THE MISSIONARY POSITION: A TALE SO TALL…YOU JUST COULDN’T MAKE IT UP
On the 14th to 18th September, The Drum theatre in Plymouth is playing host to a very special play. Penny Dreadful brings us The Missionary’s Position which is the real life story of Reverend Harold Davidson – the eccentric rector of the town of Stiffkey during the 1930s.
247 spoke to the show’s director, Mick Barnfather, about why he felt this story was one that needed to be told and would appeal to audiences of all ages and descriptions.
The Penny Dreadful website (www.pennydreadfultheatre.com) explains that the company is committed to producing theatre highlighting fascinating true stories that have been overlooked in history. What do you feel this story can offer a modern and particularly younger audience?
Well, The Missionary’s Position is really a show within a show heralding back to the old musical halls so it’s very lively and comedic and those are aspects of a show that appeal to everyone. This isn’t boring history but instead it’s like the Horrible Histories shows that appeal to so many kids on CBBC. I really feel this show can work for anyone who’s young or young at heart. It cuts across all our differences and causes the audience to really interact with what’s going on in front of them.
Will you be coming to Plymouth with the show and is it somewhere you’re familiar with?
Yes this is effectively the second version of the show with new moments and a few more dance pieces so I want to be part of it. I’ve been involved with the theatre royal in the past as I’ve worked with Simon Stokes, the Drum’s artistic director, in a teaching capacity previously and I’ve acted with the Complicite at the theatre. I’ll be taking part in the post show talk that takes place after Thursday’s performance.
Teaching seems to have been an ongoing aspect of your career. Why do you feel it important to keep engaging with young aspiring actors?
Well, truthfully I’ve never really seen it as giving something back. All actors go through spells of waiting or perhaps a spot of painting and decorating but I’ve always been lucky enough to be able to work with young enthusiastic individuals and as time has gone on that seems to have become a bigger and bigger part of my work.
So tell us a bit about what makes Reverend Davidson’s life so ripe to be recreated on the stage?
Actually it’s such an amazing story, people just can’t believe it’s real although the truth it’s it was a life that you just really couldn’t make up. The reverend was a real eccentric who spent much of his life trying to help the prostitutes in Soho but that made him quite notorious in polite circles. He was tried and defrocked by the church for immoral behaviour but this only led to him becoming quite a public figure.
A bit like some of our questionable celebrities of today?
Exactly, the church became quite embarrassed by him so he wound up making a living by taking part in freak shows. He was a square peg that could never quite fit into a round hole so he just found himself completely unable to conform. He finally met his maker while re-enacting the biblical take of Daniel and the lions. Not the sort of thing anyone would have expected. This is a story that I think will cross the generations and will make anyone who’s watching it laugh, cry and be amazed and this unique man and his amazing life.
The Missionary’s Position is running at the Drum Theatre from Tuesday 14th September to Saturday 18th September.
Words: Alan Butler
