Bec Applebee - Performer, Creative Practitioner & Celebrant
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What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Ha ha! It seems like an easy question, but it’s not really is it? My greatest life achievement was having my wonderful son at the age of 40 after several unsuccessful pregnancies.
However, in terms of my working life, I have been very fortunate to have achieved many things of which I am proud and some that I can’t believe. When I was young I always knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to work in theatre. It was always very clear to me. I had a list of life ambitions that seemed totally out of reach at the time. So for example, at the age of 16 I wanted to work with Kneehigh theatre and travel the world. Impossible. At the age of 22 my journey with Kneehigh started and continued for 18 yrs. We travelled the globe and we went on some fantastic life adventures. I have danced with Monacan royalty and spent the night in a shebeen in the depths of Soweto shortly after Apartheid finished. Events far beyond anything I could have dreamed possible. This has happened throughout my life.
I am proud to live in Cornwall and to celebrate its unique language and culture and because of that have had the privilege of playing music as a member of Dalla with your very own Hillary Coleman for fifteen years. A musical dream. As a fan of World music, I had always fantasised about playing in an International music ensemble. In 2019 I was asked to represent Cornwall as a singer in the extraordinary Tosta Banda project as a direct result of having worked with Dalla. San Sebastian was the city of culture in The Basque Country and as part of their celebration they formed a band of minority language singers from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Friesland, Galicia, Basque Country and Cornwall. How did that happen?
I have just trained to become a Celebrant…something I have always wanted to do…
There are almost too many to write here. I am very lucky.
I think that is a very long-winded way of saying that my greatest achievement is to have impossible dreams.
What motivates you to do what you do?
People. People and their stories, I think that is the answer. There are of course the very direct everyday responsibilities of being a single parent and having to feed and clothe my family, working to pay the bills and keeping a roof over our heads, that sort of thing. Which are very strong motivators, especially at the moment having watched the industry I work in crumble. Things are going to be very different for the arts in the near future. I do love a challenge and to problem solve. I am not easily deterred so why not try to create projects and enable others to make work within the new guideline? (plans are afoot so watch this space). I have a very active brain that loves a challenge. It is always bursting with projects and creative ideas...too many. Some are rubbish and some can be quite good.
Apart from that It has always been people and their stories that act as motivation for me. I love that everyone has a story to tell and in my job as an actor I can help to share those stories. Hopefully making a direct emotional connection with an audience.
What do you owe your mother?
My mother passed on her love for the Arts and a deeply rooted creativity. She encouraged me to follow my passions and instilled a belief that everyone should be equal. I learned from her a gritty determination and an ability to make the best of things and an attitude to life and work that I deeply admire. No one is better than you and you are no better than anyone else.
My Mum is June Applebee, and what an amazing person. When we were young it would be fair to say that we were fairly poor. My mum was a single parent in the 70s, and she held down so many different jobs. She was a bar maid, lifeguard at Carn Brea leisure centre, she cleaned, ran a book stall in Redruth Butter Market, she became a nursery nurse at Gweal an Top infant school amongst other things. I don’t know anyone who can make food and money stretch as far as she had to. In 1978, we moved into a small two bedroomed cottage in Tregajorran - that is my brother Mike, my sister Gen, my Mum, our dog Smokey and cat Holly, plus the lodger, Chris, who lived in the hall with his two children and a variety of animals. It was a bustling household. So, two adults and 5 children…My Mum shared a room with me and my sister.
With all this going on she still somehow was able to share with us her love of Art, theatre, music and anything creative, we were always making things (sometimes to sell), sometimes forgoing a more expensive dinner choice for tickets to see a concert. Mum is an adventurer, mild-mannered when you first meet her, but with a surprising and steely determination. When we all left home she left home as well, and travelled the world on the high seas working as a librarian on the QE2 for sixteen years.
Which women inspire you and why?
Kate Bush
Greta Thunberg
Malala Yousafzai
Cindy Sherman
Brenda Wootton
Women throughout the world who speak out.
I am surrounded by women who inspire me almost every day. Most of my female friends, family and work colleagues are inspirational in different ways. Many have endured and overcome personal challenges, many campaign for a greener and healthier world, many have achieved extraordinary things at work or are fantastic parents.
But it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention Mary Bryant. A young woman from Fowey born in 1765, Mary had the most incredible life story. After being tried and found guilty of highway robbery she was eventually sent away on the first fleet to Australia. She was a mother of two and with her children, husband and seven other prisoners escaped from Botany Bay in a small cutter and made what I believe to be one of the most extraordinary maritime journeys at that time. She escaped and then was re-caught and lost her entire family on the way back to England to be hanged, only to be pardoned when she returned.
When I first read her story, I couldn’t believe that she wasn’t taught in school history lessons. A truly remarkable woman. I researched her for a long time at the Cornish studies library and on Australian websites. You can find her signature and find out what she looked like. But none of the accounts really described what it must have felt like to have experienced what she went through. So, I made a one woman show about her, “Oh Mary”. Which strangely, because of Covid, I am going to be performing at the Minack in September.
What are you reading?
‘My Brilliant Friend’ by Elena Ferrante.
What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?
Mmmmm! In my performing career I have taken quite an alternative route and have always loved being physical. When working in the theatre, and particularly in Cornwall, it never occurred to me that I couldn’t do what would conventionally be considered a man’s job. So, on tour I relished the physical work, working ridiculous hours in all weathers, packing the van, sitting on the roof in the rain ratcheting down heavy scaffolding. In Kneehigh one of my nicknames was Betty Ratchet. At the time I didn’t see the inequalities, but they were there. The women I knew had to ‘prove’ themselves, whether it was being funny or being ready to work whatever your family circumstances. The men I worked with had an easier time.
But it was certainly different and more accepting than the more conventional acting world which is still so incredibly sexist. Just watch your television. Women still must be conventionally beautiful or young. Things are changing but as a young woman I made a conscious decision not to go to London to audition and put myself through the agony of what I knew would be rejection after rejection. Despite any skill I might have as an actor I don’t have a ‘TV or Film friendly face’, even now my features would be considered to be too big and uneven. I didn’t want to be told by an agent what parts I could play even if I knew in my heart that I could bring something different to a role. I didn’t want to be judged on my looks or be told that my nose was too big or my eyes too prominent. I would have hated that; my skin is not thick enough. So, I chose a different path.
How can the world be made a better place for women?
Your questions are huge.
We need Global equality and proportional representation. To end misogyny. Have an equal right to free education, welfare, sexual health and access to family planning for all women. A redistribution of wealth and political power and historical representation.
Describe your perfect day?
My perfect day could be any day. Some days are just like that. Little things make me happy and always have, particularly nature. But if I had to build one it would include a sea swim, social time with my son, friends and family, a campfire, some live music and the sound of rain on a tent, bees…and some phosphorescence. Any one of those things in a day would make it perfect.
We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you see remembered?
Mary Bryant.
Give us a tip?
If you want to cut a banana in half but don’t have a knife, nick the skin on the inside curve with your nail and then bend it outwards…it will split in two.
About Bec Applebee Bec was brought up in Cornwall, went to college in Liverpool and has travelled extensively with her work. She is a Mum. is one of Cornwall’s recognised creative practitioners having worked first and foremost as an Actor but also as Director, Deviser and Workshop leader. Bec continues to tour, nationally, internationally as well as locally. She has performed with some of Cornwall’s foremost and ground-breaking companies which include Kneehigh Theatre (Red Shoes, King of Prussia ,The Riot etc) and Wildworks (The Old Man with Enormous Wings and Souterrain) .
Some of her more recent acting credits include;
The Mousehole Cat USA and Christmas tour with Cousin Jack’s Theatre 2019
Estah’s Story with Yskynna at Heartlands 2019
Operation Neptune at Trebah gardens 2019
Darke Women (2018) ‘Oh Mary’ and The Ugly Sisters with her own company Bec Applebee Presents.
Before I Wake and Dracula with Scary little Girls/ Minack/ Heligan
The Man Engine, Weather the Storms, Gogmagog (part of the Weymouth Olympic opening ceremony 2014) all with Golden Tree Productions
ImagineThat with the National theatre
Hansel and Gretel with Cscape Dance company
Bec often works as a performance director for Incandescence circus and has been a mentor for Rogue theatre
As a singer and percussionist Bec played with Dalla for 18 years producing 5 albums (A Richer Vein, More Salt, Rooz, Cribber, and K5) She plays with Didjan, the Nos Lowen band Skillywidden and also represents Cornwall singing in Cornish with the fabulous Tosta Banda which was formed for Donostia’s celebrations as European city of culture.
TV and radio credits include BBC 1 series ‘Down to Earth’ and BBC 4 radio series ‘On the rocks’ , ‘Post cards’ and The King of Prussia