Upfront – this is an out of the archive post reworked a year or so on. If you’re a regular here you may have already read my rehearsal and performance blog posts for the Empire Theatre’s 2008 production of Cabaret directed by Lewis Jones. I played the role of Fraulein Schneider. You can find these [...]
Theatre is a cruel mistress sometimes, and never more so than when she breaks up a tight-knit ensemble at the final curtain. Many (like me) deal with this psychic termination, the ending of a beautiful relationship by treating fond farewells as lightly as possible … ‘No goodbyes … see you around.’ It’s easier that way. [...]
Tonight clicked. There’s an old theatre furphy about second night being less good than opening night … or at least they can leave the actor feeling a bit ‘off’ and thus the performance is less good. I’m here to tell you that our second night was better than the first. The acting ensemble are [...]
Is there anything more glamorous in theatre jargon that the phrase ‘opening night.’ Heck Broadway show tunes (Another Opening Another Show: Kiss Me Kate) and even whole shows (42nd Street; A Chorus Line; maybe even The Producers) have been written about this particularly thrilling time in the life of a stage actor. Tonight was ours.
And [...]
And we did … with passion, care and joy. It works.
In less than 24 hours, we’ll be in front of the final, missing ingredient … the audience. Bring them on!
I’ve written before about one of those phrases tossed round by acting folk: being in the moment. I recall the brilliant Dawn French using it in that sweet comedy series The Vicar of Dibley. ‘Geraldine’ was directing the parish’s nativity play. She’d dropped her vicarly garb, and was dressed in requisite directorial kit. All was [...]
