No Peace for the Wicked: Director's Blog 16

Well hello again - are you still there? My blog traffic has taken a dive! Is it simply from missing one day's episode that my loyal following has given up on me and surfed away for the delights of other playmates?  I clearly need to do something to make you all come rushing back. MMMM...... bribery? 

Well the cast of Cinderella are easily appeased with a promise of a lolly or a mars bar, but much as I might like to I can't deliver on that for all of you.................

BUT - if I were to give you a magic code, say (CBLNDRRM) and you were to turn up with this when you came to see the show, well there might, and I say might be a little something hidden away at the Broadway for you to claim!  I will only save my little surprise for you, so there will only be one per person who shows their ticket.  I know, I know its a public magic code, but I have it on good authority from Marsha the Fairy Godmother that should someone try to cheat, she will put a very nasty spell on them. 

Anyway, bribery dealt with, I probably ought to let you know where we are up to. I expect by now that you will have guessed by the title of Blog Number Tweve that there is no peace for the wicked, and I am not just talking about our evil Stepmother, Rubella, no I am talking about me, yes yours truly, myself, the panto director!    

This weekend was intended as a rest weekend. Well actually one of the perks of being the Director is that early on in the scheduling I was able to snatch Saturday 17th from the jaws of Chris, our Production Manager to attend the wedding of a special friend. Some of you may know Lorna Plampin, former Artistic Director of Studio 3 Arts who live above us at the Malthouse Studios.  

It was strange to venture out to the world of seeming normality, and yet fitting in the middle of rehearsals to be attending a beautiful wedding in Suffolk. And it was slightly surreal as Olly and I  didn't know anyone else there and I have to admit that two weeks of 14- hour days suddenly took their toll. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a whinge honest, no honest!  The problem was that I just couldn't keep my eyes open, nor turn down the volume in my head on the continually playing of "We Believe".Just you wait till you hear the whole cast singing it! Makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up!  

Anyway, I digress. Back to the wedding. I decided that it was rude to close my eyes in a room full of smiling strangers politely eating canapes and sipping champagne. So I positioned myself next to the string quartet and pretended to close my eyes to listen, enraptured by their wonderful repertoire including One Love from West Side Story, a favourite song of mine. Sadly that didn't work, so in desperation I went off in search of somewhere I could nab twenty minutes of shut eye. 

For a moment I thought that in amongst the coats in the cloakroom would work, but I was soon invaded by a marauding group of under- fives playing hide and seek. But this gave me an idea, and peeking through the door of the creche, I suddenly felt the compulsion of Goldilocks (wrong story I know, but it was my day off!)  to throw myself on the large yellow sofa in the corner of the room. I had no pride, and Olly kindly asked the Creche worker if she would mind if I fell asleep on their sofa for 20 minutes. She was very nice about it, she didn't even ask him to get me a wrist band. He explained sweetly that I suffer with Seasonal Narcolepsy. I was too tired to argue with him, so smiled knowingly and sank into the comfort of the Sanderson three seater with the under -12s, who I have to say didn't bat an eyelid. 

Later on returning to the world of Lorna's wedding, I asked Olly why he hadn't just told the nice creche lady that I had a headache, and I said that I didn't find it that funny, the narcolespy thing, and he just grinned and said "well you do have seasonal narcolepsy, Panto Season Narcolepsy". Yeah funny, right?!

So wedding over, home before the clock struck twelve thank goodness, to get a message that there might be some technical administrative issues at the theatre that needed to be addressed the next day. That's Sunday, my day off.  My lovely team of hard working technicians led by their surefooted (thank goodness) Production Manager Chris, were starting the 'Fit-Up" in the theatre on Sunday. I had planned to pop in with cakes and buns from ASDA like Lady Bountiful.  But when I got to the theatre, I must admit to having got rather engrossed in watching lights being rigged, portals being erected, stairs being installed that I stayed rather longer than intended. 

I would like to say that I made myself useful, but that was probably not how the team saw it, well maybe apart from the eclairs and donuts!  

Its part of my job that I love - that's watching other people work!  And I do get to do that rather a lot!  On this occasion I was really excited to see the set being installed, and finally begin to see the real thing as it emerges from the imagination of our designer, Ian. Its like a giant 3D jigsaw puzzle, and I have to marvel at Chris's work in building it single handedly, and Beth's painting and Gergana's palace. This must have been what it was like when those early artisans and craftsmen were building and painting the inside of the Sistine Chapel on the instructions of Michaelangelo!  There you go Ian! But I don't suppose its the first time that you have been compared to Michaelangelo?

Oh and yeah and last but not least, the actors were on it today, with a good solid run through of both act one and two for the first time! with Act two bringing Chorus 2 in for the first time. 
Well done chaps! we are on our way!  . 

Barbara does make me squirm in my seat when she does her  'Im So Bad' solo, up there with her Miss Hannigan in Annie!  Sharif and Amy are off in another world of the 'love bubble', singing their duet with shiny eyes!  Getting there! And all that in spite of my confusing everyone with the Director's cut of the script today!  Sorry MJ et al. It was a long weekend!

So that's it for today - do please let my faint-hearted followers know that the  blog service is now resumed. Remember to keep your Magic Code safely and hidden from view!