THE CELTIC CONNECTION * MAY 1994
Page 19
A Powerful 'BigMaggie' Gives a Strong Performance
MUSIC
BIG MAGGIE PLAYED BY LINDA MACDONALD
Confronting her children after the death of her husband
In order to silence and put Katie in her place, Maggie sets up a meeting with just the two of them. She recalls a night when Katie had been seen at a hotel, and it was noted that she spent a considerable amount of time alone with a married man. The mother even knew the hours that she had been in this man's company.
By MAURA McCAY
VANCOUVER—Stage Eireann's presentation of the John B. Keane play Big Maggie (at the Vancouver Little Theatre in April) under the direction of Dale Kelly was a powerful production.
The play opens to a scene at a graveyard, where Maggie (played by Linda Macdonald) is gathered with her children after the burial of her husband.
She holds a meeting to inform the family that things are going to be different. NowthatMaggie has her freedom, she plans to change a few things. Her offsprings want to know what they are entitled to. Their first question is "Where is the will?"
She tells them that there is no will and that a year ago, her husband signed everything over to her. This creates a storm of controversy with her children, who feel that their father had been coerced into signing away their inheritance. (
Maggie meets with considerable opposition from her eldest daughter Katie (played by Holly Stewart), who feels that her father had been the victim of blackmail by Maggie, when it was discovered that he was allegedly having an affair with another woman.
Maggie's interrogation is hard and brutal and her character is shaped on the toughness that comes from trying to survive. As the play develops, we begin to see that Maggie's ambition to take control other life and her children's lives does not necessarily result as she would like but her motives are good.
Her brutality and determined single-mindedness are the only means of survival she understands and she is also determined to save her children from themselves.
When Maurice, a travelling salesman (played by Paul Dubois) tries to take advantage of her youngest daughter Cert (played by Heidi Urdiga), Maggie intervenes by setting up Maurice in a compromising situation. Gert discovers her mother and Maurice together and is so distraught, she runs away to England to join her brother.
There were several scenes in Big Maggie which were emotionally charged. The scene with Katie when Maggie interrogates her, while beating her with a brush, is very strong. Another one is when she is confronted by her son's pregnant girlfriend and her mother.
Maggie had met her rival in this young woman, who after waiting a long time for Maggie's approval for her marriage to Maggie's son, decides to move things along by getting pregnant.
Maggie knew that she had met her match and had no intention of playing second fiddle to anyone. When confronted by the girl and her mother, Maggie reaches under a counter and produces a gun.
Throughout the play, Byrne (played by Gerry Floyd), the local tombstone carver, holds a longing admiration for Big Maggie. He asks her twice to marry him and is met with refusal each time. Although she appears disdainful, it's obvious that Maggie enjoys being asked.
After a successful run at the Vancouver Little Theatre, Big Maggie went on to be presented at the Metro Theatre during the Theatre B.C. Festival. There was an excellent turnout of support at the Metro Theatre.
Big Maggie's final soliloquy, as she talks about her life, her hopes and aspirations does go on a bit. However, it is a play not easily forgotten and one which is authentic in presenting a view of people who have known repression and compensate by strict control of the family.
Try a Hair of The Old Blind Dogs
By ALLEN McDONALD
GLASGOW — Forget the latest Jane Fonda fitness video — the best way to stay fit is to listen to Scots traditional folk music.
Dubbed "Scottish aerobics music" with its driving beat and jaunty melodies, pubs, clubs and concert halls are packed with people hoppin', boppin' and fumpin' around to jigs, reels and hornpipes.
And one of Scotland's most popular traditional folk bands Old Blind Dogs have just released their second album Close to the Bone on the Lochshore label.
The recent surge in popularity in this music genre is being put down to young people awakening to the fact that good old-fashioned, toe-tapping traditional music is the perfect way to enjoy themselves.
According to Old Blind Dogs' manager, Marj Mitchell, "the way people jump around at gigs makes it look like Scottish aerobics music. The band enjoy themselves while performing and its not long before the audience are having a great time as well — the music is so infectious."
Their album Close to the Bone is a collection of traditional Scots tunes, songs and self-penned melodies. It will take the more mature listeners back to the halcyon days of the late Sixties and Seventies, when Scots folk music players discovered the PA system, plugged in and belted out their tunes to an ever-increasing audience.
The traditional songs are a product of guitarist and vocalist Ian F. Benzie's unquenchable thirst for researching and collecting olds Scots tunes. In addition, their repertoire includes innumerable tunes picked up at the various impromptu sessions folk musicians are famed for.
The other band members are Ian F. Benzie on guitar and vocals, Jonny Hardie on fiddle, mandolin, whistle and vocals, Buzzby McMillan on cittern, banjo, bass and vocals and Dave Cattanach on percussion, drums, xylophone ana vocals.
Anyone who is suffering a hangover from disco, techno and rave music has an ideal cure at hand. Try a hair of the Old Blind Dogs.
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The Old Blind Dogs will perform at the Highland Games in Vancouver on June 25. Call (604) 263-9911 for details.
lris(> Culturaii)odety
64S2 35 Avenue N.w.» Calgary. Alberta T3B 1S6 (403)288-8641
June 4 — Folk Concert - Alberta Talent
Contact Sean (403) 282-6717 June 11-12 — Gaelic Football Tournament Contact John (403) 288-3210 June 16 — Bloomsday (James Joyce)
Contact Chris (403) 293-5840
and The Celtic Music Event of the Year Coming August 5, the Alias Ron Cavana Band, Four Men and a Dog, Terry Clarke/Henry McCullagh
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (403) 288-8641
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