My Stage Highlights!

I hate posts that start with "I've not blogged for a while...", however in this case it is very true, and I shamefully admit that in terms of my drama, I've had an awful lot to blog about and have just been too lazy!

Since October of last year, my amateur dramatics antics have been non-stop, and I'm currently enjoying the longest break (1 week, to be precise) between finishing one show and starting the next.  In September, I was accosted in the middle of Kenilworth high street and bribed with the opportunity of playing the baddie into doing yet another pantomime.  The role itself was a small, rather half-heartedly written 'immortal' called Alsatia who seemed to flit between insinuating that the bad luck befalling the main protagonist was all her doing, to sitting on her laurels in the dressing room for the greater proportion of the final act of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.  It took me a while to get into this character, but true to form the conjuring of a hideously generic foreign accent reminiscent of a B-Movie Dracula seemed to cement Alsatia in my head (if not my heart!).

Post panto, and after a brief break I was back at rehearsals, this time for Top Girls, by Caryl Churchill.  Much fun was had with the spelling of Caryl and after various blips we managed to get the referencing right!  My part was initially a small scene involving an interview with the main character, Marlene, however after a slight change in circumstances I landed not one, not two, but three roles in Top Girls in the end; the waitress, Kit, and Shona.  To summarise, I spent Top Girls trying not to drop plates and cutlery in the first act, lying my way (unsuccessfully) through an interview at the Top Girls Agency, and finally donning various sorts of denim (well, this play is set in the 80's) as a rather moody 12 year old!

And this brings me neatly to the play I've just finished, Hay Fever by Noel Coward.  This play was not without irony, for myself and at least one other cast member suffered hay fever during the course of rehearsals, and more than one of the show's performances should have been sponsored by Kleenex and some brand of antihistamines!  I adored this show, not least because I got to ditch the denim in favour of cloche hats and sparkly costumes, but also it was a fantastically bad-mannered comedy in typical Coward style which meant the cast and I had a brilliant time, even if my character, Jackie, was treated most appallingly throughout.

So ends the summary of my absence, and I hope to be blogging more frequently in future.  My next outing is Pygmalion, which is showing in July, and as rehearsals will start this coming Sunday I expect I shall have a few thoughts to jot down!

Break a leg!

Colder Than Here - The Things I'll Miss...

Finally, I can sit back and relax!  Our last performance of Laura Wade's play, Colder Than Here, took place on Saturday, and most of the following day was spend relaxing - no lines to learn, no script to pore over, no rehearsals to get to...

If I'm honest, I was a little bored!

After a rocky start for this production (which was almost pulled completely) it was great to see the fruits of our labour finally pay off.  We had a great review in the Leamington Courier (even if they couldn't decide whether my name is Staton or Stanton!) http://www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk/ColderThanHere, which I think summed up how we all perceived this play - even if it had taken us a while to reach this conclusion!

I have to admit, I am surprised

'Colder Than Here' - Opening Night!

Finally opening night descended upon us.  As we sat behind stage, trying desperately not to clock-watch (well I was, anyway!) thoughts such as "will we get an audience?", "will they like it?", "will any of them walk out during the interval?" were discussed

As it turns out, our worries were unfounded.  We had a great turn out for our first performance, and the audience seemed to get really involved in the play - laughing in the right (and even sometimes the wrong) places, shocked gasps at the use of some of the more extreme expletives (yes, my character's), and sniffles during the more poignant scenes.

Technically things went OK, other than a few hiccups with the set-changes - these were done by the cast members in low lighting between each scene - having to remember the sequence on top of what scene is next, all your lines, and trying to get round to the front for your next entrance is no mean feat believe me!  The only real problem we had was that the projector overheated and turned off during the penultimate scene, which was a shame, but thankfully the projection wasn't crucial at this stage.  Had this happened during Myra's presentation scene then we would have been in trouble!  This technical malfunction, although possibly due to first-night nerves, was probably due to the weather being warmer than of late, the projector itself being situated in the hottest part of the stage, and of course the fact there were audience members there for the first time that were adding to the heat.

Two of the cast members managed to work through coughing fits on stage, Myra was one, I believe during one of the more sensitive scenes with Alec.  Mine was the other, caused by the most fashionable of things, choking on a Fry's chocolate bar (you know, as you do!)

So, other than a few minor glitches, and the attempted manslaughter by a Peppermint Cream, the first night of Colder Than Here went really well.  The only criticism we had (and if you read this, you know who you are!) was that there wasn't a funeral at the end... there's no pleasing some people, is there!?

2 more to go!

ST! 

Bad Dress Rehearsal, Good Opening Night...?

Both our technical and dress rehearsals are now out of the way, and with only a few short days to go before our opening night on Thursday, things are now getting to the stage (no pun intended) where the nightmares usually start and I begin to panic!

I'm not sure if there's any truth to the old saying "Bad dress rehearsal, good opening night" - I guess that, if it is, we might be in for a rocky start as both the tech and dress have run relatively smoothly!  For myself personally, after Sunday, I was just glad of a relatively sneeze/snot free rehearsal, with the use of tissues solely reserved for scripted purposes - thank goodness for antihistamines.

As for the rest of the cast...

Stealth photography aside, you can see that it's all a mad panic of line reviewing, clothes changes, acquiring props and rushing about...

No really, it is!

ST

Coffin dodger...? Not me!

Some of you may notice a slightly worrying trend of pictures of me in a coffin, don't worry, I'm perfectly fine, it's actually because it's less than a week to go until the opening night of Colder Than Here, a play by Laura Wade.  Rehearsals are in full swing, we've finally got a workable set, and I am getting quite scarily used to popping in and out of the cardboard "green burial" coffin on stage.

As you can see, I am grinning in this picture, and yes, I've had a few comments saying that I am more than a little morbid for doing so!  Maybe it's because it's not my coffin, maybe

Colder Than Here by Laura Wade

After rather a shaky start, I find myself back in rehearsal mode for a play that has caused some divided opinions within my local drama group.

On the face of it Laura Wade's play, Colder Than Here, is a modern day piece (set in 2005) about a dysfunctional family of four struggling to find common ground and ways to communicate with each other.
We have two sisters, Harriet and Jenna, as

Grandma's Wardrobe Crisis - The Wedding Singer

Sweat bands - Check.

Trainers - Check.

What next!?

For those of you unfamiliar with the film or the musical, there is a short scene in The Wedding Singer involving Grandma doing her excercises.  Now, these aren't just any ordinary excercises, these are excercises 80s style, and it's because of this I need your help!

With the power of google, I have narrowed my outfit down to four possible looks:

1/ Shorts and Leggings, legwarmers etc...

2/ Leotard and leggings, legwarmers etc... (there's a theme here, isn't there!)

3/ Sweatpants, and (yes, you guessed it) legwarmers etc...
4/ Shell suit

And no, before you ask, I am not going all 'Green Goddess' and wearing head-to-toe green lycra!

The only other consideration I really have is the colour, although for some reason I have my heart set on pink and grey which is odd, because as many of you know, I have an allergy to pink!  I swear, this is one of the shortest scenes I am in, yet the costume is causing me the most problems!

I've had a few great suggestions from twitter so far from @nikkicross (the shell suit) @Bobbybeebee (shiny shorts!) and have my ears and eyes open for a few more... come on guys, help us out a little!!!
Grandma!