“Who was Nelly Power? she was the biggest star of her generation and real force to be reckoned with.”
WHO: Lottie Walker
WHAT: “The Victorian music hall: a hotbed of scandal and home of betrayal, discrimination, sexual exploitation, domestic violence and press intrusion. They don’t seem such “good old days” now, do they? Nelly Power lived a life that was its own Victorian melodrama. She was a trailblazer for women’s rights, darling of the gossip columns and headliner at all the major theatres – until her most famous song was stolen by the young Marie Lloyd. This is her story; It’s a bit Ripper Street and a bit Eastenders, with songs.”
WHERE: Greenside @ Nicolson Square – Fern Studio (Venue 209)
WHEN: 15:10 (60 min)
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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
I personally have performed or produced at the fringe since 2018. This show made its debut here in 2019 and it’s exciting to bring it back after a few years of touring round the country.
There’s something special about Edinburgh – not least the amount of photo opportunities on the Royal Mile when I’m out in costume looking as though I’ve stepped off a Quality Street box.
It’s also great to catch up with fellow performers who we don’t see all year round – those of us performing solo shows, especially have a lovely supportive network amongst the Edinburgh Fringerati!
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
2022 has been an interesting year. After setting up the company and making this new work just before a global pandemic I seem finally to have caught up in terms of where I need to be to move on. So now I’ve got the show on the road properly I can be more selective about what I do with it. Producing but not performing at the Fringe last year gave me some time to assess and plan – and the perspective to do so properly. So going forward I’m being much more selective about the number of shows we perform and the venues in which we perform them.
The biggest lesson though has been to be kind to myself; it’s a tough business and although I’m a tough cookie the continuous flogging of dead horses does sometimes get to me – so I’m off for a spot of aromatherapy this afternoon!
Tell us about your show.
The show, written by the amazing J.J. Leppink who has an uncanny knack of getting into the minds of long-dead, forgotten women happened by accident. Back in 2019 I was originally producing another one person play for the Fringe. That performer thought they needed to be in London for a couple of days mid-run; everything was booked so I had no choice but to think of a show for myself to fill the gaps. I’d recently completed a tour guiding qualification in London and as part of my studies has discovered the dispute over a song between music hall stars Marie Lloyd and Nelly Power -this story was a gift for someone with music hall roots looking for a one woman show! And so Nelly Power joined Blue Fire Theatre Company’s stable of forgotten famous people of theatre history.
Who was Nelly Power? she was the biggest star of her generation and real force to be reckoned with. She was a male impersonator, burlesque act and panto performer and in an era where women had little or no power and influence, our Nelly managed to acquire two properties and a valuable collection of jewellery and manage an incredibly successful career. Her life was a Victorian soap opera – much more dramatic offstage than on and had a sadly tragic end.
We’re on the road with the show in the Autumn, but staying relatively close to home playing venues in Hampshire and Surrey. Next year? we could be anywhere and would LOVE to play a proper old music hall as a nod to the “Good Old Days” – watch this space, Leeds City Varieties – we’re on your case!
All together now….
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
I’m alternating this show with another from our company, Gilbert & Sullivan’s Nightmare, which is a hoot, so please don’t miss that!
There’s so much good stuff on offer this year I’m going to be very busy checking everything out . A few of the shows I want to see are:
Fabulett 1933 – Michael Trauffer’s one man study of gay rights, and how quickly a liberal society can transform into something quite different
Ada Campe, Naval Gazing – a camp journey on the high seas!
Let the Bodies Pile – Harold Shipman, Covid – and a conspiracy? sounds intriguing!
Tickbox – Lubna Kerr’s semi-autobiographical one woman show about immigration from Pakistan to Scotland in the 1970’s
How to Live a Jellicle Life: Life Lessons from the Hit 2019 Music Cats – not only possibly the show with the longest title of the Fringe but a real laugh out loud hour of silliness!
The Grandmothers Grimm – how would you edit the darkness out of the Grimms fairy tales..?
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