Kara Wilson has a passion for combining her professional talents as actor, writer and artist. Previous plays include ‘Glasgow Girl’ a profile on Bessie MacNicol, ‘Deco Diva’ about Tamara de Lempicka, and ‘Bloomsbury Bell’ on the artistic life of Vanessa Bell.
In this new play, Kara Wilson portrays the hugely successful artist, Beryl Cook renowned for her joyful depictions of buxom women, tattooed sailors and beer drinkers. As a clever device, Beryl is in her studio in front of a TV camera to capture her life story for a BBC documentary. She looks directly at the lens with a message for the director George, ‘ I get to approve anything you take from this.!‘
Sitting at her easel, a sketch of ‘Ladies Night’ is on the canvas and during the show, Kara Wilson will paint the group of women being entertained by a stripper at a party. Beryl reminisces happy times experiencing Soho nightlife, gay and straight bars with a drag act by Ruby Venezuela, ‘All of life can be seen in the pub’.
She and her husband John ran a B&B in Plymouth and her caricature style developed by observing sailors and holiday makers at the seaside, and she admired Donald McGill's saucy postcards. Unlike most artists, Beryl is shy and reserved and does not seek fame and fortune; at her exhibition in 1975, she refused to attend the Private View (‘It’s not private!’) but without her presence, she sold all her paintings.
As Beryl, Kara Wilson takes us on a wise and witty journey through her life, illustrated with amusing anecdotes about her husband's life in the Merchant Navy (who unfortunately was not promoted to Captain Cook!) and travels to Zimbabwe.
During all the chit chat, she is busy at work, dipping brushes into bright crimson and green paint, carefully painting the colourful dresses, facial features, eye shadow and lipstick of the party-going ladies.
Written with the personal assistance, advice and family stories from Beryl’s son John, his wife Teresa, and grand-daughter Sophie, Kara Wilson paints a gentle, charismatic portrait of the artist with delightful honesty, quiet emotion and satirical wit.
‘I only wanted to be anonymous, I live through my paintings, they make people happy.’
(At the end of the show, the audience is offered the chance to purchase the finished painting of ‘Ladies Night.’)
Showtimes:
31st July – 25 August, 2024 @ 14.05
Ticket prices: £12 (£11), £11 (£10).
Age guidance: 12 +
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/beryl-cook-a-private-view