True Romances
Marilyn Cutts Vivien Care Mark Adams Kirsty Bennett
Between the two large-scale Cockpit shows, Just Good Friends and Homes And Gardens, I worked on a piece for much smaller resources. True Romances had a cast of three with the pianist for the piece also contributing as a character.
True Romances was suggested by a rather boozy lunch I had had with a friend who was trying to split up with a married man to whom she was the mistress (bizarrely, they had invited me along to referee).
The story
The action of the musical takes place mainly in a wine bar. The Dicksons have been married for 25 years with Marian totally unaware of the string of affairs carried out by her husband Richard. When Richard falls in love with Jane, the next in line, things become more complicated.
Rehearsed readings and demo
The piece was put into the bottom drawer for several years, only emerging for a rehearsed reading in Wellingborough in 1995.
When I joined what was then the Mercury Workshop and is now Mercury Musical Developments, I had the chance of a full rehearsed reading to an enthusiastic audience at the Musical Futures festival in May 2000. The roles of Richard, Marian and Jane were played by Mark Adams, Kirsty Bennett and Vivien Care with Mark Etherington as wine bar pianist and MD.
A demo of the piece was made at Mark Warman’s Carleton Studio. Mark Adams and Vivien Care reprised the roles of Richard and Jane with Marilyn Cutts playing Marian and Mark Warman himself as musical director. (I sang the pianist’s song.)
The Seduction Scene and Marian’s Rap
In the Seduction Scene, Jane is waiting for Richard in the wine bar, each hoping to “accidentally” bump into one another. Shortly afterwards we hear Marian giving her bakery class (Marian’s Rap); Jane and Richard are otherwise engaged.
Listen to the Seduction Scene:
Listen to Marian’s Rap:
