Stirrings
Writing Challenge 2023
Posted by Chris Sissons on Jun 28, 2023
Writing Challenge ยป Chris Sissons
“… let learned folk speakum,
It’s epic, it’s tragic, bombastic, they’ll write,
But loudly we’ll sing-o
In plain English lingo,
The Stirrings in Sheffield on Saturday Night.”
The first Stirrings were at the Showhouse Theatre on Trippet Lane. I went there a few times as a kid to see pantomimes and a few other things with school. And then it closed and moved to the brand new Crucible theatre with its world-famous thrust stage. (Mostly famous for snooker!)
It was a great musical and I saw it several times at the Crucible. The last time I saw it, it starred Finetime Fontayne, a comedian I liked, in the pivotal role of William Broadhead. Sadly, this final version was a travesty of the original. All the music was different. I wrote to the theatre and complained. They replied and said it was the same. I have the LP – it was not the same. I suspect we’ll never see it again.
I often walk into town through West Bar. I’ve recently found out, through the agency of a genealogist, that one of my ancestors, Thomas Sissons, was landlord at the Gaiety pub. The pub was next door to the Gaiety Theatre, one of several theatres at West Bar. They’re all long gone. His three sons all became landlords in the same area. The theatre is now a car park.
William Broadhead was a pub landlord at The White Horse on Copper Street, in the same area, although at a different time. He leads the opening chorus (above) and the play revolves around him and his alias, Mary Ann. “I always shall be true to Mary Ann.” He needs an alias because he is the leader of illegal trade union activists.
The musical tells the story of the murder of Ironside, one of the big mill owners, by trade unionists. But it covers the growth of the city during the Industrial Revolution with hilarious scenes such as digging the sewers; old man sits and watches the workers digging and speaks of the sewerage ramificating through the city. And later laying of the gas mains: “Ah progress, this favour we entreat, a beautiful big gasometer built on every Sheffield street.”
But back to Mary Ann; Sheffielders were known as troublemakers. If you don’t believe me, read “Sheffield Troublemakers” by David Price. The Hillsborough Barracks were built to house the military, “sent to keep the strikers down, we’ve been sent to Sheffield town.” Not many towns needed a military presence! “God save great Thomas Payne, his Rights of Man proclaim throughout the land.” You can see the problem!
This long tradition of troublemaking deserves to be celebrated and I’d love to see the original Stirrings return. But the celebration of the city continues, notably the recent transfer of the Sheffield musical, “Standing at the Sky’s Edge” to a London theatre. I haven’t seen that one yet.
When Broadbent has to leave the city, Blanche de la Fleur sings, “I’m ruined, I’m ruined, but I cannot complain. With my diamonds and pearls and my house on Park Lane, I’d be ru – I – uined all over again!” Someone shouts: that’s not Blanche de la Fleur, it’s Millie Murgatroyd from up Walkley.” To which she replies, “Aye, and I’ll match your face to my backside any day.” And he says, “Aye, and half of Sheffield’ll bear witness to that!”
This year's Writing Challenge, fueled by prompts, is about the City of Sheffield. Be surprised by what's included and even more surprised by what's left out. This is Post 12 and there are 21 altogether. Share your thoughts and your love for the City in the comments. The first Post 0 is Context: Sheffield. The last post 11 is The Invisible Castle. The next post 13 is Hunters Bar.
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