The Love Stories Show on 30th June 24 - Fringe TheatreFest

The last of my three shows in Barnstaple's Fringe TheatreFest at the Golden Lion Tap – by now I was as crumpled as my jacket. It was a Sunday and we went to church to worship at the altar of Fringe TheatreFest. The congregation created this...

There were thanks to Jay Rayner for introducing us to Melody Gardot.

There was a field of barley and some ‘skanky old dog walking trousers that weren’t even my size’ – luckily, Tom and Hannah seemed a good fit after all.

The World Cup of Love Songs brought a second appearance by Madness and three debuts. Did the nutty boys go one step beyond? Here are the results:

Semi-Final 1: The Promise by Girls Aloud v Don’t leave me this way by The Communards

Result: The Promise 3 – 6 Don’t leave me this way

Semi-Final 2: It must be love by Madness v Imagine by John Lennon

Result: It must be love 6 – 2 Imagine

World Cup of Love Songs Final

Result: Don’t leave me this way 8 – 7 It must be love

I grew up in Camden Town in the 80s – how am I going to tell Suggs? The Communards and their proposer became World Cup Winners.

The mean streets of Barnstaple have never been meaner. The date started so well, but ended in an out-of-breath run to a car and safety until…Zach and Mehmet came back for more. Madonna and about 70 backing dancers blew them away – literally. This time, to Bude.

Mark's worst romantic moments included the dislocation of a thumb. In the 70s, it appears that everybody really was Kung Fu fighting – even the girl I was smitten by.

There was a moment when I feared my audience were not up for sharing their love stories…but they came good of course.

A trip to watch whales went well – the big swimmers, not the rugby. What’s not to like? Bravo! But as a story it was a bit short on detail. Tell me about your eyes meeting across a crowded boat. Tell me about flirty innuendo drawn from the names of different whales – you can work it out for yourself right? If not, I’ll have to fill in the gaps myself you naughty Minky.

Next we had poetry – now that’s romantic. A love poem that took a while to get right – I like that attention to detail too. I like that it occupied our poet’s mind, to the extent that it had been noticed. Uh oh…The poem not ready, the poet about to depart for a trip to Canada and a last weekend before being apart and he was just not quite present, too much ‘into his own head’ in this couple’s last days together. I suspect there were ‘words’ and not of the lovely variety. Patience was rewarded however, a cracking poem was delivered and cherished…when the time was right. The right time for some heart-felt words…is there anything as beautiful?

And finally…orange peel. That well known instrument of courtship…orange peel. Stay with me. A story of a couple now married for 30 years, but whose start was a bit…interrupted. Interrupted by a date and then an absence, for 6 months at sea without saying goodbye. A return but not a conversation, oh no. A warm Winter and an open window and the chucking of orange peel into the flat to get the attention of the previously abandoned woman. The start of something that revealed he cared and she cared and they do so to this day. A relationship that survives regular spells of absence can cope with a lot and I guess you do a lot of living in the 8 weeks between trips. And there are letters of course, still safe in the loft…I know a thing or two about that.

Enormous thanks to everyone that opened their hearts and then opened their mouths – you were brilliant.

It started with, ‘I saw you, met you, liked what you do.’ It ended with, ‘the crashing of my heart has caused a ringing in my ears and I’m confused…’ The Ting, is the thing and it can feel like open heart surgery.

An Alien popped along to tell us that ‘two people meet with an unsustainable degree of personal hygiene, having doused themselves in flammable liquids to disguise their fears.’  What did he expect when earthlings say to each other, ‘you scrubbed up well.’  

Thanks to box office and stewarding volunteers and Rob on tech. Thanks to all at the Golden Lion Tap and Fringe TheatreFest for making it possible.

But most of all, thank you to everyone that came along to worship at the altar of Fringe TheatreFest and made a show with me.

Mark xx