LIL PROG 2018 (reduced)

A play by Val Holmes 1

LIL JUBILEE CENTRAL, HULL 2oTH - 24TH March 2018 AUTHOR: Val Holmes.

PRODUCER: Paul A Dennis.

DIRECTOR: Chris Gruca.

STAGE MANAGER: Nathan Smith.

WARDROBE SUPERVISION: Val Holmes.

COSTUMES: Dove House No.87 Vintage.

Northern Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) PROPS: Jamie Wilkes / NAPA

We started our ‘LIL’ company because we were inspired by the story of Lillian Bilocca.

During January and February in 1968, three Hull trawlers sank in as many weeks. Lil was a strong, determined Hull woman. A fish-factory worker “off ” Hessle Road, Hull, East Yorkshire, England.

In the male dominated society which was Hessle Road, it was unheard of for women to be so vocal, but LIL felt she had to do something.

She fought and succeeded in stopping fishing in extreme weather and for adequate safety equipment and support to be put in place.

Her actions, along with many others from the Hessle Road community is now estimated to have saved thousands of Trawler men’s lives. It made her a Hero in Hull and briefly throughout the country. If you didn’t know about her, you will now and in the future. We want to tell the story about those times and the price she paid. She lost her job, her friends and the life she once had on Hessle Road.

The LIL DRAMA COMPANY, in honour of Lil’s spirit, will explore this and other strong stories by Northern Writers. Our core of Actors are from this area. Our original plays will hopefully connect with many audiences to entertain and inform. We hope you’ll come to know and enjoy them.

FOUNDERS, VAL HOLMES & PAUL A DENNIS

3

© THE LIL DRAMA COMPANY LTD 2017

SET DESIGN: Paul A Dennis.

SET PROD. SOUND & LIGHTING: Agility Events.

MARKETING: Paul A Dennis & Val Holmes.

SOUNDSCAPES: Ben Wade DESIGN,WEBSITE & ADVERTISING: Paul A Dennis.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Thomas Arron & Jerome Wittingham OUTSIDE PROMOTIONS: Lil’s Lasses.

OUR SINCERE THANKS GO TO: Ernie & Lil Bilocca.

Virginia McKenzie (Daughter of Lil Bilocca) Gough & Davy.

Dave Burns, Amanda White & Phil White from Radio Humberside.

Caroline Bilton, BBC Look North.

Donna Finn, FemaleEgo & Julie Young.

Leven Lites Drama Group.

Deborah Cassar.

GMB Branch 7, Grimsby.

Dove House Hospice.

The UK City of Culture.

Gina Garton is LIL, and a determined Hull Lass too!

4

PHOTO by Thomas Arran

CAS T ING LIL It takes a lot to persue a career in the acting field and local girl Gina Garton is certainly made of the right stuff. Hard working and a total enthusiast she inspires the kind of admiration from fans that give any production a ready made following. She was for many years on the cabaret circuit doing the clubs and holiday camps. With a penchant for musical theatre, it bodes well for any future adaptation for LIL - The Musical!

Since filming her in an early full read through in 2015 with local actors, we couldn’t see anyone else filling LIL’s boots.

She hasn’t disappointed and has truly made the role her own.

CALLING ON A POOL OF LOCAL TALENT!

Part of the Lil Drama Company’s ethos will always be to cast locally. But how do you find out what talent is around this area?

We first asked everyone we knew in the theatre world and also joined the online casting website Spotlight. Unfortunately not much came from that. We then put together our own casting call form onto our website and flooded social media groups and contacts, soon the entries started to flow in.

It’s one thing getting plenty of responses it’s quite another planning the audition process. So with military X-Factor logistics, photo cards and info sheets at the ready we set up our rehearsal space at PAD STUDIOS to welcome the budding players.

Val and I were wise enough to then leave the making of notes and the overall decision to our brilliant Director Chris Gruca. Who somehow took down accurate and thoughtful feedback about each to pull the cast out of the bag.

THANK YOU CHRIS! From professionals to the totally inexperienced, we know the talent is there for future projects and we’d like your help to build our database even more.

Chris Gruca works as a freelance PLEASE SEND PEOPLE TO:

www.lildramacompany.uk/casting 5

arts practitioner and for Theatre On The Edge. He was formerly the Head of an “Outstanding” OFSTED-rated Performing Arts department at a Hullbased Sixth Form College. He has a variety of performing, directing and teaching experience.

5

SCENES ACT ONE Scene 1 - BAILEYS NIGHTCLUB

REHEARSAL PHOTOS

Scene 2 - THE FISH HOUSE Scene 3 - ROSE’S KITCHEN Scene 4 - RAYNERS PUB Scene 5 - ROSE’S KITCHEN Scene 6 - ST. ANDREWS DOCK Scene 7 - THE FISH HOUSE Scene 8 - OUTSIDE ROSE’S HOUSE

INTERVAL - 20mins ACT TWO Scene 1 - LIL’S KITCHEN Scene 2 - ROSE’S KITCHEN Scene 3 - VICTORIA HALL Scene 4 - ST. ANDREW’S DOCK Scene 5 - ROSE’S HOUSE Scene 6 - PARAGON STATION Scene 7 - WESTMINSTER Scene 8 - VICTORIA HALL

- Please Note THE BAR WILL STAY OPEN UNTIL 10.30PM AFTER THE PERFORMANCE.

6

PHOTO’s by Jerome Whittingham

7

7

8

9

9

..remembering the 58