was a dress rehearsal and you to go and collect your costume and then come back and do your stuff and if it was good enough that was good just as well. Do you have any memories of performing at the Kings and going backstage at all? Oh, well, always went backstage from what I've heard as part of the performance. We disappeared. What can you describe what the backstage was like? Very, be very bare and there's a flight of stairs and if you're unlucky enough to be young enough, you climb them all, five tears of them. It's not the easiest place to get around. And that's right. I think the entire building is defined by stairs. No, it's not easy to come down five flights and do your performance and go back upstairs and change before the next scene was required, required a change life. In fact, I did an interview with a gentleman who performed in the Mikado. Oh, sorry. So I, I did interview with someone who perform in the, they had described, they did all those ones, Gilbert Sullivan. It's Ivanhoe. Um They do the Pirates of Penzance as well, right. Gilbert. And yes. Oh, yes. Hello, Dolly South Pacific. Yes. All the American ones we took were the rehearsals. Hard work. Yes, of course. They were hard work because we had to go over it until we got it. Right. Hm. So, so what did you do for work? What was your job? I worked in a bank. My father worked in a bank and I declared to my mom, she would have liked me to go to University Truth. You know, and she couldn't afford it, but she would have got grants. She said, you know, and I said, well, I'll tell you something from nothing. I have absolutely no interest in going to the civil service. I want to go into the bank as my father had done. So, like she said, ok, so I went to, what was the commercial bank when my father was in it? Uh, but it had long since been commercial. It was natural commercial and then just disappeared altogether became the royal and the Royal bank and the bank of the Royal Bank were deadly enemies at the time. Wouldn't walk in the same pavement together if it's all one, another person ready. But that was it the 19th century. So a little bit, not a bit of it. Why would it be difficult? Just a lot of time, the amount of time that goes into rehearsals. But if it's something you love, no, no problem. Oh, this is coming out mine. If I touch it, you told me that? Your mother came to your show mother. She came to see it. She came twice. She came on the Monday night and she came again on the Saturday night. She was strong supporter. And did the neighbors come any of the neighbors, any of your neighbors? Oh, they've supported me. Yes, of course. Nobody got any peace when I was around and I was selling tickets, believe me. Mhm. You were in the road. Unfortunately, lucky you did. You, you could tell us a little what you hope to achieve. Will there be a book or? So these oral histories? I don't know. I'm asking Abby, what will happen at the end of her work? Is it two years or 10 or the end of my work now at the end of Abby's work? Oh, she's her work. She's studying all the old programs and the press releases and the posters. Can you hear me up to a point? Right. What I heard is enough, Abby put me off for Abby has a lot of work to do. He still studying? Yes. But she's connecting all the stories about the King's Theater. There's all the poems, all the stories. Oh, yes. About the King's Theater? I see. And there might be a report or a book. Uh perhaps so I'm putting together an archive, a full archive with pictures, you know, the stores, the K is closed at the moment for refurbishment and be ha it, it won't reopen. Oh, No, it is reopening, it's reopening next year. You know, that I'm working on that project. That's what I'm working on. I promise it's reopening. That's reassuring. So I'm working on preserving the heritage. So, maintaining the special historic parts of the Edwardian Theater. Um But I'm also in charge of having to tell the story and really, that's collecting everybody else's story about the kings. Um You can only do the history of it if they stay open to let you and give you the information. That's what we're working on. We're trying, I think they've got boxes and boxes and boxes of programs. Oh, I be posters. Uh huh. Uh, newspaper reports. Um, all that wonderful. Very exciting. We might have some programs that you were in, they might have a program of a show you were in love it. What did you know? Well, they have two pressures for you. They, they'll be like diamonds. Eventually. You should hang on to them. When did you sing? Make a fortune. How long did you sing with the bohemians? How long did they? Oh, no. Oh, it in the early fifties? Oh, I was in the 10 years. That's what it was in for 10 years. By that time work was too hectic. I couldn't have, uh, cope with two jobs. My main job that paid me. Uh huh. And the theater job which I take it did not pay. Wow. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. I needed to hear? |
