Hi ............. my name is Lillian, and I want to introduce my blog to you.
I also want to introduce my friends to you:
Mike Scott-Harding (who's a brilliant singer), and Gerrard Martin (an amazing dancer).
Together they are known as biggerthanME, and they do different types of arts shows.
I met them in June 2008 when I went to see a show that they did called 'Rage & Breathe' at Oval House Theatre in SW London.
It was a 'multi-media dance/theatre piece' ......... at least that's what it said on the leaflet.
It had Gerrard (with some his own choreography) and 2 other dancers.
It also had Mike playing guitar and singing, and it had recorded music, and a film projected on a screen at the back ........ I think they made the film themselves as well.
It was really good !!
I went with my Uncle Seymour who's known Mike for years.
Being a Christian, I was a bit nervous that the subject matter seemed to be about homosexuality.
But, having seen it, I thought it dealt with the topics of urban alienation, love, loneliness, and sexual-identity quite well.
The music was good, and so was the dancing.
Afterwards, Uncle Seymour introduced me to Mike And Gerrard.
Actually, I spoke to Gerrard first ..... he's really cute, if a little old for me (lol).
Anyway, I told them that I really liked their work and it was a shame that more people weren't there to see it.
They seemed quite positive, though, and said 'that's just how the arts are sometimes ......!'.
(Hmmmmm ........ Uncle Seymour seems to say the same thing, so that's why I'm never going to get into it!
I'm just going to study hard and get a good, stable career, please God)
Anyway, I asked them what they were doing next, and they didn't seem to know, so they started asking me some questions about myself.
So , I began to tell them the story of me, my life, and my diary.
Occasionally, they would look at eachother, as if they were 'sizing me up'.
I told them how it told the story of my family, and our lives working
(and living above) a take-away pattie-shop in Brixton, South London from the mid 1990's.
Now, for those of you who don’t know, what a ‘pattie’ is, its a Jamaican pastry …….
sort of like a ‘cornish pasty’ ….. but with more flavour (lol).
Mike said talking to me was making him feel hungry, but Gerrard seemed really interested in my story, so we swapped numbers and I arranged to meet up with them to discuss an idea.
We said goodbye to Mike and Gerrard (with Mike chastising Uncle Seymour for being a 'stranger'), and left for home, both of us having been thoroughly entertained, and me feeling quite excited.
I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what they had in mind, but they seemed really nice (and very talented) so they came by the shop the next week to 'interview' me.
They said that they wanted to hear all about my life, my family, and my diary and were interested in turning it into a 'play', or a 'music-theatre' piece.
I was flabbergasted !
I mean who would be interested in the diary of a 17 year old Black, Briitsh girl in a Brixton pattie-shop?
And who would make a 'musical' about it?
And who would come to see it?
They just looked at eachother, and then looked at me and said:
"Us !",
"Us !",
and ....... "Them !"
I don't know why but, at that moment, I felt I could trust them so I started to tell them about my Diary.......
I told them how it told the story of me, and my family, running and living above this take-away pattie-shop in Brixton (South London) in the mid 90's.
I started with my Mum, Adassa.
About how fabulous she was ....... how she runs the place …… and the family.
About how strong, smart, and loving she is.
And about how I pray that she gets back all the love that she’s given out.
They already knew my Uncle Seymour
(my Mum’s older brother),
but they still wanted to hear about him from me.
I told them how he was the chef, and co-owner of the place,
and how he used to be in show-business (hence him already knowing Mike).
He’s always got something to say on any topic.
Some people think that he’s a little flambouyant, but he just seems like my Uncle Seymour to me:
‘Fresh and Fabulous’.
Then I talked about Marcus (my half-brother).
Mike and Gerrard seemed quite interested in him.
He helped out with deliveries and collections.
He’s older than me, but sometimes I felt that he’s still had …… issues.
Anyway, his heart’s in the right place …….. even if his head wasn’t, sometimes!
Then I had to mention Jack.
He was Marcus’ ‘friend’.
When I mentioned him, Mike & Gerrard looked at eachother and smiled .......
I suppose he is quite funny, though.
He always seemed to be trying so hard to be ‘black’, and he always seemed to be around.
Sometimes I wondered what he and Marcus were cooking up.
Anyway, he seemed quite nice and, I told them, 'if he makes my brother happy, then he’s ok with me.
Then I went on to discuss Patience.
She helped out in the shop …… serving out food ….. and ……. gossip!
I told her that her mouth would get her into trouble one day.
I told the guys some of the things that she said, and they just laughed .......
they kept on wanting to hear more about her.
She tended to be a little bit …… outspoken.
She liked to air her views …… and other peoples’ news !
How did she put it:
“It’s not gossip ……. the public has a right to know !”
I wasn't convinced but …… well …… she is a friend........ and the guys said that she would 'provide great comedy-value'.
Ah …… then I talked about my Dad …… Zephaniah.
I spoke about how he’d been away for quite a while during my childhood.
Nobody would tell me exactly where ….. or why.
I told them about how he suddenly just turned up, and about how things were never the same again.
I told them that he had come back a 'born-again Christian', and wanted to be part of the family again ........
and how Mum, Uncle Seymour, and Marcus were very wary of him.
I told Mike and Gerrard how excited I was when he came back (especially him having been 'saved').
He may not have been a saint, but everybody can change …… can’t they?
Mike and Gerrard never did answer my question ........ they were too busy writing.
Then they wanted me to talk about me.
So, I started to treat it like one of those 'careers mock-interviews' ...:
'My name’s Lillian.
I help out a little at the shop, but Mum doesn’t let me work there too much.
“Get an education”, she keeps on saying.
“I don’t want yu working in no ‘pattie-shop’ at my age !”
So, as Marcus keeps saying, it’s just ……. ‘church and college’ for me.
Plus, Mum’s a little over-protective, due to my having ‘sickle-cell anaemia’.
But I’ve got too many things to do to let it stop me !
As Uncle Seymour says:
“If you just sit and wait, nothing changes …… just the date!” '
I looked up and I think my stream-of-consciousness seemed to catch them by surprise.
They were looking at me with open mouths.
I said:
"You’ll have to excuse me ….. I tend to get a little passionate about my loved ones".
They told me that it was fine, and that kind of passion and love was just what they were looking for.
They asked how often I wrote in the diary.
I told them that I write in it whenever I can and that all the major events in the pattie-shop are recorded.
They said that they thought that my diary was a 'priceless artifact', and that they could turn it into a great music-theatre piece, and it would become 'a snap-shot of a Black family in South London at the end of a century!'
They seemed quite excited and, even though I thought they were a little crazy, I couldn't help liking them and sharing some of their enthusiasm.
I promised to help them with any information that they wanted and they, in turn, promised to keep me informed about further developments.
They seemed quite positive about things, and left with a smile.
I told Uncle Seymour about the meeting later, and he suggested that I might want to start a blog about the development of the piece.
I told him that I didn't have time, what with all my college-work, church, and writing in my diary.
(I'll be honest I didn't think that anything was going to come of it, especially as they didn't seem to have enough money to put a musical on)
But the 'biggerthanME' boys have really pulled off some miracles over the last year.
They have written the script (well quite a few drafts), written about 12 original songs, assembled potential cast-members and directors, had several read-throughs, gathered interest from several theatres and arts organisations (including Stratford Theatre Royal, Birmingham Rep, Talawa Arts), scripted and recorded a promo/trailer (with the help of a fabulous visual-artist called RasConrad), and are going off to 'Decibel 2009' this Wednesday 17th September to pitch 'Pattie shop' to any delegates who might want to finance it (!).
WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After all their hard work, I just HAD to find time to write a blog about it.
So, after all that, this is my introduction for my ' Pattie-Shop Diaries Blog'.
I shall be keeping you informed of all things 'Pattie' (lol).
As Mike, Gerrard, (and now) RasConrad give me any new information, I shall put it straight in my diary .........
and then I'll put updates in this blog.
After all, The Diary' comes first (lol).
Speak to you all soon.
Much Love,
Lillian xxx
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