“A woman is found dead in a London street – the evidence suggests she plummeted to her death from a nearby tower block – but did she fall or was she pushed? And why does she have Danny Bird’s name written on the back of her hand?
So begins this 4th magnificent outing for Danny and the gang from The Marq.
In the frame for a murder he didn’t commit, London’s self-proclaimed Sherlock Homo has no choice but to don his metaphorical deerstalker one more time to prove his innocence and uncover the truth about the tragic death of Cathy Byrne.
With the indomitably louche Lady Caz by his side, Danny plunges headlong into a complex investigation while at the same time trying to be a dutiful son to his increasingly secretive parents, and still find the time to juggle his frustratingly moribund love-life.”
Bonjour tout les mondes and the heartiest of hearty welcomes to a very special blog tour post. Why is it so special? Thank you so much for asking – such a polite reader. I shall tell you why:
Today I welcome you to the very first Beardy Book Blog Players play. I know right? HOW exciting is that? But who are the BBBP, and, most importantly of all, why?
Both excellent questions, so let me enlighten you.
It was a dark and rainy night, a Thursday I think. It may have been a Wednesday, but it definitely wasn’t a Monday or a Tuesday. Or a Friday. The weekend is most certainly out, so I guess that leaves Thursday. So, it was a dark and rainy night on a Thursday… No, wait, it was a Tuesday. Yes, I remember now because it was Trunks Tuesday, where we wear our swimming trunks and play with our… er… you don’t need to know that.
So.
It was a dark and rainy Tuesday when I had a brilliant idea. I thought, wouldn’t it be a great wheeze to put on a play of one of my favourite books of this year, Death Of An Angel by Derek Farrell? It was ripe, ripe I tell you, for adapting into a play. It is chock full of drama, great humour, pathos, wit and charm, packs one hell of a story and is full of brilliant and memorable characters. Unfortunately, there was big snaggaroo; with my very busy schedule and lack of any playwriting skills, I didn’t feel equipped to adapt it. After a bit of asking around I was given the number of Fabian, who had written a play once; he adapted a pamphlet about avoiding and treating verrucas for his local medical centre when they had a load of swimmers in after a particularly nasty outbreak of verrucas, and so I felt he was up to the task. I popped around to the address I was given and knocked on his door. Once I had explained why I was stood in the rain wearing only swimming trunks, and I had also explained the same to the police officer after the nosey neighbour in the flat above complained, and then calmed down a particularly irate elderly man who had an attack of the vapours on his way back from the chemist, causing him to drop his prescription viagra into the drain thus ruining his evening with the nosey neighbour upstairs, I won Fabian over and he agreed to write the script. Job done. Now I needed a cast.
To save you the agony of me recapping every detail of this endeavour, I rounded up the few people I knew who I felt would bring Derek’s characters to life and do justice to his wonderful, witty and deeply moving book. (basically I asked around the local bus stops as I don’t actually know anyone. It’s amazing what a pack of mint imperials and a box of Tunnocks tea cakes can buy you)
Now, it’s still in early form, please bear that in mind, but I’m so excited that I have decided to invite you all to the very first read-through and rehearsal. You lucky, lucky people.
Oh, I should point out that due to my above and aforementioned very busy schedule – it really is very busy, very busy indeed – I have not yet seen the script. This will be my first time. I am quite nervous about it, I have to admit, especially as you lot are here with me. But hey, what could possibly go wrong, eh?
Onwards…
Continue reading “Death Of An Angel – Derek Farrell @DerekIFarrell @fahrenheitpress @damppebbles”
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