Summer 2018 I was lucky to be
involved with the Bristol Old Vic Young Company’s production of “Make More Noise”, this marking the
centenary of some women being granted the vote in the UK. It explored what advances women have made and,
in no uncertain terms, called out how
much needs to be done to achieve true equality.
Hence the title taken from one of Emmeline Pankhurst’s speeches. In fact making
more noise is what many of us older men and women are doing on a range of
issues.
That the “MeToo” Movement was well under way by then lent fuel to the energy
and vision the Young Company girls brought to this piece, under the direction
of the amazing Lisa Gregan, ably assisted by Maisie Newman. There
were only four of us women involved of whom I was the oldest but we were
readily absorbed into the collective endeavor. A great leaning experience for
me.
A herniated disc cut short my involvement just before the show opened. Very depressing but timely in that scans revealed a lot of wear and tear
problems with my spine.
During rehearsals we all wrote
pieces that connected with women we admired, or were close to, known and
unknown and from all corners of the world.
Madonna was one such woman cited by the girls. Her strong
speech on ageism chimed with my reflections at the time on later life. https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/madonna-on-ageing-and-motherhood
Here’s some of what I wrote:-
Age Part One
I am 66 years old.
I self-identify as a woman.
I am on my home from work and I’m feeling good.
And I think, I think I look good.
I’m wearing my vintage St.
Laurent jacket and Russell and Bromley
boots.
But I confess they’re second hand.
I’m not that flush.
And I’ve just had my highlights done.
In my left hand I have a Diamond Card - but don’t be fooled.
It’s an Old Age Pensioners’ Bus
Pass. I’ll demonstrate how it works.
Watch carefully the interaction
between the card and the mottled, wrinkled right hand. One reinforces the
other. If you’re not careful society can get you just where it suits.
A woman – my age? – gets up to offer me her seat.
Why?
 |
| Helmut Newton's icon shot of Yves Saint Laurent's /le smoking' |
We all age.
But to be “old” is to have your sense of self stripped
away.
Your identity,
Your professional self.
Your femininity,
Your sexuality.
I am 66
Deal with it.
Age Part Two
No “Me Too” for you!
Not so, my friend Marlene would say.
After being harassed on holiday in Tenerife by hungry, young men
who took her and her girlfriends for ageing sex tourists.
She’s her own woman, is Marlene.
Out there tonight as it goes.
Wearing her black corset underneath a man’s suit she had made
By a Soho tailor sometime in the
70’s.
She’s slicked back her hair,
and with a can of Stella in one
hand and her phone in the other,
she’s all set for her
granddaughter Katy’s Hen Night.
All the girls, all the women making
more noise, having a blast,
For one night ruling the world even if its only Bristol Harbourside.
And in quiet moments,
in the Ladies,
they’ll tell how life once was, is and how it should
be .
And nobody, but nobody, will tell Marlene how to age better than she’s
doing already.
Finally, a big thanks to all of my peers who continue to take part in
Extinction Rebellion protests.
Particularly our old family friend Oliver, also in his 60’s, who stripped off in the Houses of Parliament
a couple of months ago to make clear to our government how much they need to do to
protect our planet.
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