OBIT: Joan Littlewood dies at 87

Subject: Joan Littlewood dies at 87
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Sep 02 - 04:45 PM

This has just been announced on the BBC Death of Joan Littlewood

She was a pioneering dramatist and director, who worked with Brendan Behan, and Ewan MacColl.

Oh! What a Lovely War! was a wonderful production. Sadly missed.

Subject: RE: OBIT: Joan Littlewood dies at 87
From: banjomad (inactive)
Date: 21 Sep 02 - 04:58 PM

funny! Ewan MacColl who was at one time married to Joan thought that 'Oh what a Lovely War' was Theatre Workshop's nadir. Just a thought, Dave

Subject: RE: OBIT: Joan Littlewood dies at 87
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 21 Sep 02 - 05:33 PM

Rest in peace, Joan! You were (unfortunately!) a singular woman. We could do with more of her kind, and it's good to see she isn't forgotten.

Subject: RE: OBIT: Joan Littlewood dies at 87
From: Jim McLean
Date: 21 Sep 02 - 05:55 PM

A wee story concerning Joan Littlewood as told to me by Valda, wife of Scottish poet Hugh MacDiarmid:
Valda, a very flamboyant lady, was approached by a drunk in an Edinburgh pub who asked if she was Joan Littlewood. "No" she replied, hoping the drunk would go away. He persisted for quite a while and Valda repeatedly said "No". Finally she was so exasperated she told him to "Fuck off!"
At that the drunk shouted in glee "Ah KNEW ye was John Littlewood!"
A true story
Jim McLean

Subject: RE: OBIT: Joan Littlewood dies at 87
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 21 Sep 02 - 06:35 PM

A very short extract from her very long and extremely interesting autobiography:

[1995:] Luckily I was held up listening to Hamish Henderson performing an exegesis on an old Scots song [at the 1949 Edinburgh Festival]. 'She doesn't realise it's another language, with different roots,' he told me, towering above a little lady from California, magnificent in his Highland regalia. '"Johnny gars my tail toddle"- that is to say, "causes my pudendum to rotate",' and as he spoke he illustrated the point by gently undulating his backside, which made his sporran waggle a little. The little lady looked quite pleased, which was reassuring. (Joan Littlewood, Joan's Book 398)

She certainly had an eye for a good performance!

Subject: RE: OBIT: Joan Littlewood dies at 87
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 22 Sep 02 - 02:33 PM

Absolutely friggin' astonishing! I've just read four complete obituaries of Joan, and NOT ONE WORD about MacColl in any of them!!

I tell you folks...our little folk world is a lot littler than even we think it is!

Rick

Subject: RE: OBIT: Joan Littlewood dies at 87
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Sep 02 - 04:54 PM

"Tail Toddle" can be found in the Scarce Songs 2 file at www.erols.com/olsonw. In addition, 5 versions of it's tune from c 1710 to 1819 are given as ABCs in the associated tune file, S2.ABC. The song is a pretty old one, much earlier that it's earliest known text. See also a Northumbrian version in Whitaker's 'North Countrie Ballads'.

Subject: RE: OBIT: Joan Littlewood dies at 87
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Sep 02 - 05:06 PM

Sorry I goofed. The song given by Whitaker is a version of "Wap and Row", not "Tail Toddle". The Northumbrian "Tail Tottle", collected about 1815, is this:

Had I but a Pint of Wine
Had I but a Brandy bottle
Had I but a Bonny lass
I wad make her Tail tottle
    Had I but a Brandy bottle
    With a bit of Tail tottle.-

Subject: RE: OBIT: Joan Littlewood dies at 87
From: Art Thieme
Date: 23 Sep 02 - 11:16 PM

What am I missing?
Why don't I get it?
Is this English you folks are speaking?
Maybe I need some sleep!?

Art??