May 25th, 2019
Our second show, another full house and everyone was with us. The feedback and response from last week were exceptional, which meant we could enjoy this one more. Monday last was Marie’s 96th birthday. It was great to celebrate with her and also to debrief, and take-in how good we felt about the first show, a real boost of confidence and our sense of value. We had Betty with us this week and oh, was she on top form. We later discovered that she hadn’t told her family she was coming as they would have said no, given she was just a week out of the hospital!
The women were extraordinary. For audiences to sit in the presence of what is potentially a once in a lifetime experience, with women of this age – 87, 92, 96 and 98 – holding an audience and performing with such energy and vitality, defying usual expectations and stereotypes is a remarkably important thing. Brilliant success and a great contribution.
The audience again was terrific and with us all the way, who were a fab mixture of different ages and from various walks of life. The show hit the right balance of welcoming, closeness and intimacy, participation and freedom, and thanks to Fi, technically everything went smoothly and without a hitch. It was a marathon of organization and every single bit of it was worth it. Thanks so much to Luminate and to the Festival Theatre for the funding and the support, we couldn’t have done it without you. Plus, we got another five-star review! Well done everyone and so well deserved. – Janice Parker
An Audience With... 