An Ordinary Woman Surviving Extraordinary Times

To commemorate her mother’s 100 birthday last year, Lake of Bays resident, Jan Jacklin, decided to document the stories her mother had shared about growing up in the northeast of England and eventually emigrating to Canada. A story, not so much about an extraordinary woman, but of an ordinary British working-class woman, surviving extraordinary times.

For four performances only, April 10 & 13 @ 2pm and April 11 & 12 @ 7pm, Pioneer Memorial Hall will, once again, transform into an intimate theatre space to stage this full-length production for audiences far and wide.

“Deciding to take these stories and present them as a stage play was a true labour of love,” says playwright Jan Jacklin. “With my mother no longer with us to ask questions, I researched books and archived websites, family discoveries through ancestry sites and a great deal of creative liberty to fill in the blanks.”

Being presented as part of Dot The T’s SCRIPTEASE SERIES, the play will be performed by four seasoned local actors (Jodie Auckland – who just finished her acclaimed run as Shirley Valentine, Andy Bartle, Steven Jacklin and Jan Jacklin herself, who will portray her mother, Violet.) SCRIPTEASE SERIES is an alternate format for audiences to experience live theatre. No props, sets, or costumes… just actors performing with script in hand, on stage. This format allows theatre productions to be performed for audiences that might otherwise not be feasible in a limited space or with a limited budget. A full production of Blooming Violet would require: 15 actors, period costumes, hair and make-up specialists, an abundance of historical props, and a scrim backdrop to create settings spanning the 36 years between 1916 to 1952. Notwithstanding all the bells and whistles, this play, performed by four talented actors, will bring the heartwarming story to life, with a smattering of music and joviality throughout! As stated by audience members who saw a preview of Blooming Violet in 2023. “I would certainly encourage anyone who has not seen it, to do so. It won’t disappoint. Well-done, congratulation and thank you.” Kim Gerhart, Huntsville, ON And Angela Upton, Lake of Bays, ON wrote, “I had the opportunity to watch a performance of this brilliantly written play. It tells the story of Violet Macdonald’s life in Great Britain from childhood to adulthood. The play spans from WW1 to post WW2. There was a mix of heartache, tragedy, hopefulness, and lots of humour as we were taken back in time to life during that era.” Admission is $20 cash at the door OR to guarantee your seat, an e-transfer of $20 can be made to dotthet@yahoo.com (which we recommend as the theatre space only holds 50 patrons) 50% of ticket sales will be donated to the Pioneer Memorial United Church Furnace Replacement Campaign. Additional charitable donations to this campaign can be made to lobunitedchurches@gmail.com

Pioneer Memorial is also providing a cash concession prior to and during the show, with proceeds going directly to their furnace campaign.