SAY IT WITH FLOWERS | STAGE PREVIEW
Sherman Cymru, Cardiff
Wed 15- Sat 25 May
Tickets: £12-£22
words: Lowri Martinson
From rags to riches and back to rags, Sherman Cymru is set to host a new stage play that details the highs and lows of the late and celebrated Welsh singing sensation Dorothy Squires, 15 years after her death. Say It With Flowers tells the story of a young girl’s pursuit of fame, and her ascent into the ranks of celebrity by becoming the highest paid female singer in the UK, ending with her death back in the valleys of Wales. Chatting to Buzz, writer Johnny Tudor reveals his personal connection with Dorothy and his inspiration behind the play. “I first worked with Dorothy 20 years ago in the London Palladium; she was always part of the family”. Brought up in showbiz, Johnny was inspired by the great American performers like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. but learnt “a helluva lot from Dorothy. I’m a funny bag, I’ve been a singer, a dancer, an actor; you have to make sure you like the subject you are writing about,” explains Johnny
Tudor’s “labour of love” was originally written as a screenplay, but after speaking with the writer Meic Povey (Bonansa! Yr Hen Blant), he was advised that his memoriam was more likely to be commissioned for the stage. Opening on Wed 15 Wed, Say It With Flowers will detail the background of Dorothy’s success, her marriage to Roger Moore and her battles with Rupert Murdoch. The cast will include the likes of welsh-born Ruth Madoc (Hi-de-Hi, Little Britain) playing the older Dorothy and Gillian Kirkpatrick (Sweeney Todd) playing the younger. Heledd Gwynn, who has yet to graduate from Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama, will be playing Dorothy’s niece, Emily – the daughter Dorothy never had and best friend to Johnny. Also performing are Lynn Hunter (Stella, Baker Boys), Aled Pedrick (Teulu, Garu Tryfan) and recent graduate Matt Nalton as Roger Moore. After three years in the making, two directors and a lot of pulling teeth, the next big thing for Johnny will be a holiday in Majorca.
Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermancymru.co.uk