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The date is the 18th of June 2024 and I'm going to sit down and speak with a net McCann Today. The time is 148 and we will begin the interview now. Please. Can you state your full name and date of birth? Annette E. McCann, 29 7 57 And can you tell me a little bit about where you were born and raised? Well am from Edinburgh. razed Enquist orphan. where my mom and dad used to live. I was the first Scott in the family. Actually, my dad was brought up from London when the half past five past eight show started as the conductor and musical director of those shows. They were New Shores. They were trying to liven up The Kings Theatre at the time on these shows really did the trick. The remained really famous ever since five past and half past eight shows, so so that was him. So he came from the noisy, grimy east end of London up to lovely Scotland, which he absolutely loved, and he took to it like a duck to water on Ben. Of course, he had a Scottish Children for Scottish Children in the family, which I'm very proud of you. So anyway, my time with the King started more or less as soon as I was born, because at the time Dad was working on the five past eight shows on Lionel Blair was the choreographer. Now he became a really he danced with Sammy Davis Jr and people like that eventually. But at the time, he was very young, you know, young choreographer on de So my mom brought me into the theatre and I was 10 days old. Andre Lionel took me up onto the stage and said, Oh, I've never had held such tiny baby on dshaughnessy, this baby to the audience So that's my claim to fame. So let me see now. Can you tell me a little bit more about the buy passage? Oh, yeah. Well, they the all sorts of wonderful names sprang forth from the five past 8.5 past eight shows. just all the older, successful entertainers. Jack Muroi, Rick, Ricky Fulton, Johnnie Beattie. You know, McLane. People like that. They all sprung from these shows because they were They were so successful because there wasn't any television at the time, you see, so people's evenings were they were captive audience. So they were trying to get them into the theatre for this kind of light hearted review type production, you know, and it really worked on. So they used to go between the King's Edinburgh on the King's Glasgow, and they were very popular on. They made all these people's names basically. Do you have any idea how much it would have cost to go into the five past? Well, I don't think they were very expensive because they were. marketed towards ordinary people. So it'd be none of this, you know, 100 pounds a ticket to see a musical, nothing like that. Yeah, so I don't think they were very expensive. That was when the theatre used to be run by Howard and Wyndham. it was taken over by the council in later years. And actually, it was a really a glamorous theatre. Then, you know, so to go to this wonderful show in a glamorous theatre for not too much money, that was, you know, a real treat for ordinary people. Do you know? I remember in the latest toilets a powder room rather they had just that. They were really glamorous. Lots of dark wood all over the place. And they have this room outside the where the cubicles were and it was around room. And in the middle of the of the room, there was a glass case, and it would be displaying all the perfumes of the day. You know, like tweed, long threat can all these sort of things your mom might remember. on Ben Round this round The ages of the room there were little. dressing tables with little little lights, you know, around them so that you could sit in powder your nose. Well, I used to think this was fantastic. I thought this was the most glamorous thing I'd ever seen in my life. And I think probably even now, I think they're the most glamorous ladies lose I've ever seen. And you know something? One of those little dressing tables came up on eBay recently. Yeah. Well, I didn't buy it because I've got nowhere to put it, But I wish I did. I really wish I did. So what's your first memory of being at the king? Well, when I was when I was, I think I was maybe about three. I've been to the king's before that, but I didn't member, you know, I don't remember any of the Lionel Blair Storey, I'm afraid, but I had a teddy bear on. It was called Bruin. It was a he he teddy bear. He was cooperating on s so I was being taken to see the pantomime on day. Of course, it was always a thrill to see Dad standing at the front. Conducting the orchestra on the orchestra was big in those days, it was really big. They had a heart, you know, and all sorts of it was a proper orchestra. You know, over the years, it just got smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller. But there was a lovely lady who used to play the harp on her name was Miss Harper and she actually gave me a lesson once, and I'd love to, but anyway, since then, piano has always been my instrument. But anyway, s Oh, I had a teddy bear and I said to my mom, Can I take Bruen to see the plan to mine? She said, No, you can't do that. I said, Oh, so have have a word with brewing because he was very upset on De. So I tried to explain to him that, you know, you wouldn't be able to come, but I would tell him all about it that night when I came home. Well, when I got home that night, I was far too tired and I didn't tell him. And I didn't tell him all about it the next morning. And you know how old am I know? 67 amount ex birthday on. I still beat myself up about it. Not telling the teddy bear all about it when I made a promise to him. he was. He was. He was He wasn't a bear. He was a person, you know. So it's amazing how things have changed, actually since since done first started at the he first started at the King's in 1953. I think on I was born in 1957 so Tall Cross was a completely different place on when, when he used to take us up to his office because my mom was in hospital quite a lot. when I was younger. So Dad used to look after us or or he would farm us out to our family who lived in Target Street and they would look after us. They were great. They taught us all sorts of wonderful games and everything. They were lovely s o it. But I do remember walking round to the stage door which is along that funny little crooked path on you go between the tenements, the kings on one side on the tenements on the other side And if you looked up, there were to be these You don't see them anymore but their sort of pulleys that they they come out of windows and you would hang your washing on them on They were controlled by ropes and, you know, Yeah, little wheels and that sort of thing. So you would see all these. You would see all these across the sky when you walked along. And I remember asking what they were because it was no tumble dryers in those days, you know, on, but there was Ah, met. Our series of metal staircase is going up to my dad's office. It was a way up in the in an area away, up at the top of the building on it was your feet. You They were very noisy and we were always told to keep the noise down. When we're going up these metal stairs, you know, on got to his offices on, But it was all floored in line. Oh, you know, like sort of a prewar. Just Postwar lying. No, that's what all floors were covered with in those days because, you know, the money was scarce and everything that was just lying. Oh, so is this It was the same line? No, it's sort of a muddy brown colour on the money primary. Brown colour went right through these little series of offices on Do. They were dusty and cob webby, and there was piles of scores lying about the place on lots of ancient old telephones and telephone systems, probably going back pre war. That's where they were all stored. And my dad used to make his coffee on a little just a little gas string and when you turned it off and took the coffee back into his other little offices Little room ages after that, used to pop and give my sister and I a terrible fright. Oh, yeah, that's right. I've still got a note of his phone number. There it was. If all you 3161, that's f or you for Fountain Bridge 3161 that was then that's the phone number of his office. on. My sister used to use this. Ancient what? You copying equipment. And it involved dipping scores in to a trough of liquid and waiting for the text to appear. This was this is how they used to. call it. copy things in the Jurassic period, you know? So, yeah, So I don't know why he didn't trust me with that because I was the older sister. But anyway, he used to get that job s o. You dipped it in the water, and then you would hold it up on Ben. The copy would appear in the copies. You know, that's how they did it. So that because you had to copy out all the parts for all the different orchestral members And then when you came in in the main foyer, which was very glamorous, I still got a lot of its original features, you know, the little stain glass and the lovely organic looking. handles door handles and things like that gorgeous. there was. There was a kiosk in the corner on it sold boxes of chocolates Now to go to the theatre and buy a box of chocolates that was really posh. Well, we never had a pop. We never had a box. We just had my mom used to duel out individual sweets, but to go into a theatre and buy a box of chocolates. Ice. Think that was very posh on. I used to think My goodness me, some really posh people come here. Oh, yeah, right. now. My sister and I used to love the pantomimes. These shows were like it was like walking into fairy land for a child. It was just a treat of utter fantasy. so the early the earliest ones are I can remember was goody two shoes 1960. and I don't tempt. See that pantomime being played anymore? It's kind of been forgotten. Goody two shoes. But the one I definitely remember was a love for Jamie and then a one called a wish for Jamie. And I think a love for Jamie was the one involving poor old broom who come who couldn't come to see it. s So there were three and they felt they followed it up with a world of Jamie. That was That was quite later. But there's a love for Jamie that was lovely. And then all the all the costumes on the little ponies they used to have pulling the pumpkin coach. You know, it was just a dream for a wee girl. So at that time, Dad was always working on Christmas Day, because here in Scotland, Christmas Day wasn't holiday, actually. I think. New Year's Day wasp, but not Christmas Day on De. So he used to have to go in to work on Christmas Day. So we used to have our Christmas Day on the following Sunday. That's when we opened our presents and everything. Yeah, no. Oh, yes. So all the people I remember where people like Stanley Baxter, Jimmy Logan, Phalen or she was beautiful. I think she used to be a dancer in her younger life. And then she came back as Peter Pan, and they used to have a flying about on a on a wire, you know, which we thought was fantastic. Ricky Molten Ricky Fulton, Jack Milroy, Hector Nicol who was a particular favourite of mine because he was so funny. You know, McLane, Alexander, brothers, Andy Stewart, all these people. So these sort of these people used to visit our house in order to go over their music and everything on demand. And also the producer Blue Bruce McClure. He was such a character. He used to entertain my mum with pirouettes around the kitchen. he used to say, Oh yes, John had a Glasgow accent, was a very posh Glasgow accent, lovely accent, and used to say, Right, this is my next routine. Have a look at this, See what you think And he used to go and pull a waiting around the around the kitchen. So my mom actually died last year at the age of 94 and she was the same. Age is stand the Baxter, and he always sent her a Christmas card, but he stopped sending them recently, and that's when I thought he might have, you know, just got a little bit too elderly for things like that. But I did hear him on the radio within the last couple of years, so he's lived along on bond Wonderful life. So eventually, as a teenager, I came to work here on. I used to dress. I used to do dressing, which I loved so used to dress the wicked witch Thurgood Fairy, now the wicked witch of the time. Carrie Boss. This was probably in the middle seventies. She was played by a lady called Margo Cunningham on DME. Argo had to have her face painted with green makeup every day. On days, she was convinced that her her face had taken on a bit of a green tinge. So she used to have to go for facials every so often, but she was quite grand. Actually, it's used to collect antiques, and she used to tell me about the days when she was in the National Theatre with Laurence Olivier, who she always used to call sir. They always used to call him sir on, but she was kind of full of all her previous days in the National Theatre. You know, she was very proud of her background. She played the part of the gym teacher in the pride of Miss Jean Brodie, by the way, in 1969. But she was really scary, is all I could, which she was really good and she had all the Children booing like mad. So she was letting she was lit by a green lime because she was a body. But Theo, the the good fairy was lit by a pink lime. But she was good faith. So these were these were rim. but they were. They've been replaced by follow spots or spotlights now, you know. But it was the great big the great Big Lime. lighting fixtures that were operated from away at the top of the theatre. So anyway, since then I saw the film the Dresser in 1983 with Tom Courtney and Albert Finney on I love That Film because Tom Courtney was such a good dresser and he really bolstered his actor up before he went on stage. And I thought, Wish I watched that film before I did that because I would have done such a much better job. That's how you're supposed to do it. on Gwen. And so the Children, the Children of the chorus they used to whenever there was little Children's scenes. they used to come from the local Bali schools. One of thumb, which I went to actually, but when I was a little girl on guy do have a memory about one pound to mind when I was working there on. But there was a little girl who was daughter of John and Jack Spurgeon, and they used to do all the choreography before Lionel Lionel Blair on. Anyway, somebody had been bullying or it was really quite mean on De. So she was crying and she was in a terrible state and she really needed to be seen, you know? So I had a word with people. Could could somebody come up and see this week, Girl, please. So eventually Jimmy Logan came up on Do you know he was so good with her? He just put her on his knee and says, Now, now what's what's what's going on here? You know? And he was so soothing and he cheered her up and he was so sympathetic. And it was just so touching to see. I remember kind of welling up at the time, you know? So he was a man of many talents. Jimmy Logan. He was great with kids. So I used to love looking after the Children. And and, of course, they were away up on the top floor, Their dressing room was on the fifth floor. No lifts. So of course, it had to be somebody young. That's probably why I got that job. Because I was a young teenager at the time, you know? What kind of training did you get for that? No, Absolutely none. Yeah. and the costumes were gorgeous. They were so lavish on the lady who used to run the wardrobe of the times called Nan on. She was lovely on S O. I was used to help with the ironing and the fiddling about with costumes because they always needed to be repaired. Taken in, taken out, you know. And do you remember Stanley Baxter's outfit as wishy washy in Aladdin? He used Tiu, used to sport a really, really tall wink on. I think I was telling about facility. It had to washing lines coming out of the top of the wing on a washing line, strung between with knickers and socks and all this stuff to think on the washing line. It was so funny. He was great. And then he was dressed up as a golf bag with all the old fashioned wooden driver sticking up from behind his head. He was absolutely hilarious. and I also dressed during Scottish opera Scottish Valley on the course. The atmosphere was totally different then. Very serious. Workman, like all the doors were shut, you know, way didn't encourage an awful lot of them moving about s O. That's what made me appreciate the pantomimes so much because, you know, it was it was it was a cheery atmosphere in a bit of a free for all, actually. Oh, that's right. Yeah. Serious to go back to the Scottish Valley. The ballet dancers were very They were always fretting about their shoes because they used to have a pair of shoes for every every show. You know, I don't want to. All the shoes. There must be hundreds of these discarded shoes. Goodness knows what happened to them. So they had to break them in, and they were always fiddling with them and breaking them in. And it was all it was, all very serious and very fretful. now. The pantomimes were very relaxing comparison, but especially when you know MacLean was playing. She was a wonderful lady. She had a wonderful sense of humour on life was to be enjoyed on. You could hear laughing about a mile away. she had this great huge capital in laugh and you could hear it everywhere. If she was laughing in the dressing rooms, you would hear it out to the out in the stalls. could you put that off? Just for we said hello. Oh, yeah, We used to go to Bennett's Bar right next door in between shows. And sometimes I used to go down to the cameo in between shows on I Remember once I went down to the cameo in between shows, and I saw Cabaret when it first came out on. I've been in love with Lions Minelli ever since. But such a girl crush on her. I sort of get a. And in Glasgow about 10 years ago, she did a tour. There's a wonderful occasion. now in Bennett's. They used to have a bell rigged up to let the all the electrician's and the men, members of the orchestra and everything know that it was time to go back. because people used to escape into Bennett's bar as much as possible, you know. And then there was the we snug I don't if you've been in there, but there's a little snug in the Bennetts. And so there was a competition to see how many people you get in on do they? And the the winner was 23 men on a double bass. But a local man was caught up in this kind of scrum. And, of course, everybody was sports together. You couldn't you couldn't bend down or anything. And this poor man shouted out that he has lost his wee dog, couldn't find his wee dog. Nobody knew where the dog was because nobody could look down to look for it. Yeah. so at a push, maybe four or so, maybe six people could fit into that snug. So as you get a match in the 23 it was That was That was a very soppy occasion. Happy days. now s o Dad passed away in 1998. on the musicians union paid for a plaque to be mounted in the four years, so the plaque was unveiled by Gerald, Gerald Kelly, Alan Stewart and Jimmy Logan on bond. since then was. Since then, I've moved. I've been living all sorts of places since then. Wales, London, Paris. But the king's has always been my second home on. I just go to support it, whether I want to see the show or not. So I've always had a tremendous affection for our old lady of leaving ST. so I'm looking forward to helping get her into a new frog. What do you hope to see, King? Well, you see, I don't I only know it as a zoo in her old guys, so I was hoping that maybe there could be some sort of a stage school attached, maybe acting lessons, singing lessons in the spare rooms. Um But of course to be a resource for local people is very important and I'm really looking forward to that. Because Tall Cross has seen a lot of ups and downs on DHL. Local people have supported the Kings Theatre right throughout history, so it would be lovely to see the king's give something back as it were. I used to live at Marchment Marchment Street, but just just on the edge of of a What is it now? Barkley Terrace. So, So Tall Cross used to be my old manor. Really? That's where first left home on Guy went to live with other students in Marchment. So it's It's always been kind of funky area, shall we say colourful, funky lots going on. And then, of course, my my date with my husband was in the King's bar on. Then we went over to the cameo, and that was our first date. does your husband share your love or Oh, yeah, he's He's a just jazz guitarist. Yeah, Aunt. He accompanied Georgie fame once. You maybe wouldn't know this, but he was a big pop star in the sixties, you know? so. But other than that, he works for the bank. But yes, he's very much into music. Yeah, he's retired now. Is there a particular show or after you'd like to see on stage Kings again? Well, I've always had a really soft spot for Alan Stewart. He's a very good looking guy and he does the lot. He's a good all rounder. he sings. He's a comedian. He dances. he does the lot, you know, he's just one of these incredibly gifted all round people. And he's been the best thing to happen to the King's, really, since the old schools all kind of died off, if you know what I mean. Because he's propped it up positive for the last. I don't know. Is it 15 years now? Maybe. Yeah. Be such a good looking chap. I can't say I've ever met him, but I would love to. I'm certain, given that the King's is going to be opening with Penta 25 that hey will be featured on Hope. So this year's Cinderella. This is just for posterity. What do you imagine? Will be the panto next year because it has not been enough. Won't like to see Oh well, one of the classics wouldn't to be lovely if we had another Cinderella with all the little ponies pulling the coach like they did at the first ever pantomime at the Kings Theatre, wouldn't that be lovely? Yeah. well in that this has been absolutely lovely. Is there anything else in particular you'd like to share this well? talking to speaking of the ponies. I mean, you probably know this, but a way back, probably before my time. Actually, a lot of the buildings behind the kings were used to stables because they used to use pit ponies to pull all the ropes and everything to to move all the flies and the scenery and everything. After the ponies, they use sailors because they were good with ropes. You know they on dear, they were good with heights, cetera, because you have to climb away high up to organise some of these. So anyway, they used to stable the little ponies in the King's on My Fear years that every theatre has its own smell. Every theatre has its own distinct smell on the King's definitely has its own distinct smell. A soon as you walk in to the auditorium, you can smell it on by. A lot of people think that in this wonderful scent, there's a little whiff of the ponies stables that used to be there, and there's still a little whiff of it exists. I don't know if that's true, but it's nice to be something to look at. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. Soon as the doors open, you know, when the doors open at the beginning and the end of the night on a draught blows through a theatre. That's when you get the smell, because you get used to it within a few seconds s. Oh, look out for that smell because it's still supposed to have a little ghost of the whiff of the ponies, Little, little. little pit ponies. Well, here's the pit ponies hoping we can get a sense of, yeah. Well, thank you so much. It's been absolutely lovely. It's been lovely. Tiu tell you all about it. Do you want to keep that? So they attack. This time it is now 219. We're going to conclude the interview for the People's Archive on the Kings Theatre. |
