Du Maurier Festival Reviews - 2010
The Early Edition
Marcus Brigstocke, Andre Vincent, Carrie Quinlan & Phil Jupitus
The Early Edition is a firm favourite at DuMaurier and adding Phil Jupitus to the mix this year added that little extra indefinable something. Marcus, Andre and Carrie always like to push the envelope, but Jupitus likes to push it that little bit further towards the edge.
As usual the laughs were gleaned from the daily papers, but Phil Jupitus had got himself a copy of the St. Austell Voice and exploited it at every turn. Questioning the sanity of Costa Coffee and Thorntons opening in White River Place when the town was brought to a standstill last week after a ‘vicious fight erupted in Nile’s coffee house’.
Apparently, our brand new cinema is advertising an adult movie for late night showing – the movie in question? Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang – Phil’s face lit up with cheeky delight as he contemplated the mass of disappointed chaps leaving the cinema having expected to watch some little known porn movie.
Of course, with the General Election still fresh in our minds, politics was high on the agenda in all the papers, but Phil Jupitus managed to find the telephone number for our own Steve Gilbert – goodness knows what Steve will have thought of the message Mr. J left on his answerphone, asking for his thoughts on microchipping dogs – bad or good thing? Could he tell us please about the Chocolate Morning to be held in Par for the Pop Squad (who or what are they?) And is it true that there are so many overweight horses in Cornwall that it’s necessary to have a special talk on the subject at Fraddon?
The Early Edition proved once again why audiences flock to spend time in the company of these quick witted and very funny comedians.
Sheila Vanloo
May 2010.
Neil Oliver
According to Neil Oliver he is far more comfortable talking into camera than he is to a packed auditorium, thankfully it doesn’t show. Speaking to a captivated DuMaurier audience, Neil was relaxed, informative and funny.
Billed as a ‘History of Scotland’, this wonderful 60 minutes was more of a brief history of just about everything, from the World Cup to a terrifying flight in a fighter jet, from spending the night in a lighthouse to visiting the famous battleground of Rourke’s Drift.
An archaeologist, Neil suddenly found himself with the title of ‘historian’ when the opportunity to present Coast was thrust upon him; apparently the BBC bosses decided they already had one archaeologist in the line-up, so Neil would have to be the programme’s historian. The rest, as they say, is history and Neil Oliver has now become one of our most sought after historian/archeologists, with another series of Coast in the can along with a new programme highlighting British landmarks, he has somehow found time along the way to write a couple of books.
Who knew that archaeology and history could be so sexy? Or perhaps that’s the man rather than the subject matter!
Sheila Vanloo
May 2010
Seth Lakeman
Any venue that Devonshire lad Seth Lakeman plays will always be a sell-out, and so it was with his appearance at DuMaurier 2010. Avid fans travelled miles to be here, some seeing him live for the first time, others following wherever he leads from festivals to theatres. Seth and the band sauntered on stage to a riotous welcome, which reached deafening proportions as they launched into The Hurlers, setting the tone for the night.
Seth has come a long way since his Mercury nomination way back in 2005, he may not have won the prize, but it paved the way and brought him to the attention of non –folkies everywhere. In a word, Seth rocks – seamlessly changing instruments from fiddle to guitar and back again. The landmark songs like Kitty Jay and Solomon Browne were carefully interwoven with new material from his soon to be released ‘Hearts and Minds’– an album already set to be a ‘must have’.
Seth has surrounded himself with talented musicians, including brother Sean, but being a tight-knit friendly lot is their only nod in the direction of the beardy-weirdy folky scene. Not for these guys the thick patterned jumpers or sticking their fingers in their hears,Seth’s band of merry men are T-shirt wearing rock n rollers who have turned the folk scene on it’s head by hot wiring their instruments and attracting fans of all ages.
Last night’s performance was both electric and electrifying, with fans demanding ‘more’ long after the final encore faded away and the boys had left the building.
Georgia Ruth
Support act to Seth Lakeman was the delightful Welsh songstress and harpist Georgia Ruth. What a talent this amazing young lady is - unknown to most of the audience, Georgia captivated everyone from the opening notes of her first song. Playing an instrument bigger than yourself is one thing, to sing like an angel at the same time is something else altogether. Georgia’s songs are written from the heart and she delivers them with a purity rarely found in one so young. Graceful, enchanting, delightful, Georgia Ruth is a fabulous talent with a massive future in front of her.
Sheila Vanloo
May 2010
Oh Mary - Bec Applebee
Bec Applebee has been touring her one woman play about infamous highwaywoman, Mary Bryant, but there was something very special about today’s performance – as if Mary herself was watching from the wings as her story unfolded in the Cornish port she called home.
Narrowly escaping the hangman’s noose, Mary was consigned to the colonies for stealing a bonnet. Bec’s play brings Mary’s traumatic story to life, the horrendous sea journey in the cesspit bowels of a prison ship, the agonising birth of her daughter Charlotte amongst the detritus, falling in love with her husband, William, whilst on board and the inevitable birth of another child, Emmanuel.
Expecting sweet freedom in the colonies, the women who had travelled alongside Mary were subjected to beatings and rapes from their fellow countrymen. Whilst their gaollers turned a blind eye to these violent outrages, they happily lashed anyone who dared to try to improve the lives of their families. Eventually Mary and her little family were forced to escape with a team of strong and trusted fellow prisoners – stealing a boat, they rowed for 2 months finally landing in the Dutch colony of Timor. Purporting to be shipwrecked merchants, Mary and her crew were well cared for until William’s drunken ways and loose tongue became their undoing. Adding more sorrow with yet another wicked twist of fate, the hapless gang were arrested and put on a transport ship back to England to stand trial yet again. Sadly, Mary was the only member of her family to touch British soil, losing her loved ones to illness on what was to be their last voyage.
Bec Applebee morphs into Mary Bryant in this extremely physical play, transporting her audience through a terrifying whirlpool of emotions. A harrowing, gut wrenching performance of epic proportions by one of our finest actresses and one that fully deserved every minute of the standing ovation as the house lights came up.
Sheila Vanloo
May 2010
Jeremy Hardy
Jeremy Hardy has been quietly building himself a huge fan base for over 20 years, a modest chap who happily admits people recognise him as ‘a bloke off the telly’, but we’re not very sure of his name.
The packed Du Maurier Marquee didn’t have any recognition problems as they sat back and allowed Hardy to take them on a 2 hour, side-splitting rant. Hardy describes himself as a lacklustre performer, but who needs whistles and bells when your laid back delivery makes people laugh long and loud?
His topics are all the usual suspects – religion, wars, racism, sex, politics, the Royal family, the everyday stuff that we all rage against, albeit privately.
Performing in Fowey provides extra comedy fodder with second home owners and yachts being a firm favourite with visiting comedians. Poking gentle fun at the Cornish, depicting us as carrot crunching Straw Dogs characters is old skool comedy, but still funny after all these years!
The Du Maurier Team are old hands at booking top comedy and Jeremy Hardy will go down as one of the very best to fill the Festival Marquee with laughter.
Sheila Vanloo
May 2010
Living Word Walks - Scary Little Girls Theatre
Rebecca Mordan founded Scary Little Girls in 2003 and her innovative theatre became an instant hit at the Festival. No sitting around in a cosy theatre involved in this, for Rebecca and her crew invented an adventure – semi-guided walks through Fowey with a difference.
The walks began in the library of the Fowey Hall Hotel, luckily no dead bodies were discovered here. Each participant was given a beautiful flower to wear, a guide book and instructions to stay together before setting off into the unknown.
The first surprise came before reaching the bottom of the hotel drive, when one of our fellow walkers suddenly launched into the opening lines of ‘Rebecca’, before disappearing off into the woody grounds, never to be seen again!
And so followed a wonderfully informative walk around my beautiful hometown; using the clever guidebook filled with history and stories. Any walk through Fowey is special, but this one was interspersed with local actors of the finest calibre suddenly appearing in the most unlikely places and delivering passages from DuMaurier’s books.
We found an abandoned car on Town Quay, with a recorded message taken from The Birds, a young man sitting on Victoria’s steps on Albert Quay sang to us, an extract from Frenchman’s Creek played out from the balcony of The Haven and so it continued. The journey was filled with delights and surprises every step of the way, finishing in the Oak Room of The Ship with the ghost of Rebecca herself in the famously haunted bedroom of the Inn.
The research and work that went into this piece of living theatre was deservedly rewarded with high praise being left in the Guest Book at the end of our day.
DuMaurier continues to throw up unexpected nuggets right out of left field and the Living Word Walks will be remembered for a very long time to come.
Check out www.scarylittlegirls.co.uk for details of upcoming walks in St. Austell and Truro – see you there!
Sheila Vanloo
May 2010
Medieaval Baebes
The Baebes are no strangers to Cornwall. With a lovely Cornish maid in the line-up, their local performances regularly attract large audiences – and Du Maurier was no exception.
These beautiful ladies are a worldwide favourite – a feast for the ears and soul, not to mention the visual performance! The Baebes enthralled the Festival Marquee with their angelic voices, it somehow doesn’t matter if they sing in Latin or Bavarian, their perfect delivery along with fabulous music and dancing needs no translation. Their accompanying musicians are note perfect and the ladies themselves surprise and delight with their musicianship, playing a variety of instruments from violins to recorders.
An evening of delightful contrasts ranging from foot tapping up beat numbers to more sombre tales, a fabulous evening spent in Fairyland with the beautiful Medieaval Baebes leading us by the hand.
Sheila Vanloo
May 2010
The Stranglers
The Cornish have a long standing passion for guitar bands, so it was no surprise when The Stranglers became one of the fastest selling Du Maurier gigs ever. Unjustly branded an elitist festival, the arrival of The Men In Black and an army of young and not so young Punks, firmly kicked the ‘too posh’ tag into touch.
Many years have passed since the heady days of the band’s Coliseum gigs, but their arrival on stage rolled back the years as if they’d never been gone – and in truth they haven’t. One of the finest live bands ever, the boys have toured and endured, living proof that aggressive rock continues to demand huge audiences.
And so began a night of classic Punk anthems, from 'Nice n Sleazy' to 'Down In The Sewer', 'Peaches' to 'Get A Grip' – the songs we all know and love came tumbling across the arena. Slick, professional, but maintaining the hard edged rawness that first brought them to the forefront of the Punk scene, the boys ripped it up with the same kick ass attitude of old.
Baz Warne, after 10 years with the band, is now firmly entrenched as vocalist and guitarist, JJ Burnel still has all the moves as he pounds out his instantly recognisable and fabulous bassline sound. Jet Black, now an incredible 70 years young, worked those drums better than a 25 year old and Dave Greenfield caressed the keyboards to their distinctive Stranglers best.
The crowd loved every minute of this amazing set, arms raised high, singing loudly and dancing their hearts out – nobody wanted the music to end, but inevitably it must. And what a finale, as fans roared for more the boys hit the stage running straight into their cover of All Day And All Of The Night before closing the set with No More Heroes.
Thankfully, there are music heroes out there in these dark days of trash telly and bimbo wannabees – they come in the form of great bands like The Stranglers, long may they reign.
Grooveyard
Local funksters, Grooveyard, were a fitting choice to support The Stranglers at Du Maurier 2010. With a wealth of live appearances with the likes of The Who, Geno Washington, Elton John and Peter Gabriel to name but a few – these talented musicians are as comfortable on the big stage as in the local pub.
Taking classic tracks from the catalogues of Stevie Wonder, The Meters, James Taylor and Steely Dan, Grooveyard give them another twist fusing them into jazz/funk numbers that are completely different to the originals, but still instantly recognisable.
Joe Partridge and Dave Quinn have worked together for 40 years and spent happy times alongside the late and much missed Al Hodge in The Mechanics. Joe and Dave play almost as one on stage, each knowing instinctively when to melt back and let the other shine. Dave has his own distinctive, classy sound on bass, while Joe is a master on lead guitar.
A terrific performance from PeeWee Hollis on keyboards, his rich sounds have earned him respect wherever he goes, with the set perfectly kept together by fine drummer Pete Nicholls.
Grooveyard opened for The Stranglers with a typically polished performance which will have gained them some new fans.
To find out more and listen to their music, check them out at myspace.com/grooveyardfunk
Sheila Vanloo
May 2010
Dr Phil's Rude Health Show - Dr. Phil Hammond
If laughter really is the best medicine, then the Du Maurier audience for the final show of the Festival were all fighting fit on leaving the theatre.
Dr. Phil has become legendary for telling the horrifying truth about the National Health Service and the politics within it, a thorn in the side of the powers that be.
A qualified GP, Dr. Phil still sees patients once a week – more for the comedy material than for the patients I feel, but who cares? His stories of medical school antics make you wonder how any student actually manages to qualify as a Doctor; Phil himself was nicknamed Dr.Ten Thumbs because of his totally useless hand/eye co-ordination – thank goodness he quickly realised that brain surgery was not his forte.
Dr.Phil’s look at everything from politicians to drugs, sex and death is subversive and extremely funny – he takes on the establishment and finds it seriously lacking in caring for either the NHS or the people who use it.
Dr. Phil’s graphic anecdotes of childbirth and advice on pleasuring yourself in safe and sustainable ways are not for the prudish amongst us, but his 2 hour show is more life affirming than any trip to the surgery.
Sheila Vanloo
May 2010
Du Maurier Festival 2010
Dr. Phil Hammond closed the Du Maurier Festival on Saturday night and the laughter he left behind is just one small part of this year’s wonderful extravaganza. Festival 2010 was a special year with authors ranging from chicklit writers to historians, talks about food, global warming, Britain’s history, the Royal Navy and the British Army.
Audiences were treated to an amazing array of drama by local theatre groups and Bec Applebee’s performance as Mary Bryant brought the first ever standing ovation for an afternoon performance on the main stage.
We enjoyed performance walks and trips on the river, ghost stories in pubs and free music on the town quay. Lostwithiel’s Fringe Fest mixed food and samba dancers with the best local bands for a free 12 hour binge of dancing and singing.
The music in the Festival theatre varied from Julian Lloyd-Webber’s dexterity on the cello to an amazing night with The Stranglers that nobody wanted to end.
People travel from all over the globe for the Du Maurier Festival, some making the same trip every year; I met visitors from Singapore, France, America and Canada rubbing shoulders with folks from Polruan and St. Mawes. Who would have thought that a small Festival dedicated to the memory of an author could reach the heady heights of a worldwide reputation that attracts the brightest stars from every genre?
Sheila Vanloo
May 2010
Du Maurier Festival Reviews - Copyright Sheila Vanloo, Station Manager, Radio St Austell Bay.
Du Maurier Festival Reviews - 2009
Sheila Vanloo writes :
Morse & Me
Colin Dexter was an inspired choice as the opening performance of this year’s Du MaurierFestival. Author of Inspector Morse, Colin created possibly the greatest and most populardetective stories of modern times.
Now in his 80’s, deaf, almost blind and a little shaky on his pins, Colin has lost none of thesharp wit and intelligence that made Morse such compelling reading and viewing. Colin is asuperb raconteur, recalling anecdotes from his long life with a wry smile and a glint in his eye. His greatest sadness in life was having to leave the teaching job he loved when he became deaf, even telling the story today he finds it hard to mask this loss.
Naturally, the talk was filled with stories of Morse, from the writing of the first book – which he started in a B & B on a wet holiday in Wales, through to the filming of the iconic series.Colin recalled hilarious stories from his times on location with the film crew, the great friendship he developed with John Thaw and the terrible sadness everyone felt when John died.
Colin Dexter held a packed audience in the palm of his hand for 90 minutes and it was a privilege to listen to his words. A terrific start to our favourite festival.
Does My Bum Look Big In This?
Star of The Fast Show, Harry Enfield & Chums, Posh Nosh and much more, Arabella Weir charmed the Du Maurier Festival audience for 90 minutes. Reading passages from her hilarious novels before opening the floor to questions, Arabella’s quick wit was warmly welcomed. Satirical comments on the personalities of well known M.P’s, not to mention their ludicrous expense claims, were greeted with huge applause. Hard to believe that this funny and happy lady also stars in ‘Grumpy Old Women’, but Arabella was quick to point out that she’s never grumpy and it’s all tongue in cheek for the cameras – who knew?
Icing on the cake for fans is that Arabella is busy writing a new series of Posh Nosh, but is extending the family to include David Tennant as a reformed drug addict who now breeds pigs on the estate. I can’t wait!
Chaplin
Written and Performed by Pip Utton
Never a fan of Chaplin, I was intrigued to watch Pip Utton’s one man show about the man who created ‘The Tramp’ and would forever remain so in the eyes of his adoring public
.
Pip portrayed the private Chaplin brilliantly, set on the day of Chaplin’s death, Pip allows Chaplin to recall his life and the sadness he carried throughout. His fame was long lived, but he questions whether anyone loved him for himself. Born in poverty in London he attained stardom in the silent movies, but led a colourful life during which he was branded a pervert for his penchant for young women and a Communist for his left wing outbursts.
Beautifully crafted by Pip seamlessly interweaving live monologue with film, the Du Maurier audience were treated to a personal insight into one of the most famous men in movie history.
Cornish Lads
Performed by Cornwall Songwriters
As if proof were needed that Cornish performers are an essential and popular ingredient of the Du Maurier Festival, ‘Cornish Lads’ sold out two performances at Fowey Town Hall, with people outside begging to be allowed in long after seats were filled.
These wonderful singer/songwriters told the story of our rich history with song and comedy, gripping the audience from the first note. Reminding us that Cornwall was once the richest mining area in the world, driven by our industrious ancestors – many of whom were forced to emigrate as the mines closed and the fishing was taken away.
A fabulous 90 minutes spent in the company of men and women with pride in their step and a song in their hearts, locals and visitors alike roared their approval throughout the show.
Cornish Lads is touring until September, check their website for upcoming dates and venues
Johnny Kingdom
What an amazing character Johnny Kingdom is! He literally bounced onto the stage at the Du Maurier Festival, dressed in his famous camouflage garb and sporting his feathered hat, Johnny held the packed theatre in the palm of his hand.
What you see is very much what you get with this lovely Devonian, he delighted in telling stories of his early childhood and how, at the age of seven, he caught moles to sell their skins for money to help his family out.
Now aged 70 – although he appears much younger, Johnny has spent many years promoting the saving of our wildlife and countryside. This passion for life has brought him international fame via his television documentaries and his books are best sellers.
Johnny Kingdom is a national treasure – a true British eccentric when we have so few, a born storyteller, the Du Maurier audience were left feeling as if they had passed away a couple of hours with an old friend.
Kettleboys & Captains
Cribhut Theatre
I was delighted to learn that Cribhut had resurrected Kettleboys and Captains for their contribution to this year’s Du Maurier Festival. Although this production contains small changes to the original, playwright Rod Tinson and his team bring us another chance to enjoy this wonderful story of our mining heritage.
Exploring the history of Cornwall’s China Clay industry, the drama unfolds to recount tales of hard lives, early deaths and poverty. From the discovery of Cornwall’s white gold in the mid 18th century, through wars and hunger the story serves as a stark reminder of the cruel and dust ridden lives our ancestors endured to dig the clay. Although dealing with harsh reality, this isn’t a miserable play – far from it, filled with comedy and song the story proves how hard times formed close knit communities which are lost forever.
The two hour performance provided a wealth of laughter alongside heart breaking tales, including the arrival in 1913 of Stocker’s vicious coppers sent to destroy the miners’ strike with violence and hatred in their hearts.
With our mining rapidly diminishing to almost a thing of the past Kettleboys and Captains is a timely reminder of it’s heyday and importance.
My Judy Garland Life
Susie Boyt captivated the Du Maurier theatre with the background to her latest book, ‘My Judy Garland Life’. Susie Boyt would, on paper, seem to have fortunate beginnings – great granddaughter of Sigmund Freud, daughter of artist Lucien Freud and his wife Susie.
Susie senior, herself an artist, was forced to sell second hand clothes to feed her brood of five children. Susie junior was shy and sensitive and at the very early age of three identified herself with the sad, but beautiful, Judy Garland. Susie’s passion for Judy became almost obsessive, but not in a bad, stalker-like way; Susie identified with Judy and used the frail star as ‘her imaginary friend’, confiding her innermost thoughts and secrets.
A charming talk by a self-effacing and lovely lady wearing a stunning pair of red glittery stilettos, but not, thankfully, the blue gingham dress!
Dew Vardh – Two Poets
Pol Hodge & Bert Biscoe
Take two proud and funny Cornishmen, let them loose on Festival devotees and you have the perfect Sunday afternoon.
Pol and Bert entertained a packed theatre with their poems, narratives and songs – both in our Kernewek language and the other one that most of us understand! Their work looks back on the history of Cornwall with comedy and feeling, seamlessly moving from past to present day issues; from second homes and tourists to seagulls and the new Council, from laws made in England to town centre chaos, the two entertainers covered subjects that touch the lives of Cornish people everywhere.
Despite being strongly rooted in Cornish and all things Kernewek – a surprising number of visitors sat amongst the locals and laughed as loudly as the rest of us. Pol and Bert proved that Cornish entertainers can stand proud and tall amongst the more famous names at the Du Maurier Festival. A Sunday afternoon well spent.
That Awkward Age
Roger McGough took Du Maurier fans on a ramble through his poems and our lives in a warm and witty show. With poems from childhood through to teenage angst, parental worry and old age with death lurking round every corner, Roger is a truly masterful writer and narrator, Linking his poems with true stories and the famous Liverpool wit, Roger captivated the audience in a way that no other poet of our time can.
My only question is; "Why has this man of poetry and the people never been given the richly deserved accolade of Poet Laureate?". Answers please!
Show of Hands
Phil Beer and Steve Knightley, along with special guest Miranda Sykes, played to a capacity audience at this year’s DuMaurier Festival. And why wouldn’t they? Held in high regard by such luminaries as Johnny Walker, Peter Gabriel and Jools Holland, the Devonian boys know how to give their fans a great night out.
From the moment Phil and Steve played their first note, the fans joined in, clapping and singing along – leaving the cold recession outside the theatre and finding instead a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Miranda Sykes regularly appears with Show of Hands and fits like a glove, adding her own warm vocals and bass playing to their already strong mix.
Having worked hard for 15 years, it seems incredible that this is their first visit to Du Maurier – with luck and the new Cornwall Council casting a favourable eye on Fowey, it won’t be the last.
Du Maurier Festival Reviews - Copyright Sheila Vanloo, Station Manager, Radio St Austell Bay.
