Yes
Adapted and Directed by Steven Rumbelow
Starring Eartha Kitt
Music by Charles Aznavour

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Steven first worked with Eartha Kitt on his film The Proteus Chronicles. When he was offered the opportunity to produce a stage play with a woman's theme for the Edinburgh Festival, Eartha was the first artist to come to mind. She was strong, creative, not to be taken advantage of and to Steven's mind a great choice for Molly Bloom.

Steven had first become acquainted with the character of Molly in his acclaimed production of Ulysses. Carole Pluckrose did a wonderful job in the final scene of the play as a haunting Molly.

For Yes, Steven knew Eartha would be a controversial choice that the Joyce lovers would disagree with but Steven saw Eartha as Molly and she was at a similar place in her life to where the character of Molly was in the book. They rehearsed in New York and at The Old Vic before the festival.

Steven's adaptation was a one-woman show that presented the last sentence of Joyce's wonderful work, Ulysess. This 70-page sentence is a stream of consciousness spoken by Molly Bloom that begins and ends with the word "yes" in an ultimate sense of uncensored hope.

The show placed fifth out of 1500 shows on the Edinburgh Strand and Eartha ended up leading the Edinburgh Parade that year. Yes went on to pack houses in significant theatres in key cities all over the UK.

Review Archive

The Scotsman, August 6, 1994

Scene Magazine, September, 1994