A former teacher was inspired to write a play after hearing cruel comments from Beatles fans as they toured John Lennon’s childhood home. Sylvia Hall, 77, spent more than a decade as custodian of Paul McCartney’s childhood home, and has now written Julia’s Song, which explores the life of Julia Lennon, John Lennon's mum.
Inspiration from Mendips
The play will debut at the Epstein Theatre in September. It was inspired by time Sylvia spent covering husband Colin’s role as custodian of Mendips, John Lennon’s childhood home, a duty he performed for 20 years.
Sylvia, from Woolton, said: "When I was at Mendips, some visitors had very set ideas about Aunt Mimi and Julia. Quite a lot of women would say, ‘Julia just didn't care about John. She gave him away; she was a feckless mother.’
"Julia was a victim of a time when people were very judgemental. Julia was something of a rebel, and John probably took after her." Visitors would also say Aunt Mimi was a harridan and so strict with John, but the truth is somewhere in the middle.
Julia's story
Julia met Freddie Lennon, who she would marry and go on to have John with, when she was just 14. Sylvia said: "The family were hard on Julia, particularly her father. Julia was his favourite, and he expected great things of her. She was bright and attractive, so she disappointed him when she married Freddie - Alfred Lennon - who was a sailor.
"Freddie wasn't very reliable and was away during the war. Julia then had a relationship with a soldier, Taffy Williams, and became pregnant. She had already given birth to John, and then had Victoria out of wedlock. The family were coruscating about the way she was living her life.
"Julia suffered from depression after giving birth to her two girls with Bobby Dykins. Bobby was a tough character who drank a lot, and John remembered seeing Julia with a bruise on her face, so he may have knocked her around. Julia always wanted to maintain contact with John, but actually taking him to live with her and Bobby Dykins was more than she could face."
A woman ahead of her time
Sylvia told how Julia encouraged John, buying him his first guitar. She added: "Julia would have been great in the 1960s. There’s a song right at the end of the play called Out of Time, and she really was a woman out of her time. She would have been a hippie in the 60s and would have loved the fame, fortune, and excitement of The Beatles, but sadly she missed all that."
The play tells the story of Julia’s life, beginning with her untimely death in 1958, and features six original songs with lyrics by Sylvia and music by local musicians Tom McConnell of Novelty Island and Peter Davies of The Good Intentions.
The cast includes Florence King, set to star at The Royal Court in 'It's A Wonderful Life' later this year; Alison Crawford from Wavertree who toured with Blood Brothers; Luke Seddon of TV and stage fame, and local actors Lesley Butler, Christopher Power and Leslie Longley.
Sylvia said: "I wanted to put Julia centre stage, reclaim her, and show how she inspired John's music. She taught him banjo and guitar, encouraged him, and bought him his first guitar."
Julia’s Song is to be performed at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre on September 10, 11 and 12.
