News Release:
Play unearths ancient remedies for ailments
| 11/2/04 026/04 Medieval remedies for a range of ailments, including toothache
and bad spirits, have been resurrected by an Armidale director while
researching her latest production, Hildegard. While researching the play, Mabs uncovered several recipes used at the time to treat various illnesses. "One, for instance, mixes the ash of grape vine with some wine. This is then mixed together and rubbed on the teeth to alleviate toothache," Ms Buck said. Another panacea for toothache from the time involves aloe , the "burn" plant, the juice of which is still used to cure skin ailments today. In Hildegard's day the treatment involved burning aloe with myrrh , then inhaling the smoke through the lips. "It promised to kill toothache and any worms in the teeth within a week," Ms Buck said. The recipes are included in tracts Hildegard wrote during her life,
including Physica - Natural History and Causae et Curae - Causes
and Cures. "Hildegard was a nun with attitude and had a problem with powerful men and it is this that makes the play interesting," Ms Buck said. Already the play has sparked interest among the community with an S.O.S. for buckets to be donated for the performances, which has prompted dozens of people to search their backyard sheds to find a motley collection of pails to be used for the performance.
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"These will denote the fact Hildegard, like now, faced a drought in her time and for a while could only use rainwater collected in buckets," Ms Buck said. The play runs for just over an hour and as well as the Medieval cures for ailments contains much of Hildegard's writings and music. Hildegard's original music has been carefully transcribed by Jenny McPhan and will be sung by a choir of "nuns", the Spectrum Musicae Choir, conducted by Greg McPhan "During her life she toured Europe extensively, preaching and founding communities of like-minded nuns. It is during these she challenged a number of writings of the day from her male counterparts and gained a reputation as a revolutionary," Ms Buck said. The playwright, Mr Gunn, is opening the season of performances, a coup which producer Barbara Albury is especially proud of. She said the play had broad appeal to all and expected a mixed audience. Written by John Gunn, Hildegard will be presented at the Ursuline Chapel in Jessie St, Armidale from March 5 to March 21. Altogether there are 10 performances plus a preview on Thursday, March 4 at 8 pm (tickets cost $8). Opening night with a Champagne supper is on Friday 5th March at 8 pm ($15) and there is a special matinee on Thursday March 11 am. Otherwise the play runs on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 4.30 pm (tickets $15/$12 conc.). Bookings are available from Top Shelf Books 6771 1079 and the Armidale Visitors Centre 6772 4655. Concessions are available. Media contact: Barbara Albury, 6772 9529 or Lydia Clifford (02) 6773 2779. |
