Ulster Tatler – June 2019

The sounds of the golden era of the Showbands
returned to Belfast recently as Keep Telling Me Lies

• written by Brenda Winter-Palmer and developed
  by Antoinette Morelli and The Karma Theatre
  Company - enjoyed its world premiere at The MAC
  as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival.
  On arrival, guests, including playwright Michael
  Cameron; founders of Apollo Arts Robin Elliott
  and Pauline Carville; singer-songwriter Anthony
  Toner; and radio and TV personality George Jones,
  were welcomed by the dulcet tones of the ‘queen
  of the showbands’ and Eurovision star, Muriel Day.
  The play, which tells a fictional story, was inspired
  not only by the life of Newtownards musician Muriel,
  but also by the life of Antoinette’s father, Tony
  Morelli, who was the lead singer in The Witnesses
  Showband. It tells the story of two sisters who,
  against the backdrop of the now derelict Floral
  Hall, recall the fateful night they met their musician
  husbands there.
  Presented by David Hull Promotions, the
  production was beautifully staged, with the once
  iconic Floral Hall dominating the stage. As well as
  developing the play, Antoinette Morelli takes on
  the role of Rose whilst Bernadette Brown portrays
  her sister Lena. As the pair meet at the opening of
  the play, reunited after many years by the death
  of Rose’s husband Rob, it is immediately apparent
  there is tension between them. As their stories
  unfold and they reminisce about their pasts, they
  are joined on stage by incarnations of their younger
  selves (played by Mary Frances Loughran as
  young Rose and Brigid Shine at young Lena). The
  combination of having both the adolescent and
  adult versions of the sisters on the stage together


• and at times interacting - is a stunning theatrical
  device. The music of the showbands is also a
  significant part of Keep Telling Me Lies and the
  audience is taken on a journey with live renditions of
  such classics such as ‘Save The Last Dance for Me’,
  ‘She Wears My Ring’, ‘The Wanderer’ and ‘Candy
  Store’. The vocals from Brigid Shine and Matthew
  Forsythe (who plays Rob) are exquisite and are
  perfectly accompanied by musician Rod McVey.
  Keep Telling Me Lies is an impressive production.
  Each of the actors is enthralling, with Morelli and
  Brown in particular giving stand out performances.
  The story has real heart and, in addition to
  captivating musical interludes, wonderfully
  captures the magic of the showband era whilst
  also highlighting the struggles women faced and
  the sacrifices they had to make in such a male
  dominated world. As the play came to an end, it was
  quite emotional to hear many audience members
  applaud the production for its ability to replicate the
  showband era whilst bonding over their own tales of
  sneaking out to the Floral Hall in their youth.
  Keep Telling Me Lies ran from 9-12 May 2019.

Kellie Burch

Column /

Arts Diary

Lloyd Edgar and

Karen Scott.

Andrea Montgomery, Anthony Toner,

Caroline Shanks and David Hull.

George Jones and Robin Elliott.

1969 Eurovision singer Muriel Daye

with Robin Elliott and Pauline Carville.

Anne Brant and

Cathy McCullough.

Jeremy Bell and Libby Smyth.

KEEP TELLING

ME LIES

Pam and Michael Cameron.

“The story ...

wonderfully captures

the magic of the

showband era”

Daniel McSherry and show production

manager Michelle Young.

Playwright Brenda Winter-Palmer with grandson

Thomas Palmer and Bronagh Noade.

[email protected]

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