Kim is disappointed that I didn't mention her double glasses last week - so for all those who missed out, Kim was at times wearing two pairs of glasses at the same time. Doubtless this was why she couldn't tell her left from her right!
Songs first - and a big welcome to Amanda who has come to help with the choreography which is apparently required when we're singing! Lauren is unfortunately just so busy with her career that she can't make it again, and Kim and Daisy have been brilliant, but it really needs someone to watch while we're dancing, so Amanda's eagle eye has been brought in. And radically, we start with Song One...
There are a few people missing which means that one group circle consists of Dan and Miles but they take it in good heart. We get to the end roundabout the same time that a couple of people arrive, but Amanda is ready with her notes already. Hands and feet need to go in the same direction and she wants Big Gestures for the opening number. Run through it again to demonstrate that we're all putting her notes into practice and a couple of lines in Amanda already has to remind people to SMILE! Stop partway through again for more reminders, including huge waves to Nairne and Charlie. Cue laughter as Jackie points out that we'll have to do a *really* big wave for Charlie to see as he's not here yet. Back to the circles. Amanda isn't happy with some of the counts, which differ from circle to circle, and the circular shift across the stage which just looks *odd*, so both aspects are addressed using the central group of Jackie, Liz, Lesley and Christine to demonstrate. Quick rehearsal of all of us and then back to the beginning of the song again.
Jazz hands at the end of that and Amanda is ready to do song two, but Jackie has a question about the end of song one to do with lunges. Amanda needs Miles’s body and there is a suggestion that Miles needs to get a new body but the windmill arms are agreed and we have the promise of potentially revisiting it later as we need to move on now.
The Prince is absent and his two sidekicks are involved in deep but irrelevant conversations so the song takes a little longer to get started than intended. Amanda tries counting to get everyone quiet and in position but even on reaching twelve, we're not all ready. Less than a month, people! We don't get to the end before Amanda stops and asks if she can change it. Steve protests weakly, saying we haven't finished yet, but Amanda has watched the DVD so she wins. The new version is a little more energetic and it means that the chorus will no longer have the security of something we can do in our sleep (and sometimes it may look as though we *are* asleep!) but it is probably more exciting to watch. Dan takes to the new dance with the biggest grin in history - how long can he keep this up? Our Prince arrives at this crucial point and despite the change of routine, recognises it as being a song that he is in - impressive! There's a lot of galloping on the spot and I'm tempted to ask if anyone has any coconut halves but Amanda has already made it clear that she doesn't have long today so I won't upset her. There has been a fair amount of walking this number through but as we get to the point of doing it from the beginning again, Martin asks if we can do it with the band as they need to practise too! Girls in heels are warned to practise galloping with flats so that we don't need to utilise any of our first aid skills.
That seems to go quite well so now we move onto the act one finale before Amanda has to go. There's an awkward moment when Cathy forgets both her lines and her moves but she soon picks up her thread again. Amanda wants to rearrange the chorus into an outer line and an inner line which Liz mishears as dinner time but perhaps she hasn't had her tea. The lines are organised and a step given which is rehearsed to "back smile forwards back smile forwards" from Amanda. Steve likes these particular lyrics but I don't think Martin will change them for him. Amanda also wants heads out front and the look on Steve's face suggests he's wondering about a tortoise dance but he'll get there... There's a changeover now which may not have enough time for the outer line to cross completely unless they run. Amanda tells them to stay where they are and not to panic but once we've tried it out it doesn't work so there is a rethink. She settles on a weave to be done in the style of rumba which we rehearse once before going back to the beginning of the whole song. A couple more tweaks before Amanda has to leave and we have to move on.
Thank you to Amanda before we all sit down ready to run the whole show through - a challenge! Martin reminds people that they need to have their props now, or at least something in their hands if they don't have their prop for some reason, which should probably not be their scripts, though he doesn't say this.
Act one goes relatively smoothly in the opening couple of scenes though a few people aren't quite in place in time, including Dorota who makes up for it by then tripping substantially over Jenni (we can all laugh as no-one is injured). Dorota looks as though she would be a really good Twister player. Rod is expected to multitask and Nick is loitering as long as possible on his chair rather than under the table but he eventually makes it into position and is not late for his glorious entry! Suzanne requests some more music to mark her entry and promptly forgets her line. (She only got back from her hols today so she's probably jet lagged.) Liz freezes with her mouth open but is too slow when Matt points at her and he retains all his fingers.
The Dame is mid-opening speech when the Beast returns from the gents with some of his costume on, which completely distracts 'her' and makes the rest of us laugh. Comparisons with Cheryl Cole are made but that's a little unfair. The Dame is also distracted when Tina tries to kiss Diane sooner than scripted, which again makes the rest of us laugh, including Tina and Diane. Nairne stands in for Beauty which is a bit of shock because Rod has to change the angle of his neck considerably when talking to her.
At this point in proceedings, Simon and Sarah have clearly decided that it's too cold to play musical instruments and after inserting some money into an appropriate slot, turn on the heaters. They're a little noisy but will doubtless warm the room up a bit. Mark positions himself so that his head can also be warmed up while Steve inadvertently dismantles his pasting brush. Celia makes a small note in the script. Dan tries to avoid being hidden behind the wallpaper so he clearly hasn't read the script in enough detail! The head-in-bucket moment in enhanced by the addition of the brush to the bucket so that when tipped up, the brush falls out past the Dame's nose.
Time for the backstage crew to do some work and we move on to the next scene. Rod does some rather risqué improv and one can only assume he's hoping to be the Dame next year. The Beast appears to be in some considerable discomfort and I really hope he's acting!
Song Three is not one that Amanda looked at and it shows so after two and half lines; Teni stops the band and the singers ready to remind us of the steps. As the chorus splits into two halves it transpires that Andrew doesn't know which half he is supposed to belong to as he is left standing in the middle of the back before scuttling vaguely towards the nearest group. Sarah reminds us that it's sniff-always travelling and Teni has a couple of other notes for us. Celia wonders if just doing the song again will sort the problems though Martin is clearly dubious. In addition, the quality of the singing has deteriorated as we concentrate on the dance moves. Even MD Steve has noticed! After some debate and another run through, Martin decides to move on.
The Beast induces lots more laughter on his next entry and Nairne continues to stand in for poorly Beauty. She is hoping to get out of the song but the audience and Martin over-rule her. After a Beastly rendition, we break for coffee.
The main announcement this week is about Martyn's funeral - 1.30 this Wednesday at Launton church and then the sports and social club afterwards. Some singing in church, in a small group, then more of a jam at the sports and social club. There is a meeting at Mole Hole tomorrow 7.30 for informal rehearsal. There will be a collection from LVP - flowers are family only - for something like a tree or similar. Helen has suggested a couple of charities that could be supported and much of the panto proceeds will go to those.
Costumes have had a major sort and progress from Jackie and Cathy - the sparrows have hatched... Advertising - has anyone who wants to advertise not been approached yet? See Nikki or Martin and Celia. 10-11.30 next Sunday for children's rehearsal. There is a cd with their music on for anyone who needs it. Chorus costume call 29th (except for Daisy).
Is that everything? Probably. So, on with the show. The Good Fairy has had to go home poorly so Serin agrees to stand in for her. Action continues with other stand-ins until Suzanne has to encourage additional audience participation while she remembers her next line... She successfully survives her solo song and then says, "I've got no idea after that." Fortunately, Hilary is ready and waiting!
The Birthday Song reminds me that I completely forgot to wish Liz and Chris happy birthday earlier this week, for which my most profound apologies. And Happy Birthday, both of you. We also scoot past the Audience Song, which has some inspired dancing from the chorus though Martin won't let us do it again. The Birdy Song has nothing on us!
We skip half a scene that only involves the two stand-ins and head for the Oi! song. It's a little ... um... And we move on to the rest of that scene. Miles seems to be confused between anything and nothing but Audrey's amazing prop distracts us for him. We get to the act one finale song but the dancing is not quite as fluent without Amanda's beady eye on us.
Straight on to Act Two and Song Nine. That's Song Nine, not Song Seventeen, Steve. Once we've got the right tune to sing to, we stand more of a chance. Next is the second messy scene, less messy at present as the props aren't all here. There is a brief instruction to Nick to get into the bucket, but he ignores it. We skip the end of the scene to give those involved more chance to learn their lines and move onto Charlotte's solo - from the extremely ridiculous to the rather sublime. Charlotte and Daisy's dance still needs some work but Martin will try to get them together with Amanda to choreograph it completely.
Suzanne teams up with the teens next, who have some very bad behaviour planned. Typecasting, Martin! Chris even channels Igor despite the height difference. Serin gets so carried away with being evil that she skids into a face-down position on the floor, but immediately bounces back up. The things some people do to get into the blog!
Mark's next appearance is wearing a tent - a different look for him. Trying to navigate before he has found the small hole through which he can see is a challenge, especially when inadvertently attached to a chair which follows him. After a brief visit to the gents which may or may not have been tactical/deliberate, Diane and Tina wield their umbrellas most successfully.
Song Fourteen may have a familiar tune and similar words but the dance for the verse is presumably different as there seems a certain lack of fluency in it. Doubtless it will go on Martin's list for additional rehearsal. Especially the way the song continues after a key change, since some people seem ready to leave the stage a little too early.
It's getting a bit late now so Martin calls a halt to the action and says that next week we will tart with Act Two. Check words over in the meantime - there's clearly been a lot of work done already but it still needs more. We're just going to rehearse the SFX scene since the band would like to work on it, but everyone else can go.
The SFX dancers make their first attempt at the scene and then get some advice from Martin. Sarah carries on practising the riff in the background and Steve MD wants to do it again, which I'm pretty certain will happen once the discussion has finished. Which it does. And so to bed. Or the pub, whichever you prefer.
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