First off the bad: blocking[1] getting all the positions and moves needed for a scene sorted out. Stopping every couple of minutes, refining, re-purposing, backing up to fit in someone or something moving so it is in the right place later on. Obviously essential, utterly frustrating.
Alongside this pretty much every twitch, stride, hurrumph and look is part of the character development process. At the beginning I am always full of doubts about whether my interpretation of how to take someone from the page matches with how everyone else sees him, especially the director. So it can be difficult to put forward ideas in case you have got it wrong.
The ugly, well without wanting to give much away about the ins and outs of the play, for a time I end up somewhat lacking in the trouser department with a set of ladies draws substituting. I hope I haven't put you all off. I am assured all possible safety measures will be put in place.
The good, well that is there in copious amounts, I have a licence to ham and I get to stick my head through more holes in the fourth wall than a holidaymaker having 'comedy' photos taken behind a board.
[1]Wikipedia claims the name derives from the practice of 19th Century theatre directors such as Sir W. S. Gilbert who worked out the staging of a scene on a miniature stage using blocks to represent each of the actors. However this claim isn't cited and the OED hasn't got a reference of the term being used until the 1960s.
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