h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yes, I'm impressed - and also with the plan of the set! We never get more than the director vaguely describing what it will be like.

When we did Sweeney Todd he brought over a intricately painted scale model of the set - like a Pollocks toy theatre - about a foot cube. This time it is *only* a floor plan. We'll be using the set that was used by the professional touring company for J&H. Soon we'll have tape on the rehearsal room floor to mark out the areas.

It is still always a struggle when you actually get onto a real set, and you have to *really* climb steps, rather than pretend. The director exhortated that some of the cast couldn't enter as quickly as they were doing in the rehearsal. "Knowing" this intellectually is not enough to make timing movements easy At least the room is as big as the stage. More of a problem in the Merry Widow...

Last night second night of blocking. First hour Board of Governors. Again slow and painstaking. Got as far as my first spoken line.

Rest of the rehearsal continuing on Facade. My solo singing came a lot easier The timing was helped by having the musical director there to bring me in, the movement set (a count of eight with heads snapping to front on each count, mine last, with me singing immediately). I have also managed to get the vocal coach to go through the orchestral musical cue for the start of the music. The cast's score just shows [8 bars] intro - no notes to interpret. Her full score shows the orchestral setting, so I could see what I should be listening for before singing.

I can't see the crowd dynamics surviving long after the director isn't there to keep them in line. He is quite specific about where and how he wants the cast to move, but since at the moment navigation depends on where others in the cast are, not on the set, it only takes a few errors to throw it all into a mess.

Is your director going off somewhere then?

I sometimes think you don't recall any of the previous threads you've read lbC

We don't have directors permanently throughout rehearsal period. They are flown over from UK and given accommodation when needed. We use them intensive blocking weeks, then rehearse the new stuff they've set, and prepare musically for next session, in periods in between.

In this show we had three weeks to practice for auditions, the director came over three days for auditions, then we had two weeks to prepare for first blocking week with announced cast. After this week we'll have until November to practice and prepare for next section of show, then another blocking week, another practice session, third blocking week in January (when I'm off on holiday ), director makes final visit over in the two weeks beofre show starts.

The system works quite well, and I know the assistant director who runs rehearsals in his absence has frequent phone contact with director. The musical director is local, and so has more constant input at rehearsals.

Last night's rehearsal again had me scribbling on a folded bit of paper. I'd mislaid my score . Didn't have it on Monday evening, searched home and office on Tuesday, no luck, went to rehearsal without it. Guessed I may have left it at the Sunday G&S rehearsal somehow

However I found it halfway through J&H rehearsal in the outer reheasal room. I then recalled that it where I had been going over a tricky line with the vocal coach on Sunday

Must tidy up the notes. They appear pretty scrawly and incoherent. Plan to attend first bit of tonight's J&H rehearsal (which I am called for, and don't really want to miss) before scooting to G&S, where I have told people I'd be.

A bit tiring yesterday. Up at 5:30 to drive my parents to the airport (saving them car park fees, and giving me a temporary set of wheels), then a day in the office, cooked supper (chicken in a cider, rosemary and cream sauce with brown rice) then rehearsal madness.

As I said in post above I went to J&H for half an hour (which turned into 3/4 as I couldn't leave until we had set the end of the scene, and we began by rehearsing what had already been set ), rushed to G&S for septet, which they had just started without me when I arrived, then when that had been finished and then repeated after another few scenes were practised it was only just after 21:30, so went *back* to J&H where I slotted into where the Engagement party was being set, until just after 22:00.

Fortunately it isn't usually like this
Next two nights is Merry Widow, as I am not called for the scenes being blocked in J&H. Slightly earlier call on Sunday morning though...

I'm really worried about your hectic merrygoround of rehearsals. Please tell me that you've had time to say hello to your wife now and then?

We still recognise each other She isn't very about the almost daily rehearsals this month, but we do have opportunities to talk around morning and evening meals, and on Saturdays. There is no doubt she will have the moral high ground when it comes to making decisions on how to spend our time after Merry Widow finishes in early November.

Back to J&H rehearsals last week. After Merry Widow I took a week off to be with my family, and promptly fell ill with a cold
Last week returned to the Society routine of rehearsals on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I should also have been at a Wednesday rehearsal (for principals) but as my wife wished to go out (which is rare) I skipped it, for which I feel a bit guilty.

The Tuesday rehearsal was devoted to learning the big act 2 number 'Murder Murder', which I attempted with gusto, although there is no guarantee I'll be in it at all, as my character has already been murdered. I'm banking on the need for "tenor" voices in the ensemble to get myself recycled as an ensemble player.

Thursday was a run of the stuff set already, in sequence, to help set the context of the numbers, and timing between scenes.
One of the cast, who missed most of first week's blocking, and then hasn't seen me while I've been off Merry Widowing, remarked to me how good my bit sounded

This evening we all had an extra practice of selected numbers, as the one rehearsal we get for a concert performance we are making on Wednesday in the atrium of a local hotel to assembled business people, who we are hoping will be impressed enough to book tickets for clients for the show.

Most of the cast will be grouped behind three mics on stands, while behind us on the balcony to a room will be the actors playing Jekyll, Emma and Lucy (his two love interests) with a couple of handheld radio mics.

It took a bit of arranging to ensure the taller cast didn't mask the shorter ones, while still having the soloists able to step forward to hog a mic for solo lines.
The ensemble sing at the start and end of the performance, and I had to glance at my score to get the words for the first song, as it is one I'm not in (getting changed between Board of Governors and Engagement Party). After this (fortunately) brief piece the ensemble withdraw to allow the balcony singers the attention, before returning for our performance finale of the Act One number Facade.

I had a moment's panic when I couldn't recall the tune for my intro lines for Facade after having listened to Emma and Lucy duet. It turned out okay though.

Phew! Concert performance for business people. What a good idea!

And yay for getting to spend time with the family!

How many plays a year does your group do?

Usually one a year (in March), the exception being when we get the Christmas slot, when a second show is scheduled (in May)

Concert performance seemed to go well tonight - no big mistakes. Time will tell if the event resulted in good advance bookings.

I left work early to go and give blood - this was delayed slightly by the mention of the tender knuckles that have developed this year, though since the only medication I'm on is Omega three fish oil tablets they decided my blood would pass muster.

Got home and was persuaded to have a bite to eat before disappearing to concert (macaroni cheese if you're interested). Wolfed it down and arrived at the hotel as the bells rang for six pm

Dropped off umbrella (it has been raining most of the day) and satchel in the bedroom commandeered by the Society for its balcony for the soloists (and which appeared to be full of most of the ensemble when I arrived). Took off fleece and tie to leave the white shirt and black trousers that had ben requested of male company (ladies all in black), then milled around in atrium waiting for start of performance. Took the opportunity to note down the words for the song I was to sing that I hadn't quite got down pat. It then ran smoothly (thank goodness for the rehearsal )

My own solo for the final song went ok. I'd been muttering the line under my breath during the soloists numbers, afraid of forgetting words or tune. After the performance the cast mingled with the guests, though some mingled with each other instead. I took advantage of the proffered , though I filled my glass with sparkling water, and had a nibble of the hors d'oeuvres - the baby asparagus wrapped in Parma ham was particularly nice.

On leaving all the guests and the cast were presented with a small paper bag containing a small bottle of wine (!) - I swapped the red I'd got for a white - a packet of Maltesers, and a flyer for Jekyll & Hyde.

Arriving home (still in the rain) I was informed we had a leak, with water running down bathroom wall. An hour later I had dried up the floor above and sourced the route the water was getting in. I can't do anything much about it tonight, apart from put bowls beneath roof to catch drips before they attempt to go through the ceiling below.

That really does sound like a fantastically fun way to drum up extra bookings, and I'm glad it went well.

Hope the house hasn't developed more drips...

Pimms, it all sounds lovely, except the leak. I'm sure you'll get loads of bookings.

Parma ham is quite expensive here. I would think it would be nice wrapping about anything.

How remiss. I have not updated this diary since the director came over. He was over for all of last week.
The first Sunday scenes ran over, meaning the last couple he had planned to set were postponed to later in the week. This didn't matter to most of cast, but left me on tenterhooks, as one of the scenes postponed was my death scene.

Most of the week when ensemble were called was devoted to setting the big Act 2 number - Murder Murder. You might have rthought this was of little interest to me, given that my character dies at end of first act, but fortuntately I was given opportunity to be resurrected as a member of the ensemble for the second act. This got me some looks from other principals, who die during the the Murder Murder number (which is a long number interspersed with short scenes, mostly of principals betting murdered by Hyde), and then get nothing to do until the curtain call. My ensemble part is anonymous - no role, just a grouping "poor" rather than "rich".

The number involves much gossiping and gesticulating with umbrellas and newspapers, with a couple of sombre requiems.

I was a little envious of the Act 2 dying principals during the week, as their death scenes looked like good fun.

We finally got to the Bishop's murder on the last Sunday afternoon (yesterday). If I'd thought about what it might involve I'd have worn rougher trousers. When Hyde appears I have his stick poked against my chest, this rises to lift my chin before dropping and 'pushing me over' (I let myself fall back to the ground). From this prone position I am grabbed by the neck by Hyde and he punctuates his words by 'banging my head on the ground' (my head doesn't touch the floor). Initially I lay still after this, but the director said "no, you're not dead yet" - I had to shake my head clear scramble onto hands and knees and scuttle round, to be blocked by Hyde who 'strikes' me with his stick, causing me to roll sideways. Again I lay still after this, to get same response from director "no, you're not dead yet", and repeat the hand and knees scuttling away to get blocked by Hyde again, and get struck again... and no I'm not dead then either. One final time I try to escape and the third blow, at which point my character is really dead.

I'm lucky really. Apparently in the professional show Hyde sets fire to the Bishop after beating him to death (done by pouring 'oil' over the body and then triggering a wall of fire a little way in front of the body)

Do you always use the same director? And how many other theater groups does he have? What a job...going from town to island to town to direct plays. And are directors as difficult and arrogant as they are portrayed in films?

Sounds like, . Fun isn't really the right word is it? Still, an elongated death scene is surely a good thing, giving you plenty of opportunity to show what you can do, with maybe a tiny weeny touch of hamminess! I'm glad they're not doing the setting on fire thing, as there's just too much potential for major problems there.

Hyp, some directors are just like the stereotype you seem in films. Others aren't. I'm sure Pimms would decline to comment on which category his one falls under!

You mustn't forget I'm in more than one group, so I've seen a few directors. While stereotypes exist for directors who can't be pleased and are forever finding fault, in my experience directors fall along a different line of comparison. The continuum is between those who tell you *exactly* what they would like to see, and patiently do their best to help you achieve it; and those who give you a basic idea of what they want, and patiently leave you to fill in the gaps and create your own performance, only chipping in when they want to suggest trying something a different way.

Either way patience is their common virtue, and in amateur theatre is probably a requisite to gaining repeat directorial requests. While they can express their disappoint with the effort being put in by the cast they never lose their tempers and it is exceptional if they'll single out anyone specifically for criticism (though individuals will be praised for good performances).

Specifically though, with this group, I have experienced two directors, both of whom have also directed the other similar group on the Island. My impression is that the director makes a commitment to one or two shows with the group and then this is renewed with the committee to mutual agreement. When the first one announced his decision to leave us (after having done four shows I think) the committee sought a replacement and managed to convince the director who had done Oliver! with the other group to come and do Sweeney Todd with us.

I'm not sure how busy they are with other projects, but it is common for them to mention they are doing something else at the same time as our show. My guess would be they are doing three or four shows a year, though our current director also has another business providing theatrical wigs.