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

I spoke to the sound man last night and he said it would be no problem to increase the fold back (volume heard on stage, as opposed to volume heard by audience) if it was still a problem when whole orchestra was playing and there was an audience. Obviously the sound carrying characteristics of an empty theatre and full one will also differ. The sound engineer's job has many complexities I'm glad I don't have to understand. He also has to juggle all the radio mics, which are being swapped around quite a bit . I have to pass mine to the girl playing Belinda Cratchit for her scene in the second act, before she passes it back to me for my second scene in Hell.

We were given a further talk on the paramount need to look after the costumes and radio mics, or the society would be liable for replacement costs (which would be costly ), and of course we'd look bad on stage if the mic didn't work. A quick scan on the net confirms the radio mics we are using could easily cost £2000 each (if not twice as much) to buy (I believe we are hiring), and the small taped on microphones we wear over £150 each. I'm not sure about the cost of the costumes, but not hanging things up neatly, mislaying a glove or leaving mics on the floor of the dressing room will be viewed *very* dimly.

Hearing the musicians isn't a problem when I'm flying, as I don't fly and sing at the same time. When I fly, I'm usually wailing

I wouldn't be surprised if I don't get home before 11:00pm on evening performances, due to the time it will take to carefully remove the wig (another valuable item, and there are I think about thirty being hired) and make-up. I want to keep my remaining hair . Even then I'll probably still need a shower to get properly clean before turning in. I intend to start work a little later the days I am working over Christmas.

How very interesting this all is. I have never been involved in anything other than a high school production. It sounds like it is coming together pretty well. Do you have your humbugs all labelled?

It's fascinating for me as well, Lady C, as every group does things differently. I did enjoy the saga of the lost wheel - that's the sort of thing that happens to me during production week and serves to increase my general level of panic!

I have all my extremities crossed for you, and will break people's legs left, right and centre once the run starts.

Last night ... ... first dress rehearsal. Even though it was only costume (for the adults) this was still a *major* trial.
I arrived in good time to the hot dressing room (the stage manager came around with a large wrench and turned off the radiators during the first act), noted down each garment as I put it on (for reference later both as an aide memoire as to the order to put them on and so I could ensure returning them all at the end) and realised after some searching that one thing I hadn't brought to the dressing room was the shoes .
After a bit of thought I decided they had been collected from the rehearsal room, and were probably at home. Too late to go home (it would mean removing the costume again, as it can't be worn obviously outside the theatre), I phoned home and my wife told me they weren't there, but in a bag in the back of the car! Well, that could be feasible. I took off waistcoat and breeches, pulled trousers and sweatshirt over the blouse and tights and dashed up to the carpark . Yes! Back to the theatre, redress, tighten straps on harness, cadge further tape to reattach mic (which due to perspiration had fallen off), try and fix breeches up with safety pins (which despite being tacked shorter in the waist were still tending to slip), and get down to the stage.

You'd think that was the worst bit, but no, my first scene was. Standing with my mic on to wail out "Scroooge" behind the door to his bedroom the popper at the neck of my backless waistcoat kept popping, which caused some whispered s. Once on stage the popper went again, the breeches were slowly slipping below the knee, my mic detached and flopped onto my chest, I fluffed a couple of lines in the song while also I am sure I drifting from the tune, and looked awkward trying to avoid tripping over the phantoms. The only bits that went well were those depending on the wire.

Back in the dresing room I was exhausted . Fortunately I had plenty of time to recover and prepare for the second act. Needle and thread out sorted the waistcoat problem, belt removed from trousers was an interim fix for breeches. I remembered to pass my mic pack to the girl needing it in the second act (playing Belinda Cratchit), but she didn't have her capsule (the lead and mini mic one attaches with tape to the head). She said she'd given it to her chaperone, who'd passed it to the sound engineer's assistant in charge of all the mic packs. He had no such capsule to return. As a quick solution I was asked to pass not just the pack but the capsule too to Belinda. I realised that this was not a permanent solution as the plan in the actual show was to have my capsule attached beneath my spirit-gummed wig, and I would not be able to take it off and replace it with any ease.

By the time my second scene came around I was and the scene went well . My disasters were echoed by many others in the cast in some form or another (Christmas Present, in my dressing room, has a crown that is too small and can't be made larger, and a large jug that somehow is supposed to fit in his capacious sleeve, but doesn't). There were also a few technical hitches, and we didn't finish the performance until about 11:15pm, then we had the director's notes and so I wasn't in bed until midnight . Fortunately in the notes I was able to raise the capsule shortage problem and was relieved to find Belinda had acquired a capsule, so now I only have to delve into my costume to get the mic pack out and replace it after her scene. Delving is needed quite a bit to adjust strap on the harness too, and naturally getting to them is far from straightforward, with the waistcoat opening most easily from the back (with velcro straps rather than the eight (I counted them) fiddly buttons), and the breeches not allowing easy access.

Must get some tape today that won't peel off in the inevitable perspiration of wearing the heavy costume. Also have my office's Xmas lunch today Another dress rehearsal tonight with hairpieces and makeup on top. It will be all right on the night.

Heavens! Have a .

Ha! You, of course, have all this to look forward to with Me and My Girl

Memo:
Tape (for mic),
camera (for pics of costume),
clip-on braces (for breeches) - all noted on back of hand.
I suppose I should also try and get a whole day's work done this morning, as it is certain none will get done this afternoon.

We only have one (probably very long) evening for a tech/dress! It's a big theatre with a big set, but thankfully no flying or fiddly bits of lighting to be worked out, so we might be OK.

Don't bother getting any work done, just bustle around looking busy.

Whew! At least now I know why they're called 'productions'. There is a lot more involved that you realize from your comfy chair in the audience.

Pimms and David, do your theater groups have names? Like the Canterbury Players or something?

Pimms.........and I thought my week was hectic!

My group is the Canterbury Operatic Society, and I'm one of the newest (but probably not shiniest) members.

And I am a member of the Manx Operatic Society.

Last night's second dress rehearsal went *much* better . Some technical cues still need tweaking (no smoke came out of Scrooge's fireplace when expected), but on the whole it wouldn't have disappointed an audience.

My make up and costume went on very well, gaining praise from the make-up (as I saved her the trouble and did it myself), and scared quite a few of the cast who didn't recognise me once the wig and bandage were on. See http://spaces.msn.com/members/pimmslettuce/PersonalSpace for half a dozen shots of makeup and costume going on.
My first scene went much better, without costume disasters. The song went better (the foldback was better so that I could hear my voice with the music) but the musical director said I did lag the orchestra at one point I did fluff one line, but Scrooge picked it up and helpfully extemporized to give me my next cue. The director did say I was a bit stilted, not using my chains enough "man at C&A" was his phrase Must remember to make-up the back of my neck, as it did stand out as insufficently corpselike.

No problems with swapping mic packs, or with Hell scene. Made list of extra bits to bring down tonight - string, safety pins, acetone,
I need string to hold my 'front chains' together when I remove the jacket, otherwise they get mixed with the back chains and it is really fiddly achieving the same balance. the acetone is what is needed to clean the spirit gum off the ventilated strips my false eyebrows are on. I tried to use surgical spirit but that works best for cleaning skin, on the strips I just got sticky fingers

This morning I have darned my tights and washed my weightlifters leotard thing. We have been told we can not launder any of the rest of the costume - Spray on deodoriser is as much as we are allowed to use.

How many mirrors do you need to make up the back of your neck? I'm very impressed with the photos. Very indeed.

The photos are great. I meant to tell you earlier, we have a dear old lady who comes into the library who has hair similar to your wig! Poor old thing. Wisps of flying hair interspearsed with bald spots. She's quite a reader. (I imagine that the hairdo limits her social engagements.)

Pimms,
I just checked out the photos. They are really good!! How long does it take you to get into all that make up and costuming? Glad to hear the last dress rehearsal went better.
It's snowing here. I don't really like winter weather, especially not . But as the says: "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!"

Glad everyone appreciates the photos . The weekend is over, I had a lie in and arrived at work half an hour late. The make-up takes about half and hour to apply and to remove. The spirit gum, wig and skullcap are the fiddliest bits. The applies these for me

Two performances down, a dozen to go. There have been a few more technical hitches, but overall the shows went very well. To my great relief I've been able to sing my song without drifting out of tune . My hitch was literal - on the first entrance on the first night my wire caught on part of the scenery (the architrave on the door) and I realised a step in that I couldn't go much further, so had to step back and subtly twitch the wire off the obstruction. This didn't work, so I had to be less subtle on my second attempt. I managed to do it without a being heard, but it threw me off stride for a while. The wire pullers also managed to fly me into the scenery on my first take off.

For the second performance the architrave had been adjusted so that the wire couldn't catch, and everything went swimmingly. Several relations were watching, so I was glad they got a good show. One, on seeing a character flying, asked my wife if I would fly that high. My wife pointed out that the character in question *was* me The make-up is convincing They all waited at the stage door so they were able to see me close-up afterwards. The patron of the society had organised a party on Sunday evening for all the cast and crew. This caused a little friction as my wife had to prepare my daughter to have a sleep-over with a neighbour while I was also asking her to pick me up in the car after I'd removed my costume and make-up (which takes about half an hour) "why don't you ask me to cut myself in two?" . It all turned out nicely in the end though, with cocktails and fountains

I don't use mirrors to make-up back of my neck - I rely on the others in the dressing room to point out deficiencies, and assist where necessary. However I took the photos myself.

Glad the show's going well. Isn't it great when friends, colleagues and relatives don't recognise you? It shows you're doing a great job.

Wish I could see the show, but it's a tad bit far for me to fly.......especially since I don't like airplanes!
Glad to hear it's going well. Congratulations!

Last night distributed the last of the humbugs (green ones to the adult cast, with red and blue bugs having been given out to the two children's teams on Saturday and Sunday).

Flying went well. Scrooge commented that he is always impressed by how I seem to land like Batman

The most panic I had yesterday was realising I wanted to micturate after I was fully dressed. I have spoken about delving to adjust straps. Adjusting myself to gain relief without removing all the straps and layers was almost impossible A button came off which I re-attached after my first scene.

All the cast were given a final warning re not hanging costumes up. The replacement cost of all the costumes is something astronomical - I can't recall the figure. The director isn't prepared to let the cast be sloppy about this issue. The wardrobe mistress has been instructed to pack away any costumes found left unhung, with result that that member of the cast will not go on the next night in scenes needing that costume. I don't think I need to worry. I am conscientious and only have the one costume to worry about anyway . Last to leave the theatre again. It is getting earlier though - got to bed by 11pm.