Hannah and Hanna returns to Margate

This past weekend Margate saw many a homecoming, Ross Edgley returned after a staggering swim around Great Britain, as well as the play Hannah and Hanna in Dreamland which returned to the place of its conception. The Theatre Royal was packed full, people of all ages all eagerly awaiting the return of John Retallack’s powerful play that promised to have us in fits of laughter and buckets of tears. It did not disappoint. The politically charged play addresses strong subject matter but does it in such a charming way. The characters, or the Hanna(h)’s, are played by two talented ladies. Celia Meiras & Lisa Payne entice you into their characters adventure and development with the help of comedy, compassion and a soundtrack that sparks noughties nostalgia.

The play has enjoyed a tour around the south of the country since the last time we spoke to Lisa Payne in issue 21 of our Thanet CommunityAd magazine, receiving a lot of love wherever it went. Although with Margate being the setting of Retallack’s tale of turbulent friendship, the buzz in the Theatre Royal could not be rivalled, the crowd were astute to in jokes and location references lapping it up with an appreciative pallet. CommunityAd caught up with Lisa Payne after the roaring applause had quelled.

How did it feel to perform the play in the place of its conception?

It was both utterly nerve wracking and exciting and emotional all at the same time! I was very aware that this was ‘Margate’s story’ , and as a Thanet girl – I knew how important it was to me that this play represented truthfully a moment in time. I lived here at that time ( in Act 1 and Act 2) I still live here now – so it meant such a lot to me to be able to perform it here .

The crowd were on their feet at the end, what did that mean to you and Celia?

I don’t think we could quite believe it! I said to my dad that at first I thought everyone was getting up to rush off for buses! It was sort of happening in slow motion for me. I remember gripping Celia’s hand and saying – they are all up! What do we do! And then needing to grip her tight as I felt some tears springing up! We have had some standing appreciation before , but not on that scale!

Now onto Panto Season, where can we catch you?

You can come and see me in Dick Whittington playing the wicked Queen Rat at the Sarah Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs from Sun 16th – 30th Dec https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/sarah-thorne-theatre . It is a really traditional panto – no gimmicks, lots of sweets being thrown at audience, baddies, goodies, and custard pies!

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