We included my pirate hat and parrot - but the crutches are out of sight on the floor...!!!
At least I don't have a wooden leg.
Yet.
IT'S the first time I have done a signing "at home" so here I am getting stuck in to a pile of books to get them back to the museum in time for Pirate Day next week.
We included my pirate hat and parrot - but the crutches are out of sight on the floor...!!! At least I don't have a wooden leg. Yet.
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I was all geared up - parrot at the ready, Patrick instructed in his supporting role as Book Holder to the Gentry - for Pirate Day at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich when Life decided to imitate Art, which is why I am currently hopping around on crutches...
But as I could not get to the signing, the signing has very thoughtfully come to me - via an enormous parcel of books which I have to inscribe and return pronto... You'd think signing books would be easy, but actually I find it requires enormous concentration when doing a whole pile or you find your mind wandering off the subject in hand... Only the other day I was just about to sign myself Geraldine Mahoney for instance. Although I have borne my husband's name for more than twice the length of time I carried my father's, suddenly there was my maiden name itching to come out of the end of my pen more than four decades after I surrendered it for a life of marital bliss! Odd! WHEN Spanish and Catalan versions of Pirate Gran and the Monsters finally arrived I learnt that cabin boy in Spanish is "grumete".
And I will always now think of Patrick as he is romantically recorded in the dedications - "el capitan de mi barco..." A "capitan" who - as it turns out - is not too proud to swab the decks during my temporary (I hope) period hors de combat on crutches... IF you love books, you love Waterstone's, and I've spent many happy hours browsing at my local East Grinstead branch. I once spent a glorious £350 there, after I won book vouchers in a poetry competition and I was like a kid in a sweetshop trying to decide which books I was going to adopt and take home with me. But before I embarked, somewhat accidentally, on authorship as opposed to journalism, I never once imagined I would one day see one of my own books in our local branch... So I was especially thrilled to pop in recently and see all three of my Pirate Gran series featured in a table display...and - if you look very carefully - two shelves below the Hungry Caterpillar, another of my favourite books, at the back of the shop. All the titles went into reprint ahead of the stage show...and I am pinching myself just in case I discover that Life has been confusing me with someone else after all! But in the meantime I'm as grateful as I am surprised...which in both instances is VERY! www.familyfourfun.co.uk/2014/04/pirate-gran-on-tour-at-the-greenwich-theatre Pirate Gran on tour at The Greenwich Theatre… April 18, 2014 · by Family Four Fun WHEN we hear that Scamp Theatre is putting on a production we know we’re in for a treat; from the emotional and hard-hitting Private Peaceful to cheery and heart-warming Stick Man the children have been hooked from start to end. Pirate Gran suggested for children aged 3+ and their shipmates of all ages appealed to the whole family who still sing the ‘Stick Man’ song so we all headed off together for the show. It didn’t disappoint in the slightest - the children were hooked from start to end with The Greenwich Theatre making a perfect setting. The actors often looked like they were directly addressing the children and made them feel a part of the action and fun throughout. There was lots of fun from Pirate Gran who bakes, knits, pampers her pet and little pirates all with a strong-hearty – yarrr!! Gran is an ex-champion at the Pirate games and no stranger to adventure is tempted back onto the seas by the family. Their journey teaches them the strength in facing and overcoming your fears. Fifi at just 2, sat in silence on the edge of her seat listening to the story, particularly delighted by Gran’s pet ‘Nippy’. The other children were fascinated by the changes in scenery; Gran’s living room is imaginatively transformed into the ship using lamp shades, dining tables and chairs. These touches inspire them, giving more ideas for play to continue at home bringing more than just this story to life. Pirate Gran is based on the books by Geraldine Durrant & Rose Forshall, Directed by Pieter Lawman and Produced by Scamp Theatre. Touring the UK now until 25th August 2014 – show dates, tickets and more information can be found on Scamp’s Website. IT is Easter Sunday and the Eponymous Bunny has somehow overlooked me.
Actually he probably took one look at my hips and thought "enough already!" ... And although I have now graduated from crutches to one of grandpa's discarded walking sticks this morning, I can still barely hobble so there has not been a great deal of hopping about like Spring lambs chez nous to honour the season -I'm stiff and sore from doing nothing on the sofa all day yesterday, and Patrick is stiff and sore from waiting on me so splendidly. And it's raining. And the grandbabies don't arrive until tomorrow So without sounding too melancholy - cheerful has always been my default mode - I will just say that today isn't the riot of fun that everyone else is describing on facebook this morning. So I was delighted out of all proportion by the kind word which arrived in my in-box just now thanks to the miracle of Google alerts...from The Charlottetown Guardian in Canada. I have never heard of Charlottetown - indeed I would scarcely heard of Canada except for my youthful devouring of the Anne of Green Gables series which I loved... (Which I still love, and which can still reduce me to tears when Matthew dies.) But it seems Charlottetown has heard of me - and likes me: or at least likes Pirate Gran which is in many people's minds the same thing - although I am not convinced that anyone ever confused A A Milne with Winnie the Pooh. I have never thought of Pirate Gran goes for Gold as recommended Easter reading, but the kind reviewer at The Guardian has persuaded me otherwise, commending it for "abounding in joy"... I'm a big fan of abounding in joy - and a big fan of kindness. So my thanks go to Elizabeth Cran for a short-but-lovely review - and - as the thunder crashes overhead - for spreading some Easter joy herself... Easter joy found within these books Published on April 19, 2014 ALTHOUGH none of these four books is specifically about Easter, all of them abound in joy. And joy is supposed to characterize the 50-day Easter season. Two of these books are for the children, two for older children, teenagers to you. All originate in St. John’s, which sometimes seems Canada’s capital for good books for young and old. Their names are: Pirate Gran Goes for Gold by Geraldine Durrant, illustrated by Rose Forshall (Breakwater Books, $12.95); The Wonderful Dogfish Rachet by Tom Dawe, illustrated by C. Anne MacLeod (Pennywell Books, Flanker Press, $19.95); Buried Truths by Alice Walsh, no illustrations (Tuckamore Books, Creative Book Publishing, $11.95); and Amelia and Me by Heather Stemp (Pennywell, Flanker, $17.95). For the youngest — though not the baby, try Pirate Gran. The second in its series, it tells how Gran wants to win some event at the Olympics, and how she and her crew train. But, in the end, “... Gran says the most important thing isn’t winning, it’s taking part and having fun.” Originating in Britain, the stories about Gran have been successfully exported to Newfoundland — and beyond. A true event from the ‘30s, The Wonderful Dogfish Racket is a longish cheerful poem by a famous Newfoundland writer and a well-known illustrator of children’s books. Suddenly the peaceful waters of Crosshanded Cove are invaded by dogfish, a species of small shark which eats all other edible fish. What the people of Crosshanded Cove and what finally stops this plague is the story. And C. Anne MacLeod’s wild and graphic illustrations act it out before our eyes. Addictive. Not for the squeamish or the genteel. Although Alice Walsh is a popular writer who has written many good books for almost all ages, we cannot recommend Buried Truths. Simply it’s too stressful throughout. The more peaceful episodes, such as the scene in the restaurant, the finding of the goudge (chisel) made by a Maritime Archaic Indian, and the final party still are not truly peaceful. And the stresses are of all kinds, including that one’s father who’s supposed to have drowned long ago is alive and well, and anxious to meet his daughter whom he thought had been aborted. None of this is light reading for persons of any age. Perhaps it’s meant to prepare the reader for adult life. Walsh is a good writer, her characters are believable, and her plots are well constructed, but... read at your own risk. “Amelia and Me” is much better book. Based on a true story, it tells of a Ginny girl in the small town of Harbour Grace who desperately wants to become a pilot, at a time when most people thought this was for men only. Then Amelia Earhart arrives there with her plane, and finally Ginny’s prospects brighten. It’s a positive story, despite plenty of stress, including the effects of the Depression, lots of joy and reconciliation at the end. Happy Easter to all. Elizabeth Cran is a freelance writer who writes a book review column for The Guardian. To comment or to send her books to review, write her at her new address: 95 Orange St., Apt. 101, Saint John N.B., E2L 1M5, or call her at 506-693-5498. Pirate Gran – review
posted on APRIL 16, 2014 by ANNA SAVVA in OFF WEST END, REVIEWS Our Rating: 5 stars ON tour throughout the UK until the end of May, Pirate Gran is the latest kids’ production from the award winning Scamp Theatre, following on from their previous success with the adaption of the children’s modern classic Stickman. Based on the books by Geraldine Durrant and Rose Forshall, Pirate Gran is a wonderfully colourful and imaginative family show, full of gentle humour and swashbuckling charm. With Gran’s candyfloss hair and cosy living room set, you’d never know you were about to embark on a spirited adventure on the high seas. When Gran’s three pirate friends pay a visit the set is cleverly transformed into a ship as the crew set sail on the Black Barnacle to Palm Tree Island to take part in the Pirate Games. Gran’s coffee table conceals a steering wheel, the sail is a table cloth and her house plant amusingly shape shifts into a palm tree. There’s sea shanties aplenty along the way, and gentle audience interaction when the Games kick off and gran has to bake a cannon ball to take part. There’s even some pantomime “he’s behind you” moments when the children are asked to help Gran find her pet crocodile Nippie. This is a show with a lot of chuckles. Kids really loved it, as did everyone else – the theatre was packed with all ages from 0-80. With a 50 minute running time the action never tires along the way. It’s quite a simply joy to watch. The key to Scamp Theatre’s success is their excellent choice of cast. The on stage dynamics between the four actors is great; Gran (played by Pauline Goldsmith) possesses a gentle Scottish brogue, making her on the right side of twee and all the more cosy for it. Her gentle singing voice and pirate lullabies used to sooth the pirates’ deepest fears is really lovely, and centre to anchoring down the show’s emotional heart. Peta Maurice makes a nimble, wonderfully comical and expressive Faint Hearted Jack. Jack Maurice’s Cut-Throat Malone brims with good humour and rather steals the show when he puppeteers Nippie the crocodile and reaches some impressive falsetto notes. Martyn Dempsey plays Fingers O’Malley, the loveable baritone voiced friendly giant pirate who is actually a bit of a scaredy cat. When they all come together at the end to take part in a rhythmic gymnastics skit, the physical humour is so joyful it can’t fail to bring a smile to your face. Other pirate games include blunderbuss parrot-poppin’ (using Gran’s colour duster collection as stand in), and a ditzy surreal kitchen scene where Gran casually knocks a few sea creatures into a big cooking pot. Not very PC, but providing a good dose of slapstick that is a lot of fun. When at the end of the show Gran wins Gold at the Pirate Games the show reveals itself as one with a tender message: “If you face your fears life will be a lot more fun.” A great thing to take away no matter what your age. This a deeply imaginative and warmhearted production, which comes together rather nicely. ROCKNROLLERBABY is going straight into Gran's list of people she will never set her crocodile on...
Review of Pirate Gran! by RocknRollerbaby Blog Post on April 14, 2014 I absolutely love going to the theatre with the children (you might have guessed)! I love the fact that I can introduce them to something I am so fond of at such young ages and I feel very lucky that we have such excellent children’s theatre in this country in order to do so! There’s one production company which is a cut above everyone else and when I see a show has Scamp Theatre behind it I can pretty much guarantee that it will be a stunning performance! We’ve seen lots from them in the past and never been even slightly disappointed; indeed we go back year after year at Christmas to see their ever wonderful winter production of Stick Man. It’s one of the highlights of our theatre calendar and in between we are very, very happy to go and see anything else by them! This weekend just gone we were in for a brilliant treat when we went to see Pirate Gran, Scamp’s latest offering, which is an adaption of the popular children’s books by Geraldine Durrant and Rose Forshall. The show is aimed at children aged 3 and above but Jimmy, at nearly two, is mega into Pirates and LOVED it! Pirate Gran is extremely funny, gentle and a fearsome pirate to boot! A very entertaining story with songs, comedy and a brilliantly eccentric Pirate Gran makes for very interesting and exciting viewing indeed. With stage props turning from sofa to pirate ship and more I think it gave all the children in the audience some ideas for play once back home and with a lovely story to boot, where Pirate Gran takes her little pirates to the Pirate Games we came away having had a really wonderful time! Of course! This is, as I mentioned, a Scamp production! With fabulous actors including the ‘girl pirate’ who we have seen perform with Scamp (and other companies) before and we always think is brilliant! Florence immediately said ‘Oh look, it’s her, we like her! This show, in my opinion, is set to create lots of happy pirate waves over the tour it is taking until the end of the summer. See www.scamptheatre.com for more information on this and all their productions. A brilliant show! THEIR behaviour is always appalling, but ever since they heard that Pirate Gran has set sail on her UK tour, the Two Bad Grans have been worse than ever... |
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