Boarding LOTS Flight 7: A Fantastic View Behind the Scenes with Legends of the Skies Theatre Inc. - 11am, Saturday, 27 July 2019
Reflection by Paul Karp
Visit Paul Karp's Poetry Website at:
Moorabbin's Australian National Aviation Museum born theatre group 'Legends Of The Skies' (LOTS) previewed their latest true aviation legends for their upcoming production scheduled from 11 to 20 October 2019.
Artistic Director Maggie Morrison's squadron of performers look forward
to staging their seventh season of LOTS.
In a departure with tradition, this year's show will not be performed among the aeroplanes on display at Moorabbin's National Aviation Museum.
Maggie et all will recreate significant events in Australian aviation history at their new venue, Parktone Primary School.
In a departure with tradition, this year's show will not be performed among the aeroplanes on display at Moorabbin's National Aviation Museum.
Maggie et all will recreate significant events in Australian aviation history at their new venue, Parktone Primary School.
Maggie outlined the short history of LOTS and the origin of her involvement after she discovered that her Mordialloc house was built on land once owned by our local proto-feminist aviatrix Gertrude McKenzie.
During the 1940s and 1950s Gertrude ran a flying school with her own hangar of eight aircrafts - four of which were Tiger Moths. In 1959 she became Mayor of Mordialloc. Maggie wrote a play about Gertrude for International Women's Day.
The show's guitarist Bob Hook performed a song about pioneer aviatrix 1950's feminist Gertrude McKenzie.
We were also treated to other renditions of original songs to make their debut in this year's show.
 |
| Co-directors Jim Williams and Maggie Morrison serenade our aviation legends with guitarist Bob Hook accompanying. |
Maggie introduced LOTS youngest cast member, 11 year-old Jess Inglis, who spoke of her love for performing on stage.
She debuted in LOTS last year where she played the role of a 15 year old girl during the World War 2 Darwin bombing raids with her older brother.
Neil Follett, writer of 8 play scripts performed by LOTS described a
cartoon he saw recently that lampooned advances in technology.
Passengers and flight check-in staff look aghast at a computer screen
after the pilot skypes 'I'm working from home today!'
When scriptwriting, Neil emphasised historical accuracy for the
audience. He tempered this requirement with an anecdote about Clyde Fenton one of the first flying doctors who flew a two-cockpit Gypsy
Moth with a pregnant woman in the front cockpit over Darwin
at night on the way to hospital.
He flew low enough over the open air cinema to see the film showing and after he landed the cinema manager demanded payment for two dress circle tickets.
He flew low enough over the open air cinema to see the film showing and after he landed the cinema manager demanded payment for two dress circle tickets.
Neil mentioned a little-known fact that more bombs were dropped on the two Japanese air raids on Darwin than on Pearl Harbor.
An example of the 'derring do' of early pilots, Clyde installed an extra fuel tank so he could fly from Darwin to China. He was arrested on arrival to China for having no papers and his plane was impounded. Upon release, dressed in a suit and tie, he asked to check the engine then took off back to Australia.
 | |
| de Havilland DH60 Gipsy Moth VH-UKV. (c) Jason Burgess 2014 |
A Gypsy Moth named 'Diana' is on display at the Moorabbin Airport
Museum.
A little old lady who visited the museum claimed she once owned Diana. She was her second owner,
Nancy Bird Walton.
The logbook showed that she flew over Bass Strait as the 12th woman in Australia to hold a pilot's license.
A little old lady who visited the museum claimed she once owned Diana. She was her second owner,
Nancy Bird Walton.
 |
| Born: 16 October 1915. Passed: 13 January 2009 |
The logbook showed that she flew over Bass Strait as the 12th woman in Australia to hold a pilot's license.
Neil Follett grew up on Lower Dandenong Road where part of his father's market garden was sold for airport land. A Tiger Moth flew so close overhead it was followed by a hoe thrown skywards by his father along with shouts that doubted the pilot's father's parentage!
 |
| Alison Knight (centre) |
LOTS scriptwriter, Alison Knight's father worked at British Aerospace where she saw Jump Jets fly as well as Lancaster Bombers and The Red Arrows precision flying team.
Her life-long interest in aviation led her to research aboriginal aviator Len Waters. His fascination with watching boomerangs thrown progressed to an obsession with books and magazines about aviators, including Biggles.
Len was desperate to become a pilot and he was finally given an
opportunity after the Pearl Harbor bombing. He worked extra hard due to
his lack of education and even made a fifteen pound bet against himself
to ever being allowed to fly. He came third in exams
and became a pilot of distinction. He earned the nickname 'Black
Magic'. After the war he applied five times for a commercial pilot's
license but was refused because he was aboriginal.
 |
| Peggy Kelman (nee McKillop) 1935. Attribution: State Library of New South Wales |
Alison also researched aviatrix, Peggy Kelman (nee McKillop). A friend of fellow legendary Australian aviator Nancy Bird Walton, they barnstormed together.
 |
Peggy is seen here wearing a pale-coloured flying suit. Her husband Colin is at her left, while her friend and fellow aviator Nancy Bird Walton stands at her right. Picure: Peep-O-Day Station in Nyngan New South Wales, circa 1934. |
Peggy stripped down aeroplanes to earn money for flying lessons and became the sixth woman to earn a pilot's license. She and her husband Colin flew from England to Australia while she was pregnant - he navigated the journey with a school atlas. Later, as a pastoralist she would fly to town to go shopping.
When writing her scripts, Alison aims to engage both the aviation buffs and theatre-going buffs.
In this year's LOTS 7 James Williams will portray Australia's only indigenous World War 2 pilot Len Waters.
James Williams grew up in Rockhampton and after school he would cycle to the airport
to watch Harriers and Jump Jets. Mad keen about aviation, Len Waters was
one of his heroes. James couldn't afford a pilot's license, but he has
flown planes, landed them and taken off.
James' father flew in New Guinea.
Though his father left school at Grade 5, all his children, including James, studied at university. James works as a computer engineer, he is a musician and songwriter with songs on Spotify, and he performs stage comedy.
James' performance in LOTS 7 will begin with a Stan Grant newsreader spoof.
Though his father left school at Grade 5, all his children, including James, studied at university. James works as a computer engineer, he is a musician and songwriter with songs on Spotify, and he performs stage comedy.
 |
| James in rehearsal for series seven premiering Friday, 11 October 2019 |
James' performance in LOTS 7 will begin with a Stan Grant newsreader spoof.
LOTS alumni completed their presentation with a song; each verse dedicated to an aviator featured in this year's production.
The aviator roll call includes Peggy McKillop, Len Waters, Reg Ansett, Diana the Gypsy Moth, Clyde Fenton and a young man from Bayside Black Rock.
Ticket bookings are now open for this unique exploration of Australia's aviation pioneers and game-changers:
https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=533461
The aviator roll call includes Peggy McKillop, Len Waters, Reg Ansett, Diana the Gypsy Moth, Clyde Fenton and a young man from Bayside Black Rock.
Ticket bookings are now open for this unique exploration of Australia's aviation pioneers and game-changers:
https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=533461
Be sure to secure your seats and fasten your safety belts - the cast can only hold them for you for so long!
A sheer delight to have you back in our library for a peek behind the pilot's curtain, LOTS team.
We are truly looking forward to the production.
Comments
Post a Comment