This story is set In the world shaking year 1968 and at an unspecified later date.
1968 was a time when everything was possible and anything could happen.
The place is London. A young girl arrives from Devon to explore the possibilities of life and try to resolve the question which today remains unanswered – ‘What’s wrong with Love and Peace?’
She could have met anyone when she got off the train at Picadilly Circus. But she didn’t. She met Harold, the free lover.
What she learned in that momentous year was that you have to dive deep and explore the darkness to fully understand the light, and you have to make an awful lot of noise if you were to find any sort of peace.
Story and existing script of What’s Wrong With Love and Peace © Geoff Francis April 2004
Copyright to the songs rests entirely with the writers and are only presented here as illustrative of potential use within the concept of the show. Tacit agreement to their use was made with the publishers at the original time of the original development of the work.
What’s Wrong With Love and Peace
Leftover Wine
Lay Down
Close To It All
Rainbow Rays
Freedom Knows My Name
Beautiful People
I Almost Loved Harold
Saddest Song
The show has been based around the music of Melanie Safka who, for Geoff, embodied the feeling of the time. New pieces have been written to be included. James Bell recorded and produced the nine tracks above.
The singer on these tracks is, Caitlin Albery Beavan , who has an incredible showbiz pedigree. Her father is Ian Albery whose family owned the Piccadilly group of theatres. Ian started the Donmar Warehouse and also ran Sadlers Wells. Her mother, Jenny Beavan, is probably the most sought after costume designer in the film world working with the likes of Altman, Stone and Zeffereli. In 2017 she won yet another Oscar for Mad Max : Fury Road and caused an absolute furore at the Oscars. The show was originally created for Caitlin who is now a theatre director in her own right.