Talking Heads

A Chip In The Sugar     performed by Jamie Chapman

Her Big Chance            performed by Lesley Harcourt

 

Director                         Richard Baron

Designer                       Edward Lipscomb

Music composed by    Jon Beales

 

Firebrand’s inaugural production in November 2010 featured two of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues; A Chip in the Sugar (with Jamie Chapman) and Her Big Chance (with Lesley Harcourt).  This Gala production, marking the birth of Firebrand Theatre Company, was performed at The Wynd Theatre, Melrose.

Lesley Harcourt’s character in Her Big Chance, also called Lesley, is an actress who has just completed a video (“targeted chiefly at West Germany”) in which she plays Travis, a career girl who enjoys life. However, it becomes clear that the naive Lesley is not necessarily seeing the situation for what it really is. Meanwhile, Jamie Chapman plays the role of Graham, a middle-aged batchelor who lives with his mother and finds life challenging at the best of times. Then his mother meets an old flame and things really start to come apart at the seams.

Placing great importance on collaboration with home-grown talent, of which there is an abundance in this area, we were excited to be able to do this from the outset. The set for Talking Heads was designed by Borders-based Edward Lipscomb and built by Doug Tait and Scott Wight, based in Melrose and St Boswells respectively. Playing before the show, local musician Ron Shaw set the mood with some beautiful solo cello pieces.

 

‘“An inspired start to a new company who will surely bring much enjoyment to audiences.” Wilde MacGregor, The Southern Reporter