Skip to main content

In Fair Corona: 20 Days till curtain

 


OK, I know.

I didn't quite keep up with what I promised to do before, so let's see if we can't make amends with this.


We started rehearsing for the open air production of Romeo and Juliet in April, and here we are now, 20 days from curtain up, and it feels all very close to the wire. Not as close to the wire as bloody Mother Courage, but close nevertheless. 

Currently, we're down an SM (she has the 'rona) and a Prince (She may also have the lurgy, but is self-isolating in Mantua to be on the safe side), and we're still rehearsing in the car park at Progress. We've been doing this despite the stupidly cold weather and rain, then the very briefly stupidly hot weather, then the bit with more rain, all the way through. Now, while it's good practice for an open air production, it's not very good for ensemble work, as we've been working in Covid secure groups (i.e. limiting numbers to batches of 6 at first and then slowly building up as the rules allowed) all the time. Add in illness, family crises and the odd insane roadworks blockage, and it's amazing that we've got as far as we have.

I've somehow become The Warmup Guy, too: getting everyone to work through various voice and pron exercises and ensuring they stretch their bits and so on. I've been avidly watching the RSC rehearsals of Henry VI, pt 1 for ideas, as they do a bit more than just making farty noises, humming and throwing imaginary objects at each other.

We have an immense task ahead of us. Instead of using the Chapter House in the Reading Abbey ruins, we'll be performing in what was the dormitory area. It's a shame, as the former is a wonderfully acoustic space, while the latter runs some risk of being drowned out by traffic, loud boats and angry ducks (although not so bad a problem as at Caversham Court). Until we get into the space, we won't have quite so much of an idea of how much we'll have to project - but hell, it'll be fun finding out.

I certainly intend to have fun being Capulet and getting shouty at everyone, anyway.


Two veterans critique Juliet's mattress

Lady Capulet can't quite believe what Montague just said.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Let me tell you a story...

 SO, perhaps you're wondering how and why I got into doing voiceovers and performance in the first place. Or maybe I just feel the need to confess my sins or something. Anyway, it goes like this... I studied Drama and English Literature at Bangor University back in the 80s - well, to be honest, I probably studied the insides of bars, parties and the ceilings of other people's bedrooms a little more than I did my academic work, but still - in 1989, I left university, proudly clutching my BA (Joint Hons). And that's where everything, as they say,..crashed to a standstill. I didn't actually know what I was doing with my life, what I wanted to do (or could afford to do), where I was going - nothing. And nowhere and nothing was my precise destination for quite some time, until, that is, I saw a fateful advert in a newspaper that propelled me into the glamorous world of TEFL. And it was through that that I got my first experience of VO. Picture me, then, in a recording studio...
Post a Comment
Read more

Welcome!

 Hi, and welcome to yet another blog from me! This is my blog dedicated to my work in voiceover, theatre and performance. While I've been active professionally in the former since 2016, I'm still moving towards becoming a pro in theatre and film - despite studying it at university a VERY long time ago. This will have some crossover with my other blogs, in particular with my coaching page, but there is enough material going on in my life to ensure that they can all coexist peacefully :)
Post a Comment
Read more

In Fair Corona: Two weeks to go

Well, opening night looms ever nearer - no pressure then. This has so far not been the easiest of journeys. The pandemic has really limited what we have been able to do, with who, where, and when. This means we have largely been shivering in the rain in the car park over this last month, with the odd exception for nice weather. It has proven impossible thus far to have all the cast and crew together at the same time, meaning that we have yet to do a full run through of the whole play. Did I mention we open in a fortnight? Well, in spite of all the odds against us, despite the delay in the ending of lockdown restrictions, despite some of our motley band having to go into isolation, it looks to me that we have a play. the fight sequences have become slicker: even the dancing is shaping up to the point that it's unlikely that anyone will throw things at us.  There will be issues once we do the getin at the Abbey ruins, of course. The step in the stage might flummox some of the movemen...
Post a Comment
Read more