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The day is the 18th of June 2024 and I'm going to sit down and speak with Mickey York today. The time is 1037 and we will begin the interview now, please, can you state your full name and date of birth? Gillian Margaret on York. known as Mickey 11 for 1944. Could you please tell me we're a lost in the dim and distant past Somewhere? I think I was meant to be a boy called Michael. Can you tell me a little bit about where you were formed and then where you were raised? I was born in Belfast simply because my mother, who had been with my father in England during the war, returned to be with her mother in Belfast for my birth. My father was in the south of England waiting to go across the Normandy. Although that point he didn't know they were actually going to. Normally, they thought they were going to Cali on. Then I was be. After the war, we moved to Oxford and I lived in Oxford until I was 10. And then I came to Edinburgh on I've lived here ever since. whereabouts and Edinburgh Did you grow up? I grew up in Brandt's field in House and Markets and Avenue on day. I got married from there in 1965 and I have now lived in the same house in Orchard Road Company Bank, which is rather a long time for living in one house. How has Edinburgh changed over the years? Well, the funny thing is, you don't actually notice the changes so much when you're living through them. But looking at old photographs and you look at the traffic on Prentiss Tree, well, there's very little on the cars. Look extraordinary. I think about it. My father had one of those 19 fifties cars. but it's That's the sort of thing that's changed. And of course, the shops and Prentiss Street have changed and sadly, don't look anything like a good as they did then on, Of course, when I first came to it, but we had trams on. Now we've got them again, which is great, although why did he ever take them away? But certainly I know that the outskirts of member is changing rapidly, and if ever I go out, I can't believe the number of new housing estates that propping up everywhere. Who are these people who are coming here? growing up in Brandt's field of what were your past times. I didn't really have many past times. School was the main thing. I played hockey at school. That was always a weekend activity. There was a lot of school work on, but I did help backstage with school productions. I didn't really wasn't keen on being on stage. I did various backstage and that really got my interest in the theatre to help backstage, although I did have one. very small part in 12th Night and man got managed to mangle my lines so wasn't encouraged by that went back to being backstage. How old were you for that? 17. So would you say that's your earliest memory of getting involved in? Apparently I was a fairy queen at the age of four on. All I know is I've seen a photograph on it. Did look rather nice on I did Valley Up Into the age of 10. So I did do performances, Valley. But after that, until I helped started helping school productions. Probably when I was about 1516. No, I haven't. But at that point, I really would have liked to become a stage manager professionally, but of course, they didn't have college is to go to in those days you had to get training. You know, as an assistant stage manager, my father was not having that. So what is your earliest memory of going to a formal theatre? as a child in Oxford's going to see the MC Ardo with the Door Lee carte opera company. I think I was five. I think my mother probably took me because she couldn't get a baby sitter. But I still remember that it's interesting because Gilbert and Sullivan as well here became to have such a such an important part in my life. Do you remember your first experience attending a show at the King's? Um, I think we used to go What? We went to the pantomime occasionally. Not every year, but we did go. My mother did take me to see some of the other, some of the amateur Cos things doing shows like Rose Marie, the Southern Light Opera on the bohemians who was still performing were there. And I think my mother may have known people in it on. We went along to support, but I certainly remember those shows. what genres are most bonded. opera on operator, as in Gilbert and Sullivan. So you've noted the importance of Gilbert. And so can you tell me a little bit more about that back storey? Well? as I say, I remember going to see as a child, and then I don't think it cropped up until I was a college in Edinburgh. On Bond I one of the people I was playing hockey with, said you can So would you like to help me make costumes for H. M s Pinafore? So I went along and, yes, I helped. And then I discovered I could help. Backstage building was set. This was with the University Savoy Opera Group who were only in their third production for eight with H Much Beneful on I made costumes on Di got involved and set building on their performances. At that point, we're in Leaf Town Hall on I Went along. to the sea, its own found ways of climbing up to the flies which I've seen recently and think, How did I manage that on a really got so enthusiastic, Particularly enthusiastic when I noticed this lovely man on stage who was playing Captain Corcoran on had a wonderful voice Centam. the after show party, which we have in those days and I got together on day. We were married for 54 years until he died four years ago. Where were these after show parties? Well, that this one was in the old chaplaincy centre, which is now the Bedlam Theatre of the university on Bristol Place on, but was an amazing one because the chap who started the universities of our opera group, Robert Ese Wasel, for going over the top because they've made money. He bought champagne that year on my husband and I got to know each other pouring the champagne. So your husband, he was an act on a singer as an amateur. He could have been a professional, was no doubt about it. But he was very sensible and stuck to his training as an educational psychologist. But he was hardly ever offer stage, and he still his last stage performance was the age of 81. When he died at the age of 94 he was still singing at 94. but he certainly it was his main. And I have to say I was left at home to bring up the Children until we did take it in turns. But we were members of the Undergraduate Theatre Group, and he was constantly on stage with them on then in various amateur opera companies, Random Bro. So you mentioned you made costumes for 18 months performing. That was kind of the start. What other roles did you take on that? I did props. Ah, Built Set I acted as a call girl, which my mother was horrified about. We realised what it really was just going around the dressing rooms because they didn't indeed, town Hall have any intercom or anything. It was a lie fairly primitive back in those days, when I look at it now on, then eventually I decided to have a go on stage, and I did a couple of shows, the Ricardo on Bond, Pirates of Penzance with universities of while the group. But I thought, Now I want to go backstage. So I went back. We made. I went on making costumes still about 1981 from 1964 because they still used a lot of graduates and people in that company. Then when my my husband joined the Edinburgh Gilbert Sullivan Society in 1986 on that was performing in the King's. He had already performed in the King's with Southern Light Opera Company on the Edinburgh Grand Opera Company. But the great opening up really was when he was invited to audition for. got The gondolier is in 1986 on, I think three years later I was there in the audience and thought their two young men of the garden Next year I could do that. The Children. By that time we're pretty well off our hands. So I auditioned got into the chorus for Yeoman of Yard on DHF. 15 productions later, I retired, and he did, too. Is there a particular standout performance that comes to mind? Yes, we did. I think it was 1999. We did a production of Ivanhoe, which was Sullivan's only opera on. Very, very rarely done on this was an amateur company. Putting on this in the Professional Theatre on Git was a huge success. I think was one of most thrilling things because it choruses and it would just fabulous to see. so I think that was the most exciting thing. to do on stage. Actually, the first performance when I did yeoman of the Guard on was in the chorus. On the first night I walked on that stage. Now this is where I want to be. But after you've done all the Gilbert and Sullivan operas and you start doing them again, you think time to give it up. So I went back to my original love of backstage on Did Props for the Indigenous for another 10 years. before I thought I've got to give this up. It's too exhausting. How did working in the king's compared to other cedars? Oh, well, you're in a professional theatre. Sadly, by that time least, town hall, as it was known now, Leaf Theatre was no longer operating. Glad to say it is getting back to being used on, but I was never on stage in the Lyceum, but my husband, Woz and he loved the Lycee, and it was just so intimate. But the king's you obviously had to do everything at a professional level, and I think I noticed this most when I was working backstage on You, were working with the professional stage manager on had to live up to their standards, which, you know, wasn't a lot different because we were all used to having to do things properly. But I think that was the great thing. When you were backstage, you were working with professionals. They treated us. They expected a professional standard from the whole company. And I have to say that the productions we're in the early days raking in the audience is, sadly, it's not the same now. can you describe the experience of getting ready for a show and the emotions you felt before enough? The funny thing is, I think probably because I was only in the chorus I never got. anxious about going on stage. We rehearsed for six months on new the thing inside out. But it was quite complicated because the cords were expected not only to sing, but to dance very often. A swell. And I loved that. I think that goes back to my childhood. Bowie loved dancing. but we would always I would always get to theatre about an hour beforehand because I just love the atmosphere of being in the theatre on the dressing rooms in the King's Theatre. For the chorus will weigh up many flights of stairs big dressing rooms with about 20 people in each. But as we had some times in the course of 60 more likely 50 most times. You know we needed those. And then, as you progressed on, became a senior member, so to speak. You got moved down to smaller dressing rooms on DS. Maybe four or five people on the principles had the dressing rooms on the so so gold ground floor. But I have to say they were primitive. The toilets what tiny on how any large opera singer in a very large costume ever got into those toilets. I never knew So hopefully in the new beautiful kings there will be some showers on bond, decent sized toilets. But then you've got your make up on for things like my card. Oh, it was complicated. Make up in the early days, we used to put White wake up on, but I'm not allowed to do that now. But you always had to do for fancy I make up on were very often from Ricardo. You had weeks hot, itchy things didn't like those. on the costumes. In the early days we were making our own. Well, the lady who was making the costumes help we helped out. But then she retired on. We ended up hiring Ghost. But one year it's Lady who? Woz Jane. Both was in charge, of course. Um, sadly had a stroke. So another member of the chorus, Kate Duffield, I took over on a dress rehearsal on Bond the day before We started altering the costumes because they were hired, but they don't always fit when they turn up from the hirers. So we were frantically altering costumes. I must say the cars were very appreciate different. We both got lovely Bunches of flowers at the end on after the show. Usually if you wasn't too late, you go next door to the pub for a drink, which you needed to wind down. If he went straight home, it would never have gone to sleep because you were on a high What do you think the landscape is like in theatres for amateur production companies now? Edinburgh is very lucky because we've always been very well supported by the Kings Theatre. Originally on now, the Capital Theatres Trust on the Edinburgh Society has been performing here in the Festival Theatre while the King's closed. I think that's going to have to stop because I just don't think we can afford it. It's a huge theatre. I have worked backstage in the Festival Theatre one show for one show. That was a thrill, really, to be on that, not performing on the stage, but just to be there. But the amateurs are. well respected in Edinburgh because they know that they were put on a very good production professional production on. But of course, there's also the Churchill Theatre, which was designed originally for the amateurs when it was no longer a church, and the council took that over. So I've been on that stage many times with a little opera company called Opera Camerata on that again is very useful for the amateurs, but have been the other places. I mean, I talked about leave Town Hall on that. was used by the amateurs a lot. And if that gets back in to being able to have productions, Aiken C company's going back there because it won't cost us much. But everybody just wants to get back into the king's love the king so much. What is it about the king's other than it's kind of professional qualities? Is it? Is it intimacy? You mentioned the intimacy until I see, um, how would you characterise the kings is bigger, but you still when you're on states, you can see the audience. We used to say, on matinee days you could see the glasses and grey hair, but I think that's becoming case for every performance. Now Gilbert and Sullivan. But it is. It's it's always been. It's always been such a welcoming place on I mean, I've been there many, many times in the audience. I don't haven't enjoyed being in the audience sometimes have felt. well, it very awkward if you're not very able to get in and out when that's going to be one of the new things in The King's A very accessible, but it's not being accessible for an audience with disabilities very easily. On backstage was even worse. I think there's going to be a lift now, which are amazing. of climbing those stairs was just quite something. But no, it. It has a wonderful atmosphere, and I hope that that atmosphere will still be there. And of course, it's got that amazing ceiling that I remember seeing it just after it was done on. But people who've never seen before they look at what just amazed. So I hope that's so going to be there. So on the whole, how has feeder impacted your life? A very large man. In fact, I should also mention that my son and daughter on my husband and I all appeared on the Kings Theatre stage in one production of Princess Ida. I think it was 1990. Yes, it was about 1998. Something like that. My husband was playing. No, it wasn't. It was 2002 and I know how that out he was playing King Hildebrandt and Princess Ida. My daughter has a small part as a lady called Ada. I was in the chorus on they wrote my son in to be in the courts because he'd been doing Government Sullivan, University of York. So theatre to a zoo family has been very, very important. They both giving it out because of work Children. But I think that was 2001 was the last. principal role my husband played, but he did a couple more shows in the chorus. going back to your husband. Did he have a favourite character or a performance of whether he performed it or not? That was, uh probably. So Joe Supporter in H most pitiful, which he played with the later date in the King's that when he played Captain Corcoran. But he loved all these baritone roles. They just suited his voice perm perfectly on. He was a very good comic actor. So, you know, that really was what she loved doing. So you touched on this a little bit. But what do you hope the Kings will be like when she really welcoming. accessible but not having lost. It's the atmosphere. I think it has it. Don't atmosphere on the gilding on do they Just feeling you're in somewhere special on? It just has been a beautiful, beautiful place. I gather they're getting rid of the rate stage, which is interesting because we're told that this is so that touring productions can come in who can't use the rate stage. Yes, there have been one or two incidents with the great stage somebody's. skateboard he was chatting with playing. Koko shot across the stage on his skateboard. He jumped off it and it rolled into the orchestra pit. then. So I know that. But it is interesting. I was here last week in the Festival Theatre for La Traviata. They had a rate stage. I couldn't believe it. That's amazing. But so I know that's gone on. Backstage will be a lot more user friendly, I think. more modern for equipment, but I just hope it doesn't lose its atmosphere. right at this point. We heard last night that Sir Ian McKellen had fallen into a pit at the theatre when he was performing full staff in Henry the fourth. This brings back a memory of 2001. When my husband was appearing with the End Music Theatre, of which he had been a founder member back in the eighties on they were doing Kiss Me Kate and he was playing the father, Bianca's father, Andre. He had a lot of big, heavy robes. It wasn't to speak a singing part, but it was a speaking part. They wanted an older person with experience to play the part. He was 76 of the time on bond. First, I knew about 10. Thing was on the Friday night in the draught Bell rang on, this person said, We've just brought Ruli, my husband home because he's had a bit of an accident. He had jumped into the orchestra pit because it was the only way to go towards the end of the show. They were running around in a big circle, on stage on their hands, got slippery and he was coming. He could see himself. The only way to go was into the orchestra pit because he was just losing trip. There was an orchestra in the orchestra pit. So instead of falling as Syrian, McKellen didn't believe he jumped, allowed it on its feet, hit her cello as he went past. Not bad enough for her to claim a new one on insurance. But and he damaged his heels, very bruised. But people in the audience were heard to say, Why didn't get somebody younger to do that? They thought it was meant, but the director came rushing around the back because she thought you've got to find her very badly injured ruling instead of which he was crawling out from under the orchestra pit on Do they brought him home? He the only thing he had hurt. We had a bit of bruising on his side when he hit the chill on DS. Very badly bruised heels. But I have to say he went back on stage next day and did two performances using a walking stick on the day after he auditioned for the energy and s for the part of King Hilderbrand. As I mentioned earlier, he played in 2002 s O there, Sir Ian McKellen, who I believe is bravely going to go back on stage tomorrow. Um, and he's 86 or 85. So I'm a lot older than my husband was. But Ian Gillespie, who was the resident stage manner of the kings who had been there for a very long time, lovely man. He had never learned this happened to anybody in the Kings Theatre stage on looking theatre stage. So we feel that should be a plaque in the orchestra pit saying, Rule your landed here. could you tell me a little bit about your experience with the orchestra following the jump? Well, that wasn't Edinburgh Government Salon and I wasn't there. But with the officers in all of the amateur shows, they tend to be the same people. You would see them around, but they're lovely people. But they because it's a professional theatre, they have to be paid. Which, of course, the people on stage are not s o. It's always been slight. I remember complaining because we were applauding the orchestra, the end of the performance. I'm thinking, Why we applauding them? They're getting paid, but at his tradition. So you do it. But they all have to have their coffee and tea provided to the intervals. That was Some member of the company had to do that every day, go down and do that on, so they treated with kid gloves. But my goodness, you couldn't do that. could you tell me about the experience from your daughter? Was on stage. Well, she joined the company. I think reluctantly she'd been in Aberdeen and Dungy ns there. And then she joined the university Savoy Opera Group when she came back to Edinburgh as she a czar husband that I, of course, had where we met on my son had been done it in York University. But she came back and reluctantly joined yet, but yes, I think you know don't really want to be. We're parents are but came to the Ricardo. She auditioned and played the part of Pete Bo. Three of them were just wonderful. On stage on, she had to skip out on stage with the skipping rope, which is not easy and sing at the same time. But I found it very nerve racking, being on stage as part of the chorus, you know, supposed to be a Japanese schoolgirl of 18 and actually mother of one of the principal but it was quite nerve racking. But then I've been on the stage when my husband was singing principal roles. I did worry about that slightly. One time, one of the pieces of scenery started moving down stage and he was about to step on it. in this when he was playing King Hildebrand at the age of 77 by them on. Luckily, members of the chorus noticed on when put their feet up to stop it going sliding. It might have been a second appearance in the orchestra pit for him, but my daughter certainly she had wanted to small parts, but I think she'd like to get back to singing. Now the Children have grown up, but I'm not sure that she'll want to go back on stage. Well, sounds like quite a vital role in how you've also raised your family. Of course, how you and your husband relationship. I certainly hope the king's has the same charm when it reopens, and then it carries that same legacy and tradition for future generations. But I want to thank you so much for your time. At this point, we are going to stop the recording. it is now 1109 on, we're going to conclude this interview for the Kings Theatre Project. |
