Mary's Wedding, and the Battle of Moreuil Wood

A lone "Terror" amongst "Soldiers"

"Mary's Wedding",  the play written by Stephen Massicotte, has finished its run in White Rock, BC. Staged by Peninsula Productions, it ran from November 11th through the 15th to packed houses.

There were many moist eyes, attested to by the number of tissues handed out by staff as the audience left the theatre. A well done to the backstage crew and the actors, Harrison MacDonald and Julia Siedlanowska, who shone.

I was honoured to have a very small part in prepping the actors as a result of my novel Soldier of the Horse, which had at its climax the battle referenced in "Mary's Wedding"--the Battle of Moreuil Wood, March 30th, 1918. Not to mention a character in common, Gordon Muriel Flowerdew, VC, who led the charge, with real-life "Soldier" Tom Mackay at his elbow.

At a table in the foyer, I answered questions about the battle. More than one person asked if "Flowers" was a real person. He was, of course, and I take my hat off to Massicotte, Pensinsula Productions, and the rest of the gang who helped keep our history alive.

"Mary's Wedding" Opens Tomorrow

 

 Here are the actors in a scene from "Mary's Wedding", the heart-rending play by Stephen Massicotte.
The production runs from November 11th through the 15th. The presentation on Remembrance Day is sold out. Any veterans lucky enough to have tickets to the Remembrance Day performance get free admission, with the public asked for a donation which will go to Honour House.

Tickets for subsequent performances can be obtained online at www.peninsulaproductions.org.

I'm honoured to have been asked to advise on the historical aspects of the production. Attendees can if they wish pick up a copy of Soldier of the Horse, my novel set in WW I's Canadian Cavalry Brigade, after the show. Soldier shares a very important character with "Mary's Wedding".

In other literary news, I understand an upcoming edition of the Surrey Leader will feature a review of Terror on the Alert, my submarine thriller. Very exciting.

Submarines in East Vancouver, and recruits for a Great War era wedding

I recently had the pleasure of presenting about submarines, and my novel "Terror on the Alert", at the Britannia branch of the Vancouver Public Library. The staff, as always, was gracious; and I was lucky to arrive early, because the host seniors' centre invited me to share their potluck lunch. I may drop in again!

The highlight of the afternoon, though, was the presence of an elementary class of mixed grade 3s and 4s. They had lots of interesting questions about submarines: in my day, were there women on board? (no); what about now? (yes); are the ballast tanks what makes the boat go under water? (yes).

It was particularly interesting to me that they had done research on the internet before attending at my presentation. A delightful audience of young and old.

 Here are the young ones:

And speaking of young and old, I dropped in on a rehearsal for "Mary's Wedding" a couple of days ago.
(For more about "Mary's Wedding", see Newsletter #25 in the Newsletter Archives to the right.)

The entire cast is pictured below. These raw recruits are learning to be Great War cavalry troopers. Don't let the small cast fool you--it is a magical and inspirational play. It will be staged in White Rock, BC, November 11th to 15th.

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Mary's Wedding coming via Peninsula Productions

Some time before my novel "Soldier of the Horse" was published, an old navy friend who knew about my interest in the Canadian cavalry asked if I had seen Mary's Wedding. I hadn't. But shortly after that I attended Pacific Opera Victoria's operatic adaptation of the play; also in attendance were scarlet-jacketed members of Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), adding pomp and ceremony to the occasion.

Now I've been asked to assist Peninsula Productions with their mounting of Stephen Massicotte's two-person play, to be staged November 11th to 15th. It promises to be a memorable show, with an amazingly-powerful script and two young actors playing Mary, her love Charlie, and Sergeant Flowerdew.

Interesting Feedback for Soldier of the Horse

I am pleasantly surprised by feedback that I get on "Soldier of the Horse" and topics related to the Canadian Cavalry Brigade. One recent example is a series of queries from the director of a theatre in an American town who will be mounting the poignant, prize-winning play, "Mary's Wedding". He was looking for background information that I was able to supply.
And a speaking engagement is in the works for Remembrance Day, when I will present at the Surrey Museum in Cloverdale. It is a fitting location, given the number of Moreuil Wood veterans who spent many final years in the Fraser Valley.