One true voice problem for our Libby...
‘‘ By the time I left, I sounded like Tom Waits on a daily diet of Forty Capstan full strength
WHEN I toured with the Steamie my voice decided not to come with me. For the second time in my career, my voice box began to feel a lot like that crappy paint box at school with hardly any ‘colours’.
When Tony Roper came and told me they had decided to cut the opening song of the second act, a fab bluesy song written by Dave Anderson, especially for Elaine C Smith, from when she played Dolly, it felt like a big shepherd’s crook had got me by the throat and was about to haul me off stage, while they wheeled in the real actor.
The first time I lost it, my voice that is, I was on BBC radio, weekly, on the Eddi Mare show and then with Fred McAuley. At first folk said I sounded husky, like the bunny in the Cadbury Caramel advert: Did you know that’s the voice of Miriam Margolyes? Anyway, I digress. By the time I left, I sounded like Tom Waits on a daily diet of Forty Capstan full strength. I tried everything; Steaming, as in kettle, shed loads of Fishermen’s friends, as in lozenges, even gargling with Coconut oil, as in boak!
Nothing seemed to be working. Including me!
I started to really get my knickers in a twist and without any strategy I could feel myself shutting down. Landing Dolly in the Steamie was a dream come true and I wasn’t going to let the fear grip me again. I was shaken though when, the day before we opened at The King’s in Edinburgh, the voice specialist at my appointment at Gartnavel General said, looking at the ‘photo’ of my vocal chords, ‘I hope you’ve got an understudy?’
I insisted I would be going on. She maintained I should stand down. I asked her then, ‘Is there no middle ground?’ She said No.
The next day I got a call from a voice therapist there, who said, ‘Hello, I’m your middle ground’.
I’ve been working with her on and off ever since and feel I want to shout about it from the rooftops; instead of constricting, keeping shtum and believing my voice was finite and I might use it all up, I’ve learned it’s like what we now know about having a sore back. It’s not about constricting, it’s all about loosening up!
Working on my voice, I realise is like giving myself permission to be seen and heard. I’d like to see voice work available for all!
I wrote before about my plan to join Globe Trotter, Steven Sutherland and his gang at our Parliament; they spoke to a full house, chaired by Ken McIntosh, the Presiding Officer and with the vote of thanks by Anas Sarwar MSP, we heard from five registered blind, young people.
One spoke about studying for their degree, another about learning English as a second language and another about medals won, para-cycling in the Commonwealth Games for Team GB.
These high achievers told their stories with ease and flare. Their vision was an eye opener for us all. There’s so much more out there that we need to give voice to.
You know you are old when... TO quiet your rambunctious great niece, you hear yourself shout ‘Wid you, jist haud yer wheesht!’