Reading My Way Around the World

Thursday 17 September 2015

An update on The Emigrant Woman's Tale


Tonight's Show in Forkhill
Tonight Csilla and I have another performance of the Emigrant Woman's Tale  - this is part of a women's concert funded by the Peace Programme and the organisers were keen to show another aspect to women here as opposed to simply Catholic and Protestant.
With the story of emigration being so huge on the news and in everyone's minds at the moment it will be interesting to see the response we get this evening.

Csilla Toldy on stage at Newcastle Arts Festival
photo by Alistair Livingstone
We're very very pleased with the response we're getting to this show.  After a couple of performances in July and August we got some great positive feedback.

This review quote from Colum Sands from the BBC - he says:

"In The Emigrant Woman's Tale, Fil Campbell and Csilla Toldy draw on memories of Belleek and Budapest to weave a striking tapestry of song, poetry and spoken word.  They take their audience on a journey that crosses borders on maps and in minds in search of that elusive place that we call home. An inspirational performance that is sometimes humorous, often moving and always thought proving....highly recommended."
Fil Campbell on stage at Newcastle Arts Festival
photo by Alistair Livingstone
And some comments from the audience as they were leaving the last performance  - I should add that this  was before the current emigrant crisis..... I find the variety so interesting - we seem to be touching lots of buttons.  

An older lady who now lives in Scotland and comes originally from our local big town left in tears - it  reminded her of being an emigrant and made her miss home more than ever - (sorry about that).   "Very moving" from a Dutch lady...  "A fascinating story" from a Scottish couple talking about Csilla's escape journey out of Hungary.  "Great to hear some of your old songs again" from some young visitors - "I love the mix of your two accents" from an American  "When you speak and sing together is brilliant" from some English visitors.   I'm pleasantly surprised.
Setting the scene at Newcastle Arts Festival Aug 15
Let's see what tonight brings.

3 comments:

  1. I would have loved to be there and watch this touchy session... I have lived in some places and in some I was an immigrant and I faced all you can imagine: immigration officers that were nice, but some very very nasty ones, especially women, I don't know why. Many people who were friendly, and many who were not. So I believe I would leave the show crying, as the lady that now lives in Scotland! Well done, dear Fil, I loved to see the pictures and the BBC review!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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    1. Aw thank you so much Denise. We had a very good night.

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  2. Glad to hear this is going well. I guess I too am an immigrant although I only encountered one unpleasant character when I landed at the airport in Toronto. We thought of him as a little Hitler.

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