Hull-born filmstar Mackaill gets the Godber treatment
She was a megstar of the silver screen, a Hollywood icon of the 20s and 30s and was once cited as the most kissable girl in Hollywood.
This was a Yorkshire lass from the Avenues area of Hull, the daughter of a greengrocer. Despite a blue plaque outside her old school, Thoresby Primary, much of Mackaill’s legacy has been forgotten.
Now a play has been made to celebrate her and it will be staged at Hull New Theatre. The Remarkable Tale of Dorothy Mackaill has been written by East Yorkshire writer Liz Godber, keen to bring the history alive.
The production by Smashing Mirrors Theatre will be performed at the newly-renovated studio at Hull New Theatre as part of the venue’s continuing support of local artists and local stories. The play uses original music from the 1920s and film projections to tell the story of Dorothy’s life and some of the wider history of Hollywood in the 1920s.
Featuring four local actors - Martha Godber, Avalon Ramos, Dylan Allcock and Millie Gaston – some making professional debuts, it aims to bring Dorothy back into the public eye.
The Remarkable Tale of Dorothy Mackaill is at Hull New Theatre’s studio from the 3rd to the 5th of June. Tickets are available from the theatre website.
