Blogging The Rover

But it wasn't quite over, was it?

2008-07-13T10:53:00.002+01:00

Well.

That was a hell of a thing.

First, a BIG thank you to everyone who came to see us at Dore, and supported us. NO THANK YOU to Mr Rain, who decided to force us into the Church Hall.

We then had to navigate: Setting up a stage in 60 minutes (which was VERY impressively done, we even had a balcony!), relative lack of space for changing and hairdressing, dealing with a smaller stage with different exits (I goofed on that one, thanks Andy and Nigel for rescuing it. I did notice.), tap dancers rehearsing (which surely could be heard on stage, if not in the audience) and council meetings being held in one of the larger rooms.

That said, I'd like to thank Mrs C for doing everything she could to make it as smooth as possible. It's thanks to her that we had an hour to set up the stage, rather than 15 minutes, as I understand we sometimes have in the past.

Alison did *not* have a breakdown, although it was touch-and-go at times. It was fun, hot, exhausting, and worth it.

Next play is ..... dum, dum, dum .... "The Importance of Being Earnest." I'm not in this one, but I saw some of the auditions. The play is funny, and we have so many great actors and actresses in the Company the director was spoiled for choice. It's certain to be hilarious. I can hardly wait.

... and the curtain closes.

2008-06-22T11:26:00.005+01:00

Well, last night was the final performance at the Drama Studio. The get-out was full of the usual chaos and teamwork and the party was just wonderful.

And I'm sad.

John summed it up perfectly with his 'speech' last night. The best part about The Company is the camaraderie, friendship, and teamwork.

And I'm going to miss it. More than I thought I would.
Don't get me wrong, it will be nice to get my life back and (as Emma said) have actual meals in the evening instead of whatever I can manage on the way to rehearsal/performance. But what a hole it's going to leave in my heart and life. I'm very thankful that we still have Dore to go, so it's not as abrupt an end as it could have been.

To everyone in the cast and crew, and especially our director Alison, thank you. Thank you for three months that I will treasure the memory of forever.

And I'll probably be quoting until my dying day. My heart? By all the little gods of love I swear it, I leave it with you.

Building up to opening night

2008-06-16T13:58:00.002+01:00

Sorry it has been a bit quiet round here, the last fortnight of rehearsals is where everyone really cranks up the energy to polish everything ready for this week.
Yesterday was spent in the theatre building the set, which is a combination of the tedium of painting huge amounts of rostra that form the raised areas of the set and some more ingenious constructions which I won't tell you about now so as not to ruin the surprise ;-)
Tonight we will be saying lines in the theatre for the first time, it won't be an acting rehearsal, but the technical which is there to ensure that lighting, entrances, sound queues, scene changes, costumes etc, ad nauseum, work. This is the most frustrating session for everyone, the actors have to stand around or skip parts of their scenes, the techies, no matter how good they are will be too early or too late on cues, the stage crew will find that the changes as written don't work and the director is just getting wound up.
Tommorrow is the dress rehearsal, everyone says that the dress should be run as if it is a real performance, but personally I can never get quite into that frame of mind, the sheer terror doesn't quite hit. However in all other respects it is a real show and unless things go utterly fubar it shouldn't stop and it is the point where the doctrine that you are on your own really digs in. The company runs without a prompt, it is up to everyone to do their best to get a friend out of a hole if they forget a line, miss a cue or get stuck in a loop. One of the hardest things to change is binning the "sorries" that pepper rehearsals in the studios, they are the worst thing you can do on stage if you haven't got out of the habit by the dress you are real trouble.

Scantily clad and slightly nervous...

2008-06-03T23:12:00.002+01:00

Although not about being scantily clad (and when I say scantily clad I mean the closest you'll get to naked Amy onstage is Amy in a slip which is quite frankly the size of my duvet cover!). I was chatting to my mum this morning (having made a fleeting trip to my hometown for a rehearsal for another play-there are many plays....) and saying how we were bringing our costumes to rehearsals tonight and how we need to practice getting changed and then it hit me. Today is the 3rd. We go on on the 18th. Thats 15 days....just over two weeks.....and for me, not long enough!!! I can barely find the cues for when I pipe up (but it is getting there) but getting changed into my gypsy outfit onstage is quite difficult/scary. Not least because I have to catch someone between lines to unzip my dress to begin the process!!! Thankfully I can see a time when it will all run smoothly (hopefully that time will come BEFORE opening night). I kept getting notes about being louder-sorry-LOUDER! tonight-must shout more! I SHALL make my lines heard!!! That "Nay have a care" line is perpetually swallowed up by (fantastic) giggling from the sisters no matter how hard I try to shout it!! I'll just pray I get hit with a case of "fantastic-vocal-chord-syndrome" on the night. Also praying I don't fall over my skirt and that the stage lights in the Drama Studio don't shine through my slip when in a state of undress.........note to self, wear a vest....

Was that really a smile?

2008-05-31T16:21:00.001+01:00

I think it was! In fact I am sure I saw the director smiling at points during rehearsals this week.

I am not claiming we are there, that would be foolish, we are not yet at the point where I would be happy to show it to an audience. Although that said at this point we do tend to start getting people who haven't seen it up to this point as the backstage and technical crew turn up to familiarise themselves with the play. So there is a certain amount of true performance creeping in.

What I think caused Alison to smile is that we are over the bump and running towards the finish line, prompting is scant and far between (and will be non-existant come the performances, we fly solo so to speak) and the cast are beginning to enjoy themselves looking for places where a grin or a noise adds to their part.

The polish is being applied and we really do appear to have a corker; I might even have come to learn to not hate the fact, that the last epic scene kicks off with a soliloquy, that I have to deliver in a pair of lacy drawers.

"The impudent'st young thing in nature..."

2008-05-26T19:21:00.003+01:00

There. I can write it, but I can't say it.

And we've got to that phase of rehearsals now. The bit where we've all just learnt our lines and are struggling to get them said properly and at the right time. The bit where the Drama Studio locks us out of our rehearsal room (AGAIN), but fortunately left another door unlocked. The bit where we wonder whether we'll actual ever have a rehearsal with a complete cast.

But it will all come right, and it is good to see everyone working so hard. It will be good.

Shaping up

2008-05-21T11:50:00.002+01:00

Well, four weeks to go, and things are beginning to come together. Phew!

Last night was the first sequential run of scenes (the first four) and it does really help being able to grasp the proper flow of things.

There were pauses and stumbling of course, mostly due to (nearly!) all of us now running sans script, but I think the heart of the play is definitely beginning to beat. Even if it does need a bit of CPR now and then.. (I nearly said mouth to mouth, but there's already more than enough of that between Tony and me!)

Oh, and acting in a mask and with my hair loose is definitely a whole new level to tackle..

"...and then jump on the bed..."

2008-05-11T19:37:00.002+01:00

"...and kick him in the face".

Not really what you were expecting eh? Well it's that kind of play. There is, I hasten to add, the other kind of jumping on beds, just to make it clear for those that would otherwise be disappointed. But honestly, it's OK to bring your elderly relatives to it.

Well it's starting to get hot now, and we're at the stage where we wonder why we always end up doing a costume drama, preferably with lots of energetic running around, in the summer. I mean I'm not complaining but couldn't we just, for once, do something that involves chilling out in T-shirts...

It all brings back traumatic memories of the Zenda incident. Well, traumatic for Jenny certainly...

I like being eponymous...

2008-05-09T14:01:00.002+01:00

...but I also like headbutts, reverse headbutts, a kick to the groin and a swordhilt to the face. To qualify this I need to add I like administering, rather than receiving them.

The Company loves a good fight scene, and there's something about a bit of mindless violence that brings out the best in an actor. I think it's the combination of concentration, exertion and sheer bloody terror that does it. That and the swords.

And learning fight scenes, especially with a whole bunch of people cramped together on a small stage, swords swinging and bodies flying, can be exhilarating as well as terrifying. When it works well it's like a well-oiled machine delivering spills and thrills for the audience.

I like it!

I insist only on manly hugs...

2008-04-30T19:53:00.003+01:00

...from men obviously. Thigh slapping is permitted, as long as it is your own thigh. Quaffing is good although you must not get any drink on your costume. Shouting "Now sir, you die" and drawing your sword is good on the surface but usually leads to your demise as your opponent quips "No, YOU die". Saying "Egad", "Faith" and "Gadzooks" is considered normal.

So since we're doing a swashbuckler I thought it was name a cliche time. What are your favourite swashbuckler cliches (and can we get them into the play)?

The nightmares have started

2008-04-24T08:38:00.002+01:00

Boy was I glad to wake up from this one:

Last night I had my first nightmare about the play, I dreamt I was at rehearsal:

very drunk
rehearsing a scene I hadn't learned
rehearsing a scene I'd never read
without my script
and no one would prompt me.

At least I wasn't naked.
Mostly I remember (once I realised what I was doing) being absolutely crushed that I'd let Alison and the rest of the cast down.

Well, it's only a dream. I'll make sure nothing like that ever happens in reality.

Boots, boots, boots, boots...

2008-04-20T16:49:00.002+01:00

Thousands of them !

Yes it was the 3rd Annual Company Costume Pull today as a host of eager actors got to see who could get the most outrageous or ridiculous costume*. Some of the costumes were dictated by the script e.g. I'm constantly referred to as "yonder fellow in the black", the girls have to dress as gypsies and nymphs(?). Most were dictated by what fit - or in Alex's case, didn't.

The room at the costume store looked like an explosion in a laundry with people being prised, prodded and poked into a variety of flattering (or otherwise) costumes. And masks, plenty of masks.

We seem to have found a new Company star in the shape of Vicky's mum, Elaine, who volunteered to make some costumes. But the highlight of the morning was poor Georgie. When she turned up in her cabin boy outfit, everyone simultaneously went "Aaah!" She'll never live it down.

*Tony

I know what happens at the end...

2008-04-16T17:54:00.002+01:00

...but I'm not going to tell you.

We've finally got through and blocked the whole play (except scene 4 but that doesn't count). The last scene is epic, resolves all the loose ends in an amusing if highly implausible manner, and ends in rhyming couplets - what more can you want ! Highlights of last night were Emma and Greg being directed to "act more Italian", leering at invisible prostitues and Tony's hangdog expressions. Tony, you really make me see those pink bloomers...

And the swords were out too. It was good to see cast members getting in a bit of a practise before rehearsal proper, we all need to keep on our toes. Also remember Tony, the idea is your genitals AVOID getting hit by Vicky's knee.

Lines, lines and more damn lines

2008-04-14T19:26:00.002+01:00

This is the time during every production that makes me wonder why I put myself through this; learning my lines.
I'm not very good at it and like anything I'm not brilliant at and forced to do this tends to bring out the worst in me and I start to sulk like a teenager being made to clean their bedroom rather than being allowed out to go and drink White Lightning down the park with their mates.
I may not have as many as some, John for example, but they are still sitting there like a mountain that has to be climbed before the fun of paragliding off the other side. So if you see a tragic figure in a beard hunched over a black ring binder, mumbling to himself, in the Winter Gardens of a lunchtime over the next few weeks, have pity.

Running around like a madman...

2008-04-05T16:45:00.002+01:00

...which seems to be what most of us do in this play. I love the outrageousness of the script and the single mindedness and sheer chutzpah of the characters.

We did a lot of blocking on Wednesday with a lot of people on stage at once. At occasions when it said "they fight", Alison froze everyone in place and I frantically scribbled down where they were and who was fighting who. We then moved to the positions at the end of the fight and I mapped out the characters again. All I have to do now is work out what happens in between. There were helpful comments later in the pub about the use of pineapples.

I echo Ben's comments about Andy and Nigel's upstaging. I'll have to make sure we stand in front of them during the fight scenes...

Finally, funniest comment so far goes to Amber who missed most of a conversation about the problem with insects in summer in Scotland and asked who had been "bitten by midgets".

Have at ye...

2008-04-04T16:26:00.003+01:00

Hmm, figured it was about time I added to the fun here..

Thursday's rehearsal was immensely satisfying, as we've begun to get to the scenes where the swashbuckling's involved. Or at least, where my swashbuckling's involved! Although we won't be blocking the actual fights themselves for a few weeks, we know where we have to get from and to - the rest is up to John to choreograph in a way that makes me us look as good as possible :o)

There's already tons of physical comedy coming through, in looks and movement - some of Neil's facial expressions are diamond - plus some out and out slapstick, and Andy and Nigel are doing the old "background characters upstage the rest of the cast" with consummate (and alarming) ease.

On a serious(er) note, I'm still not quite sure of my character. Who, I oughta explain, is Frederick, the fourth of the Willmore-Bellville-Blunt-Fred quartet. He's definitely coming across as a bit of a pragmatist, a soldier, and a bit of an opportunist - one of the best suggestions I've heard is "a bit like Sharpe". Which is amusing, considering my very first play with this company I was given a blunderbuss and joked that every Sheffielder secretly wants to be Sharpe...

Still, time yet to get things ironed out. In the meantime, bring on the fightin'!

Life as a maid...

2008-03-22T10:37:00.003Z

My character Callis (sounds a bit like callous, not Calliiiis as I was saying to my friends-I just wanted to sound exotic...) is the governess to Florinda and Helena (not Valeria apparently, she can take care of herself). She only has a few lines but this doesn't stop me from acting my little socks off. The great thing is that Alison has given me a lot of guidance during my silent parts so I'm having a lot of fun without saying a word!
Character-wise I seem to be giving her a nervous quality, but from the lines there is also this repressed sexualness and thats always fun to play and as the character you can just 'whip' (for want of a better word) out this other personality and then quickly suppress it again.
Callis disappears pretty quickly into the play and I did wonder what had happened to her. Then during the read through I found out-poor Callis! To add insult to injury, I read Valeria's lines on Tuesday, including the one that describes my fate. But I rose above this to read the lines with dignity!

The good, the bad and the ugly, but not in that order.

2008-03-21T15:16:00.001Z

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.

2008-03-20T15:10:00.002Z

Well I spent most of Tuesday's rehearsal rolling on the floor with Vicky (poor girl). My character basically tries to get off with all the women in the play, succeeds with a couple has a darned good attempt with Florinda, Vicky's character. You have to excuse him tho', he was very drunk at the time....

We're beginning to get the flavour of this production (bawdy and over the top) and a feel for the characters too (ditto). We're getting through the blocking of the scenes at a breakneck pace - most of them are fairly short - and we've covered nearly half. I suspect Alison is saving the longer more complicated ones until last.

We have a set plan now (which is different from the one we had last week) and hopefully it will look very pretty. We've got another rehearsal tonight, along with our first production meeting. I'll report back on how it goes.

The Newbie

2008-03-19T13:53:00.002Z

Hi,
First play with The Company and three rehearsals in I'm already having a great time. Everyone is really nice and I've been made to feel so welcome (thanks guys!).
Last night's rehearsal was good fun, although on a whim, I may have agreed to expose myself onstage! (Told my boyfriend, he was quite worried!) I'd printed off my script with such joy and sat down eagerly with a highlighter only to find:

[undresses]

Next to my lines! In the first scene! What a debut!
However, I think there will be underskirts involved so I think I'll be ok.
No-one said acting would be easy....
Amy

A director muses

2008-03-18T18:35:00.002Z

Two rehearsals down...the read through was really good. So many inventive ideas from the cast. But...the play is too long. I need to cut 15 minutes by Thursday.

I did cut it severely & now have to decide when to tell the cast. I don't think I can bear trying to email a new script out to everyone. I think I'll just break it to them gently at the start of each rehearsal. The first blocking rehearsal was even better - the boys are gelling together really well, and it was great to be back working with Vicky and Katie.

Highlight of the play so far is when Amy gets knocked over, and struggles to her feet. She does such an odd thing with her legs...it's like a chicken desperate for the loo.

My worry for the weekend is the set. I don't like having Angellica's balcomy at the back of the stage. I may upset everyone by redesigning the whole thing.

Hah!

First Rehearsal (Blocking)

2008-03-15T15:38:00.003Z

Being completely new to this sort of thing, I wasn't sure what to expect from the first rehearsal or what "Blocking" would entail. (my previous experience was many years ago, and my roles were never larger than "chorus member" -- Other than church pageants/plays anyway.)

Turns out (as I pretty much expected) blocking is just figuring out where everyone is going to stand and move to in any given scene. I was awed to see 1) how good the other actors were at doing clever things without even being prompted 2) how quickly Alison was able to assess scenes and make brilliant suggestions that seemed obvious in retrospect 3) how quick the other actors were at implementing (and remembering!) said suggestions.

I only had a few scenes and even fewer lines in this rehearsal, but one of the scenes where I have no lines, I'm on stage for a long time. Not talking. I hadn't considered when I read through the script that this was going to be at least as challenging as the talking bits. Without any lines you have to learn ALL the other lines (to an extent) so that you can react properly to them. I found myself more worried about what the other people were saying in that scene than about my own line in the other scene. I'm learning new stuff every day. Brilliant!

First Rehearsal

2008-03-12T19:20:00.002Z

Looks like this is going to be a good one. The play is funny in a totally outrageous way - bawdy, rude (in Carry-On style) and there are several occasions where the entendres might as well be single. This feels like the kind of play that will suit The Company - swordfight, running around and Tony in ladies underwear. What's not to like.

First Impressions

2008-03-11T23:49:00.002Z

We had our first rehearsal tonight, a read through of the play. There are a bunch of really talented and funny people cast for this play, not that I'd expect it to be otherwise. I feel a bit.... newbie.

I was heartened by the reactions of the other actors to the bits I read, as I'm a bit unsure of myself. I'm also super excited. And glad I don't have to try to do a fake English accent. Trust me when I say you don't want to hear me try accents.

This play is going to be laugh-out-loud funny.

In the beginning

2008-03-10T14:36:00.000Z

Welcome to "Blogging the Rover" this blog has been set up to try and give those of you that come along to watch us put on plays but haven't been involved the other side of the curtain a flavour of what it takes. I hope you get three things out of it

A better understanding of how the process works;
The desire to join in either on or off stage;
A few laughs.

I will also apologise in advance for not having got the full biographical details of the bloggers in place yet.