Kisses is live
Morning all,
It is 1940. Millions of children across the UK are being evacuated from their families to escape German bombs. They don't know where they are going, who they will be staying with or how long for. Kisses on a Postcard tells the story of two of them, Terry and Jack, aged 7 and 11.
This "profoundly moving" (Charles Spencer) musical by Terence Frisby, full of surprising humour and memorable songs, is a unique portrait of an extraordinary time in British history.
It's only taken about 20 years, but I am delighted to report that Kisses on a Postcard is now live. There is so much I could say, so I'll try not to say too much.
You can get the full show at Bandcamp. That is the full 4-hour monty. Yes, it lasts 4 hours. Don't try and listen to it in one sitting. There is also a 2-hour abridged version for the less committed.
This is no small-scale production. It has a cast of over 50, a 15-piece orchestra, was recorded over many months at, among other places, Abbey Road.
It stars John Owen Jones and Katy Secombe of Les Mis fame; Rosie Cavaliero who is Mrs Braithwaite in Worzel Gummidge; double-Olivier-award winning Marcia Warren who is the Queen Mother in The Crown; Lance Ellington who sings all the songs on Strictly and many more besides.
There are two of the most brilliantly talented boys in Brandon McGuinness and Frankie Joel Celoni, as Terry and Jack, along with about 25 other kids. Wonderful musicians, superb sound engineers, the lot.
I hope you will fall in love, as I have, and find yourself laughing and weeping, as I did, at just what wonderful things the kindest of human beings can be.
Everything you need to know is here, at the website.
If you want to test the water first, you sample the first part via your podcast app. The idea is that you then get totally hooked and end up buying the whole thing, either as a CD (still a few weeks away), or here at Bandcamp.
Getting this on became one of my lifetime ambitions. I've been trying to make it happen for the best part of 20 years. I think I only got into finance because I was trying to make three million quid to put it on. So I can't tall you want pleasure it gives me to say, Kisses on a Postcard is now available. I know you'll be listening, Dad. Try not to give me too many notes.
Last thing: if you have a friend or relative, a parent, uncle, aunt, grand-parent, who was evacuated, and there aren't many of that generation left, please play this to them. They will thank you.
Kisses,
Dominic