Principal Edwards Magic Theatre

It would be nice, perhaps, to talk of Principal Edwards Magic Theater - a large group of gentle people who would seem to represent what is coming in the boundless universe of music. It is not easy to say exactly how many of there are because tonight, or tomrrow, you may be part of Principal Edwards. if you with them in any room as they offer themselves to you then you are indeed part of them - and me too. There are thirteen of them. They are,in almost any order you like, Leslie Adey, who does the light-show; Bindy Bourquin, violin and piano and hiding in the shadows; Root Cartwright, who writes, plays guitars, speaks quieter and will amaze you; Jeremy Ensor, bass, who is a good friend and sometime chauffeur, David Jones, assorted percussipn, lyrics, kindness and post-cards; Monica Nettles, who is a poetess, dancer and goddess on stage; Vivienne McAultffe, who does most of the singing and has a voice that you will probably never forget; Martin Stellman is a white face surrounded by hair and who sings and reads; David Weeks, stage designer, artist, jeweller, leviathan-pilot; Gillian Hadley, choreographer; John Hill, dancer and sudden leaper from dark walls, and lastly, Chris Runciman, lights, inks and Beatrix Potter whiskers. ln a London-bound train through fields and over canals with swans Viv gave me a history of Principal Edwards, They began, she said with a lot of talk— something to do with Lyn's great-great-great Uncle. It was a sort of diversion to begin with — a secret society with its own private jokes and sudden laughter. After Viv joined, about a year and a day ago,the whole thing began to take shape and songs were written, played and sung. To their own sometimes surprise they found themselves in earnest over what they were doing. Their aims, really indefinable, are anyway pretty diverse and are in a constant state of flux, (A small village outside Sheffield.)
The meaning of it all is different for each member but, speaking generally (Viv said), they wanted to establish first a kind of creative community among themselves which they wanted to bring to other people through the theatre. Perhaps an experiment in mingling media, using all the means at their disposal (music, poetry, lights, drama, anything—she said as the sheep ignored the train). The whole, is an essentially gentle demonstration.
In those days Jeremy was not in the group — neither were David Weeks, Gillian, John or Chris actually. Jeremy was masquerading as a student at/in Portsmouth spending most of his time organising events of a poetic and musical nature. He, with; a man called Guff, presented Portsmouth with an alternative called "The Dance Of Words," which some of them took, some left and most ignored. This event marked the first public appearance of P.E.M.T. (you knew I'd do that eventually) and several people were amazed. A five minutes spent in their room was enough to convince that something wondrous was afoot. Following this event Jeremy became their manager until one evening when they found him standing among them on stage with an extraordinary; sometimes three-string bass, and an apologetic grin of sorts.
Perhaps this was the turning point for them and then again, perhaps it wasn't. Anyway they started doing a few gigs and they bought a cross-section of the worst equipment to be found anywhere in Europe at that time. As all this ebbed and often waned several different people were part of Principal Edwards Magic T. and then weren't any more but with love still:
They played and sang rather apprehensively and, perhaps, not as well as they might on the BBC's "Night-Ride" programme and passed their BBC audition, which was nice.
They still have the same ideals and aims now too although they've worked a lot and found some nicer equipment under umbrellas. They're played, danced, sung and much more besides at the I.C.A. and quite a lot of people, saw that there was something rather astonishing happening in' there somewhere.
They are mostly still students in Exeter and Bristol (Martin) although I dont think David Weeks is and I know anti-hero Jeremy, isn't really although he plays,a lot of bar-football in the Union.
Sometimes there are conflicts between their academic lives and their Principal Edwards lives and the academic wins, really because, for one reason or two, it has to.
'When they've finished though they'll be able to rehearse more than four hours a week and they'll continue until they've involved you too. You should let them, actually, because it's a good feeling. They don't know what will ultimately become of Principal Edwards Magic Theatre but I think I do.
If you were listening to your radio last Sunday you may have heard them on Radio One—I hope so—and even if you didn't then one day one of your friends will have their LP and you'll want one too shortly afterwards.
That's about it for the time being and, although it may look like a complete story, it's really only a prologue.