The Pyrates on stage

[Happy Dan Pew]

Avast, me buckos!

Me theatre company is opening an adaptation of George MacDonald Fraser's grand and epic novel The Pyrates on Sunday, June 27, 2004, at the Chopin Theatre in Chicago, IL. Here's the webpage for the show, with all the particulars, if ye be wishin' to attend.

I'm quite excited about this show--I'm the co-adaptor, and I'm playing the role of Happy Dan Pew in the show. Its a project I've been tryin' to get off the ground for a number of years now, and it warms me black and vile heart to see it come to fruition at last, with Mr. Fraser's blessin' and be damned!

To boot, the whole mess has led me to such fine dark corners of the web as this here board. Although I've loved all things pyratical since I was just a sprat, I hadn't spent much time chartin' the web for fellow sea bandits, corsairs, and privateers. Here's to new friends and rum for all, wi' a curse!

So, if ye be near Chicago this summer, come on out and I'll dedicate one of me froggy rigadoons to ye. Die merrily, die all!

[Rumba Rue]

Interesting sites, unfortunately, I won't be getting to Chicago anytime soon, probably never.

Curiosity, I read all the character stuff and other things, but what the heck is the play about? Is there a plot?

Rumba Rue

** **

[Happy Dan Pew]

Is there a plot? Is there ever! One might even say there are several. Let's see how succinct I can be...

Captain Ben Avery, RN, is charged with delivering a fantastic jewel encrusted crown to the King of Madagascar. The ship he is sailing on is captured by the Brotherhood of the Coast, out to save their comrade, Sheba the She-Wolf from being transported as a slave (Sheba is captured in the fort raid the opens the story). The Brotherhood divides the crown into six pieces, for the six captains to sell. They also kidnap Avery's beloved, Lady Vanity, for sale in the Basra slave marts by corsair captain Akbar the Damned. Avery, assisted (and sometimes hindered) by anti-hero Thomas Blood, must regain the pieces of the crown, rescue Lady Vanity, defeat the Coast Brotherhood, and give general what-for to the forces of the evil Spanish Viceroy Don Lardo del Baloona de Lobby y Corridor.

That's it in a very small nutshell. The whole thing is pretty packed with incident. Not to mention plenty of killer fights, ship battles, swinging on ropes, beautiful women, giant octopuses, marooning; you name it.

Then, there's all the stuff we had to leave out--the Lost City, a retired Anne Bonny, the dreaded maguay plant. I really can't reccomend the novel the play is based on enough. Its a satire, and packed with utterly ridiculous anachronisms, but its meticuloulsly researched, and carries the spirit of the words of Sabatini. Even if you can't see the play, do youself a favor and read the book, damn me deadlights!

[piratelassie]

Pyrates be one o' me favorite books! Been forcin' it on all o' me mates.

Unfortunately, I probably can't get ta Chicago fer seein' the play, but let me know 'ow it turns out

[Happy Dan Pew]

I will do that very thing!

Just got out of two days of 12-hour tech rehersals--here at the old day job. Wish I was shovin' off for Cartegena or Tortuga right now, 'stead of sittin' here in front o' this blasted difference engine...

[Happy Dan Pew]

First preview tonight, and god only knows where backstage we're gonna fit that damn octopus (its huge!), not to mention the porticullus, which is used for only one scene, and is about the size of Rhode Island...

[piratelassie]

Oi, mate, I lives in Rhode Island. Tisn't that large. Only abou' 40 miles across. An' that be includin' a rather large bay But i gets what ya mean abou' the headache wi' the prop. The on'y real play I was in, was in grade school. Twas a murder mystery. I played the dead body cos I couldn't remember me lines.

Ali