The Ass by Westbrook Music Theatre

Music-Theatre Entertainment, by Kate and Mike Westbrook, commissioned by the D.H. Lawrence Centenary Festival, Nottingham, based on Lawrence’s poem. Set in Taormina, Sicily, it includes a traditional Sicilian song about a donkey ‘Lu Me Sceccu’. Produced by Foco Novo Theatre Company, with a company of six actor-musicians, including Stephen Boxer in the role of D.H. Lawrence. The Ass toured a dozen British theatres and arts centres in the autumn of 1985. It was directed by Roland Rees and designed by Ariane Gastambide, with choreography by Pat Garrett.

Tracklist

1.	The Ass Dreams	11:56

2.	The Long Drawn Bray	1:16

3.	His Big Furry Head	5:10

4.	The Steppes of Tartary	5:57

5.	The Rut of Love	4:30

6.	The Triumphant Entry	9:12

7.	Porta Cappacinni	3:16

8.	Lu Me Sceccu	10:48

9.	Sciccareddu	7:48

10.	Escaping to Egypt	2:36

11.	All Mares Are Dead	4:22

Credits

released January 29, 2021

Personnel
Stephen Boxer as D H Lawrence

THE SICILIAN BAND
Kate Westbrook voice / tenor horn / sicilian triscaletta
Trevor Allan voice / accordion / clarinet
Lesia Melnyk voice / violin / mandolin
Peter Whyman voice / clarinet / soprano & alto saxophones
Mike Westbrook voice / piano / tuba

Words by D H Lawrence from his poem 'The Ass' and his letters from Taormina.
Except 'Lu Me Scecca', a traditional Sicilian song,
with English lyrics by Kate Westbrook.
Recorded in London December 1985.

Thanks to Sergio Amadori for the album contents photo

Review
Musically the best thing in the show is a marvellous song about a beloved donkey that the Westbrooks ran to earth in Sicily. But their original work beautifully accommodates jazz, squeeze-box dances, and folk idioms ranging on the Moorish - all of which reflects Lawrence's idea of being on the edge of Europe.
The Times

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