Quite a few people have thought that now the shows are all running along that I will have nothing to write about, which is an interesting viewpoint, especially when it comes from another actor! Nothing in live theatre ever really stays the same, it should never get samey, in that we all turn up and do our job still dragging behind us the day we've had. The warm-up is meant to dispel all that but we are all affected by things and some of those don't go away easily. Of course no-one can ever do scenes exactly as they did them yesterday (trying to do that is deadly, creating a very lopsided performance because the audience is never the same!). Obviously the lines are the same ( they should be of course but let's not forget human error; no-one's perfect!), the blocking and moves etc, but how you say them come out a little different every time- if you're doing it right- because you're hopefully in a state of 'finding' them for the first time. It's a bit like when we did art at school with Mrs. Rogers. She was a big fan of getting us to sit around a dispiriting pile of mouldering fruit, sad potted geraniums and assorted engine parts with pencil & paper in hand, our challenge to produce a colourful and life-like image of the still life in front of us. Uninspiring the first time to say the least. Once you realised that she would then set you further challenges using extracts of that same still life for the rest of the year, you began to really hate that sorry pile of detritus quite a lot. So, how to remain inspired by a shriveled apple, oily crankshaft or droopy geranium? Pretend that you've never seen it before. Ever. This also allows the mind to really go to work with the eye and you find yourself noticing things about everyday objects that you've never noticed before. So too with the notion of playing a part for the nth time. You play the game of, "I've never said this before or had this happen to me before" before you hit the stage and all being well, a freshness and liveliness comes across, making the audience sit forward and get involved. Of course you might trip over as you come on stage or, as one of my fine colleagues did the other night, bash yourself in the face with the door that you are opening yourself (stagecraft!) and that can throw all your 'alive freshness' preparation out of the window. At that point you're just grateful that the brain and the mouth keep working sufficiently to get your line out! It's great to be working with actors who are alive to the things that can go wrong and who leave room for the audience to be a part of some of those things and share in the whole silliness of pretending to be in the 1950's or Dickens' London. I tell you, you have to stay humble to be good in this game. You can eliminate all kinds of potential mistakes but at the end of the day, if you trip over your own feet when playing the king or president, you have to laugh!
Aside from all this theory is always the weirdness of the practice and how people in the audience will see things in a performance that you may never have intended or considered. That's another reason why I love this game; you really can't second-guess what an audience will think of something. We can get caught up in the macro-audience reaction of laughs; some actors get quite preoccupied with those- but a chance conversation in the cafe afterwards and you get all kinds of responses that remind you that there is always more than one point of view about the events witnessed. It's good to encounter people who are happy to tell you what they thought of your character or the play, and often they will not think that you have any feelings to be hurt or that they might be causing any offense... Here in a small community like Keswick everyone now is getting accosted in the supermarket or chemists by happy customers keen to pass on their enjoyment of the plays they've seen. Even some of my very experienced show-biz chums up from that-there London have really enjoyed the experience of seeing the same actors play different parts on consecutive nights in the same theatre. It is a rarity these days as I've said but it shouldn't be! Folk love it.
This week ahead holds a busier than usual turn-around for all as the theatre hosts a residential week at Higham Hall for theatre-lovers. We'll be doing more matinees than usual and the stage crew will be earning their keep, changing shows on the same day and then again for the next day, so that people can see as many plays in the shortest amount of time. Phew. A mini festival if you will. I don't know how they do it. I was recently visited by a friend who did the old-style weekly rep where it was described as 11 plays in 11 weeks... I need a lie down just thinking about that! That must surely be a consolation for the mighty Maggie Tagney who gets to play 9 shows this week to our humble 7. It's the luck of the draw in this rep system! At least we're not missing the sun while we're indoors for all that time...
Monday 27 August 2012
Sunday 19 August 2012
Week Twenty: Back in the Rehearsal Room
Back in the rehearsal room but now a bit like sixth-form students who occupy the school's communal spaces very differently from the younger kids. I'm not saying we're all swanning about taking liberties with our feet up on desks and generally ignoring the teachers when they try to get us to vacate the assembly hall & go do something productive, but you remember the feeling when exams were over and there was that rather blissful period between that and the end of term when you were generally left to take it a little bit easier before moving on? No? Just me then...
Anyway, this time, we're in the rehearsal room rather cheekily doing Pilates classes. Owing to popular demand it's twice a week and an impressive amount of effort is being expended by all who attend. Regular updates then follow from folk feeling the ache the next day, all a sign that it's working. Expect all here to possess awesome abs by October! This desire to be in better shape unites all here, both those on-stage on off. Likewise there is a running group that is also getting together, meeting up to run several miles at 7.30 in the morning no less. Most unlike the generally perceived image of the typical British actor, always portrayed as being less fit than their American cousins! Then there are the keen bicyclers, kayakers, windsurfers and all the 'usual' walkers, striking out whenever the skies clear enough for it to be an enjoyable outing.
I suppose all this activity is somewhat offset by the many tempting varieties of ale, cheese, meat & cake on offer...
The fact that August is relatively quiet on the work front also means that many family visits are planned and each actor spends a fair bit of time canvassing their colleagues for good things to do with Mum & Dad, little sis or grandmas in tow. I reckon top vote must be riding on the launches around Derwent Water; possible and enjoyable in any weather. Unless there has been a 'heavy dew', rendering all the little wooden jetties unreachable. Friends are also emerging from the Penrith bus, having survived the train from London, to enjoy a little light theatre followed by in-depth analysis in the pub. Sometimes you really need to hear what an old show-biz chum thinks of a show. To then be able to show them round this fantastic part of the world is a great treat. Introducing them to the gang is also an essential undertaking, especially a very special bunch like this lot.
The term 'Heavy Dew' was first heard last week just South of Rydal Water in a very soggy field with a few hundred other fools. Quite a few of us in the cast are enjoying the tremendous number of dogs that are abound in these parts; so much so that several of us took ourselves to an international sheep-dog trial. I tell you, you haven't lived til you've seen a display of plain & carved shepherd's crooks! Seriously, the show was a delightful display of human kind, never mind the dogs on show. To add to all this excitement, who performed the best sheep-herding performance we saw? A shepherdess no less and all done in pouring rain. She managed to fetch, drive, gather and pen four reluctant sheep with the aid of trusty Meg. One-nil to the ladies.
Splendid sheep-related facts that we gleaned: don't try driving sheep through boggy or wet places; sheep that haven't been herded by dogs before are pretty useless; if you wish to applaud, please wait until the shepherd has finished.
Anyone who remembers watching One Man & His Dog would be fooled into thinking that sheep generally have some idea of what's needed of them. Many shepherds here were quite grumpy that the fell-sheep used were not fluent in Sheep Dog, resulting in quite a few stand-offs between hound and sheep and hardly a single successful penning. And that was in the experienced class! Crossing over to the novices and many contestants abandoned their attempts as they watched the dog disappear in the general direction of the sheep only to fail to reappear at all. Cue cries of, 'Fenton!!' Perhaps not. Most dogs had good solid names like Jess, Dot and Ted. I was greatly cheered to even see a Rover in the line up! You definitely do shepherding like you do acting- mostly for the love (allegedly!). The first prize for the experienced shepherd class? Forty quid. Barely covers the petrol driving there!
Back on to the subject of acting, everyone in the cast is also looking forward to the many writing projects that the theatre has picked from various sources for workshopping in September. These projects will include next year's premiere, to follow on the success of Roma & the Flanelettes.. a different author and secret title still to be officially unveiled so no more to be said about that here!
Right. It's another case of heavy dew out there. Time for a trip on our night off to the bright lights of Penrith and a bite to eat before a silly film. Then back to start another week and try not to think about how fast time is flying. Have I mentioned that I don't really want this to end??
Anyway, this time, we're in the rehearsal room rather cheekily doing Pilates classes. Owing to popular demand it's twice a week and an impressive amount of effort is being expended by all who attend. Regular updates then follow from folk feeling the ache the next day, all a sign that it's working. Expect all here to possess awesome abs by October! This desire to be in better shape unites all here, both those on-stage on off. Likewise there is a running group that is also getting together, meeting up to run several miles at 7.30 in the morning no less. Most unlike the generally perceived image of the typical British actor, always portrayed as being less fit than their American cousins! Then there are the keen bicyclers, kayakers, windsurfers and all the 'usual' walkers, striking out whenever the skies clear enough for it to be an enjoyable outing.
I suppose all this activity is somewhat offset by the many tempting varieties of ale, cheese, meat & cake on offer...
The fact that August is relatively quiet on the work front also means that many family visits are planned and each actor spends a fair bit of time canvassing their colleagues for good things to do with Mum & Dad, little sis or grandmas in tow. I reckon top vote must be riding on the launches around Derwent Water; possible and enjoyable in any weather. Unless there has been a 'heavy dew', rendering all the little wooden jetties unreachable. Friends are also emerging from the Penrith bus, having survived the train from London, to enjoy a little light theatre followed by in-depth analysis in the pub. Sometimes you really need to hear what an old show-biz chum thinks of a show. To then be able to show them round this fantastic part of the world is a great treat. Introducing them to the gang is also an essential undertaking, especially a very special bunch like this lot.
The term 'Heavy Dew' was first heard last week just South of Rydal Water in a very soggy field with a few hundred other fools. Quite a few of us in the cast are enjoying the tremendous number of dogs that are abound in these parts; so much so that several of us took ourselves to an international sheep-dog trial. I tell you, you haven't lived til you've seen a display of plain & carved shepherd's crooks! Seriously, the show was a delightful display of human kind, never mind the dogs on show. To add to all this excitement, who performed the best sheep-herding performance we saw? A shepherdess no less and all done in pouring rain. She managed to fetch, drive, gather and pen four reluctant sheep with the aid of trusty Meg. One-nil to the ladies.
Splendid sheep-related facts that we gleaned: don't try driving sheep through boggy or wet places; sheep that haven't been herded by dogs before are pretty useless; if you wish to applaud, please wait until the shepherd has finished.
Anyone who remembers watching One Man & His Dog would be fooled into thinking that sheep generally have some idea of what's needed of them. Many shepherds here were quite grumpy that the fell-sheep used were not fluent in Sheep Dog, resulting in quite a few stand-offs between hound and sheep and hardly a single successful penning. And that was in the experienced class! Crossing over to the novices and many contestants abandoned their attempts as they watched the dog disappear in the general direction of the sheep only to fail to reappear at all. Cue cries of, 'Fenton!!' Perhaps not. Most dogs had good solid names like Jess, Dot and Ted. I was greatly cheered to even see a Rover in the line up! You definitely do shepherding like you do acting- mostly for the love (allegedly!). The first prize for the experienced shepherd class? Forty quid. Barely covers the petrol driving there!
Back on to the subject of acting, everyone in the cast is also looking forward to the many writing projects that the theatre has picked from various sources for workshopping in September. These projects will include next year's premiere, to follow on the success of Roma & the Flanelettes.. a different author and secret title still to be officially unveiled so no more to be said about that here!
Right. It's another case of heavy dew out there. Time for a trip on our night off to the bright lights of Penrith and a bite to eat before a silly film. Then back to start another week and try not to think about how fast time is flying. Have I mentioned that I don't really want this to end??
Monday 13 August 2012
Week the Nineteenth: Something's Up.
Something odd happened here last week. The river dropped, the sky cleared, my laundry dried and everyone cheered up a lot. Yes indeed, the sun actually shone for several days, enabling the good ship TbtL and all who sail in her to jolly off to the seaside! We also discovered some of the most amazing wild swimming spots deep in the valleys of the Lakes.
The shows are starting to tick along, with only the occasional hiccup here and there; possibly a senior moment causes a line to come out a little oddly; perhaps a busier than usual social life leads an actor's mind astray mid-scene, causing a slight deviation from the script. From the outside of course, nothing seems awry, as the mind snaps back to attention and steers the slightly tired actor's brain back on to course. What always keeps live theatre alive for the true thespian is obviously the audience. Here in Keswick we get our fair share of lively folk coming to see our shows and their comments and reactions keep us well and truly on our toes and not thinking about how we'll spend our day off tomorrow. The majority are funny and delightful to share in the pub afterwards. For example in Bedroom Farce, the reappearance of my character Susannah at a crucially awful moment often incites cries of, "Oh crikey! She's back!" and "Uh-oh! Here's trouble!" as well as some audience members even finishing an actors' lines for them, which when it's a juicy punchline, can seem really harsh! I sense a strong need for a good old fashioned Pantomime here one Christmas.. In Dry Rot, a lovely sight gag was swiped from under an actor's feet as an audience member loudly told him what he was going to do next.. These things help keep us humble you know! You've got to love or at least accept this sort of thing is going to happen if you're in live performance. In the studio, where the audience sit opposite each other and where the lighting illuminates the two front rows, it can be quite challenging to keep on going when very vocal people come to a show; people for whom day to day reality has become a challenge. Who are we to question the motives of someone who wants to bring a family member to a show with for example, advanced Alzheimer's disease? The disturbance sometimes caused by someone with such a distressing condition getting loudly and visibly upset can be very pronounced, causing the audience around to get restless and actors to lose their way.. We still have to carry on and trust that somebody 'outside' of the performers is keeping an eye on proceedings. That can seem very callous, but that is how it is in the world of Show. The other things that can keep us on our toes in both spaces can also be exterior noise and that again is where we have to trust that the audience who can also hear the superfluous noise don't mind it. Little London fringe venues are typical in this case, where every night of the week audiences are paying to watch, for example a restoration drama whilst a loud pub quiz is conducted in the rooms below and police sirens are heard all around. These are times when the 'Fourth Wall' seems a flimsy little tissue indeed! I've done more than my fair share of jobs where the sound of people using the toilets in the pub below can be very clearly heard throughout the performance. Very clearly. I've said it before, it's a glamorous old game this business.
We have our matinee this week of Bedroom Farce and the weeks ahead bring visits from family and friends making the most of the August break. Needless to say, the weather is heading back to its default setting and it's time once more to put the summer frocks and sun cream away and on with the waterproofs. Bah humbug. An ideal time to get down to some serious reading of the books long neglected and even a read of the novel selected for next season's TbtL proposed world premiere..
The shows are starting to tick along, with only the occasional hiccup here and there; possibly a senior moment causes a line to come out a little oddly; perhaps a busier than usual social life leads an actor's mind astray mid-scene, causing a slight deviation from the script. From the outside of course, nothing seems awry, as the mind snaps back to attention and steers the slightly tired actor's brain back on to course. What always keeps live theatre alive for the true thespian is obviously the audience. Here in Keswick we get our fair share of lively folk coming to see our shows and their comments and reactions keep us well and truly on our toes and not thinking about how we'll spend our day off tomorrow. The majority are funny and delightful to share in the pub afterwards. For example in Bedroom Farce, the reappearance of my character Susannah at a crucially awful moment often incites cries of, "Oh crikey! She's back!" and "Uh-oh! Here's trouble!" as well as some audience members even finishing an actors' lines for them, which when it's a juicy punchline, can seem really harsh! I sense a strong need for a good old fashioned Pantomime here one Christmas.. In Dry Rot, a lovely sight gag was swiped from under an actor's feet as an audience member loudly told him what he was going to do next.. These things help keep us humble you know! You've got to love or at least accept this sort of thing is going to happen if you're in live performance. In the studio, where the audience sit opposite each other and where the lighting illuminates the two front rows, it can be quite challenging to keep on going when very vocal people come to a show; people for whom day to day reality has become a challenge. Who are we to question the motives of someone who wants to bring a family member to a show with for example, advanced Alzheimer's disease? The disturbance sometimes caused by someone with such a distressing condition getting loudly and visibly upset can be very pronounced, causing the audience around to get restless and actors to lose their way.. We still have to carry on and trust that somebody 'outside' of the performers is keeping an eye on proceedings. That can seem very callous, but that is how it is in the world of Show. The other things that can keep us on our toes in both spaces can also be exterior noise and that again is where we have to trust that the audience who can also hear the superfluous noise don't mind it. Little London fringe venues are typical in this case, where every night of the week audiences are paying to watch, for example a restoration drama whilst a loud pub quiz is conducted in the rooms below and police sirens are heard all around. These are times when the 'Fourth Wall' seems a flimsy little tissue indeed! I've done more than my fair share of jobs where the sound of people using the toilets in the pub below can be very clearly heard throughout the performance. Very clearly. I've said it before, it's a glamorous old game this business.
We have our matinee this week of Bedroom Farce and the weeks ahead bring visits from family and friends making the most of the August break. Needless to say, the weather is heading back to its default setting and it's time once more to put the summer frocks and sun cream away and on with the waterproofs. Bah humbug. An ideal time to get down to some serious reading of the books long neglected and even a read of the novel selected for next season's TbtL proposed world premiere..
Monday 6 August 2012
Week 18: Achieving a Work:Life Balance
It's here! It's time at last for all six shows and he actors in them to settle in to some kind of routine and for our days to be ours to do as we wish, with the punctuation of a matinee here and there on alternate Wednesdays. What to do? Aside from sitting in front of the telly and watching team GB land a load more medals that is. Jaded big city types are probably wondering how we'll stave off boredom in a small town tucked in to this creased and bumpy landscape soaked all too often by rain. Silence those cynical voices! Time will fly as we all try to squeeze in: ukulele lessons ( George Banks as tutor), play readings ( Chris Hannon, writer), walks ( there are over 200 Wainwright walks in the Lakes alone), Tai Chi ( Maggie Tagney leading) & Pilates classes ( me having a go), trips to the seaside, barbecues, World of Owls, which I think I may have mentioned before; the museums both of Pencils and Mining ( yes! both in Keswick town!), Trotters' World of Animals ( an actual petting zoo- Jess Ellis take note!), sheepdog trials, Scotland just over the way..Which to do first? There are also those with their own particular hobbies like wild swimming (Zoe Mills), horse riding (Nicky Goldie), zorbing and kayaking ( Company stage manager Jo and lighting technologist Sanne to name but a few) . Add to that a 'Herman' or friendship cake mix that's going round, which means time put aside for cake baking and sharing.. .Two members of the cast plan to learn to drive while here.. Looking out of the window I think they might be better off buying a boat.
Now before you start to wonder what has happened with the consummate professionalism that I have written about over the previous weeks and months, let me reassure you that the shows do not slip into the back seat become box-ticking exercises, oh no! Walk into the green room before the half, after the warm-up and you will find folk discussing how they can make new changes to find something exciting in a scene or get a new audience reaction. This is all about keeping it fresh in our minds and thus fresh for the audience. This bunch of people are a bit special like that. I don't care how many times I write this, it's true: Theatre by the Lake has put together a really top crowd for the 2012 summer season. Despite the venerable age of some of our party ( mentioning no names, ha ha ), jaded cynicism does not come into the building. Trust me there are a lot out there who by now would be grumbling about being bored etc. Not this lot. As a result our shows are, as one lady said to us the other night after a show, better than Chichester Festival Theatre no less! The mixed schedule keeps every show feeling new anyway; no rut can possibly be settled into when you have different plays on from week to week. By now, we have started to find the very particular way to prepare for each play that you need when doing two shows here, one show there. Initially here in repertory land you do crave the consistent burn of a single play's schedule, the luxury of exploring the same world night after night. This process however, actually frees you up in a different way once you pass the point of opening the last show and you find yourself discovering stuff each time because you are probably freer, having less time to worry over things.
So now to dash off to the theatre and see what thrilling leisure activities have been pinned up on the notice board in the green room where previously rehearsal schedules were scrutinised! Any chance it could stop raining so we can go outside?
Now before you start to wonder what has happened with the consummate professionalism that I have written about over the previous weeks and months, let me reassure you that the shows do not slip into the back seat become box-ticking exercises, oh no! Walk into the green room before the half, after the warm-up and you will find folk discussing how they can make new changes to find something exciting in a scene or get a new audience reaction. This is all about keeping it fresh in our minds and thus fresh for the audience. This bunch of people are a bit special like that. I don't care how many times I write this, it's true: Theatre by the Lake has put together a really top crowd for the 2012 summer season. Despite the venerable age of some of our party ( mentioning no names, ha ha ), jaded cynicism does not come into the building. Trust me there are a lot out there who by now would be grumbling about being bored etc. Not this lot. As a result our shows are, as one lady said to us the other night after a show, better than Chichester Festival Theatre no less! The mixed schedule keeps every show feeling new anyway; no rut can possibly be settled into when you have different plays on from week to week. By now, we have started to find the very particular way to prepare for each play that you need when doing two shows here, one show there. Initially here in repertory land you do crave the consistent burn of a single play's schedule, the luxury of exploring the same world night after night. This process however, actually frees you up in a different way once you pass the point of opening the last show and you find yourself discovering stuff each time because you are probably freer, having less time to worry over things.
So now to dash off to the theatre and see what thrilling leisure activities have been pinned up on the notice board in the green room where previously rehearsal schedules were scrutinised! Any chance it could stop raining so we can go outside?
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