The Royal Writers

A Nottingham Festival of Words event

‘We all love words and that’s why we’re here.’ Ann Hill.

The Theatre Royal’s over 55s Creative Writing Group, or as they now wish to be called, The Royal Writers, delivered an entertaining hour of prose, poetry and monologues. After an opening limerick, Robbie Rob sang the blues, complete with a chorus line:

‘I have a good life, completely absent of pain,

I have a good life, completely absent of pain,

If it carries on like this, will I ever sing the blues again?’

The variety and pace didn’t let up as we eavesdropped upon a teenage conversation, scripted by Chrissy Thornhill, with The Boyfriend. Shut Up! Innit.

The Frances Cornford poem, To a Fat Lady seen from the Train, is answered individually in the form of romance, poignancy and surprise, before another limerick, this one on the theory of relativity, brought us full circle: ‘…set out one day, in a relative way, and arrived the previous night.’

Act two was introduced by Ann Hill, who succinctly put it, ‘We all love words and that’s why we’re here.’ Marvelous. And, from the evidence of this, they all love performing, too.

Sue Pickles spoke of a hemorrhaging shed, a shed with indigestion, in an expertly constructed tale of four parts and numerous interjections – a piano away from Victoria Wood. Photography successfully accompanied many of these performances, not least when a huge spider made an appearance; Jenny Holliday informing us that it is an Australian arachnid, or, as the Aussie’s call it, a lawn bandit or an ambulance chaser.  

The final act welcomed three more writers to the stage and began with some punchy role play, set amid a break in. Robbie Robb may have stolen act one but it was Pamela Senior that stole the hour. After an inspired comic turn she later delivered a deeply moving piece about dementia.

Chrissy Thornhill, Pamela Senior, Wendy Haynes, Particia Stoat, Ann Hill, Robbie Rob, Jenny Holliday, Barbara Watkins, Cathy Grinrod, Sue Pickles, Margaret Christopoulus

All of the work on show was produced under the guidance of Cathy Grindrod, the workshop leader. Cathy, a former Derbyshire Poet Laureate, clearly has a great relationship with the group and has helped them to showcase their talent.

If you are interested in joining The Royal Writers, please contact David Longford, Education Manager for the Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall on 0115 9895531 or email him david.longford@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

For more information about Cathy Grindrod, visit www.cathygrindrod.co.uk