Lyr Req: Framed? / Sonia Snell (Cyril Fletcher)

17 Mar 01 - 12:54 PM (#419973)
Subject: The Tale of Sonia Snell
From: Sooz

A friend of mine is desperate to track down this monologue. It is actually entitled "Framed" and the frame in the tale is a lavatory seat. Hope someone can help.

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17 Mar 01 - 02:32 PM (#420010)
Subject: Lyr Add: SONIA SNELL (Cyril Fletcher)
From: Sorcha

SONIA SNELL

This is the tale of Sonia Snell,
To whom an accident befell.
An accident which may well seem
Embarrassing in the extreme.

It happened, as it does to many,
That Sonia had to spend a penny.
She entered in with modest grace
The properly appointed place

Provided at the railway station,
And there she sat in meditation,
Unfortunately unacquainted
The woodwork had been newly painted

Which made poor Sonia realise
Her inability to rise.
And though she struggled, pulled and yelled
She found that she was firmly held.

She raised her voice in mournful shout
"Please someone come and help me out."
Her cries for help then quickly brought
A crowd of every kind and sort.

They stood around and feebly sniggered
And all they said was "I'll be jiggered."
"Gor blimey" said the ancient porter
"We ought to soak her off with water."

The Station Master and the staff
Were most perverse and did not laugh
But lugged at Sonia's hands and feet
And could not get her off the seat.

The carpenter arrived at last
And, finding Sonia still stuck fast
Remarked "I know what I can do',
And neatly sawed the seat right through.

Sonia arose, only to find
A wooden halo on behind.
An ambulance came down the street
And bore her off, complete with seat

To take the wooden bustled gal
Off quickly to the hospital.
They hurried Sonia off inside
After a short but painful ride

And seizing her by heels and head
Laid her face down on the bed.
The doctors all came on parade
To render her immediate aid.

A surgeon said "Upon my word
Could anything be more absurd,
Have any of you, I implore,
Seen anything like this before?"

"Yes" said a student, unashamed,
"Frequently... but never framed."

from: http://www.btinternet.com/~p.wilkinson2000/Sonia_Snell.htm

Other Cyril Fletcher stuff there too.

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18 Mar 01 - 04:41 AM (#420326)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Tale of Sonia Snell
From: Sooz

Thanks Sorcha - if this doesn't stop my friend Dave being a technophobe, I don't know what will!

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10 Mar 10 - 05:25 AM (#2860831)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Tale of Sonia Snell
From: GUEST

My father wrote this ode - the true version and how it came to be written can be found at

http://www.thewwwsite.com/sonia.htm

Your version has quite a lot of errors in it, and the original is much funnier and scans better.

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10 Mar 10 - 06:16 PM (#2861415)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Tale of Sonia Snell
From: Joe_F

A version (much worse in scansion than this one) appears in Count Palmiro Vicarion's collection (1955).

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12 Jul 10 - 10:48 AM (#2943937)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Framed? / Sonia Snell (Cyril Fletcher)
From: GUEST

It was interesting to hear the origines of "Sonia Snell" from Guest. My Dad was a Dunkirk veteran and first heard or read the monologue early in the 40's. He then recited it at parties etc as an amateur performer in a concert party. He knew it had been written by a soldier but thought that person was a POW captured at Dunkirk. He performed it for the reast of his life. In 1950 I also learned the monologue and throughout my service years with the RAF and for the last 60 years have perfromed this at various fundraisers etc. So I knew that Cyril Fletcher, whom I always found to very funny, was not the originator of this very funny poem. Thank you for the info
B. Nicholas

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14 Jul 10 - 01:04 AM (#2944678)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Framed? / Sonia Snell (Cyril Fletcher)
From: Gurney

All such monologues are available on 'Make 'em Laugh,' the monologue site.   It's even run by a mudcatter.

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