Happy New Year! Rehearsals are off to a strange start as it's Monday, bank holiday Monday even, but that has to be an improvement on rehearsing on New Year's Day when everyone is still nursing their party heads. Tonight Martin hopes to do Act One off book, or as I put it, off script. Time will tell. And Hilary, our hard-working prompt, has joined us for the first time, so let's hope she has a quiet evening. Martin has a request for all conversations to take place quietly in the kitchen and the rest of us to be an audience please.
We're about to start when Steve MD stops us so that he can demonstrate the intro - which then has to stop as a penetrating whistle reaches our collective auditory ranges. Once it's been identified and terminated with extreme prejudice, Steve starts the intro again - and we're off. Immediately we are presented with a goodie and a baddie and our temporary audience gets plenty of opportunities to cheer or boo, hopefully in the respective order. The first two characters manage to do without scripts altogether and don't need much help but a couple of the next few are supported by solitary sheets which they crib from occasionally. The vast majority, however, know their lines if not necessarily in the right order or from the expected direction. There are a few people missing, most notably in one of the dancing groups in Song 1. Segueing into the action from Song 1 is more challenging, however, as the temptation is to discuss which steps and words hadn't quite gone according to plan.
In no time at all, it's Song 2, which Steve stops halfway through verse one as he has noticed that the singing is following a different tempo from the band (partly as there's no Giles today so it's harder to hear once we're all singing). The bass plays a little louder and we can all sing Here Comes The Hunt again.
On reaching the end of the song, Martin goes back to a cue shortly before Song 1 so that the two songs and the lines between them can be rehearsed to develop a little more fluency. (A lot would be better, but I'm a realist.)
All goes (fairly) well and the action continues, although Kim is oblivious to the fact she needs a prompt, standing waiting for someone to speak even though Hilary has given her the line twice. A bit of practice for the line given in unison, which does sound more impressive when it really *is* in unison.
On to scene two, by which time most of the cast are sitting down being an audience though there's quite a lot of talking too! How long before Martin tells everyone to be quiet again... and there's a shhh! Not a massive effect yet, but who knows. Anyway, there's some pretty good acting off book with minimal prompting. The Dame is demonstrating an interesting range of facial expressions that amuse us but may not be in the final performance.
Time now for a messy scene. They have some props though I don't think the really messy stuff will be involved yet. The Dame moves on from interesting facial expressions to a suggestion of adult-only-suitable costume ornamentation. The physical aspects of the messy scene progress well even in the absence of actual messy stuff. Kim grabs a quick photo of Martyn wearing a piece of wallpaper which may or may not be an improvement. The Dame lies on the floor exhausted, which is appropriate as the line "I'm exhausted!"
On to scene 3. Rod doesn't say the name of the Scottish play but does the next worse thing: runs across the back of the stage with an *open umbrella* so the panto is potentially doomed. As we head towards Song 3, the audience gradually becomes the chorus although Martin asks us to practise walking quietly as the collective clomping rather drowns out the lines. Judging by the hesitancy in sections of this song, people were rather too busy over Christmas to watch this one on the DVD. As Nairne points out, it is harder in the circles with so many people missing, but Martin asks Teni to take us through it again anyway. A few reminders and then Martin asks us all to do it again, on the grounds that it's always better the second time. Sarah adds a reminder about a sniff, the timing of which had been variable. I didn't notice the sniff but the dancing did seem to be improved. Martin is so impressed he decides to go for a third attempt! Steve MD is keen to remind us to step on the beat and then sing, but Martin thinks we're better at the dancing now and we need to concentrate on the singing more. Jackie's dancing in this third attempt is so exuberant that Daisy is lucky to have two eyes and Rod is only a little bruised.
At this point we stop for coffee, though Daisy takes advantage of the break and the fact that most of the teenagers don't drink coffee to take them through the steps of their dance, in particular the coffee grinder step. (This will probably make up for Suzanne's refusal to attempt to moon-walk earlier.) The band have also finished their coffee and are running through a few riffs over the noise of the conversation. Finally Martin draws the break to a close with a number of announcements. Firstly, tickets go on sale this Thursday, at Launton post office and Bicester Oxfam in Sheep Street. Cast please get as many of your tickets as possible from the post office. Street promotions on 28th January and 11th February - we need 3 or preferably 4 people each time, volunteers? The 11th is also the day we're putting the stage up - at which reminder, several people volunteer, lazy lot! Set painting next weekend 10.30 Saturday or Sunday, a few people volunteer for each day. Props - now we're off script, the need for the prop is more apparent, so if you need a prop, source it from somewhere. Thank you to Hilary, our lovely prompt (cheers and applause) and to Nairne's helpers in the kitchen who stepped in at short notice. Next week all chorus at 6pm- starting with act 2 songs. At 7, we'll do act 2. Costume call for chorus on 29th January at 11 am, please bring everything you already have. Principals at 11 the following Sunday, 5th February.
And back to the rehearsal. Shirley is somewhat disconcerted when Martin tells her that needs to channel Julie Andrews and be ultra-positive but she and Matthew then do a duet which Julie Andrews certainly couldn't manage. They reach the end of the scene and then it's another opportunity for Suzanne to demonstrate her evil laugh. Her solo song is interrupted when both she and Martin realise that the keyboard setting is radically different from usual - but she wants me to point out that she's not being a diva. (There is a dirty rumour in the row behind me that she's asking for her own dressing room, but I don't believe it. Her own supply of Twisters, though.)
Back to the Dame, who is attempting to work up a sympathetic ahhh! from the audience. It's pretty quiet, though, at which point he says, "It's sadder than that - I can't remember the next line."
Another chorus number now and another reminder from Martin to come on quietly. It's supposed to be the audience song, but since there are no words yet and no music, having assembled, the chorus now disperse to the 'auditorium', though Martin promises we will have both for the next rehearsal of act one in two weeks' time.
Shirley gets to do some acting with Rod next, though she rather usefully is not off book yet, so both of them do Hilary out of her job and keep checking the lines. Rod has to tolerate being put in his place by Shirley and I'm sorry to say that the look on his face seems far too well practised. If I ever catch him pulling that face behind my back, he is in so much trouble!
Shirley comes off stage at the end of the scene only to be reminded that she's in the next scene too, which she hadn't noticed as she read her lines from the script. Martin had noticed she wasn't off book yet; Shirley's excuse? "I've been ill." Honestly, no dedication to her craft!
Catherine is back on stage now and demonstrates that she really has been studying her script over the hols, having both hands free to act. Some of the words don't come out in quite the right order, so she tries some alternatives but gets there in the end.
On to the Oi! Song. This is made harder by the gaps in the lines but Audrey and Andy in particular both work hard at dancing with the Invisible Man and Woman respectively. Lauren is unfortunately not here so Martin has to refresh people's memories before we run through the steps again - at least we know the word to this one. Jackie reminds everyone that the final spin is a slow measured one not a fast manic one. We're going to do it again, until everyone is smiling, Martin says - and if in doubt, watch Daisy! Some of the smiles look more like grimaces so Martin tells us it will be done again... This time, everyone smiles except the band. We move on.
The first demonstration of a special effect causes much laughter, which is a shame as it's supposed to be magic. Clearly none of us have retained our inner child, but instead our inner dismissive teenager. You know the sort, the one that's not impressed by anything its parents do but is amazed by its own ability to walk in a zigzag line after two pints of cider. (Not like the teenagers in our panto, then, obviously!)
We get as far as the final song though the words are a little hazy so Martin does the end of the scene again, leading into the song, and asks the remaining audience to join in, in the hope that the additional singing will help those on stage remember the words. It sort of works, although those not involved in the song possibly don't know the tune quite as well.
Martin knows when to call time, so we finish now, although Celia asks people if possible to take a poster to put up and says there will be more when Rob gets back. For now, though - go home and watch the DVD!
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