First, a quick update on what happened last week when I wasn't here again. Key things to note are: Matt's less than stylish placing of chewing gum when on stage; Rod's character is called Lord LANGFORD; the children picked up the dances a lot faster than the adults appear to have done; musicians like to have cues; teenagers wearing wigs is really really funny; we did the whole thing! There was more but since it's now a week overdue, I've left it a little too late. I promise not to go overseas again until after panto now. It's bad enough that there are rehearsals scheduled to clash with my poetry class, without missing Sunday rehearsals too! And now, on with this week's blog...
Lots of children here tonight so we start with the first two songs, which involve the children. A quick reminder to the children of their respective roles in these songs, a query over how much dialogue is to be done before the song as a cue (not much, is the answer), the band start to twang, bash and twiddle, and we're almost ready. Kim asks me to multitask and take a few photos but I'm so rubbish at taking photos that I cast around for someone else not involved in the first song (Rod) and delegate. The band experiment with some different harmonies briefly and the children make a valiant effort at the various movements. One of the groups has Miles and Sandy and lots of small children, so Miles and Sandy have to crouch to make their hands meet. Song Two has the galloping step which Lesley in particular seems to be enjoying, doubtless as it's warming her up. Rod is holding up a flag as high as he can manage but it still obscures Chris's face - just as well Chris isn't in the group in song one that involves all the children!
Martin is happy enough for now with that and moves swiftly on the Song Eighteen and the walk down. The children are grouped and then arranged at the back. They will look better if they link hands and walk forward together to bow, at which point the audience will applaud wildly (NB audience, you have been warned). We have a quick practice of the children walking forward and we do indeed all applaud wildly. Now for a practice with the music - we are allowed to clap if we are in time - and then the rest of the cast have to remember the order in which they walk down. Kim is running (literally) a little late but that's probably her royal prerogative. Catherine has opted for a plié rather than a bow, and then we've reached the end of the walk down for now. Martin makes an executive decision based on the length of one of the lines that the king and queen will come down separately and we go again. It has to be said that the Nursery Rhyme folk are less coordinated in their bow than the children - Lesley, keep up! Dan is finding the dance a little harder, as he has his arms full of small child. He tries putting her down but she'd rather be the 'real good friend' of the song and join in the dancing.
And so on to the final song. Beauty has been jilted again (she very much appreciated the Puppini Sisters song of that title that I lent her) but dances round an empty space in an inverse imitation of Norma Shearer (The Red Shoes, in case it's still on the tip of your tongue) most successfully.
Song Eighteen is going to happen again now as some of the moves are a little imprecise (aka some people don't know the moves). Daisy, Kim and Ellie have to stand at the front to demonstrate and everyone else is supposed to pay attention. See how good it looks when you all get it right together, Martin says. Random people try it out with varying degrees of success and even when everyone tries the first line again together, not all hands are moving in synchronisation. Liz suggests a simplified version which may not look as fancy but at least everyone can do it. Each line of choreography is broken down into simpler instructions and we do it a line at a time slowly, though we are trying to sing as well. Celia apologises for being a nag and repeatedly asking people to be quiet, but to be honest there's a lot of chatter and even if you know what you're doing, other people need to hear the instructions. Dan's small sidekick is really enjoying the dance, to judge by the grin on her face. It's a bit of a squish as lines of dancers have to move past each other and a few people check on minor details, but Mark asks if we can do the whole song again. Martin reminds people on the various lengths of the final notes but MD Steve disagrees. The decision is made to run it and see how it actually goes. A couple of people fail to turn towards the band but otherwise it's much better.
Finale song again now. A quick reminder of some of the lyrics as Dan resumes his correct place in the line-up (contrary to his sidekick's choice of location), a reminder to the band of which song it is, and off we go. A slight variation in the middle where salutes and bows are rather random means that's the bit that Martin targets. We work through that section slowly to a point of improvement, Martin reminds us that when we're facing the back, we need to turn our heads slightly in order to be heard singing (because of course we will all be singing and smiling, all the time!) and then we go through it again. Andy seems to be getting a little carried away with his regal waving but it does save him the trouble of learning the dance moves for that section.
Re-running the walk down again, children included before they go. Blossom (or is it Petal?) has got a bit previous, arriving for her bow with an entire family already! And then straight into the finale song so that everyone can demonstrate how well they know the words for the bit when they're at the front!
Quickly, Martin wants to do song number three. The children are required for this too and props are distributed. Everyone needs to be offstage before the scene starts and Quiet! After a moment.... It looks such fun capturing Rod that Little Dan Mark II runs forward to join in (again) - how she will be stopped during an actual performance, goodness only knows. Jackie would like it on record that Daisy went wrong in this song, though to be entirely fair, I've seen her go wrong earlier this evening too (and mislead Rod in the process, who was copying her at the time).
Now it's time to run through Andy and Shirley's duet, which also involves child dancers. Rod wonders who the big kid in black is (Teni!) but I think he knows really. Through it once more, with some energy this time... Martin apologises when they reach the end but they have to do it again because the children's line needs to be at least 10 times louder - but then Teni wants to do it to the end from there anyway, with or without mini-Dan Mark II. This nearly backfires when Teni and Shirley both almost collapses in fits of giggles but they survive and move on.
And now the children are able to go home, although if some of the older ones want to stay, Martin is happy for them to do some of their lines at the appropriate time. The rest of us are going to run it from the top! Once Steve has been dragged away from an in-depth conversation, the band are able to play the intro music and we can start getting into position.
Some of the lines are not quite the way Martin wrote them, and Charlie falls rather too realistically for comfort though it makes the cast laugh (meanies!) but on the whole people know what they're doing, and when. Dorota's efforts at being scary reduce those around her to gibbering laughing wrecks, even when she then offers to breathe loudly. By the time we reach song one, Dan has got onto his knees so that he can help mini-Dan Mark I with the dance steps but unfortunately,the Dame is sitting in the audience trying to offer helpful hints and Abby is completely absorbed by what he's doing instead. Mark II manages to give Dan the slip and instigates an obstacle course when the chorus are supposed to be galloping past which is entertaining for those of us watching. A stag is accidentally transformed into a slag by Martin so obviously Steve copies the director. The magic moment arrives and everyone is frozen, except Rod who is shaking with laughter as Mark II tries to help carry the flag and a conversation at the same time. In fact, she doesn't let go until Dan prises her hands from the flagpole.
Rod turns up halfway through the next scene with more hair than he's had in a long time - doubtless as a result of the magic wands that Mark II has been brandishing at all the cast during the first half of the scene. After we've *all* recovered from that, she helpfully starts to move the furniture across the stage, so Mark dutifully accepts the magic wand and then sits on the chair so that it can't be moved. Which is not for want of trying. Dan and Steve find it difficult to focus on their lines and forget many of them as the Dame flaunts her all in an effort to pin the chair down with her foot and then picks up the erstwhile removal lady and seats her on his shoulders. (Some confusion there over the pronouns but that's pretty much how the cast felt too.) There are suggestions that the next bit, as the Dame shows first her knickers and then her skill at landing head first in buckets, might scar poor little Mark II for life, but fortunately, despite her efforts at freeing the Dame, she is retrieved to the audience before she upsets the action or herself too much.
We get at last to Song three again, this time with fewer children, though those that are here have a pretty good idea of the dance steps. Things have calmed down a bit as Dan has left and taken his children with him. Martin stands in for the Beast but forgets the words of the song - it's obviously a while since he wrote them!
The rest of the act proceeds far more sensibly in the absence of any two year olds. Daisy agrees to have a birthday for the purposes of the birthday song and those on stage sing the audience song while the rest of us sit back and listen, since we can't see the words. Song Seven gets off to a slightly rocky start as Dorota grabs Andrew and steers him to the correct place in the line, by which time they've already missed a few bars. Jackie reckons that they need Dan to get it right but I'm sure that's not the case.
Giles is reminded to do some nasty drumming for the entrance of the baddy and we repeat the cue for Song Seven with added bars so that the chorus has more time to get into position - Martin clearly noticed Dorota and Andrew's delayed start. Beauty gets her thigh slap in and Cathy makes it to the end of the scene without her voice disappearing completely.
A few quick notes at the end of act one - Liz and Christine, please get the words right. Chris, love the entrance. Andy, don't anticipate your lines so much. Miles, please take the crossbow as Rod has his hands full. A few line additions to reflect the latest news and a couple of posture reminders, but now it's time for coffee. Amazingly, the queue has formed already...
After we've all stuffed our faces, Martin calls us back to order for announcements. A reminder to push ticket sales, especially for Thursday. Friday and Saturday matinees are going very well! Next Saturday the stage is being put together, so all hands to the till, and bring money if you want to eat lunch with everyone else - Lesley Thompson is organising pizza etc. Sunday is technical rehearsal day. Teenagers, bring a litre bottle full of sand or fizzy drink to keep your wigs on. Men, please bring your make-up sponge pots. Catherine will be there from 1.30 doing make-up. Monday is another dress rehearsal but without make-up. Wednesday the show will be run with an 'audience' of front of house and anyone else who can't make it any other night. Sarah puts in a request for more people to do the street promotion on Saturday - those who aren't strong enough to help put the stage together can help dish out leaflets and still join the rest of the cast for lunch.
Before we start on act two, Martin wants another look at song three as there was apparently a problem with the circles. It goes much better this time. But before everyone can start chattering about how well it went, Martin wants to get straight on with Act Two. The song begins.... and then stops again. We need to slot Andrew into the choreography as he was away last time. Everyone is already in a pair. Who wants a threesome? (This is Martin's phrase, not mine. I don't make it all up!) Serin and Chris very bravely volunteer and we can start Act Two again.
We move on through the scenes until we get to Dan's next scene. As previously mentioned, Dan has had to go home, so Andy helpfully reads the part and Nick takes his place cuddling an armful of socks so that Steve has a chance to demonstrate his knowledge of his lines, even if not all the actions are there. Martin asks the band if they could produce some quiet music to accompany a spinning over-frothing washing machine, which can't be too noisy as there is dialogue to be done too - so a real challenge, then. Jackie demonstrates a hitherto unrealised skill of sock waving but Kim hasn't taken a photo, I'm afraid, as she was also on sock waving duties.
Charlotte starts her solo but then Steve stops her - he has been experimenting with the sound setting. "Obviously this is the time to start experimenting!" says Mark, who is looking very fetching wearing his bonnet tied under his chin. Daisy and Charlotte have evidently been working on their pas de deux as they're now coordinated for the whole dance.
We have a full complement of teens tonight so it's rather fun to watch them all dance with attitude. Also the volume of the singing is better now that all eight of them are present. Shirley falls to her knees after the song with a cry of "Help, I'm sinking!" but I do wonder if it should be 'shrinking' instead as she is now noticeably shorter... The teens do their thing but are clearly not all boy scouts as their knot-tying is in need of practice. However, Shirley gets out of the mess with some help from Lauren who on this occasion doesn't need to do very much.
In the next scene, Mark's groans have to be provided by Hilary as Mark is receiving aid and/or instructions from Martin. Fortunately, Blossom and Petal don't realise it's Hilary talking and proceed appropriately.
A reprise of song eight disguised as song fourteen has a slightly quiet start as people find their places and remember what the words are this time. Never mind, we'll know it by this time next week!
Shirley and Andy do the whole of the scene that involves the children with only Lauren representing the children - and she does an excellent job, especially on the loud sung line!
Not content with standing in for Dan and oblivious to the fact that he's just done his own scene, Andy now volunteers to stand in for Mark, who has also had to leave early. He delivers the line about Jeremy Clarkson with suitable scorn and I do wonder, given that we're based in the same county, whether any of Mr Clarkson's friends might be at the panto. Would be fun if they were! In the same scene, we also need a stand-in for the Beast but Andy can't manage that one too so Martin does it.
Due to absences, we now skip the rest of the scene with the baddy and the love duet (Beauty is so not disappointed) and head straight for the final scene. Beauty manages to sound suitably astonished when Kim claims Martin as her son and asks, 'How can that be?' but Kim isn't thrown and even corrects Hilary when she tries to prompt her.
Catherine does her solo song, to which she now knows nearly all the words, and then Martin stops the action since we've already done the last two songs earlier in the evening. Martin gives a few notes to pick the pace up but not overdo it to the point that the words are lost. Back to the circles of Song Three, which clearly still need work... The band are allowed to start packing up and a few of the soloists who aren't involved also set off, though Tina isn't quick enough and is asked to stand in for Dorota, notwithstanding her wellies. But it's not long before Martin says everyone can go.
And for anyone wondering where the animals of the title of this entry were, don't worry, they were here - I'm just still trying to preserve *some* surprises for you!
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