Two little ducklings in stormy water

As our “The Not So Ugly Duckling” begins, me and Maria MacDonell are on stage looking out over the water of Leith.

Or at least that’s how we imagine ourselves as the audience come into the theatre.

Maria is better at this than I am: she sees clouds and gulls and the sunshine on the water.

I can’t stop myself seeing the audience.

I wonder what sort of state they’re in as they come in to watch our play.

And of course I don’t really know; but I’m beginning to think more and more that we’re all, to a greater or a lesser degree, in a state of trauma.

I’m thinking of what we’ve all been through, and are still going through, with the Covid pandemic. All the fear. All the losses. All the deaths.

I’m thinking of the collective anxiety caused by the approaching cost of living crisis that is going to hit all of us soon and cause massive suffering.

I’m thinking of the war in Ukraine happening on our doorstep. The ever growing numbers of migrants fleeing war, famine, and destitution.

I’m thinking of the break down in essential services that is hitting our healthcare, our justice system, our transport system, our refuse collection…

All in the context of the climate crisis that is causing drought, forest fires, and catastrophic flooding…

And I’m thinking of the quite extraordinary failure of our political leaders even to begin to address all this.

We try not to think about it too much, of course.

We try to be good to each other.

We try to get on with our lives.

But deep down, I think, fear eats our hearts.

And I wonder what we can offer these good people coming to see our little play…

Our little play about motherhood and identity; about someone trying to find their true self, whoever that is, as we all must, in the midst of all the beauty and the cruelty of our endangered world.

I hope it comes to something…

THE NOT SO UGLY DUCKLING - A PLAY FOR GROWN-UPS written and performed by Jo Clifford and Maria MacDonell, has performances on 21st, 25th and 27th August at 4.45 in the Scottish Storytelling Centre. https://scottishstorytellingcentre.online.red61.co.uk/event/913:4336/

Something I also meant to fit in to this post, but didn’t manage to, is the repeat of my FIVE DAYS WHICH CHANGED EVERYTHING on BBC Sounds https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bcr727

These are plays which attempt to find a way through grief and trauma. Listen if you can. I’m proud of them…