The Three Craws on Radio ECFM 107.6

We are delighted to have returned to East Coast FM 107.6 community radio, https://eastcoastfm.co.uk/ after a break since 2013, to give performances currently every last Thursday of the month at 9 am, with a different script each month.  You can listen in through the internet via the link above, or through your FM radio in house or in your car on ecfm 107.6.  Watch out for upcoming links on my website to voice recorded snippets from these short, fun plays in Scots dialogue demonstrated by The Three Craws coming from different regions in Scotland, such as East Lothian, Fife and near Aberdeen where Doric dialect originates from.  Narration is in plain English.

If you would like to have a go at being a Craw, or indeed purchase scripts and/or merchandise for an in-school performance to promote the use of Scots language, and find out about local and national history, events and traditions in a fun way, please contact me on ritabradd@ritabradd.com .  Suggested age range, 8 upwards, or from P4.

I am also open to commissions, reference Play 9 which was built around local knowledge provided to me by generations of mining families of school children at Cockenzie Primary School to mark the demolition of the power station chimneys, or ‘lums’.  It was a real thrill to receive the information, as well as drawings by some of the children.

Here is the current list of available plays.  Again, if you would like your school or community group to put on any of the plays, please contact me on the link above.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Rita

January        – Play 1   TTC Gaun Tae Rabbie Burns’ Birthday Pairty At The Globe Inn, Dumfries

February     – Play 2    TTC Gaun Aw Lovey-Dovey

March          – Play 3    TTC An The Mysterious Licht At Sunny Dunbar

April             – Play 4    TTC Hae A Strange Eggsperience

May              – Play 5    TTC Find Oot Aboot The Saltire An The 3Harbours Festival

June             – Play 6    TTC Discover Gowf An the  Braw Views Frae North Berwick Law

July               – Play 7    TTC Find Oot Aboot The National Museum O Flight

August         – Play 8   TTC Meet John Muir At Sunny Dunbar

September – Play 9   TTC An The Dounfaw O Cockenzie Power Station Lums

October       – Play 10 TTC An A Spooky Dook Fer Aipples

November  – Play 11 TTC Gaun Tae Bayeux Wi The Battle O Prestonpans Tapestry

December   – Play 12 TTC An The Bairn In A Manger

 

 

Cockenzie Primary School Perform ‘The Three Craws An The Bairn In A Manger’

In November 2015 Cockenzie P4 children recorded ‘The Three Craws An The Bairn In A Manger’ in the school to be broadcast on local radio East Coast FM http://eastcoastfm.co.uk .  Station Manager Ian Robertson came down to the school and recorded the show for transmission over the airwaves in the run up to Christmas.  I was really thrilled to watch the children record for the show and to later hear it over the radio.  My little troupe of The Three Craws with me as Narrator, have been a regular feature on East Coast FM during 2012/13 with several of my scripts.  It’s been my dream to have children perform the scripts.  The temporary Three Craws looked brilliant in their ‘The Three Craws’ skip caps which I gifted them for taking part.

http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/14153588.Cockenzie_Primary_School_pupils_take_to_the_airwaves_to_narrate_short_play/

I was later commissioned by the school to write a script for P4 children based on the demolition on 26 September 2015 of Cockenzie Power Station chimneys.  They have been a massive landmark for people on land, at sea, and in the air for several decades.  They are sure to be missed. http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/14249371.Authors_and_storytellers_to_be_welcomed_to_school’s_first_literary_festival/

 

 

 

‘The Three Craws An The Bairn In A Manger’ at Broughton Primary School

P3/4 Teacher Katrina Tweedie kindly piloted The Three Craws An The Bairn In A Manger with her class.  I was absolutely delighted to receive this feedback from her.  Thank you Katrina!

”Subject: Re: Three Craws Gaun Tae Rabbie Burns Birthday Pairty At The Globe Inn, Dumfries
Date: 11 March 2015 11:32

Hi Rita,

I have been hoping to see you at the writers’ group to thank you in person
for your generosity in sharing your play with me and my class.

We had been doing a topic on Robert Burns as you know, so I started by
reminding the children  of Tam O’Shanter. Then we sang The Three Craws
which they already knew and love, then I outlined the play to them.  I
distributed copies of the play one between two and we discussed how a play
script is set out. Then I read one page at a time with them following as
best they could then asked for volunteers to read out and act out that page
to the rest of the class. Most of the children wanted to take part- there
were three or four who were happier being the audience for the whole play.
Without exception they all loved the experience.

My class is composed of kids from all over the world, many of whom speak
English as a second language. I think it’s a wonderful way to make them
feel at home in Scotland teaching them some Scots and typically Scottish
culture. For all of them I think it’s really good for them to see how we
can build on traditional culture now…. and what a wonderful play! Thank
you so much for sharing it with us.’