When I heard that Yardbird was coming to Hackney Empire I was excited that such a warranted homage had been afforded to the late and great Charlie Parker, who has been an inspiration to so many Jazz artists since his untimely death in 1955.
I was also happy that it was taking place at the gritty and revered Hackney Empire, and couldn’t wait to get myself along to relish the wonderful music and tribute to the man.
Yardbird did not come up to my expectations, partly because it was a less of a pastiche on the hero’s talent and musical achievements, but more of a self-conscious attempt to articulate a rhetoric completely alien to the man’s own inner dialogue as a troubled Jazz genius fighting his own demons against a backdrop of racism and prejudice.
In spite of the flawed narrative, Lawrence Brownlee was immaculate in his portrayal of Charlie Parker, internalizing the agony of the musical genius and revealing his emotional turmoil with conviction. Angela Brown played Addie superbly, and we felt her frustration as she failed to safeguard the boy from the turbulence of the time.
Another failing for me was Daniel Schnyder’s musical score, which escaped the brilliance of Parker’s magic, with a more benign interpretation, tempering the very essence of the man and his successes.
References to Ellington, Gershwin and Blue Note boogaloo were stifled instead of celebrated, and I watched the discomfort of many who were dazed by the promise that had failed to provide.
I wondered if the intention was to delve into the fusions of the obscure, especially with the music, then why call it Yardbird, as the very title is misleading. Better to have named it with a more appropriate designation, as then we would know what to expect.
In conclusion, as Parker realizes that his very talent is the holy grail itself that he had so desperately been pursuing throughout his short life, we are reminded of what could have been if the author had pursued purity, but in not doing so, has failed to ignite an ever optimistic house at Hackney Empire, who have come to share the very essence of Charlie Parker.
How many times have you heard the terminology ‘get a proper job?’ when someone wants to go into the creative arts, as if there is no hope of earning an income from such an outrageous career choice.
The same when going to the Theatre, Opera or Ballet, where you feel that the audience is part of the privileged elite.
So how do we create a space where we are not just preaching to the converted? Well, it seems It is actually beginning to happen, and the world is ready to amalgamate graft with creativity.
Take the Festival of Making https://festivalofmaking.co.uk/ that has just taken place in Blackburn – the first of its kind where industry is connected to art in every form. Art In Manufacturing for instance, where they unite artists and local industrial manufacturers in a creative collaboration.
It is evident with the success of Big Brother and increase in reality shows that the world is obsessed with being taken into people’s homes or communities to share their experiences.
After all, real life dramas happen all the time, whether it be at work, in the home or on the street. We heard of someone recently, waiting for a bus at the Oval in London with their small child, and a car skidded up, a man pulled a gun to the little guy standing next to her. It turned out to be a plain clothes policeman in a drug raid. The lady in question was too stunned to take a picture or video on her phone, but walked away with her child and after recovering from the shock, wished she had. That was an average day in an ordinary person’s life, but could have been a scene from a Hollywood movie.
Years ago the fifties ‘kitchen sink’ drama ‘Look Back in Anger’ was the film that made Albert Finney famous, and was set against a backdrop of Northern working class Britain and a desperate man in an unlikely marriage, struggling for survival.
Similarly ‘Cathy Come Home’ in the sixties portrayed an unmarried Mother swimming against the tide of prejudice and judgement. Both told stories of ordinary life and were blockbusters in their day. It started a trend for ‘real life’ dramas on celluloid, and brought starting reality to the big screen.
The locations are not always glamorous, and can take place in an office, a factory, or on your street corner – and these days ordinary people are capturing those moments on their iphone or ipad and sharing them with the World, some receiving millions of hits.
Take the young mum blogger ‘Tired and Tested’ who recently rewrote lyrics to one of Ed Sheeran’s songs ‘Shape of You’ and recorded it on her ipad in her kitchen, lyrics about how hard it is to be a mum. Lines like “I gag at the smell of poo, and the sight of vomit too,” As a result, her video went viral, and she is now a household name. So many parents relate to her situation .
See the video here
So in a thrice we can transform some part of our mundane everyday into moments of magic. After all, as the old saying goes, ‘truth is stranger than fiction’, and in your case it could also be your fortune or at least your claim to fame.
Eleven talented writers, four iconic mentors – in a Castle, in the middle of the Dordogne – owned by a legendary American Rock Manager– what could be more intriguing!
Sounds like the beginning of a brilliant movie or murder mystery ride – but it all took place last week and was far more exciting.
Flashback to the beginning of March, when I was introduced to Claire Elizabeth Terry, who is a talented and well-known writer and founder of the Rocaberti Retreat – which is an opportunity for aspiring writers to get together to present their work to successful Hollywood Producers and Novelists for in depth mentoring, critiquing and pitching sessions.
Having had years of experience in performing and pitching myself, but being fairly new to writing, I felt it inappropriate to join the Retreat, but Claire assured me that it would be a worthwhile event for all concerned, and that I should at least soak up some of the invaluable advice and present my own projects which were at various stages of development.
I approached the Retreat with caution, not knowing what to expect, and was immediately enchanted with the Castle in all its elegance and splendour – but as time ensued was completely captivated by the essence of the Retreat and the incredible dedication of both the Mentors and the writers who were there to learn – and that included me.
I had initially approached the week with no expectation, feeling that if I had learnt just one new aspect of writing or pitching it would be worthwhile, but I just hadn’t bargained for the life changing event it turned out to be.
The writers were all at different stages of their careers – some just starting out, some professional and others aspiring to get their book or screenplay published or optioned – but all with the ambition to learn.
I had two projects, and gave my Mentor both. He selected one for me to pitch, and it was also shared with the other Mentees in my group, which was an exhilarating experience.
Other Projects pitched by writers were full of promise and magic in their own unique way, and we all supported each other with the utmost respect, which was encouraged by Jason Chan the amazing spiritual life coach who took us for meditation and tai chi every morning.
My Mentor Golan Ramraz, who has a spectacular portfolio of film writing and producing credits to his name, was both supportive and encouraging, with heaps of incredible insight he has acquired in his twenty years in Hollywood. His critiques were strong but positive, and we all felt we were capable of greatness at the end of his sessions.
Apart from the amazing creative ambience, the Castle itself has its own Chef and so the food was specially cooked for us accompanied by endless amounts of local cheese and wine. Our gracious host Miles Copeland who is responsible for launching The Police and a host of other iconic rock bands, joined us at each meal and even gave us the benefit of his marketing advice over dinner.
If you are in the process of writing a novel or script or know someone who is, at whatever stage of the game you or they are, it is worth checking out this unique and wonderful Retreat which takes place several times a year.
Three projects have already been optioned on previous Retreats, and it will give you the opportunity of putting yours in front of people who know the industry inside out.
Hang out with like-minded people and rub shoulders with celebrity writers and mentors who will offer you guidance, and give you the confidence and knowledge you have been waiting for to change your life forever.
July 13, 2026 1811 Sir George Gilbert Scott 1933 Patsy Byrne 1942 Jim McGuinn 1859 Sidney Webb 1940 Patrick Stewart 1944 Erno Rubik 1903 Eric Portman 1942 Harrison Ford 1960 Ian Hislop
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