Peter And The Starcatcher

PETER and the STARCATCHER  Directed by JAMIANNE DEVLIN Dramaturgy by JAMI GLATTER & JAMIANNE DEVLIN

DRAMATURGY ●

THE VICTORIAN ERA:​ The Victorian Era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, ‘refined sensibilities’ and national self-confidence for the United Kingdom.

●

QUEEN VICTORIA: ​Queen Victoria, the only child of Edward, the duke of Kent and King George III's fourth son, and Victoria Saxe-Saalfield-Coburg, sister of Leopold, king of the Belgians, was queen of Great Britain for 63 years. To date, she is the second longest reigning British monarch after Queen Elizabeth II. Victoria's reign saw great cultural expansion; advances in industry, science, and communications; and the building of railways and the London Underground. She died in England in 1901. Queen Victoria served as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837, and as empress of India from 1877, until her death in 1901. She was born Alexandrina Victoria on May 24, 1819, in London, England, the only child of George III's fourth son, Edward, and Victoria Saxe-Saalfield-Coburg, sister of Leopold, King of the Belgians. Victoria’s father died when she was eight months old and her mother became a domineering influence in her life. As a child, she was said to be warm hearted and lively. Educated at the Royal Palace by a governess, she had a gift for drawing and painting and developed a passion for journal writing. After the death of two uncles, the teenage Victoria became heir to her final surviving uncle King William IV. But Victoria's youth was dominated by strict rules known as the 'Kensington System'. These rules included sharing a room with her mother and having no time alone. The system was designed by John Conroy (an army office and First Attendant to Prince Edward), who hoped to manipulate her to gain further power and influence. When Victoria was 13 she was taken on a tour of the Midlands so that Conroy and her mother could show her off to the public. The princess found it exhausting and became increasingly stubborn.

●

●

●

●

●

● ●

●

●

●

Upon her father’s death, Victoria became the heir apparent, since her three surviving uncles, who were ahead of her in succession, had no legitimate heirs who had survived childhood. When King William IV died in June 1837, Victoria became queen at the very young age of 18. Victoria’s first Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, was her political advisor and confidant and helped teach the young queen the intricacies of being a constitutional monarch. Victoria moved to Buckingham Palace making it her official royal residence in London. She began exerting her will by exiling her mother to live in distant rooms. She also banned John Conroy the courtier who made her childhood miserable – from her state apartments. The young Queen was charmed by her first prime minister, Lord Melbourne, who was both fatherly and admiring. She became the richest woman in the world after Parliament granted her an annuity of £385,000. A crowd of 400,000 gathered on the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the Queen on her Coronation Day. She was crowned in Westminster Abbey. She wore robes of white satin and red velvet. The five-hour ceremony was a little chaotic as the Dean of Westminster, who had presided over previous coronations, was ill. Victoria was handed the orb at the wrong moment and the Archbishop of Canterbury forced a ring on the wrong finger, which took her an hour to remove. After the ceremony Victoria returned to Buckingham Palace for a family banquet and watched fireworks from her mother’s balcony. Victoria fell in love with her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha when he visited Britain in 1839.

As head of state she had to propose to him. The couple were married the following year. Victoria wore a large white wedding dress and had a tiered wedding cake. This started a new tradition among brides who in the past had worn their Sunday best to the ceremony. The relationship was a passionate one and Victoria often lost her temper with her new husband. Albert took on the role of 'moral tutor' to Victoria, which irritated her but meant she relied more heavily on him. In 1861, Victoria's beloved prince died of typhoid fever after several years of suffering from stomach ailments. Victoria was devastated and went into a 25-year seclusion. Under Queen Victoria's reign, Great Britain experienced unprecedented expansion in industry, building railways, bridges, underground sewers and power distribution networks throughout much of the empire. There were advances in science (​Charles Darwin​'s theory of evolution) and technology (the telegraph and popular press), vast numbers of inventions, tremendous wealth and poverty; growth of great cities like Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham; increased literacy;

●

●

●

and great civic works, often funded by industrial philanthropists. During her reign, Britain expanded its imperial reach, doubling in size and encompassing Canada, Australia, India and various possessions in Africa and the South Pacific. The Queen was emblematic of the time: an enthusiastic supporter of the British Empire, which stretched across the globe and earned the adage: “The sun never sets on the British Empire.” At various points in her reign, Queen Victoria exercised some influence over foreign affairs, expressing her preference, but not pressing beyond the bounds of constitutional propriety. During this time, the British Empire experienced only a few small wars, exerting its authority over foreign possessions. One of the major factors that helped Britain avoid European entanglements was the marriage of Victoria's children: either directly or by marriage, she was related to the royal houses of nearly every major European power, with the exceptions of France and Spain. Though the English constitutional arrangement denied her powers in foreign affairs, she ruled her family with an iron hand that helped keep Great Britain away from the intrigues of European politics. During Queen Victoria’s reign, British Parliamentary politics went through a major transition. The Tory Party split, forming the Liberal and Conservative parties, and started a succession of opposing administrations. Victoria played a crucial role as mediator between arriving and departing prime ministers. Though she detested Liberal Prime Minister William Gladstone, she found ways to work with him, even during her mourning period. She was particularly fond of Conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who linked the Monarchy to the expansion of the empire, which helped restore public opinion following Queen Victoria’s long seclusion after the death of her beloved Albert Victoria continued in her duties up to her death. In keeping with tradition, she spent Christmas 1900 at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, where her health quickly declined to the point that she was unable to return to London. She died on January 22, 1901, at age 81. Her son and successor King Edward VII and her eldest grandson Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany were both at her bedside.

TIMELINE OF VICTORIAN ENGLAND: ● ●

1819: Birth of Victoria 1826: Joseph Niepce takes the first photo

● ● ● ● ●

● ● ● ●

● ● ● ●

● ● ● ● ● ●

● ●

●

1832: Voting system changed with Great Reform Act 1834: Ban on Slavery with slavery abolition bill in British colonies 1837–67: Isambard Kingdom Brunel builds London to Bristol railway for the Great Western Railway. 1837: Victoria succeeds her uncle William IV to throne at the age of 18 Dickens writes ​THE PICKWICK PAPERS​ and O ​ LIVER TWIST​. 1837–67: Construction of neo-Gothic Houses of Parliament. 1840: Victoria marries Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Penny postage instituted. 1843: Dickens writes ​A CHRISTMAS CAROL​. 1844: Irish potato famine 1845: Brunel’s, S. S. Great Britain, the first propeller-driven steamship. 1846: Repeal of Corn Laws, beginning of free trade era 1847:Ten Hours Act puts a restriction on working hours of children in factories. Emily Brontë writes ​WUTHERING HEIGHTS​. Charlotte Brontë writes​ JANE EYRE​. 1848: Founding of Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Marx and Engels, Communist Manifesto 1849: Dickens writes ​DAVID COPPERFIELD​. 1850: First British Public Library Act, permitting the establishment of public libraries. Tennyson named Poet Laureate. 1851: First telegraph cable laid across the English Channel. Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace. Half of population of Great Britain lives in cities. London population grows from 1.1 million in 1801 to 2.7 million; reaches 6.6 million in 1901. 1852: Opening of the Victoria and Albert Museum. 1853–56: Crimean War. 1854: Florence Nightingale goes to Crimea and organizes nursing during the war. 1855: Balmoral Castle completed. Newspaper stamp tax abolished 1856: Henry Bessemer invents blast furnace which helps in mass production of steel. 1857: Founding of National Portrait Gallery. First telegraph cable laid across the Atlantic. Matrimonial Causes Act permits divorce for adultery (but women could not petition until 1923). Suppression of Indian mutiny against British rule in India. 1858: Government of India transferred to the Crown. 1859: Big Ben enters service Darwin writes ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES. Dickens writes TALE OF TWO CITIES. 1860: Introduction of trams in England Dickens writes ​GREAT EXPECTATIONS.​ 1861: Death of Prince Albert of typhoid fever at age 42. 1863–65: St. Pancras train station building 1863–72: Albert Memorial building

●

1863: First underground railway, Metropolitan Railway in London between Paddington & Farringdon St. (opens Jan. 10).

●

1865: Founding of Salvation Army by William Booth (July 2). from 1855, the metropolitan drainage system in London completed

●

1867–71: Construction of Royal Albert Hall. 1867: Second Reform Act, extended vote to tax-paying males of the urban working class. 1868: Disraeli as Prime Minister Last public execution (May 26); public hangings stopped

●

Last shipment of convicts from England to Australia. Metropolitan District Railway between Mansion House and South Kensington opens in London .

●

1869: Suez Canal built which dramatically reduced the journey time to & from Australia & Far East.

●

1870: Education Act, compulsory primary education until the age of 11. A 1p ($1) fee per day for the schooling. Married Women’s Property Act gives women the right to earn and keep money for their own use.

●

1875: First intelligible telephone communication made by Bell (June 5). Disraeli buys Britain controlling interest in Suez Canal.

●

1876: Victoria named ruler of India.

● ● ● ● ● ●

1878: First electric street lighting in London. 1879: Edison’s invention of the electric light bulb. 1883: Expansion of Married Women’s Property Act. 1884: Third Reform Act, extending voting rights to agricultural workers. 1885: Karl Benz’s invention of the first automobile. 1887: Golden Jubilee celebration of 50th anniversary of Victoria’s reign. Arthur Conan Doyle’s first Sherlock Holmes story – A Study in Scarlet 1888: Unsolved London murders of East End women by “Jack the Ripper.” County Councils created in Britain. Founding of The Star (absorbed by The Evening News in 1960). 1896: Marconi patented wireless telegraphy (June 2). Speed limit for cars was increased from 4 to 20 mph. The Savoy (January–September). 1897: Official opening of the Tate Gallery, founded by Sir Henry Tate (July 21). 1890 : First comic book was published 1891: Free Education Act 1891 1895: ​IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST​ published 1901— Death of Queen Victoria at age 82 (January 22, 6:30 am). Population of London reaches 6.6 million. This era is remembered for its attention to ​high morals​, modesty and proper ​decorum​, as inspired by the Queen and her husband, Prince Albert. The Victorian era was also an optimistic time in which scientific and industrial invention thrived. Developments in printing produced a proliferation of kinds of literature such as Victorian scrap art, cards, and magazines, previously unknown to that period.

●

●

● ● ● ●

●

WOMEN IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND ● ● ●

●

●

●

●

●

In 1882 the Married Women’s Property Act which allowed married women to own and control their own property. Women were not able to vote until 1919, but were very involved on a local level in schools and local government. Most households necessarily drew income from a number of sources, with many women and juveniles adding to wage earning even if their employment was usually more intermittent and low-paid than that of adult males. Although the male breadwinner wage was increasingly regarded as the ideal and even the norm, in practice many households were dependent upon female earnings, especially those households run by widows. Two-thirds of the female population in the lower class worked for wages. ​Female employment in the 1850s, 60s and 70s appears to have been higher than any recorded again until after World War II. Family budget evidence suggests that around 30-40% of women from working class families contributed significantly to household incomes in the mid-Victorian years. It’s difficult to know what occupations women held and the conditions in which they worked because it wasn’t adequately documented. Women’s work was often not classified as work, especially when her job was considered housework or familial care. Other reasons for it not being recorded was that her work was illegal (prostitution), unregulated (sweatshops), or she kept it a secret from her husband. Outside the working classes the traditional view of Victorian women is that they were little involved in business or enterprise and that their lives were largely devoted to the private sphere of domestic and family life. Certainly the cultural and evangelical ideals of the period placed women on a pedestal of moral probity, motherhood and domestic orderliness. Widows and spinsters were rarely in a position to rest on their laurels or be ladies of leisure. Many of the former carried on family businesses after the death of their husbands, whilst the significant surplus of spinsters in Victorian society found work as governesses or in trades which were regarded as suitable for women such as millinery and inn-keeping, grocery retailing and other victualling. Both widows and spinsters were prominent in property ownership and in financing businesses as sleeping partners. The typical firm in the 19th century was a small family partnership. Because of this many opportunities existed for wives and daughters to be closely involved. There is evidence of their important roles, especially behind the scenes: in retailing, book keeping, correspondence, dealing with clients, arranging deals. The infamous “Jack the Ripper” murders occurred in 1888. The anonymous serial killer brutally murdered 5 women who were working as prostitutes in London’s East End. At that time, the death or murder of a working girl was rarely reported in the press or discussed within polite society. The reality was that "ladies of the night" were subject to physical attacks, which sometimes resulted in death. However, Jack the Ripper didn't just snuff out life with a knife, he mutilated and humiliated women, and his crimes seemed to portray an abhorrence for the entire female gender. ORPHANS IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND

●

Great Britain witnessed technological and economic advancements during Victorian era. A separate distinct class called the ​middle class​ evolved apart from the masses and the wealthy aristocrats. But those who were excluded from this Victorian model were the abandoned children without a past and without relations the orphans.

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

The orphans did not earn a status in the society but they were prevalent in the Victorian literature as respectable but troubled heroes and heroines. The ​Victorian Authors​ portrayed an orphan as someone living in crowded and unsanitary conditions after losing both his parents. The descriptions of the orphans in ​Victorian literature ​are to be relied upon as it is probably the only source which narrates the history of Victorian orphans. Orphans were normally adopted by their immediate relatives, neighbours or couples without children. Laws related to adoption did not prevail in the Victorian era and so most of the instances of adoption were informal. Adoption of a child of the lower class by people of higher class, however, did not permit the child to maintain relations with the higher class.

Some of the orphans considered themselves lucky to get placed in educational institutions. The philanthropists of the Victorian era considered it a social responsibility to donate money to schools which were formed to educate the orphans and provide boarding facilities. Food, clothing, shelter and education were given to orphans until they turn seventeen. Once they attain the age of seventeen the orphans were expected to work and earn on their own. But most of these education centres were not funded properly. Orphans were educated for the purpose of performing lower-middle class occupation such as that of a governess. To make matters worse the nutrition standards were not up to the standards and corporeal punishment excessively. In such poor conditions, ​diseases ​spread rapidly in the crowded centres. As abandonment of children was quite often during the Victorian era a residential institution to take care of the orphans became the need of the hour. Thus orphanages were set up in different parts of United Kingdom as Group home, children home, rehabilitation centre and youth treatment centre. The establishment of ​orphanages ​played a major role in reducing the infant mortality rates. The orphanages offered community-based living and learning to children. Though orphanages acted as a better option when compared to adoption and foster care, in some of the unregulated orphanages, children were subject to abuse and neglect. Those orphans who were not admitted into educational centres or orphanages, nor adopted ended as criminals. Statistics prove that almost 60% of the criminals were orphans. But there were still some orphans searching for a ray of light in the darkness, living in the streets doing menial work and begging for money for their living.

MARITIME HISTORY and the AGE OF SAIL ●

●

●

●

●

●

The first ship ever built was ​ancient cedar wood ship Praise of the Two Lands is the first reference recorded (2613 BC) to a ship being referred to by name. The ancient Egyptians were perfectly at ease building sailboats. The ​Age of Sail​ originates from ancient seafaring exploration, during the rise of ancient civilizations. Including ​Mesopotamia​, the ​Far East​ and the ​Cradle of Civilization​, the ​Arabian Sea has been an important ​marine​ ​trade route​ since the era of the c​ oastal sailing vessels​ from possibly as early as the 3rd millennium BC, certainly the late 2nd millennium BC up to and including the later days of ​Age of Sail​. By the time of ​Julius Caesar​, several well-established combined land-sea trade routes depended upon ​water transport​ through the Sea around the rough inland ​terrain features​ to its north. These routes usually began in the ​Far East​ with transshipment​ via historic ​Bharuch​ (Bharakuccha), traversed past the inhospitable coast of today's ​Iran​ then split around ​Hadhramaut​ into two streams north into the ​Gulf of Aden​ and thence into the ​Levant​, or south into ​Alexandria​ via ​Red Sea​ ports such as ​Axum​. Each major route involved transhipping to pack animal caravans, travel through desert country and risk of bandits and extortionate tolls by local potentiates. Southern coastal route past the rough country in the southern ​Arabian peninsula​ (​Yemen​ and ​Oman​ today) was significant, and the Egyptian​ ​Pharaohs​ built several shallow canals to service the trade, one more or less along the route of today's ​Suez canal​, and another from the ​Red Sea​ to the ​Nile River​, both shallow works that were swallowed up by huge ​sandstorms​ in antiquity. In the modern western countries, the European "Age of Sail" is the period in which ​international trade​ and ​naval warfare​ were both dominated by ​sailing ships​. The age of ​sail​ mostly coincided with the ​age of discovery​, from the 15th to the 18th century. After the 17th century, English naval maps stopped using the term of ​British Sea​ for the ​English Channel​. From 15th to the 18th centuries, the period saw ​square rigged​ sailing ships​[24]​ carry ​European​ settlers to many parts of the world in one of the most important ​human migrations​ in recorded history. This period was marked by extensive exploration and colonization efforts on the part of European kingdoms. The sextant​, developed in the 18th century, made more accurate charting of nautical position possible. Europe’s Age of Discovery, which occurred between the 15th and 18th centuries, brought forward an advancement in navigation and shipbuilding in north-western Europe allowed an increasing number of voyages across the Atlantic to the Americas. Here new commodities such as tobacco from Virginia and Maryland, gold and silver from Mexico and Peru were discovered and brought back to Europe. In turn many of these goods were brought to Asia to be traded. In fact, in the early 1600s many European countries such as England, France, Denmark and Portugal created East India Companies. The most successful by far, however, was the Dutch East India Company, which is considered the first truly multinational company. The Dutch East India Company had a virtual monopoly on spices in the region with a busy port in Batavia (modern day Jakarta). However, much more important than the transportation of spices was the movement of Europeans – around a million of them between 1602 and 1796 by the Dutch company alone – into Asia.

●

● ● ●

● ●

The English East India Company meanwhile focused its attention on India, trading in goods such as cotton, silk, and tea. The power of the East India Companies and the infrastructure they put in place was a precursor to the colonisation that occurred throughout much of the continent. Despite the massive success of the East India Companies by the mid-19th century they had all been dissolved, many of them because of bankruptcy. Britain “ruled the waves.” The British Empire stretched from India to Australia, Africa, and even Canada. The only way to transport goods and people was by ship. The steam-powered ship was in regular use in many parts of the world before Victoria came to the throne, but the foundations of modern steamship travel date from the first decades of her reign. Improvements in technology and structural systems brought about a new generation of bigger, faster and more efficient ships, making possible the establishment of regular services across the North Atlantic, around the Mediterranean and to India and Australia via the Cape. In 1819, travelling on a ship powered by a steam engine was proved plausible by sailing for 80 hours out of a 633 hour long trip to Liverpool. Ship companies were locked in competition with each other to travel the farthest, fastest, and soon after the completion of the ship the ​Great Britain​, the most lavish.

LIFE ON BOARD ● ●

● ●

●

Life at sea during the age of sail was filled with hardship. Sailors had to accept cramped conditions, disease, poor food, pay and bad weather. Over a period of hundreds of years, seafarers from the age of the early explorers to the time of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, shared many common experiences. Men working at sea had much to endure; cut off from normal life on shore for months, even years, they had to accept cramped conditions, disease, poor food and pay. Above all, they faced the daily dangers of sea and weather. A seaman's life was hard, and he had to be tough to survive, so ship's officers kept strict discipline on board. In this way they hoped to keep morale high and prevent mutiny. Seamen could be ‘tarred and feathered’, tied to a rope, swung overboard and ducked or ‘keel-hauled’, dragged round the underneath of the ship. Flogging was the most common, with the whole crew often made to watch. A rope's end was used, or the infamous ‘cat o’ nine tails’. A seaman found guilty of mutiny or murder would be hanged from the yardarm. The main rations were salt beef or pork, cheese, fish, ale and some form of ship's biscuit. The quality of food deteriorated because of storage problems, lack of ventilation, and poor drainage. It was also affected by the presence of rats and other vermin on board.

●

●

●

●

●

Typical jobs on board included cook, parson, surgeon, master gunner, boatswain (in charge of the sails), carpenter and quartermaster. Other members of the crew would, of course, carry out all the duties, including keeping watch, handling sails, and cleaning decks. It is interesting to note that the names for jobs of men responsible for working a ship (boatswain, coxswain, seamen) are of Anglo-Saxon origin, while those of officers (Captain, Lieutenant, Admiral) are of Norman-French origin. This is an indication of a class distinction between roles on board. It was not always possible to fill ships’ crews with volunteers, especially in wartime, so the law allowed gangs to seize men and force them to join a ship. Pressing peaked in the 18th century but it was still going on as late as 1850. By the end of the 1700s, pay on a naval ship was less than that on a merchant ship. However, as well as basic wages, sailors would expect to have a share of prize money or booty from captured enemy vessels. Traditionally hard-drinking and tough, seamen made the best of their cramped living quarters, enjoying games of dice and cards, telling tales, playing musical instruments, carving, drawing, practising knots or model making. They also sang ‘sea shanties’ – rhythmic work songs to help repetitive tasks such as hauling on ropes. SHIP TERMINOLOGY

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Bow​-Refers to the front end of a boat. (You can remember "bow" as the front, because when you take a bow, you're leaning forward.) Stern​-Refers to the rear end of a boat. Forward-​When you are moving towards the front end of a boat, this called going "forward." Aft-​When are you moving towards the rear end of the boat, this is called going "aft." Underway​-When a boat is moving, either by motor or wind, this is called being "underway." Ahead​-Refers to a boat moving in a forward direction. Astern​-​Refers to a boat moving in a backwards position (reverse). Port​-​Standing at the rear of a boat and looking forward, "port" refers to the entire left

side of the boat. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Starboard​-Standing at the rear of a boat and looking forward, "starboard" refers to the entire right side of the boat. Port Bow​-Refers to the front left of a boat. ​Port Quarter​-Refers to the rear left side of a boat. Starboard Bow​-Refers to the front right of a boat. Starboard Quarter​-Refers to the rear right of a boat. ​Amidships​-The central part of a boating vessel. Topside​-Moving from a lower deck of a boat to an upper deck. Rigging​ ​– The system of ropes, wires and chains used to support and operate the masts, sails, booms and yards of a ship.

●

Mast ​– A large pole (spar) resin above the deck of a ship and supports sails and rigging.

●

Foremast ​– The front mast on a ship or any other sailing vessel.

●

Mainmast ​– The middle, primary mast on a ship or any other sailing vessel.

●

Mizzenmast ​– The aftermost mast on a ship or any other sailing vessel.

●

Sail ​- A large piece of material like cloth, set on mast and used to speed up sailing by being placed in the wind.

●

Square sail ​– A rectangular sail attached on yard, hanging symmetrically across the mast.

●

Fore-and-aft sail​ – A triangular sail set behind mast, attached to a gaff and boom, parallel with a keel.

●

Lateen sail ​– A triangular sail, set on a long yard and sometimes supported with boom.

●

Jib ​- A small fore-and-aft sail extending from the fore-topmast head to the jib-boom.

●

Trysail ​- A small fore-and-aft sail used during the storm conditions and placed instead of the regular sail.

●

Course sail ​- The largest and lowest square sail on a mast

●

Spanker ​– A fore-and-aft sail on an aftermost mast, bent with a gaff and boom.

●

Spar ​- A wooden or metal pole used for rigging such as mast, yard, gaff, boom, etc.

●

Bowsprit ​– A pole which extends forward from the bow of a ship.

●

Yardarm or Yard ​– A pole which horizontally crosses a mast.

●

Boom ​- A horizontal pole used to extend the foot of a fore-and-aft sail from a mast and support it.

●

Stay ​- A heavy rope, cable or wire used as support for a mast or spar.

●

Hull ​–A frame or body of any sailing vessel.

●

Keel ​– The bottom of a hull, scratching from bow to stern.

●

Rudder ​– A metal or wood plate mounted at the stern, used to maneuvers a ship.

●

Bulkhead​ – A water-tight structure dividing a ship into compartments.

●

Abaft or aft​ – A rear section of the ship.

●

Bow ​- The front part of a ship.

●

Deck ​– A horizontal platform covering a hull from one side of a ship to the other.

●

Poop ​– An enclosed structure, a rear part of a deck.

●

Stern ​– The aftermost part of a ship. A captain office and officers' quarters.

●

Gaff ​- A swinging pole used to extend the top of a fore-and-aft sail away from a mast and support it.

●

Main deck​ - The highest part of a deck in some vessels.

●

Berth ​-The sleeping and living quarters below main deck or built-in bed on a ship.

●

Orlop ​-The lowest deck on a ship, used for covering storage.

●

Bilge ​–The bottom of a ship, the transition between the bottom and the sides.

●

Scuppers ​– The openings, spreading along edges of a deck and allow water to drain off into the sea. NAUTICAL SLANG

Above board ​- Anything on or above the open deck. If something is open and in plain view, it is above board. All at sea ​- This dates to the time when accurate navigational aids weren’t available. Any ship that was out of sight of land was in an uncertain position and in danger of becoming lost. Aloof ​- Now means to stand apart or be indifferent, but it came from the Old Dutch word loef which meant “windward” and was used to describe a ship within a fleet which sailed higher to the wind and was thus drawn apart from the rest of the fleet. At loggerheads ​- An iron ball attached to a long handle was a loggerhead. When heated it was used to seal the pitch in deck seams. It was sometimes a handy weapon for quarrelling crewmen. Chock-a-block​ - A block and tackle is a pulley system used on sailing ships to hoist the sails. The phrase describes what occurs the system is raised to its fullest extent – when there is no more rope free and the blocks jam tightly together. Predictably this lead to its current meaning, “crammed so tightly together as to prevent movement”. Clean bill of health ​- A certificate signed by a port authority attesting that no contagious disease existed in the port of departure and none of the crew was infected with a disease at the time of sailing. Shore-side, it means in good shape. Clear the deck​ - One of the things done in preparation for battle. Current usage similar to batten down the hatches. Close quarters​ - In the 17th century, the barriers that sailors laid across a ship’s deck in order to provide a safe haven from the enemy were called close-fights. By the mid 18th century that confined defensive space became called ‘close quarters’, i.e. close dwellings. This eventually came to mean ‘near enough to to be able to fight hand to hand’. Copper-bottomed -​ described ships that were fitted with copper plating on the underside of their hulls. The process was first used on ships of the British Navy in 1761 to defend their wooden planking against attack by Teredo worms a.k.a. Shipworms and to reduce infestations by barnacles. The method was

successful in protecting ships’ timbers and in increasing speed and manoeuvrability and soon became widely used. Before long, ‘copper-bottomed’ began to be used figuratively to refer to anything that was certain and trustworthy. Cut and run​ - most often thought to mean the cutting of an anchor line in an effort to make a quick getaway. Hard to imagine that many ship’s masters enjoyed routinely losing an anchor or two, so it is probably more likely referring to the practice of securing the sails of a square-rigged ship with rope yarns that could easily be cut away when a quick departure was necessary. Cut of one’s jib ​- warships many times had their foresails or jib sails cut thinly so that they could maintain point and not be blown off course. Upon sighting thin foresails on a distant ship a captain might not like the cut of his jib and would then have an opportunity to escape. Deliver a broadside​ - the simultaneous firing of the guns and/or canons on one side of a warship. Quite a blow, as can be imagined. Today it means much the same type of all-out attack, though done (usually) with words. Devil to pay​ - Originally, this expression described one of the unpleasant tasks aboard a wooden ship. The devil was the ship’s longest seam in the hull. Caulking was done with pay or pitch (a kind of tar). The task of ‘paying the devil’ (caulking the longest seam) by squatting in the bilges was one of the worst and most difficult jobs onboard. The term has come to mean a difficult, seemingly impossible task. ‘The devil to pay and no pitch hot’. Landlubbers, having no seafaring knowledge, assumed it referred to satan and gave the term a moral interpretation. Dressing down ​- Thin and worn sails were often treated with oil or wax to renew their effectiveness. This was called “dressing down”. An officer or sailor who was reprimanded or scolded received a dressing down. Dutch courage​ - Dates to the 1600s Anglo-Dutch wars and was likely British propaganda claiming that the Dutch troops were so cowardly they wouldn’t fight unless fortified with copious amounts of schnapps. The term has come to mean false courage induced by drink, or the drink itself. Edging forward -​ This phrase describes inch-by-inch progress and was first used in the 17th century, typically in nautical contexts and referring to slow advance by means of repeated small tacking movements. Even keel -​ A vessel that floats upright without list is said to be on an even keel and this term has come to mean calm and steady. A keel is like the backbone of the vessel, the lowest and principal centerline structural member running fore and aft. Keeled over (upside down) was a sailor’s term for death. Fall foul of/foul up ​- Foul is an often used nautical term generally meaning entangled or impeded. An anchor tangled in line or cable is said to be a foul anchor. A foul berth is caused by another vessel anchoring too close wherein the risk of collision exists. A foul bottom offers poor holding for anchors. A screw up! Fathom ​- A nautical measure equal to six feet, used to measure the depth of water at sea. The word was also used to describe taking the measure or “to fathom” something. Today when one is trying to figure something out, they are trying to fathom it or get to the bottom of it.

Figurehead ​- An ornamental figure placed on the front of a ship, under the. Originally a religious and/or protective emblem. The custom continued but for purely decorative purposes. Hence the term figurehead – a leader with no real power or function except to ‘look good’ or appeal to a certain group. Filibuster ​- Buccaneers were sometimes known in England as filibusters. From the Dutch for vrybuiter (freebooter) translated into French as flibustier. It is now used as a political term meaning to delay or obstruct the passage of legislation (as opposed to sailing vessels) by non-stop speech making. First rate​ - Implies excellence. From the 16th century on until steam powered ships took over, British naval ships were rated as to the number of heavy cannon they carried. A ship of 100 or more guns was a First Rate line-of-battle ship. Second rates carried 90 to 98 guns; Third Rates, 64 to 89 guns; Fourth Rates, 50 to 60 guns. Frigates carrying 20 to 48 guns were fifth and sixth rated. Fits the bill ​- A Bill of Lading was signed by the ship’s master acknowledging receipt of specified goods and the promise to deliver them to their destination in the same condition. Upon delivery, the goods were checked against the bill to see if all was in order. If so, they fit the bill. Flotsam and jetsam​ - These are legal terms in maritime law. Flotsam is any part of the wreckage of a ship or her cargo that is lost by accident and found floating on the surface of the water. Jetsam are goods or equipment deliberately thrown overboard (jettisoned) to make the ship more stable in high winds or heavy seas. (Lagan are goods cast overboard with a rope attached so that they may be retrieved and sometimes refers to goods remaining inside a sunken ship or lying on the bottom.) The term flotsam and jetsam shore-side means odds and ends of no great value. Footloose ​- The bottom portion of a sail is called the foot. If it is not secured, it is footloose and it dances randomly in the wind. From stem to stern​ - From the front of a ship to the back. Now describes something in its entirety. Flying colours ​- To come through a battle with flying colours means a ship has come through relatively unscathed and with her colours (flag) flying. Get underway​ - ‘Way’ here doesn’t mean road or route but has the specifically nautical meaning of ‘the forward progress of a ship though the water’, or the wake that the ship leaves behind. Way has been used like that since at least the 17th century. Give a wide berth​ - To anchor a ship far enough away from another ship so that they did not hit each other when they swung with the wind or tide. Go overboard​ - The nautical origin of this one should be fairly self-evident. Gripe ​- A sailing vessel gripes when, by poor design or imbalance of sail, it tends to end up with its bow into the wind when sailing close-hauled. The sails flap around, forward progress is halted and she is very hard to steer. On land, the term means to complain, complain, complain. Groggy ​- In 1740, British Admiral Vernon (whose nickname was “Old Grogram” for the cloak of grogram which he wore) ordered that the sailors’ daily ration of rum be diluted with water. The men called the mixture “grog”. A sailor who drank too much grog was “groggy”.

Groundswell ​- A sudden rise of water along the shore. It often happens when the weather is fine and the sea behind it appears calm. Said to occur when undulating water from a far away storm reaches the shoreline where friction causes the swell. In common use, the term groundswell means a growing change in public opinion. Hand over fist​ - Hand over hand was a British term for the act of moving quickly up a rope or hoisting a sail, which was a matter of pride and competition among sailors. It is thought that American sailors changed this term to ‘hand over fist’, and the term now means to advance or accumulate rapidly. Hard and fast ​- A ship that was hard and fast was simply one that was firmly beached on land. Has come to mean ‘rigidly adhered to – without doubt or debate’. Hard-up​ - Hard is another often used nautical term. To put the helm hard over is to put it as far as it will go in that direction. Hard and fast describes a vessel firmly aground and unable to make progress and has come ashore to mean rigid. ‘Hard up in a clinch and no knife to cut the seizing’, the term from which hard up derives, was a sailor’s way of saying he had been overtaken by misfortune and saw no way of getting clear of it. Shore-side, the term means in need. Haze ​- Long before fraternal organisations, hazing was the practice of keeping the crew working all hours of the day or night, whether necessary or not, in order to deprive them of sleep and to make them generally miserable. In the 19th century, many captains used this practice to assert their authority. Hazing has come to mean the initiation of a newcomer to a group by humiliating and harassing him or her, thereby asserting the authority of the group. High and dry​ - This term originally referred to ships that were beached. The ‘dry’ implies that not only were they out of the water, but had been for some time and could be expected to remain so. Hot chase​ - A principle of naval warfare, though without basis in law, that allowed a fleeing enemy to be followed into neutral waters and captured there if the chase had begun in international waters. The term hot pursuit derives from this ‘principle’. Hulk/hulking​ - A large and unwieldy ship of simple construction and dubious seaworthiness. On shore, it means big and clumsy. In the offing​ - This phrase is quite simple to understand once you know that ‘the offing’ is the part of the sea that can be seen from land, excluding those parts that are near the shore. Early texts also refer to it as ‘offen’ or ‘offin’. A ship that was about to arrive was “in the offing”, therefore imminent, which is how the phrase is used today. Idle/idler​ - Idler was the name for those members of a ship’s crew that did not stand night watch because of their work. Carpenters, sailmakers, cooks, etc. worked during the day and were excused from watch duty at night. They were called idlers, but not because they had nothing to do, simply because they were off duty at night. Junk ​- Old rope no longer able to take a load, it was cut into shorter lengths and used to make mops and mats. Land-side, junk is all that stuff in your garage you know you’ll need right after you throw it away.

Jury rig​ - A temporary repair to keep a disabled ship sailing until it could make port, such as a jury sail erected when the mast was lost or a jury rudder as an emergency means of steering when the ship’s rudder was damaged. Keel hauling​ - A severe naval punishment during the 15th and 16th centuries. The victim, presumably a delinquent sailor, was dragged from one side of the boat to the other, under the bottom of the boat (keel). Tossed over one side and pulled up on the other, he was usually allowed to catch his breath before suddenly being tossed overboard again. Keel hauling lost favour at the beginning of the 18th century, to be replaced by the cat-o-nine-tails. The term still means a rough reprimand. Know the ropes ​- This is pretty obvious if you’ve ever seen a tall ship. It was such an important skill on sailing vessels that an honourable discharge from service was marked, at one time, with the term ‘knows the ropes’. Land-side it still means a person with experience and skill. Also, learn the ropes and show them the ropes. Leeway ​- The weather side of a ship is the side from which the wind is blowing. The Lee side is the side of the ship sheltered from the wind. A lee shore is a shore that is downwind of a ship. If a ship does not have enough “leeway” it is in danger of being driven onto the shore. Listless ​- When a ship was listless, she was sitting still and upright in the water, with no wind to make her lean over (list) and drive ahead. Long haul ​- Operation on ship requiring the hauling of a lot of line. Also seen in short haul, an operation requiring little line. Long shot​ - In old warships, the muzzle-loading cannon were charged with black powder of uncertain potency that would propel the iron shot an equally uncertain distance with doubtful accuracy. A 24-pounder long gun, for instance, was considered to have a maximum effective range of 1200 yards, even though, under the right conditions, a ball might travel some 3000 yards. Similarly, a short, stubby 32-pounder carronade’s lethality faded fast beyond 400 yards. Thus, the odds were against a hit when one fired a long shot. Loose cannon ​- A cannon having come loose on the deck of a pitching, rolling, and yawing deck could cause severe injury and damage. Has come to mean an unpredictable or uncontrolled person who is likely to cause unintentional damage. Mainstay ​- A stay that extends from the maintop to the foot of the foremast of a sailing ship. Currently, a thing upon which something is based or depends. No room to swing a cat ​- The entire ship’s company was required to witness flogging at close hand. The crew might crowd around so that the Bosun’s Mate might not have enough room to swing his cat o’ nine tails. On your ends​ - The beams here are the horizontal transverse timbers of ships. This phrase came about with the allusion to the danger of imminent capsize if the ends were touching the water. Currently, means ‘to be in a bad situation’. Over the barrel ​- The most common method of punishment aboard ship was flogging. The unfortunate sailor was tied to a grating, mast or over the barrel of a deck cannon.

Overbearing ​- To sail downwind directly at another ship thus “stealing” or diverting the wind from his sails. Overhaul ​- To prevent the buntline ropes from chaffing the sails, crew were sent aloft to haul them over the sails. This was called overhauling. Overreach ​- If a ship holds a tack course too long, it has overreached its turning point and the distance it must travel to reach its next tack point is increased. Overwhelm ​- Old English for capsize or founder. Pipe down​ - A boatswain’s call denoting the completion of an all hands evolution, and that you can go below. It was the last signal from the Bosun’s pipe each day which meant “lights out” and “silence”. Pooped ​- The rearmost, highest deck of a sailing ship was called the poop deck. If a ship were unlucky enough to be overtaken by a massive, breaking sea which drenched her from astern, she was said to have been “pooped.” When you think about it, the sea and shore uses of the word aren’t that different: in both cases, you’re washed out. Press into service​ - The British navy filled their ships’ crew quotas by kidnapping men off the streets and forcing them into service. This was called Impressment and was done by Press Gangs. Scuttlebutt ​- A butt was a barrel. Scuttle meant to chop a hole in something. The scuttlebutt was a water barrel with a hole cut into it so that sailors could reach in and dip out drinking water. The scuttlebutt was the place where the ship’s gossip was exchanged. Ship-shape​ and Bristol fashion - A reference to the precise nature of shipbuilding (and maintenance) as well as the exemplary work that came from Bristol shipyards. Shiver me timbers​ - one meaning of shiver, which is now largely forgotten, is ‘to break into pieces’. That meaning originated at least as early as the 14th century and is recorded in several Old English texts. So, the sailor’s oath shiver my timbers, is synonymous with (if so and so happens then…) let my boat break into pieces. Skyscraper ​- A small triangular sail set above the skysail in order to maximise effect in a light wind. Slush fund ​- A slushy slurry of fat was obtained by boiling or scraping the empty salted meat storage barrels. This stuff called “slush” was often sold ashore by the ship’s cook for the benefit of himself or the crew. The money so derived became known as a slush fund. Son of a gun​ - When in port, and with the crew restricted to the ship for any extended period of time, wives and ladies of easy virtue often were allowed to live aboard along with the crew. Infrequently, but not uncommonly, children were born aboard, and a convenient place for this was between guns on the gun deck. If the child’s father was unknown, they were entered in the ship’s log as “son of a gun”. Probably a sanitised version of “son of a bitch”, despite the various folk etymologies. A square meal​ - In good weather, crews’ mess was a warm meal served on square wooden platters. Squared away​ - On square-rigged vessels, the state of the sails when properly trimmed. Currently, arranged or dealt with in a satisfactory manner.

Taken aback ​- A dangerous situation where the wind is on the wrong side of the sails pressing them back against the mast and forcing the ship astern. Most often this was caused by an inattentive helmsman who had allowed the ship to head up into the wind. Taking the wind out of his sails ​- Sailing in a manner so as to steal or divert wind from another ship’s sails. Taking turns​ - Changing watches with the turn of the hour glass. Three sheets to the wind ​- A sheet is a rope line which controls the tension on the downwind side of a square sail. If, on a three masted fully rigged ship, the sheets of the three lower course sails are loose, the sails will flap and flutter and are said to be “in the wind”. A ship in this condition would stagger and wander aimlessly downwind. Tide over​ - At first glance, this would seem to be an obviously nautical term. Today it means to make a small bit of something, usually money, last until a supply comes in, as in borrowing some money to tide you over till payday. However, the meaning has changed over the years. Once upon a time, ships could move under sail power, or in the absence of wind, float along with the tide called a tide over. One could say the floating would tide the ship over until wind came again to move it along. Toe the line​ - When called to line up at attention, the ship’s crew would form up with their toes touching a seam in the deck planking. True colours​ - The current meaning, ‘to reveal yourself as you really are’, actually came about because of the opposite phrase “false colours” – from the 17th century referring to a vessel which sailed under a flag not her own. This tactic was used by almost everyone as a ruse de guerre, but the rules of gentlemanly behaviour (and possibly actual legal rules) required one to raise one’s true colours before opening fire on another ship. Try a different tack​ - The direction in which a ship moves as determined by the position of its sails and regarded in terms of the direction of the wind (starboard tack). If one tack didn’t bring the ship up properly, one could always attempt another. Turn a blind eye ​- From Admiral Lord Nelson’s awesome display of badassery at the Battle of Copenhagen. When the signal was given to stop fighting, Nelson held his spyglass to his blind eye and insisted he didn’t see the signal. He then proceeded to kick butt, of course. Under the weather ​- Keeping watch onboard sailing ships was a boring and tedious job, but the worst watch station was on the “weather” (windward) side of the bow. The sailor who was assigned to this station was subject to the constant pitching and rolling of the ship. By the end of his watch, he would be soaked from the waves crashing over the bow. A sailor who was assigned to this unpleasant duty was said to be “under the weather.” Sometimes, these men fell ill and died as a result of the assignment, which is why today “under the weather” is used to refer to someone suffering from an illness. A related theory claims that ill sailors were sent below deck (or “under the weather”) if they were feeling sick. Warning shot across the bow​ - From the literal practice of firing a warning shot across another ship’s bow to encourage the captain to strike without engaging.

Windfall ​- A sudden unexpected rush of wind from a mountainous shore which allowed a ship more leeway.

HARD TACK or ‘SHIP’S BISCUIT’ RECIPE:

Ingredients: 2 cups flour 1/2 tablespoon salt (optional) 1/2 to 3/4 cup water DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Combine flour with salt in a mixing bowl. Add water and mix with hands until the dough comes together. Roll out on a table to about 1/3 inch thickness. Use a knife to cut 3×3 squares from the dough. Place on baking sheet, and use a dowel (see note above) to make 16 evenly-spaced holes in each square. Bake for at least four hours, turning over once half-way through baking. Cool on a rack in a dry room. GROG RECIPE

In its earliest incarnation, grog was merely a mixture of hot rum and water with an occasional sprinkling of spices. The 18th-century British admiral Edward Vernon, nicknamed Old Grog for the grogram fabric cloak he wore, attempted to prevent scurvy among his men by serving them a pint of rum a day. The dark navy rum had nothing to do with scurvy, but it did have a way of knocking the sailors on their duffle bags. Vernon then issued the infamous Captain’s Order Number 349, stating that all rum should be mixed with water, a dash of brown sugar, and lime to make it more palatable. In their displeasure, the sailors christened the weakened beverage after the admiral. INGREDIENTS: ● ● ● ● ● ●

2 ounces dark rum 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon brown sugar 4 ounces hot water (OR cold water) Slice of orange and a cinnamon stick Handful of Ice (if you prefer cold)

Add the brown sugar to your shaker, add in a splash of warm water (1 oz.) to dissolve the sugar and add lime juice. Put in rum, rest of the water and ice. Pour over smashed ice or serve hot. Now it do be time to talk like a pirate. GOODBYE, FARE YE WELL Lyrics Oh, we're homeward bound for Liverpool town Goodbye, fare thee well, Goodbye, fare thee well. Them Liverpool judies they all will come down. Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound. We're homeward bound for the girls of the town Goodbye, fare thee well, Goodbye, fare thee well. So stamp up my hearties, and heave her around, Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound We're a fine flashy packet and bound for to go, Goodbye, fare thee well, Goodbye, fare thee well. With the girls on the towrope we can not say no. Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound And when we get to the old Mersey Bar, Goodbye, fare thee well, Goodbye, fare thee well.

Them girls will come flocking from near and from far. Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound We'll meet them fly girls and we'll ring the old bell, Goodbye, fare thee well, Goodbye, fare thee well. With the girls that we meet there we'll raise bloody hell. Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound

And one to another you'll hear them all say, Goodbye, fare thee well, Goodbye, fare thee well. Here comes Jack with his fourteen months pay. Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound I'll tell my old woman when I get back home, Goodbye, fare thee well, Goodbye, fare thee well. Them flash girls on Lime Street won't leave me alone. Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound We're homeward bound And I'll have you to know Goodbye, fare thee well, Goodbye, fare thee well. It's over the water to England we'll go, Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound A BRIG AND A FRIGATE ●

●

●

●

A brig is a sailing vessel with two ​square-rigged​ masts. During the ​Age of Sail​, brigs were seen as fast and maneuverable and were used as both naval ​warships​ and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Brigs were used as small warships carrying about 10 to 18 guns.​ ​ Due to their speed and maneuverability they were popular among pirates (though they were rare among American and Caribbean pirates). In ​sailing​, a full-rigged brig is a vessel with two ​square rigged​ ​masts​ (fore and main).​ ​The main mast of a brig is the aft one. To improve maneuverability, the mainmast carries a small (​gaff rigged​) ​fore-and-aft​ sail. Brig sails are named after the masts to which they are attached: the ​mainsail​; above that the main ​topsail​; above that the main ​topgallant sail​; and occasionally a very small sail, called the royal​, is above that. Behind the main sail there is a small fore-and-aft sail called the ​spanker​ or

●

boom​ mainsail (it is somewhat similar to the main sail of a ​schooner​). On the ​foremast​ is a similar sail, called the ​trysail​. Attached to the respective ​yards​ of square-rigged ships are smaller spars, which can be extended, thus lengthening the yard, thus receiving an additional sailing wing on each side. These are called ​studding sails​, and are used with fair and light wind only. The wings are named after the sails to which they are fastened, i.e. the main studding sails, main top studding sails, and the main top gallant studding sails, etc. The brig's ​foremast​ is smaller than the main mast. The fore mast holds a fore sail, fore top sail, fore top gallant sail, and fore royal. Between the fore mast and the ​bowsprit​ are the fore staysail​, ​jib​, and ​flying jib​. All the yards are manipulated by a complicated arrangement of cordage named the ​running rigging​. This is opposed to the s​ tanding rigging​ which is fixed, and keeps mast and other objects rigid.

●

●

Frigates were perhaps the hardest-worked of warship types during the ​Age of Sail​. While smaller than a ​ship-of-the-line​, they were formidable opponents for the large numbers of ​sloops​ and gunboats​, not to mention ​privateers​ or merchantmen. Able to carry six months' stores, they had very long range; and vessels larger than frigates were considered too valuable to operate independently. A frigate was a three-masted, fully rigged vessel, with its armament carried on a single ​gun​ deck and with additional guns on the poop and forecastle. The number of guns varied between 24 and 56, but 30 to 40 guns were common. Frigates could not ​stand up​ to ships of the line in fleet engagements, but, sailing at greater speed, they served as scouts or as escorts protecting merchant convoys from ​privateers​ and enemy raiders; they also cruised the seas as merchant raiders themselves. With the transition from sail to steam, the term ​frigate​ gradually gave way to ​cruiser.​

J.M. BARRIE

● ●

●

● ●

“Beware, or you may get what you want.” - J.M. Barrie Barrie was born on May 9, 1860, in Kirriemuir, Forfarshire, Scotland. After graduating from Edinburgh University in 1882, Barrie worked as a journalist. He published his first novel, ​Better Dead,​ in 1887. Barrie soon had a string of popular novels set in Scotland, including ​A Window in Thrums​ (1889). Barrie was a Scottish dramatist and the son of Scottish weavers, he moved to London to pursue his interest in becoming a playwright. There he met the Llewelyn Davies boys who inspired his masterpiece. ​He claims he created the character of Peter Pan by ​“rubbing the five of you violently together, as savages with two sticks produce a flame.” He was inspired by watching the boys grow up and the games they played and leave behind their childhood games. He got married himself in 1894 to actress Mary Ansell, but it didn't turn out to be a happy union. (The couple later divorced - it was believed that the marriage was never consummated.) Perhaps to escape his difficult home life, Barrie took to going out for long walks in London's Kensington Gardens, where he met the five Llewellyn-Davies brothers in the late 1890s. ○ He found inspiration for his best-known work—​Peter Pan​—in his friendship with the Davies family. (Barrie would later become the boys' guardian after the death of their parents.) ○ The Llewellyn-Davies boys are on record as saying he was simply an innocent. The youngest, Nico, said: "Of all the men I have ever known, Barrie was the wittiest and the best company. He was also the least interested in sex. He was a darling man. He was innocent; which is why he could write Peter Pan." ○ Peter Llewellyn-Davies was the primary inspiration for the character of Peter Pan. ○ Most of the Llewellyn-Davies boys met dismal fates: George, the oldest boy, was killed in 1915, in Flanders during World War I. Michael, the boy Barrie most loved, drowned in 1921, with a friend, at Oxford - he couldn't swim, and the deaths were felt to be possibly a suicide pact. Barrie was heartbroken. Peter Llewellyn-Davies became a successful publisher. He began to construct a family history out of the documents he called "the Morgue". In 1952, he burned the more than 2,000 letters between Barrie and Michael. He loathed the association with "that terrible masterpiece". In 1960, at the age of 63, he committed suicide by throwing himself under a train at Sloane Square station. Fleet Street reported his death with the headlines: "The Boy Who Never Grew Up Is Dead"; "Peter Pan's Death Leap.”

Barrie playing as Hook with Michael dressed as Peter

●

J.M. Barrie died on June 19, 1937, in London, England. As a part of his will, he gave the copyright to ​Peter Pan​ to a children's hospital in London. INSPIRATION FOR ​PETER

●

●

● ●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

Story Theatre is the dramatic presentation of one or more stories told by a group of actors play who multiple roles and provide narration. It is characterized by the use of simple “scenery” like chairs and tables arranged to suggest various settings, simple props like scarves or cardboard tubes used in different ways in more than one story, and costume pieces like aprons, glasses, or a hat. Music is also often incorporated into Story Theatre performances. Back in the 1960s, a man named Paul Sills worked with a group of actors and used the improvisational theatre techniques created and documented by his mother, Viola Spolin (​Improvisation for the Theatre​) to dramatize several of Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Aesop’s Fables. SIMPLE PROPS USED IN MULTIPLE CREATIVE WAYS:​ There are usually just a few basic props. The same props may be used in different ways in more than one story. A big piece of fabric, for example, might be a cape in one story, a rug in the next, a river in the next, and a snake in the next. Other examples of props that performers transform by the ways they handle and react to them: wooden dowels, floating pool “noodles,” scarves, planks, ropes, bowls, and balls. CHARACTERS​: One actor may play multiple roles. Females may play male characters, and males may play females. Performers may play animals. Simple changes in voice, posture, movements, and costume props signal to the audience that an actor who played, for example, the Farmer in one story is now the Princess in a new story. SET​: ​Story Theatre “scenery” is simple: wooden boxes, chairs, benches, tables, or ladders. Throughout the performance, these pieces are moved quickly to indicate a number of different settings. While the audience watches, the actors rearrange the set pieces to make: a train, a cave, a hill, a boat, a horse, a bridge, or a throne, etc. COSTUMES: ​The basic costumes are generally neutral in color and style. The actors indicate a change of character by adding a costume piece such as a hat, a cape, a coat, an apron, a wig, nose and glasses, gloves, a shawl, a vest, a bandanna, a crown, or a fur coat. PANTOMIME​: ​Performers frequently use pantomime to dramatize the stories—even when the pantomimed object is visible. For example, one performer may pantomime cracking a whip while another performer, off to the side, actually cracks a real whip or makes a slapping sound to produce the sound effect. SOUND EFFECTS: ​The cast produces sound effects in full view of the audience, using their mouths or hands, or instruments like drums, whistles, tambourines, and kazoos. They create sounds like: Cows mooing, thunder, lightning, rain, wind, night sounds, crickets, creaking doors, a horse’s whinny and clopping hooves, ocean waves, seagulls, knocks on a door, a creaking gate, or a strong wind. ACTING STYLE: ​This form of theatre usually requires high-energy, exaggerated performances. The entire company of actors often remains onstage throughout the performance, playing roles, singing songs, moving set pieces, making sound effects, and reacting to the events of the dramatized stories as they happen. Because of the many characters in a collection of stories, Story Theatre productions can accommodate large casts of actors or small casts who, as stated previously, play multiple roles.

Theatre teachers and classroom teachers can also use Story Theatre conventions as a way to have students transform the texts that they read into dramatizations. GROTOWSKI’S​ POOR THEATRE

●

● ● ●

Polish theatre practitioner Jerzy Grotowski (1933-1999) is best known for his intense actor training processes in the 1960s and 70s. At the Laboratory Theatre in Opole, Grotowski and his small groups of actors experimented with the physical, spiritual and ritualistic aspects of theatre, the nature of role, and the relationship between actor and spectator. Grotowski was a key figure of avant-garde theatre. His comprehensive acting system is probably the most complete approach to role since the work of Stanislavski. Grotowski is recognized as one of the greatest directors and as a significant innovator within the modern/experimental theatre movement. ‘The Poor Theatre’s’ is defined as a performance style that rid itself of excess theatre. It focuses less on lavish costumes, massive sets and keys into the physical skill of the performer. This performance style was seen as a gift for the audience by the actor completely giving themselves over to their relationship with the spectator. FRANTIC ASSEMBLY

●

Is a theatre production company. They have worked in around 40 countries and are widely studied as ​practitioners​ for ​A-Levels​ i​ n the ​UK​.​ ​ They were founded in 1994 by Scott Graham, Steven Hoggett, and Vicki Middleton, three students from ​Swansea University​. None of the three studied Drama or any of the Arts, but were intrigued by theatre and wanted to create their own unique company.​ ​ They wished to create non-naturalistic pieces, through the use of movement and music, although they have always said that this should never take away from the storyline. They provided the movement direction for ​THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME.

MISSION STATEMENT:​ ‘Can you be terrified ​and​ fearless? That is how we started Frantic Assembly. We began with little more than a fierce work ethic and a desire to do something different and to do it

differently. The name Frantic Assembly gives it all away. It conjures an energy created by joining together. It has always been about this energy and learning from each other. From a reckless leap into the unknown Frantic Assembly has developed into one of the most studied and praised theatre companies working today. Our ambition is that we continue to learn and remain committed to making brave and bold theatre. At times it is physically dynamic and brutal. At others it's proudly tender and fragile. Frantic Assembly has always been about more than the work on the stage. It is about the ethos of collaboration, of empowerment, of that constant desire to improve. It is about telling stories in a voice we don't always hear and about finding talent in places we don't always look. Over the years the Frantic Method of devising theatre has helped people understand and make work throughout the world.’