Tubular Bells - The Dance

Tubular Bells - music by Mike Oldfield

Tubular Bells - dance performed by Mahoo and the drama group of RVS Comp School for the OAP's Harvest Hot Pot Supper Autumn 1979

Our Drama teacher had said our next performance would be to entertain the OAP’s at the hot pot supper, it was three weeks off and she thought we should perform and dance to the very popular Tubular bells, unfortunately she didn’t have a copy and asked if anyone could get hold of one, quick as a flash my hand went up, my brother had the album and had been playing it constantly as you did in those days when you got a new record especially if you had spent all your pocket money on it. She handed me a blank cassette and on a rainy Sunday afternoon I had the old cassette recorder that you had to press play and record at the same time and we had the album on the turntable, we synchronised and click, we had to be quiet for the full 25 mins of recording. And so did everyone else in the living room, mum was ironing and my dad was reading the paper. We played it back and thought it sounded ok.

The following week after rehearsals in the main hall we were ready to perform, tubular bells, me and my friend Susan had black footless tights on and leotards this was way before the colourfulness of the kids from fame, it was a very serious and sedate affair, the oldies enjoyed their hotpot supper and had apple pie with custard and tea and biscuits was just being served when the lights were turned down low and out there we were flung into the floodlights, this was my chance to show the world, well the oldies of reddish that all those years dancing at home along to pans people was not wasted, I was that talented child who wore my mums chiffon scarves and occasionally her long black wig, I was a dancer, a performer and my name would soon be in lights

We began as nymphs dancing through a forest, then suddenly got lost, the music turns much darker (especially the bit were the devil talks backwards) the stage hand flicked the strobe lighting, and the laughter began, what was this laughing? , it wasn’t a comedy; this was a serious piece of art. The show went on but I was hurt by this injustice.

On the long walk home with my mum we discussed the performance and my mum said, “Well maybe they were laughing because it looked like an old black and white film with the strobe”? The audience were not sophisticated enough for me just yet