….. time to stand back for a moment to see how it went and how we all feel.
BEFORE
Getting a show ready is a really time intensive process. The journey from conception to delivery is long, twisty and bumpy and yet, somehow we have reached this point with no major disasters…when I think about how far we have all travelled as a group, I am amazed. All our characters are fully formed now. Our work is nearly done! I realise I am now thinking more about the ‘down’ off camera moments more than the slog of rehearsals. I think nostalgically of making teas and coffees for everyone in the kitchen of the small hall. I really liked eating my pack lunch on the bench by the church with my friends. Each play that I am lucky enough to be chosen to appear in gives me the same sense of belonging, of being a part of of a tight little group, however ephemeral it is. I sometimes forgot I was there to do a job, and instead got lost in the laughter. ‘Don’t giggle Thelma (that’s one of of my characters). You are the serious one, the one who tries to get everyone to behave’ said Ian, the director, eyes crinkling up in amusement. This has been the biggest challenge for me. Not learning the lines, just trying not to laugh all the time. But, even after weeks and weeks of hearing the same lines, I still find the silliness addictive. And this, I think, is key to understanding the play. It’s very dated, very ‘Carry On’ esque, doesn’t contain any deep message to unpick, but it simply invites the audience to enjoy themselves, to be ‘in’ on the joke.
ON THE NIGHT
I watched in awe as the hall at St Dode was transformed into a theatre, complete with bistro tables and flickering lights, and a beautiful set. Back stage, all the props were laid out in readiness, all the costumes hung in order on the rails and the prompter sat in her tiny cabin, a lonely captain piloting the ship…After weeks of having every gesture rehearsed, every inflection practised, its a disconcerting feeling to suddenly be out there under the lights, doing the play for real, knowing that the director wouldn’t be asking us to just go over a section again, to get it right. In my opinion, it went well. Everything that could go wrong was meant to go wrong and so what if a few lines went awry? I honestly don’t think anyone could have spotted the blurry line between what was meant to be happening and what actually did happen. I am really looking forwards to hanging out with my crew again and hope we have as interactive an audience again for the next two performances. Snorts and sniggers of laughter are like life blood to all of us waiting in the wings!
Rebecca Shields
