Half way, nine days behind us - ten days left. We went over to the Broadway for a few hours. I had wanted to get some stage time this week, so that we could put the bare bones on the stage and look at what is working structurally and what still needs tweaking, cutting or changing. Sitting at the very back of the auditorium was a salutary reminder of the need to be forensically analytical about the "being" we are creating. This "being" is so full of fun and playfulness that its easy to be seduced by the sheer joy of making it. But here always lies the danger of self-indulgence and self congratulation, which is the Achllles heel of any art making process. And far too often people get so carried away in the elixir that its too late when they finally realise that they should have trimmed the fat far sooner.
I always do this exercise because it makes me fall out of love for a short time in order to see the thing we are making it for what it there in its nakedness. And so it was yesterday. Its essential. Not comfortable, but essential. In the end its this that makes the difference. I think everyone was a bit downhearted, but everyone knows what it achieved and that's really a positive thing - No gain without pain as they say ( who says?).
Running time of first act is twenty minutes over - Phil and I went through the script ruthlessly at end of the day and think we have probably cut about 10 minutes, with that and pace we should hit the hour limit for Act One. That old "Murder my darlings" thing really came into play. Will edit the script tomorrow.
And today - off to a friend's wedding in Suffolk, which will be a lovely break. Blog holiday now for the weekend - No further blogs till Monday.
Great week. Thanks to everyone. Catch up next week.
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