Press release: Mon 13 May 2024
It’s all ‘Babsolutely Fabulous’ for the new Black Country theatre tour this June 2024
Adrian Johnson - former Birmingham Poet Laureate and storyteller from Smethwick - has written his first play about three ‘can do,’ but under considered, women from across the Black Country. It’s called ‘Babsolutely Fabulous’ and with backing from Arts Council England and The Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton it will tour the Black Country of England this summer in June 2024.
Adrian said:
“I was first drawn to Edna Kirby of Walsall, a gutsy and determined, self-made woman in the towns booming leather trade. She made the best leather gloves, secured impressive endorsements for her products, and, eventually, proudly employed over 120 female staff in the early 1970s. Unfortunately, she also slipped up and found herself making front page news with the tabloid newspapers. And it was the kind of story only The Sun could serve up as it included scurrilous tales of sex, workplace contraception and strike action.” All of which features in the new show.
His second featured character is Dudley’s tennis dynamo, Dorothy Round a remarkable athlete who (90 years ago) won the Lawn Tennis Association’s Ladies Singles Championship in 1934 and again in 1937.
Adrian commented:
“It was simply incredible and so was the reaction from Dudley folk and the local Council back then. Dorothy also had an incredibly famous admirer - the tennis legend Fred Perry – he was a relentless admirer of Dorothy Round but was she more committed to tennis and Jesus?"
Babsolutely Fabulous explores Dorothy’s great sporting success as well as their off-court relationship. The third colourful character of the play is the Black Country impresario, Sylvia King of West Bromwich.
Adrian said:
“When I researched Sylvia King, I found she was very much a Marmite character within various parts of Sandwell. For some she remains something like the Black Country’s very own Joan Littlewood -a tenacious, barn storming Black Country woman and cultural dynamo who promoted and created a huge, new, pink steel and glass people’s ‘fun palace’ in West Bromwich. It eventually opened in 2010 and dramatically closed within just three years. For others she is a demonised and much vilified Black Country character who blew through £76m of lottery and public money. Everyone has their own ideas about her colossal rise and fall, but what did the friends of, and Sylvia think? Babsolutely Fabulous provides some dramatized ideas.”
Babsolutely Fabulous by Grusha’s Theatre Company of Smethwick features three talented West Midlands actors: Louise Stokes, Julie Shaugnessy and Charlotte Dodd and tours across the Black Country in June 2024 with support from Arts Council England via the National Lottery. Some exciting and lively after show panel discussions about how far the Daughters of Dudley/Sisters of Sandwell/Women of Walsall have come in the last 100 years will also be included at selected venues.
Tour and ticket details:
Thurs 6 June 7.30pm Central West Bromwich Lib Tel 0121 569 4900
Fri 7 June 7.30pm Thimblemill Library Tel 0121 5694943
Sat 8 June 2pm Walsall Leather Museum Tel 01922 652288
Thurs 13 June 7.30pm Dudley Central Library Tel 01384 815560
Fri 14 June 7.30pm Wolverhampton Arena Tel 01902 321321
Sat 15 June 12 noon Wednesbury Museum Gallery Tel 0121 5560683
In brief: Babsolutely Fabulous is written by former Birmingham Poet Laureate and Guardian journalist Adrian Johnson for Grusha’s Theatre Company of Smethwick. It is the story of three amazing and controversial Black Country women: Sylvia King – builder of a massive people’s fun palace in West Bromwich, Edna Kirby- Walsall’s manufacturer of the UK’s finest leather gloves and Dorothy Round - Dudley’s two times Wimbledon tennis champion. They are on a mission, unexpectedly gathered in the Wolverhampton offices of The Express & Star, to reclaim their own story of remarkable achievement from the sensational front page newspaper reports, myth, local legend, and sceptical newshounds. All three larger than life Black Country women have their side of the story to tell but, will they succeed, listen, and learn from each other's tale that includes soaring success and some devastating disaster? Whatever else happens it’s guaranteed to be Babsolutely Fabulous!