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REVIEW: - Yorkshire Evening Press - various venues around
Ryedale
Concept: Simon Thackray and Ian
McMillan
Sponsored by SIRDAR SPINNING LIMITED
A MAGICAL mystery tour left Malton
Market Place on Saturday.
Forget the Beatles, this was all about the King, as shown by
the wigs with giant quiffs adorning the heads of many of the
passengers.
This was the North Yorkshire Elvis Bus Tour, organised by the
rather barmy Brawby arts venue The Shed, and led by Barnsley
Bard Ian McMillan.
However, it was the psychedelic colours of The Beatles' later
phase that seemed to swim before the eyes as we journeyed into
the surreal.
The bus literally rocked'n'rolled through the Ryedale countryside,
McMillan leading the singing of Elvis classics but all to the
tune of Ilkley Moor Baht 'At.
McMillan was in sparkling form, improvising hilariously throughout
the two-hour 'trip' inspired by landscape, buildings and people
he spied as he stood at the front of the coach.
All had relevance to the King. For Elvis had not in fact died
in 1977 - he had merely moved to Ryedale.
There were stops in places which supposedly had particular relevance
to Elvis - Pickering and the moors village of Lastingham, to
the utter bemusement of the locals and the sheer amusement of
those on the tour. In the end, McMillan walked the tightrope
between genius and madness, and pulled it off. This was unique
- for the moment at least, it will be always on my mind.
© James Kilner, Yorkshire
Evening Press
All Shook Up! on BBC Radio
4
BBC Radio 4 subsequently commissioned
Ian McMillan to write a new drama incorporating the story All
Shook Up! and the North Yorkshire Elvis Bus Tour. The drama was
first broadcast on Thursday 3 June 2004. Elvis was played by
Fine Time Fontayne and the Malton woman by Debbie McAndrew. Included
live recording from the North Yorkshire Elvis Bus Tour including
members of The Shed audience and Ian McMillan. Producer: Viv
Beeby.
Learn more about The Shed
and knitting:
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