A darkened stage, By Tracey Vale

We returned from Kenya to our homeland with only a week to spare before Will Hammer's production of Cinderella was to begin. I was back to performing 'Disney style', with full, petticoated gowns  replacing the modern ballgowns and we were thrown into the cold of a British winter after the often relentless heat of Africa.

I was interviewed for an article promoting Bournemouth’s Cinderella, just prior to the show opening. It featured a number of photographs and gave a lighthearted account of the fitting of the glass slipper. Audiences filled the theatre night after night and I was loving every moment.

I felt truly blessed to be playing Cinderella and to have had the security and enjoyment as a soubrette in summer shows. The costumes and sets were beautiful and the theatre was huge and with the typical grandeur of a number one theatre. I felt so at home there.

In the mornings, I loved to walk onto the darkened stage alone. With only the slight echo of my footsteps, I would then stand at centre stage and look out over the shadowy depths of empty, expectant seats. Only thin wisps of light glowed from  the exit signs. A hush fell as my footsteps faded. “Magic,” I thought, every time. Years later I read an account of this very same feeling in a book about Noel Coward. He liked to do the same thing and felt an awing sense of how special it was to stand alone on a darkened stage in contrast to what it was to become on performance nights.

Kenya and the Mau Mau, By Tracey Vale

The Mau Mau, were an anti-colonial group who instigated the rebellion, known as the Mau Mau Uprising, in 1952. Rebel leader, Deden Kimathi, was captured on October 21, 1956, only two weeks  before our arrival in Kenya. His capture signalled defeat for the Mau Mau and the end to the British military campaign against the rebellion.

One of the soldiers told us that Kimathi had been found in the jungle and was wearing a tiger skin as a disguise. We had also been informed that the Mau Mau were highly dangerous and that, before retiring for the night, we should shift heavy furniture behind the doors of our rooms for added protection. As we travelled, we saw many villages burnt out and were informed that this was the work of the Mau Mau. We also heard terrifying stories of killings and torture.

Despite the claim that the rebellion was over, however, the Mau Mau  continued to be oppressed by colonisation and were yet to have their original grievances met. They were forced to remain in concentration camps, termed a policy of ‘villagisation’ by the British Government where they were to be rehabilitated, or so the British propaganda went. In truth, they were held in huge camps surrounded by fences and barbed wire. Deep trenches surrounded each camp with barbs in their bases. Diseases spread quickly under unsanitary conditions and malnutrition and torture were rife.

Land reform was still necessary and the economic grievances, such as this, still failed to be acknowledged, let alone met. It was Kenya’s fertile land that attracted the British to Kenya in the 1890’s, with rebellion for land reform occurring from that time on. The Mau Mau uprising followed a series of revolts caused by oppression of its original inhabitants. Land had been allocated in such a way as to give Europeans the most, with limited amounts left for the inhabitants, forcing them to continue to be lowly paid workers, unable to better their position.

The Mau Mau seemed to be everywhere in Kenya and we continued to be ‘on guard’ as per our warnings. We travelled a lot, even by train from Nairobi to Mombassa and saw a great deal of the country.

We did some shows in Mombassa on a makeshift stage near the beach. There was a tent allocated as our dressing room and we were warned that we had more to fear than rebel Mau Mau. We were told “Watch out for snakes and Mombassa trains!”

“Mombassa trains?” we’d asked, having just arrived on one that seemed perfectly safe.

“No, no!” A soldier informed us. “These are huge centipedes.”

It was not long before we saw one—and they were indeed huge. The tent became inundated with them and we had to shake out costumes thoroughly before donning them, with centipedes flying out with each swish of fabric.

Moving on again, we stayed near Nakura, in motel-style accommodation and soon discovered that the actor, Victor Mature, was also staying there. Nicknamed ‘The Hunk’, Mature was a leading American actor who had become one of Hollywood’s busiest since World War Two with starring roles in My Darling Clementine; Kiss of Death; Samson and Delilah and The Egyptian, among others.

As he stayed holed up in his room unless he was filming, the army boys wanted to force him out. They thought it would be hilarious sport to have the man who usually portrayed powerful and fearless characters, to be fooled into the opposite extreme. We were duly warned that a mock attack was to take place to test the so-called fearless film star. That night, pretending to be Mau Mau rebels, a group of soldiers stormed, banging, shouting and crashing outside the back of his room. We witnessed the result through a gap in our curtains, stifling laughter at the sight of the six-foot-two man racing out of his room in a terrified frenzy and running, screaming for help, in a white night-shirt.

Following our return home to England, we were interviewed about our experiences in Kenya. The article was as follows:

'The Sharratts were subject to a certain amount of danger from Mau Mau, especially during their trip through the Baharti Forest, which some girls in there party elected not to undertake.

'One remote base was Gil Gil (Windy) inhabited by 98 men. Ninety-six soldiers saw their show--the other two had to remain on guard."

'"In all these bases," said Paul, "There was a great spirit. It gave us a good feeling of doing something worthwhile."

'"After the show we would go to the messes for parties, which usually lasted all night and during which the show started all over again."

'One day their bathing costumes were stolen--by monkeys. The monkeys took the costumes from a verandah on their seafront bungalow, then buried them in the back garden.

'Paul and Joan are both from Walsall. Both are 24 and their puppet act has been going strong for three years.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mau_Mau_Uprising

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001514/bio

Cyprus to East Africa, By Tracey Vale

Our tour in Cyprus was to take over from that of Frankie Howerd and his group. Frankie Howerd was a British comic actor and comedian in film, television and stage. He was later to be known famously for his most successful film roles in ‘Up Pompeii’ and the ‘Carry On’ movies and was termed a ‘comic genius’. He’d been touring in Cyprus, while we were in Aden, when tragedy struck one of his co-touring soubrettes. Her accidental death occurred while travelling between shows. She was shot and killed by the soldier seated, for their protection, directly behind her in the vehicle, his weapon, armed and ready, firing through the seat. As a result, Frankie had requested a return home and he and his fellow entertainers left Cyprus shortly before our arrival. Our tour was to take over from his and also meant a longer stay on the island.

At the beginning of 1956, Britain had 17000 troops situated in Cyprus. This was to rise to 20000 by December of the same year. A number of U.S. Navy personnel were also there and worked closely with the British to assist with electronic intelligence.

We toured Cyprus, performing on makeshift stages for British troops billeted in Famagusta, on the east coast, in the capital, Nicosia and on the coast in northern Cyprus at Kyrenia Castle. The castle, a huge, high walled structure resembling more of a compound than a castle, had been built by the Venetians in the 16^th century. It was now under British control and remained so for the duration of the EOKA turmoil.

Our next stop was Malta near the end of October, followed by a long trip to East Africa via Aden airways, arriving at Eastleigh Airport in Nairobi in early November. We were to continue our “It’s English” tour, performing primarily for British troops in Kenya. Our first performance in East Africa was on November 5 at Kahawa and we were moving on to Nyeri the following day. We stayed in hotel accommodation at the New Stanley Hotel and the Norfolk Hotel, both in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as the Mawingo Hotel “on the slopes of Mount Kenya”, as its brochure espoused. Our longest stays were in Nairobi, where I consistently fainted, on at least a daily basis, due to the high altitude.

Cyprus, By Tracey Vale

Despite being sent to Cyprus for our safety, it was soon evident that our new destination was just as volatile, if not worse. Cyprus was a military base for the British and they wanted to keep it that way, especially since they had withdrawn from Egypt. Cyprus represented the only British 'holding' in the Eastern Mediterranean and was therefore a strategic base. The island was also being used as a launch point for the Suez Crisis, which meant not only were we not escaping that battle, but were in the midst of another.

Since World War Two, Greek Cypriots wanted to become part of Greece. Britain had made some concessions over the years but still maintained power, with the British governor maintaining his place as the overall leader of Cyprus. Cyprus had been annexed by Britain in 1914 and had become a crown colony in 1925.

The Greek Cypriots had become increasingly dissatisfied and, in 1955, an organisation had been formed to demand independence from Britain by violent means. Meanwhile, by 1956, the Greek Cypriot police force had been boosted by Turkish Cypriots, who then formed the majority. This in turn led to the formation of an organisation which demanded the partition of Cyprus, rather than ceding the entire island to Greece. Partition was desired by Turkish Cypriots and also by Turkey.

Guerilla warfare continued through 1956 between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. Britain had formed a paramilitary police force comprised of Turkish Cypriots and fought to maintain their hold over Cyprus. As a result, we discovered that it was a very scary place to be. Everywhere we went, travelling in a combie van, we had a military escort vehicle in front of us and another behind us. As most of the fighting occurred in the villages, we had to hunker down on the floor of the vehicle as it passed through these townships. At these points, a soldier walked on either side of our van. The danger around us was very evident.

Also at the time of our visit, young people on motorbikes would throw home-made bombs and we had been warned that we were potential, if not accidental, targets. Each morning we received a memo from the War Office delivered to our hotel room. This would state where we could or could not go for that day. On one particular day, Alistair, Paul and myself wanted to go to the shop situated just  around the corner to purchase postcards. Due to its close proximity, we didn’t see the harm and set out on a short walk. We selected and paid for the postcards and, stepping back out into the quiet street, we noticed a group of young men on motorbikes near the opposite end. Seeing us, they sped forward and began hurling something through the air towards us.

Remembering the bomb warnings, we instinctively sheltered our heads with our arms. Alistair yelled out in his thick Scottish accent “Just pretend ya haven’t noticed!” With that, he took off at full speed. Looking after him for just a second, Paul and I sped off after him, a difficulty for me as I was wearing high heels. “Run for ya lives!” Alistair turned his head sharply to check that we were close behind. The objects continued to be hurled in our direction, bouncing off walls and poles, with the odd one hitting our limbs.

“Don’t worry—they’re only stones,” called Paul, as we continued to run from the showering debris. We realised with considerable relief that they were stones, and not bombs, but were suitably humbled at the thought of what they very well could have been. Despite this and other experiences, it was an exciting time, although it should have, in hindsight, been terrifying. It was simply part and parcel of what we were doing and, I think, having grown up during the air raids of World War Two, we were ‘acclimatised’ to a great degree.

Sources

http://www.rhinocarhire.com/The-Varosha-Blog/Cyprus-Time-Line.aspx

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1021835.stm