Joan, Babs and Shelagh too, Zoo, Southside Center, 14.55 until the 31st Aug

I'd never been abducted before and there's not much I can say about it but I first heard about Joan, Babs and Shelagh too at CD Maxima, another Concious Theatre production.  It was laced in secrecy but did involve psychological games which left you thinking for yourself.  Blindfolded and led by a troupe of Guantanamo bay like guards, with altered white y fronts for balaclavas, we were taken around Edinburgh in blacked out vans and Taxi's, never knowing what was real or not but I'll not divulge too much.  We were sworn to secrecy, ( I don't want them to come back in the middle of the night!)  I should include that there was an instance that even the authorities were convinced by the charade.  They had attended the scene along with the chief of Police.
it wasn't far off what Robert Anton Wilson and his cronies were up too! Fnord!

It was on the way back that I'd met the director and producer of the show, gemskii, she was also doing a show in a blacked out venue in the Southside center.  I'd didn't know what I'd be seeing but I knew I'd like it.  Joan Littlewood? I'd never heard of this woman and we were encouraged from the start that this didn't matter.  And it didn't, we had a run through of her life, from her turbulent life as a illegitimate child abused by her alcoholic mother, to her wandering the streets and lanes of England until she landed, through chance, at RADA in London.  This performance was acted out in the first person, the second person, narrated by everyone involved, but somehow with only one woman.  I had judged that this would be clever but I never expected everything.  Joan Littlewood was something of a revolutionary, setting up the first ever theatre union and travelling Europe during the war.  Shadow puppet dancing was included to describe her relationship with Ewan MacColl and there was an awesome impersonation of Barbara Windsor.  Even this was fascinating and her character explained how even though this woman, Joan, was a 'bitch' she liked working for her, the character study was pretty amazing and the fact that it was complemented by a massive wig made it funny. The show had been more serious up to this point and it demonstrated the many talents of gemskii.  I knew little about Bab's either apart from the Carry On movies and her work on the BBC's Eastenders.  It was nice to sit here and learn more of her and her past.  This show really had everything and was run at the last minuet by one woman.  You can see that she has grit and determination, something she probably had before but is something we can all learn from the story of Joan Littlewood. I loved this show you can buy tickets here.