The artistic cast of performers includes the authors, David Tweedie and Desiree Ricker, as well as Peyton Piquard and Gary Mitchell. The charming Desiree plays the fierce pirate Anne Bonny, and proves that the gals can fight as mighty and as tough as the gents. Peyton Piquard, and his menacing beard, portrays the role of Edward Teach with the grandeur, brilliance, and fear that Blackbeard was known to possess. David Tweedie uses comedy and intellect as the role of Blackbeard’s sidekick as well as showcasing some superb fiddle skills on stage! (You can see more of David’s musical talents at the Molasses Creek Show on Thursday at 8pm!) The show is narrated by Gary Mitchell, whose voice brings historical tales of life at sea.
While some attendees may be expecting A Tale of Blackbeard, a musical production previously put on by Ocracoke Alive, this show of Blackbeard: An Historical Hysterical Account is compiled of multiple short skits that are full of fascinating facts about the life of Blackbeard, as well as fun audience participation.
Each skit is an epic portrayal of the personal life of Edward Teach, from his haircuts at “Pierre’s Custom Cuts,” to reenacting his fourteen marriages. At one point in the play two children were brought on stage to participate in a “pirate trivia game show” and boy, were those tough questions! But at least the loser did not have to walk the plank! Blackbeard selected audience member Caroline Temple to be his first bride to whom he was married on the deck of the Queen Anne’s Revenge.
The production broke common misconceptions about the life of a pirate. Their treasure chest informed the audience that the booty mostly consisted of sugar, cocoa, and molasses, instead of jewels and gold. I learned that life on board a pirate’s ship was one of the worlds’ first democracies, and voting was an everyday occurrence (who knew pirates were so civilized?)! The writers cleverly inserted known quotes into the script in order to stay factually correct, such as Anne Bonny’s, “If you would have fought like a man, you won’t have to hang like a dog.”
I had the pleasure of speaking with the actors upon the conclusion of the show about their acting experience and thoughts on the production. Both David and Peyton acted throughout their high school and college careers, and are thrilled to be able to continue here on Ocracoke! Desiree has had a long career in the performing arts throughout all her life, and is an active member in the community here on Ocracoke. When asked her about her favorite part about this particular production, Desiree said, “When we were writing this play, David and I got to research a lot. We learned about different weapons and the daily life of pirates. This play is also just a lot of fun! When you see us laughing on stage it is usually because we are just having so much fun up there.”
Although A Tale of Blackbeard is not running this year, this unique production is generating a lot of good publicity and momentum for when A Tale of Blackbeard returns again in 2018. It will be the 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s death and will sure to bring out all the pirate enthusiasts (and even ghosts) on the island.
“This production is keeping the momentum going as well as letting us have a bit more fun with the show. A Tale of Blackbeard is such a large scale production that requires a lot of cast and community involvement; we wanted to give everyone a break for a few years in order to be 100% ready for the 300th anniversary celebration,” said David Tweedie, executive director of Ocracoke Alive.
This production of Blackbeard: An Historical Hysterical Account is an amusing and creative take on the story of the gruesome pirate Blackbeard. Full of humor, history, and a few sword fights it is a night of good ol’ family fun!
For more information on this show as well as many exciting others please check out www.ocracokealive.org
Blackbeard: An Historical Hysterical Account runs every Monday night all summer, EXCEPT for this coming week, when it will be on Tuesday, July 5th.
