The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (Horatio’s Bar, Brighton Pier)

This ballad’s the story of Prudencia Hart. Where to begin? Well, let’s make a start.

The pub was heaving that hot spring night, on Brighton pier for the Festival’s might

Horatio’s Bar the perfect spot, though despite the fans it was terribly hot.

The audience entering were each offered dram, while musicians regaled us on a drum

with other folk instruments, even a bodhran – violin, guitar and banjo will finish the scan.

“Vanessa is here”, I heard someone whisper, well, why not, she’s the Festival Director.

Prudencia Hart, let’s call her Pru for the scansion, was a dowdy academic from an

Edinburgh mansion…

played with daring, and not a little distraction, by Madeline Carroll, the hub of the action.

She attended a conference on the Border’s in Kelso, even David Greig, the author, could not make that rhyme, so

at the same time as ‘troducing that quaint Scots village, the scene is set here to rape and to pillage.

On a snowy midwinter solstice, a Ceilidh, in a pub where the strange people sing karaoke

(Tho’ my rhyming’s not perfect, it seems somehow better, than trying to rhyme every one of the letters.)

Andy Clark is her chevalier, Colin, ridin’ a motorbike (made of human bein’!)

Each actor was also a brilliant musician: Alasdair Macrae, MD, plays the keys with precision,

Annie Grace on the bagpipes was perfectly splendid, and her singing was better than some of the men did!

Before the interval the (pub) stage was set, for Lucifer David McKay to catch Pru in his net.

He was kindly at first, tho’ a little unnerving, then transformed into quite a monster, perving..

at Pru as she fought his advances, finally ending in the strangest of dances.

The audience was hooked, line and sinker, for an intellectual crowd, this ballad’s no stinker.

Wil Wilson, director, and designer Georgia McGuiness, have conceived a ballad, whose only possible sin is..

songs by Kylie and footie chants – both witty and sarky, with lots of pranks, cheek and malarkey.

At the end of the evening, this hot spring night, the audience hold hands as high as a kite

cos, the ballad of th’ Undoing of Prudencia Hart, is a good combination of fun and of art.