By: JENNY GRAINER
Jenny Grainer arrived in the Algarve to live, work and raise a family in 1968. She is a freelance writer and her book Portugal and the Algarve Now and Then has sold more than 2,000 copies.
I DON’T know if the love of theatre is born into you or instilled as life moves along – it must surely be a bit of both.
Some of my earliest memories are of either being taken to the theatre perched high up in the ‘Gods’, fascinated by the colourful people below or queuing up to get into the cinema to see the latest U rated film that my mother took me to. Mother also started me at dancing classes when I was only three and my six year old granddaughter cannot believe this photograph of me in my ballet shoes and bathing costume with one leg straight up by my ear aged five.
“How on earth did they manage to get you to do things like that when you were so young?” questions my daughter-in-law.
“Discipline” I respond meaningfully.
Can there have been anything more terrifying than Madam Zola’s lifting of an eyebrow or the sound of her silver topped stick crashing down on the floor if any of her mini ballerinas put a foot out of place. No good running to Mummy – she’d tell you off for wasting her money on ballet classes for a naughty girl who should pay more attention.
Tap dancing was a lot more fun, although equally strict, and, of course, my mother entered me for all the exams and every competition available.
 Jenny, aged five |
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As I grew older, my love of theatre and cinema did not diminish and as an only child these larger than life people were my friends and idols. I could sing all the songs from all the musicals and longed to be able to dance like Cyd Charisse and with the divine Gene Kelly. By the time I was in my teens, West Side Story, with its far more modern dancing and music, had huge appeal and I absolutely became Dorothy Dandridge as a sultry siren when I saw Carmen Jones the black version of Carmen by Bizet. I saw it at least eight times and knew the score by heart long before I ever knew it was an opera.
I learned to love it all so nobody was worried when at the tender age of 17 I went on a tour of England in the Desert Song, starring David Whitfield.
Mr Whitfield may well have been in his singing prime but being chased around the dressing room by a forty something over rated, overweight tenor was not my idea of fun – however I survived the six-month tour and am still alive to tell the tale!
My adventures in the theatre are all vivid memories and I met some exciting and interesting people, but it all came to a long pause when I married, had my first baby and moved to Portugal aged 24. The Algarve had no theatres, no shows, no plays, although it had a wonderful old cinema in Albufeira where I first lived which is no longer in existence and where they showed some rather dated films.
Two more babies and many years later I joined CASA, a friendly bunch of people who organise social get-togethers.
One of its great features to me was a group of non-professional entertainers headed by Hazel and Gerry Lane. Together we put on little shows at some of these events and from this humble beginning The Algarveans Experimental Theatre was born. At last I was able to tread the boards again.
Our very first pantomime Puss in Boots was staged at the International School in Porches in their gymnasium/theatre with a budget of 500 pounds and I had a delicious cameo role as ‘The Queen of Catland’.
Today the Algarve has auditoriums, cinemas and arenas all over the place, with more under construction. Still there never seems to be enough for the number of people who want to use them. Drama, music and dance are on every school curriculum and school plays and musical recitals vie for attention on stage along with seminars, concerts, party political congresses and professional variety shows.
The Algarveans were the very first English language amateur theatre company to perform in Lagoa’s brand new Auditorium with the Pantomime Dick Turpin directed by me, my preferred branch of the theatre these days, and since then the group has performed there on a regular basis. The magic of having professional lighting and sound with a first class technician to operate it, plus dressing rooms with showers backstage, is a long way from our early theatres in the Algarve and even the West End ones still in use in London.
Next month, our latest production the spectacular musical Oh What a Lovely War, will be performed during the week of remembrance Sunday and I personally am looking forward to sinking back into one of the plush seats and just enjoying the show.
