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

I forgot to mention that the call for the evening shows (ie when we have to arrive for the vocal warm-up and to prepare for the show starting at 7:30pm) is generally 6pm. Yesterday this meant panic at home to ensure I could get a bite of supper before leaving, since gingerbread (to make a house) was being baked at the same time. I had to adjust the panels baked while still soft just out of the oven as the instructions were wrong and the walls wouldn't have fitted together.

Tonight the call is for 5:30pm as we have to redo sound checks on all the mics as the problems the soundman has been having (that I wasn't really aware of) have been traced to the sound desk provided by the theatre that is about eight years old and not up to the tasks provided by this show. So tonight we have to check against a sparkly new sound desk.

Lucky I am leaving work early or I wouldn't see home at all except to sleep

How has the audience response been?

Everyone I have spoken to has said they enjoyed it. More than one has said they wouldn't have known it was me unless they'd been told.

I have heard second-hand reports of audience reaction - women and some children weeping at Tiny Tim's grave scene (mind you I did it myself just 'reading' the scene in the libretto ), children staring entranced at Toy Ballet, muted criticism of sound reproduction at back of Dress circle - and of course lots of . TopTip: If you want applause at the end of your song try and get one that has you holding a long note at the end It seems to work for me
"Make the most of this world, embrace the universe, for I guarantee the next world is faaaar faaaar woooooooorse!"

In about 17 hours from now (on Wednesday morning 21/12/2005 at about 7:15am GMT) Sarah Kennedy (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/kennedy/) will be playing "Thank You Very Much" (as sung by Anton Rogers in the film version of Scrooge) on her Radio 2 morning show.

If you use the link above within a week after the show you should be able to listen again and hear the whole song (if, like Frenchbean, you can't recall it ). I have emailed in to Sarah, with a plug for our show, but the way ticket sales have been going we wouldn't be able to improve much on them anyway

*scribbles notes on how to milk the audience and makes a mental note to wait until after the Showtime slot before jumping into the shower tomorrow*

My plug was not mentioned and to add insult to injury someone else who could be coming to see our show only talked about going to see the Tommy Steele version in London

Slight lack of research on the Radio 2 show meant that Sarah was under the mistaken impresion that Anton Rogers was singing the part of Scrooge in "Thank You Very Much" In case you are unclear this song is principally sung by the character of Tom Jenkins, The Hot Soup Seller, the most vocal of the people in debt to Scrooge. He first sings the song when Scrooge is seeing the future with the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come about his joy at Scrooge's death cancelling all the debts.

Anyway, back to the *real* show...
Last night started early with the sound check, and it did sound great, with some lovely reverb on my cries of "Scroooooge" - the undistorted volume being achieved was glorious. It turns out the "new" sound desk is actually older the the existing one, the same model, but with the huge advantage that it has been regularly serviced, unlike the one provided by the theatre Apparently they should be serviced every six months, but the theatre one I was told hadn't been serviced for three years

Overall the show was considered the best night's performance so far, though it had the smallest audience (only about 580), though that is more than Van Morrison doing a one-night only at the adjacent concert venue . Last night and tonight are the two performances with the lowest pre-sales.

Personally my first scene was the most shaky I've done. Firstly the wire hooked on the door again (though this time *before* I entered, so I was helping try and free it so I could enter - we succeeded - just ). The spoken scene went ok, but come the song I was at great pains to hear any music at all from the piano. This meant I had to play close attention to the conductor to try and keep in time with the orchestra This I found later was because the band had not arrived early enough to do their own sound check with the sound desk, and foldback levels had been set too low, which was increased tentatively as the soundman didn't want to drown out the singers. Should be easier tomorrow

Photos of the show being performed were taken by a photographer at the first dress rehearsal (so no wigs in evidence ) and a selection are currently at http://www.photostoday.co.uk/Gallery.aspx?GalleryID=1946

Yay! Pictures of flying Pimms!

- at theatre/sound desk!

Pimms, which one of those papers listed is the right one for the photos?

It sounds like things are going swimmingly - or in this case flyingly.

Excellent : outselling Van the Man

Go Pimmsaloonie, Go

But where are the pictures

Hyp, if you mean the link in post 107 it takes me straight to the gallery of Scrooge photos, not to a list of newspapers, even the basic gallery listing is all IOM Newspapers images. I have seen photos (labelled with several incorrect names ) in the "Isle of Man Examiner" if that helps.

It's not Hyp; it's Fb

That link took me to the list of newspapers Help?

Last night again the show was slicker and considered top form, with the same mumble of dissent from me. The setting of the wire has now been sorted so it can't catch on the scenery as easily Fold back was good, but horrors! I still went out of sync with the music at one point early in the song, then skipped a verse and had to get back on track.

That imbroglio left me a bit silent and concerned once I got offstage. But I won't let it happen again

I haven't mentioned the problems I've had with my wig.

Once the make-up is on and mic is taped onto my forehead I put on the elastic skullcap formed from the tied-off top of a pair of tights and it is 'fixed' in place by hairgrips. Over this 'skull' the wig can be placed, the ventilated mesh spirit-gummed on both sides where I would have sideburns, and a few more beige kirby grips fixing it at the back. The hair is then tweaked to perfection - it should appear to be five points, two low at the back, two in front of the bandage on either side and the final one pointing straight up. The front three make me (vaguely) resemble Krusty the off the Simpsons . Unfortunately, being a bloke with relatively short hair at the back of my scalp, the grips have little to hold onto and by the end of the first act the skull cap has usually crept up the back of my skull revealing an inch or so of my dark hair. No matter how many grips are used the cap doesn't seem to want to stay in place. The who does the wig believes the uncommon problem is because I am lifted into the air and it somehow stretches my skin. More likely it is the restless writhings I perform to show my enchained torment (aided in realism by the genuine discomfort of a tight constricting harness).

In addition to trying to reset the cap (without damaging the wig on top) the yesterday was clasping both hands around the spikes of hair to reform them neatly. She said the warmth of her hands made the hair stick up, I (not so innocently ) asked if this only worked on hair, and she ed before we had a .

Hyp asked first FB. Post 109. Your reply was while I was composing mine to Hyp. I don't know why the link doesn't seem to work outside the UK, and since I can't see what you are seeing it is hard to redirect you.

I will try and get some onto the Pimms Lettuce MSN space link provided earlier, but it may be a day or two before I can organise it.

Xmas Greetings to AB in Sydney if she reads this far, who I just e-mailed and provided a link to this thread to let her know what I've been up to and why I forgot to to send her a Xmas card

I've used whereis.com and calculated she lives about 1000km south of Noosa. I also looked on Google map and have a good idea what the rooves in Noosa area look like It looks like a lot of houses have their own bit of waterway sorry topic drift....

I certainly sympathize with you over the wig. I've been wearing one since my surgery to cover my bald spot and it's a nuisance. I get home each evening with a sore scalp and the beginnings of a headache.

I tried the link again but stil got the newspaper list. Sometimes when I try to open links left here, they completely freeze my computer.

Good night last night . NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association) representative saw the show and had nothing but praise for it. Was given (as were the rest of the cast) a mini packet of Pringles (shaped potato crisps which stack) by the person playing Mrs Pringle (the toy shop owner's wife). Apt

I still stumbled in my second verse , but it wasn't such a blip as the night before. Gave the backstage crew (known by themselves as The Dark Side) a large tin of Quality Street (can't hurt to butter them up when they are arranging to wire you up and lift you in the air)

Remembered to take my washable costume home to launder it (put the stuff in a bag the night before and left it in the dressing room )

I know you've answered this question before, but my brain in on overload right now. How many more performances are there? I have been really interested in this thread. Please keep the descriptions coming.