Tally’s Blood

1. Tally’s Blood Ann Marie Di Mambro

2. Synopsis Set in Scotland and Italy before during and after the Second World War, 'Tally's Blood' follows the growing friendship between a young Italian girl, living with her Aunt and Uncle in their 'Tally Cafe' in the West of Scotland, and a young Scottish boy. When World War Two breaks out, the tensions and prejudices between the two families heighten as the Italian immigrants in Scotland find their home country at war with their adopted country. Playwright and television writer, Ann Marie Di Mambro, uses the experiences of Scotland's Italian community to tell this touching and funny story about love, prejudice and understanding.

3. Heart-wrenching tale of lives and love (Steven McCombe Review) The emotional production of Tally's Blood is touring Scotland this March to provide audiences with a heart-wrenching and enlightening journey through mid-20th century Scotland. This powerful story focuses on the lives of an Italian family living in Scotland from the late 1930's to the early 1950's and takes us from a small back-street shop to a villa in the hills of Italy. The family are close-knit but their strong ties to each other are severely tested as they face war, racism, ill-fated love, greed and tradition.This combines an interesting mix of humour, pathos and happiness to captivate and engross all who see it.

4. "A funny, touching and well-made piece that should not be missed" Joy Watters, The Courier “Theatre-goers are assured of feeling uplifted at the end of the evening." Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser

5. Italian Family Tree ‘Daddy’ Pedreschi Lucia Ianelli son Rosinella’s sister (deceased) son marries Rosinella marries Luigi Ianelli Massimo Franco Uncle and aunt of daughter

6. Scottish Family Tree Adam Devlin married Mrs Devlin Hughie Devlin Six other children Bridget Devlin

7. Rosinella Pedreschi “Nobody loves their families like the Italians” • Married • Family is everything • Fiercely protective • Pushes people away • No limits to what she will do • Controlling • Becomes cold and bitter • Fiercely nationalistic • Prejudiced • Selfish • Tries to shift the blame • Realises the error of her ways • Does a complete U-turn “But it’s alright for me. I’m Italian.” “It’s one thing to play around with them, so long as you marry your own kind.” “If you knew what I’ve been through.”

8. Massimo Pedreschi “Everyone likes you” • Shopkeeper • Married • Born in Italy • Moved to Scotland as a wee boy • Happy in Scotland • Shows compassion and consideration • Hard working • Own Business • Not got an easy relationship with father • Big hearted • Kind • Shocked by internment • Loves his wife deeply • Becomes distanced from his wife as she becomes cold and bitter • Becomes reconciled to his wife as she changes “I used to think I had two countries, now I feel I’ve got nowhere.” “Just you have it, Luigi…”

9. Franco Pedreschi “I won’t go all the way, I promise,” • Born in Scotland • Works in father’s shop • 2nd generation Italian • In his 20’s at opening of play • Can dance well • Hot-blooded Italian male • Loving • Faithful • Loves Bridget • Signs up to fight for Britain before Italy enters the war • Dies in war fighting for the British • Defies family pressure • Proud of Italian heritage • Sees himself as British “I wouldn’t want you to regret it.” “I cannie be expected to spend my whole life working from morning till night in a wee pokey shop.”

10. Bridget Devlin “Just a wee Scottish tart for him to practice on.” • Hughie’s sister • Oldest of 8 • Catholic • Late teens at start of play • Head of the family financially • Mother cannot cope • Supportive of others • Loves Franco • Gets pregnant • Has abortion • Encourages Hughie to follow his dream • Spinster • Bus conductress • Mid 30’s at end of play “You should be going to the dancing, get yourself a girlfriend.”

11. Hughie Devlin “I have waited years – Years – for Lucia. Blending into the background, knowing my place- ‘och it’s just you.” • Bridget’s brother • 5 years old at start of play • Father killed in mining accident • Seen in the play aged 9 • Hard working • Grows fond of Lucia • Falls in love with Lucia • Determined • Tried to become Lucia’s blood brother • Is scared his love is not reciprocated • Follows Lucia to Italy • Declares his love for Lucia • Elopes with Lucia

12. Luigi Ianelli “When you’ve finished the clothes, you’ve to come up to the house. Ma wife’s going to teach you to clean a chicken.” • Lucia’s father • Rosinella’s brother-in-law • Farmer • Widow at start of play • Five sons at start of play • One daughter at start of play • Remarries and has a baby • Lazy • Greedy • Sponger • Wants his daughter to marry well • Covets his neighbour’s land • Looking for anything he can get “Giachetta scozzese”

13. Lucia Ianelli “Oh, who’s that lovely wee girl.” • Adopted by Aunt and Uncle • Brought to Scotland aged 2 • Spoiled • Manipulative • Learns about prejudice and racism at school • Falls in love with Hughie Devlin • Returns to Italy • Elopes with Hughie • “Oh, who’s that lovely wee girl.” “She’s not going to Scozzia. She’s not marrying any Scozzese. She’s staying here.”

14. Setting • The play covers a 20-year period from 1936 to 1955. • Scotland (24 scenes) and Italy (7 scenes) • Settings are specific and are both indoor and outdoor.

15. Structure of the play • 31 scenes • Chronological. • Twenty years. • Large gaps in the time-line: • Act One has scenes set in 1936, 1939, 1943 and 1944. • Act Two is set eleven years later in 1955. • A cinematic structure which pushes the storyline on quickly, even when there is a break in the time sequence. It builds up a sense of tension.

16. Set • 13 different scenes. • Should you be realistic or representational? Non-naturalistic • Certain pieces are essential – the ginger crates, the bin, working areas and the upstairs window.

17. Props • Some props are essentially set dressing • Others are essential parts of the plot • the bottles of ginger, the letter and the kitbag, for example.

18. Lighting • Lighting creates mood and atmosphere • The church, the ginger store and the ‘elopement’ scene, for example. • Italian setting • Indoor and outdoor

19. Sound • Sound sets the scene – the music, the off-stage party.

20. Costume • Reflects time • Reflects place – Italian dress would be different • Reflects social conditions (wealth) or the characters

21. Language • Realistic working class Glaswegians. • Italian phrases or speech patterns introduced • Scenes set in Italy • Device of having characters speak in the Glaswegian dialect although they are supposedly speaking Italian enables the audience to understand dialogue though Hughie cannot. • Children’s vocabulary and sentence structure

22. Comedy, wit and humour • This is a predominantly comic play, though serious issues are dealt with. • Much comedy arises from the use of dialect and the sharp Glasgow wit. • The relationships between characters are another source of comedy.

23. Acting style/techniques • Realistic, naturalistic acting. Ordinary people in extraordinary situations • naturalism but non-naturalistic settings • Monologues (Massimo on Italy; Massimo on internment) have naturalistic sound/feel • Dialogue is brisk and witty, like a stage routine.(Popular Tradition)

24. Rioting mob is unseen, except in silhouette, and the whole drama of the situation must be created by their off-stage shouts and by the reactions of the victims on-stage. • Occasionally two scenes run simultaneously (for example, the first part of Act Two, Scene Twelve).

25. Actor/audience relationships • The actors speak directly to the audience. • The actors speak their thoughts aloud. • The characters age 20 years in the course of the play. If the same actor plays Lucia throughout, she has the problem of persuading the audience to believe in her as a child. • The actor playing Hughie has the same problem. It is easier for the actors who begin as adults to age 20 years credibly.

26. Stage directions • The actors speak directly to the audience. • Decisions about staging left to the director and designer. • Clear indications of how scenes should be paced – ‘A beat’, ‘Pause’, ‘Lucia hovers’ and ‘Hughie hovers’.

27. Few descriptions of the physical appearance of the characters. • Some decisions are left to the director: ‘he starts to batter them (or whatever)’; ‘maybe gets hanky out …’. • Stage directions are often informal – ‘mildly miffed’, ‘could use “mooch”’, ‘nice wee hat on’. This helps to indicate to the actor the mood of the moment.

28. Relevance to Scottish society • About Scotland and Scottish society – but seen through the Italian eyes of Rosinella. • The poverty of 1930s Scotland. • A lack of employment. • War. • Ambition.

29. Relevance to Scotland • The dependence of young people on their parents. • Integration of foreign nationals. • The difference between the clear moral standards of the Italian community and the perceived laxity of the Scots. • Racism – on both sides, as shown by the mob on the one hand and Rosinella’s contempt for Scottish men and lack of respect for Scottish girls on the other.

30. Target audience • Scots, especially, perhaps, those of foreign blood. • Those concerned about how Scotland has developed since 1930’s – diversity of past influences, conflicting pressures of different ethnic backgrounds, changing relationships within society. • Young people, identifying with generation gap • Those with an interest in history, religion and/or racial integration

31. Nationalism • Two nationalities are involved – Scottish and Italian. • Differences in their national characteristics are important but there are similarities, too – religion, family ties, hardships.

32. Characters • One important character, Luigi, has only a very brief appearance at the beginning of Act One, and is in fewer than half the scenes in Act Two. • One influential character – Massimo’s father – does not appear at all but we hear a great deal about him and recognise his influence on his sons and daughter-in-law.

33. Character Relationships • – Franco and Massimo. Strong brotherly affection which survives even their bitter fight over enlistment. Massimo covers for Franco, deceiving their father. Franco is a little jealous of Massimo’s break with their father.

34. – Franco and Bridget. Although Franco does enjoy his status as a heroic figure, he does seem to be genuinely in love with Bridget, prepared to risk his father’s wrath and boasting about her to Rosinella, in spite of her hostility to Scottish girls.

35. – Lucia and Hughie. They begin as childish sparring partners and they never quite lose this fun element in their relationship. This makes it harder for Hughie to speak up and change the nature of their friendship.

36. – Lucia and Rosinella. Rosinella is devoted to Lucia, forgetting that she may have to lose her some day. Her lack of children of her own makes Lucia all the more important to her. She spoils Lucia and finds it hard to discipline her. Lucia, as a youngster, ruthlessly manipulates her aunt, well aware of Rosinella’s devotion to her. As she gets older, she finds Rosinella’s care for her becoming stifling and she hurts Rosinella with a bitter outburst.

37. – Luigi and the others. Luigi is driven by self-interest and a desire for possessions. We see some of his sly ability to control others reflected in his daughter. He sees Massimo and Rosinella as legitimate targets, even offering to let them pay for Lucia’s wedding to Mario. He uses Lucia as a slave, presumably having treated his wives in the same way.

38. – ‘Daddy’ and the others. Though sulking because Massimo has opened his own shop, Daddy still expects help from him and Rosinella, demanding that the latter cut his toe-nails for him. (A task which she willingly undertakes, recognising her place as a woman in the family.) In Massimo’s account of the scene at the camp at Bury, his father becomes a very different person – a small, frightened, lost old man.