Friday Folk

PENSIONER Eileen Lloyd has scripted, composed and is producing her own musical based on the story of the Pendle Witches - an amazing feat as she is blind.

Colne will be the stage for the premiere of Spellbound, which tells the story of the Pendle women accused of witchcraft and hanged in Lancaster Castle.

Eileen first had the idea for the production before she began losing her sight in 1989 but shelved the script while she got involved with producing and writing plays for amateur societies in the area.

Then 18 months ago Nelson Shakespearian actor Tony Bowden suddenly died, aged 56.

Eileen went to his memorial show in London and his wife said she was interested in Spellbound.

Eileen, of Juno Street, Nelson, said: "I picked it up once more and with the help of my husband Ken I began to write the musical again. "I would dictate the lyrics and script to Ken and he would write it down.

"I could visualise how I wanted the dancers to perform and see the dances and steps in my mind."

Local amateurs are now busily rehearsing for the production at the Municipal Hall, Colne, from October 14 to 18 and Ken is musical director. Eileen is hoping her musical will be published and at a later date will be staged in London.

She has already has been approached by Boden Studios, at Enfield, but wanted the musical to premiere in the area where it is based.

The plot of Spellbound begins in London and travels up to a manor house in Newchurch-in-Pendle, where a time warp takes the action back to the year of 1612, when the witches were hanged.

Eileen began her stage career when she was picked out as a five-year-old by a touring company to narrate their show. She has been acting, producing and writing ever since.

She has received a great deal of help and backing from local businesses to stage the production.

The cast of the show is Lynne Normanton as Karen; John Normanton as her fiance Bob; Beverly McClelland as Barbara, a solicitor from London; Mark Atkinson as her husband David and Marilyn Crowther as Mrs Hawkes.

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