The Ghost of Illiam Dhone

[curiouswombat]

Yesterday evening D-d and I attended a play. It was a rather excellent event - an outdoor stage and an invitation for the audience to bring their own chairs and their picnic.

The play itself told the story of a figure from Manx history, William Christian also known as Illiam Dhone ('Brown (W)Illiam), starting at the moment of his execution, and looking at how it had come to this point.

He was left in charge of the island by Lord Stanley during the English Civil War and handed it over to the Parliamentarians after the execution of the Earl, to prevent bloodshed. There is some debate as to whether he was, then, a hero or a traitor.

The play was rather good - and the surroundings gorgeous, especially as the temperature through the evening was a warm 20-22C.

I have put some pictures under the cut - with a couple especially for pellegrina...



We hurried after work as it was at Milntown, in Ramsey, so about a 30 minute drive after I picked D-d (and her friend) up. I had rushed to Tesco and got food, and had remembered that we had a couple of folding chairs in the shed which I threw in the boot - and we arrived in time to actually park without too much trouble.

Here are the audience who were already there before us;



We were sitting just in front of that little green tent - where they sold tea and chocolates during the interval.

The space nearest to the stage had been left mostly, by unspoken consent, for those with picnic rugs rather than chairs. D-d's friend Jenny had our picnic blanket and her 'theatre buddy' joined her with their picnic - a bottle of wine and two bars of chocolate! (Theatre buddy - her boyfriend really doesn't like theatre - and there is another young man in the group of friends who does, but has no partner - so they attend things together.)

D-d and I had sushi as a starter, chicken salad, and fresh fruit salad with yoghurt for sweet - and very good it was, too. But there were some posh picnickers around us - someone in front had a selection of cold meats and assorted salads - however they were as nothing compared with a couple behind us; D-d poked me and said "Mum... the couple behind us are eating quails' eggs!" and they were. With glasses of wine and a finger salad. Anything Glyndebourne can do, we can do too!

Anyway here is the view towards the stage, with the house in the view too. Milntown was the birthplace of Illiam Dhone, so the perfect setting for the World Premier of the play!



One of the characters was 'a Great Black Dog' - and as soon as it appeared on stage my thoughts went back to Tolkien 2012 last year - and pellegrina...





This gives you a better feel for the backdrop to the stage -



As the evening proceeded those trees were filled with the voices of the rooks returning to their rookery for a while - but it certainly added to the atmosphere rather then detracting.

Once he action really got under-way I put the camera back in my bag - I didn't want to distract myself or anyone else - but not before I took this picture of these young ladies who provided much of the music -



There were midgies around - and a very nice young lady who was part of the production team kept passing anti-midge cream around the audience - which was a first for me as a theatre-goer, I have to say!

All in all a very good evening. And more exciting, theatrical stuff, to come on Saturday - I'll be more cultured than yoghurt by the end of the week.

Comments

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

What a fun day!

[shirebound]

What a lovely setting for a play! I wonder if they would have let me bring Pippin.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Brown William? William Brown? Just William?

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

What a lovely, casual experience!

[chaotic-binky.livejournal.com]

It looks fun! How lovely to have a picnic as well while watching the play.

[pellegrina.livejournal.com]

:-D My tail was much better!

[kathyh]

Looks lovely. I would have been very grateful for the anti-midge cream but it's certainly unusual at a theatre :)

[engarian.livejournal.com]

It looks like a lovely evening was had by all.

- Erulisse (one L)

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Ooh that looks so fun! I love the dog. You're the second person on my f-list who has posted about going to outdoor theatre this week.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Very nice, great setting.

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

It sounds lovely! Thank you so much for sharing it (and the pics!) with us. :)

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I love outdoor theatre. We used to enjoy a local outdoor Shakespeare Festival but they moved it in doors and it hasn't been the same since.

What a great place for a picnic and a play all in one. But quail eggs?
LOL
I like your menu better.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a really enjoyable evening. And what perfect weather for it.

[ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com]

It looks really great! :)

[myrhiann.livejournal.com]

It sounds like a wonderful event, and so nice that the weather was kind to you. It is wonderful to take part in open air events when the weather is nice.

When I lived in Sydney in another lifetime there used to be free theatre in the park in the summer. It was magic, even when we were drizzled on. I saw Les Miserables and a Shakespeare comedy about twin brothers that had been separated when their boat was wrecked. I know the name well, but it eludes me at the moment. At the latter my friend and I found ourselves sitting on the lawn only a few feet away from a very well known Australian actress (theatrical, not TV) which was like the icing on the cake!

[estelcontar1.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a very interesting play. I see you and D-d had a great time yesterday.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

What a delightful way to spend an evening. And I love the black dog. He looks quite ominous.

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

Lovely backdrop. What a pleasant outing.

Smiling at your "culture" remark!

[the-winterwitch.livejournal.com]

Yay, that sounds absolutely awesome! Watching a play and having a picnic is always a great combination, and yours makes me very envious. The picnic part as well; ours usually were much more frugal, and you can't buy really edible things like these in our supermarkets. What is a finger salad, by the way? Cerstainly not my first association with this term... *g* The rooks remind me of an interlude with a peacock on a similar occasion once, where the bird hopped onto the stage and strutted around in front of the audience.