Tuesday 20 June
Tonight is a visit to the Globe Playhouse. Nope, not that one, but the quarter sized replica created by Disney for a film set here way back when. This still lives vivid in the memories here, such are quantities of events too numerous to mention.
Anyway, the Louisbourg Playhouse, as it’s now known, was resited near our wharf after the film wrapped, and is now a thriving musical arts centre during the summer months. We are to be entertained by a three piece Cape Breton group, electric piano, fiddle and guitar. And they are excellent – even the front man’s jokes are told so badly, they’re good! The music is composed within the last 20 or so years, apart from rejigged oldies, so happily for the audience, I can’t hum along. And it swings! The influence is strongly Scottish, so we have reels, jigs and probably my favourite – strathspeys.
The audience tonight is: a small baby, bouncing and singing on her mother’s lap, a handful of locals, J and I, and a couple of tour coaches of golden oldies (some of whom had thought they were going to see a play – surprise!). The toons are introduced by the fiddler, whose accent is nothing of North America, but a mix from the Old World - Scottish, Irish and gaelic undertone. Cape Breton is on the edge – between worlds.
The music gathers speed as it goes – as it gets faster and faster, so the girl on the piano bounces higher on her seat, and the fiddler’s time keeping leg – tap-a-tap-a-tap – is joined by his other leg, jumping in unison. Oh, away go our feet, keeping up with the exuberant acceleration.
At half time, we halflings in the pit are treated to complimentary cups of tea and oatcakes, served in the gallery upstairs, overlooking the hexagonal apron stage. There is an exhibition of plasticene lighthouses in CD covers by the local schoolchildren – one of them has detailed seagulls, even down to the feet and legs in tiny coloured rolls of dough.
The audience for the second half is much diminished – one of the tour buses has a schedule to keep to – and there is another exodus of snowbirds half way through the last few toons. It’s a bit sparse now, but we clap twice as loudly to make up, and even get an encore. I love it. And so back to the boat and to bed.
Anyway, the Louisbourg Playhouse, as it’s now known, was resited near our wharf after the film wrapped, and is now a thriving musical arts centre during the summer months. We are to be entertained by a three piece Cape Breton group, electric piano, fiddle and guitar. And they are excellent – even the front man’s jokes are told so badly, they’re good! The music is composed within the last 20 or so years, apart from rejigged oldies, so happily for the audience, I can’t hum along. And it swings! The influence is strongly Scottish, so we have reels, jigs and probably my favourite – strathspeys.
The audience tonight is: a small baby, bouncing and singing on her mother’s lap, a handful of locals, J and I, and a couple of tour coaches of golden oldies (some of whom had thought they were going to see a play – surprise!). The toons are introduced by the fiddler, whose accent is nothing of North America, but a mix from the Old World - Scottish, Irish and gaelic undertone. Cape Breton is on the edge – between worlds.
The music gathers speed as it goes – as it gets faster and faster, so the girl on the piano bounces higher on her seat, and the fiddler’s time keeping leg – tap-a-tap-a-tap – is joined by his other leg, jumping in unison. Oh, away go our feet, keeping up with the exuberant acceleration.
At half time, we halflings in the pit are treated to complimentary cups of tea and oatcakes, served in the gallery upstairs, overlooking the hexagonal apron stage. There is an exhibition of plasticene lighthouses in CD covers by the local schoolchildren – one of them has detailed seagulls, even down to the feet and legs in tiny coloured rolls of dough.
The audience for the second half is much diminished – one of the tour buses has a schedule to keep to – and there is another exodus of snowbirds half way through the last few toons. It’s a bit sparse now, but we clap twice as loudly to make up, and even get an encore. I love it. And so back to the boat and to bed.
posted by susyrosy @ 5:48 pm
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