Film, Theatre, TV – part two

Let us skirt quickly over the rejections – and the small cameos in big shows most notably with Wayne Sleep – and move on to stage two of the career. Securing a place in the cast of a musical led to receiving a much coveted Equity card and subsequently to a place in the resident company of the Albany Empire Theatre, Deptford. Labelled with Love was the musical, Squeeze the band whose album inspired it. Luckly the choreographer, Greta Mendez, was a woman Limerick had worked with before. Understanding a choreographic style can be the difference between job and no job. Skipping over rehearsals we arrive at curtain up and a warm reception by audiences and critics. (See here for a bucket load of reviews.)

A number of faces that would become well known passed through the Albany during that time. Eamonn Walker, Danny John-Jules and Jimmi Harkishin were fellow thespians who gained renown, appearing on TV. Didi Hopkins who ran her own company for several years is still a great innovator and influence in theatre, as this quote from the3rdimagazine.co/uk’s article attests.

Didi Hopkins . . . . is still straddling the great divide. An experienced practitioner and expert in the performance of  Commedia dell’Arte,  Didi has been a huge influence on the National Theatre’s One Man Two Guvnors, working with the writer, Richard Bean, who took the original Italian popular play ‘Servant of Two Masters’ and updated it to the 1960’s so successfully that it has toured, moved to the west end, is going to broadway and opening with a second cast in London. Didi has run onstage masterclasses to link the play with its’ roots and the National Theatre made five films about her practice that can be viewed on youtube or downloaded from itunes.

(The complete article can be viewed here.)

At some point in the mid 80’s alison limerick was asked to appear in an Opera. Excerpts from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, reworked by Howard Goodall for non operatic voices, were to be performed on the South Bank Show. Always up for a challenge the willing singer embarked upon a new journey with her accustomed joi de vivre and when asked to belt out a few of the higher notes during the recording (the cast were performing and singing live in the studio – as they say), La Limerick obliged.

The LWT production was a great learning experience and fun to do. It also lead to Ms Limerick’s voice appearing on the closing theme of the Black Adder III series. Howard Goodall wrote the music and made the call when he next needed an extra voice. Yes, getting work is too often about who you know or more correctly, who knows that you even exist.

The last port of call to be included in this bit of historical trivia is a place that should rightfully have been somewhere nearer the top or in the music section of the website but it was such a brief and sideways endeavor that it almost got left out altogether. If it was omitted however, somebody out there in internet land was bound to write and complain, so here ’tis.

After trying to make ends meet as a dancer then taking the first steps onto the musical theatre stage, Alison Limerick was employed to go on tour with Tom Robinson, at the time a forthright champion of the Gay Rights movement. Mr Robinson – or whoever had thought up the idea for the comeback tour – had decided that, to make the show extra-ordinary, they would employ a singer who could dance, especially as the first gig on the ‘War Baby Tour’ was to be in the Assembly Rooms at the Edinburgh Festival; a suitably theatrical venue and event. Ms limerick was duly auditioned and employed and soon enough the tour began. The band played, Limerick danced, trying hard to save enough breath for singing, and the show went down a storm in Edinburgh. The tour, started in the UK then went around Europe, by road.

Singing background vocals for the Tom Robinson band was another learning experience that would serve the singer well in times to come. Understanding the why and wherefore of a sound check, knowing how to blend with another voice, even on a loud stage; learning how to get some rest while sitting upright in a tour bus and above all learning the necessity of vocal maintenance. Warming up, not overtaxing the voice in the bar after a good show, drinking enough water to replace the moisture lost while singing . . and the many benefits of sleep. All these things would be useful when the time came to strike out, doing something more personal.

Overall a good start to a career that would be put on hold by events which would change not just the road on which Alison Limerick traveled but the whole map.

If you can stand a little more history read  Interesting Times.

Posted on: 30th July 2024