September 2009 Archives

I was shocked and saddened to read of the closure of Hackney Empire in this week’s edition of The Stage and can only hope that the Board along with ACE can work together to use this shut down time to assess what needs to happen in order for this brilliant theatrical venue to re-open and flourish. This (along with a stroll down Chiswick high road over the weekend) got me thinking.

On Chiswick high road, there are several places serving quality ice cream - ice cream parlours, if you will. One very famous establishment is always a winner for tasty summer treats be it in a cone or a stripy tub, and although pricey, is well worth it. There is another, less known parlour further up the road, also serving delicious dairy goods but at a much more reasonable price - one would assume to attract customers and gain a reputation. And so we decided to visit the relatively new shop and support a local business venture. Unfortunately, irony had beaten us to it as the “For Sale” signs were already looming over the shop front. A huge shame.

This has been a wonderful week of singing and hilarity as rehearsals began for Beauty and the Beast, and what an amazing feeling to know that I am being paid for having such fun! The process has involved a certain amount of workshopping as parts of the show are rewritten during rehearsal, and sometimes entire songs are composed from scratch.

We have been lucky enough to work alongside the composer during rehearsals, and the score has been adjusted to suit each cast member’s voice — something which I think most actors would agree is somewhat of a luxury. Our performances start at the weekend, and I am excited about getting into a recording studio for the first time next week to put the show onto CD.

It is a small cast of four, with most of us playing multiple characters, and each of us understudied. The understudies have a tough job, as there are only two to cover all four parts. Most of the rehearsal for them is spent watching, trying to learn as much as possible, with little time to “get up and give it a go”, the idea being that they “wing” it as best they can (“winging it” being my chosen phrase, and not the words of anyone in charge). There is less time to go over the difficult music, and no time to “play” with the other actors in rehearsal. They must simply pick up as much as they can of what is going on onstage and try to replicate it.

Their job is crucial - already an understudy has been called in for another one of the company’s productions already out on tour as doctors casually throw the term “swine flu” around. (It transpired that the actor was misdiagnosed. The word “tut” and a roll of the eyes comes to mind.)

Don’t forget the Actor Expo in London on Saturday. It is especially helpful for people who want to train as actors, but I went last year and found the screen acting class well worth attending. If you plan to attend, I would definitely recommend booking in for some classes to make it really worth your while. For more information visit the Actor Expo website.

The Ben Hur Live circus rolled into London town last week and after five exhausting performances, it was already time to pack our bags, check our weight allowances, decant any shower products into science lab like translucent 50ml bottles and make sure the passport is ready for the next leg of the tour.

Unlike some tours where you could play a venue for two or three weeks, or maybe even a month or two for some of the bigger shows touring the UK, the get out for our show can take up to 24 hours alone. It can then be a further three days as the horses, trucks of set and cast are transported to the next city, meaning that we only spend a few days in each venue - however, we play to arena capacity crowds so audience figures aren’t a problem, its more a case of not getting a chance to get settled.

For the past couple of weeks I have been enjoying a rare time for an actor, having finished one job and having a couple of weeks spare before beginning the next. Usually I would expect this interim to be due to unemployment, or due to finishing a retail or sales job at low pay which has paid the bills between acting jobs but has left me poor until the acting job begins. Instead, I have been having a whale of a time moving to London, without worrying about spending hours on the internet trying to find the cheapest travel option or buying “smart price” or “value” food to get me through the week. I have been amused by the man standing in front of me in the queue dressed up as a cow (only in London!) and spent Saturday trying to find Jack Sparrow in Covent Garden.

Upon failing to locate Jack, I turned to my copy of The Stage and came upon an interesting letter. After encouraging others to sign the Equity petition for broadcasters to increase the number of roles for older actresses in one of my recent blogs, I have been reading with interest comments in recent weeks from older actresses who suggest that there is too much of an issue being made of the lack of acting work for older women. After experiencing a little confusion when weighing up both arguments, I was finally re-convinced of the importance of the issue by Eleanor Dearle’s letter this week. She points out that women of Joanna Lumley’s age should not be playing a 22-year-old lead, but that there is no reason that older actresses should not play leads, and that there are many entertaining performances which may be given by older women. Eleanor also touches on the issue of age discrimination and a casting breakdown which suggests that “over 40” is “old”. In fact, I vividly remember being shocked by a casting breakdown I received many months ago which advertised for an “old lady” who should be aged “around 35”.

Rehearsals for the musical begin today and in between enjoying the odd Starbucks and episodes of Peep Show, I have been playing with the script and music in a leisurely fashion. After the sudden descent of rehearsals of the last two performances I was involved in, it is wonderful to have some time to thoroughly prepare before rehearsals commence. Bring on the singing!

After having been mercifully released from the boat, I have spent this week in my new digs in London awaiting the start of rehearsals for Beauty and the Beast. On Friday, I spent the day with Image Musical Theatre, watching final rehearsals for The Jungle Book and Wind in the Willows, both of which begin touring today. I was thoroughly impressed with both shows, which are due to tour around primary schools throughout the UK, and particularly enjoyed the original music in The Jungle Book.

I am looking forward to beginning singing lessons once more now that I am back in the land of the living (and out of North Wales!) and if time permits in my six day working week, a few tap classes too.

Reading The Stage this week, I couldn’t help but laugh at Matthew Hemley’s article discussing Paul Daniels’ “snubs” against Blackpool. Describing it as “rough, tasteless and scruffy”, I found the response of Blackpool Council amusing — one of the councillors criticised Daniels’ words as “incredibly damaging”.

As I sat this Saturday night wondering what to blog about this week, I could do no better than the following two sentences:

“Firstly, you may have noticed that I finally got the opportunity to upload one of my new headshots to the blog courtesy of Anna Moody photography. I am looking forward to finally getting off the boat tomorrow and leaving Curious George behind me for the next lucky victim to enjoy, and at the end of the week I make the big move to London ready to start rehearsals for Beauty and the Beast.”

That sums up in detail the current events of my life most relevant to this blog. And so, in a quest to find a relevant topic I stumbled upon fellow graduate David Grewcock’s blog and came up with the following piece of hard-hitting journalism:

A Dolly Parton musical would definitely be something I would be interested in seeing! What with similar concepts having been conceived, none of which I have any desire to see myself (Mamma Mia, We Will Rock You, the Take That musical and so on), I really do think there is a market for a Dolly Parton musical. It could be like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” only it would be called “9 to 5”. Already this is starting to sound conceivable and I have to wonder if I am being a little ignorant and in fact this musical already exists…

I would also like to see some sort of Starbucks: The Musical, simply because I love an ice cold Frappuccino whatever the weather.

Jeremy Kyle: The Musical must never happen. I liked the Jerry Springer version, although the second half lost me a little, but it’s enough that I have to leave the house because Mr Kyle seems to somehow be on every channel at every time of day - I don’t want to have to avoid central London just so that I don’t have to see his face staring back at me sixty seven times from a tube escalator.

The only thing worse would be Golden Balls: The Musical. Perhaps it is time we were all saved from anything with “…The Musical” in the title. (I make an exception for the Dolly Parton concept.)

Ideas for the Starbucks musical, plots to get Jeremy Kyle off the air, and comments to make my head hang with shame for not being thoroughly enthusiastic about Mamma Mia are all gratefully received.

(A little footnote: Just as I was uploading this blog I did a Google search on Dolly Parton and discovered that “9 to 5” is a real musical. Either I have had my head in the clouds for the last few years, or this musical really didn’t take off. Either is plausible.)

2 months, 7 weeks in a hotel, and enough sand in my shoes to create my own inner city coastal path, I’m now back in the UK for 2 weeks on ‘vacation’. Yes, I’m holidaying in my country of birth and do you know, it’s rather marvellous! Granted, I’ve not been in some shabby B&B but I really am glad to be back home in the bountiful green hills and rolling meadows of Somerset.

I did manage to enjoy a few days in London prior to returning home, and got to see some brilliant theatre. I forget how much I take London’s huge variety of theatre for granted. Knowing you can pop into town and see a musical, head to the Southbank for some live music or maybe venture north for some award-winning fringe is such a luxury. And I certainly made the most of it managing to fit in a triumphant musical revival, a brilliantly inventive G&S, a series of new writing at the Soho and some incredible Stadium Arts work at Laban from the NYT. Its something I already miss just being in Somerset so you can well imagine my thoughts when sat in a hotel room in north west Germany….

The show, Ben Hur, is on track, I think, and whilst the cast are enjoying some much needed tlc, the creative team are still busying themselves fine tuning bits as a rather grandeur symphonic orchestra record the soundtrack. Upon our return to rehearsals, there are over 1000 costumes to be fitted and then we’ll start teching with full set, costume, light and sound which I’m sure will bring with it many new problems that we’ll have to solve before London. But, I’m sure we’ll get there.

During phone calls home during rehearsals, I couldn’t tell you how many times I was told “it’s everywhere over here: tubes, buses and TV…. everywhere!”. They were referring to the positively militant marketing strategy used to promote the show in London. And as with any new show, the rumour mill had gone into overdrive and so upon returning to the UK I found myself both amused and shocked by the variety of stories people had heard.

And it got me thinking about the good old rumour mill and how much of a positive or negative impact it can have on theatre. Obviously, its something that’s always going to be there - we all know actors like a good gossip and there’s no shortage of crew or front of house staff who wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to hear what Julie from costume got up to last night. But when the darts are pointed at a new creation, something no one outside of the ‘bubble’ will know of, it can have varying effects.

Casting rumours will float around with any show, new or old and prove to be little more than hear say or harmless whisperings - and if I’m honest, there isn’t a member of S Club 7 who I wouldn’t like to see in Phantom 2 and it would only be right for Peter Andre to take the lead in the upcoming revival of Summer Holiday.

And then there are the ever lingering rumours of this show closing and that one touring whilst three Broadway imports are on their way over providing they can fit the set onto a ship or a plane. Again, a few disappointments perhaps and some unwelcome truths but on the whole, nothing too damaging. Although if any sort of musical tribute to Dolly Parton did find its way to these shores, I reserve the right to lambast and hound those involved until an official government ban is in place.

So in spite of all the tittle tattle and industry wide gossiping, does it remain the case that any press is good press? Roxie Hart syndrome whereby any news is spun in the favour of the defendant? I’ve no doubt most big shows have an ear to the ground these days and keep a close check on internet forums, backstage gossip and lobby chatter. If not to protect them from potentially damaging ‘closing’ rumours, but to hype up a certain name that may or may not be taking over from “that blonde one from Atomic Kitten”.

The marketing and press departments of any theatrical organisation are potentially the make or break of the show. A good campaign can drum up the necessary hype and excitement and can often leave the punters creating the rest for you - Alan saw a poster for such and such and told Sharon and she happened to know Carol on costumes who said that cretin from Big Brother is the lead but Alan also knew Timmy from wigs who had already unofficially but officially confirmed that ‘Sue off the radio’ was down to play the kitsch American country diva.

Of course, the opposite is also true. If a show doesn’t have the right advertising or enough of the right advertising it can lead to a potentially good show collapsing before it’s really had a chance to get going. We all know of the Spring Awakenings of the West End and of course shows like We Will Rock You which famously bucked the bad press effect and continues to play to packed houses 6 years on.

So, without getting it in the neck from our “Mad Bavarian Leader” (obviously not my words, the affectionate title given by the British press), all I can say is, yes, there are horses. Yes, there are birds. And yes, there are gladiators in little clothing. However, I don’t personally ride a horse, no one really dies in the chariot race, unlike the film and Geri Halliwell, Phillip Schofield and Christine Hamilton do not feature in any way.

Yet.

I always considered myself to be someone who liked children. When asked at auditions, “and do you like working with children?” my answer would be a resounding “yes”. Part of this is, of course, that if it is a job which requires me to work with children, it would be foolish to give any other answer. But until today that answer has always been genuine - and I’m sure that after a few days rest from this job it will be my genuine answer once again. But stuck in a monkey suit seven days a week with no form of defence against badly raised children, getting physically abused while their parents stand by and smile indulgently at their future little criminals, does not endear me to them.

I have always enjoyed the challenges of working with children, and considered myself to be fairly good with them. I am sure that when I am back in normal clothes with the ability of speech restored, this skill will return to me.

I have been lucky in that, when performing to young audiences, they have almost always been fairly quiet if not entirely attentive. But many times theatre performances have been ruined for me as an audience member by rude, undisciplined school groups. I advocate the importance of arts for children and teenagers, but a little discipline wouldn’t go amiss.

I am looking forward to finishing this job next week and starting Beauty and the Beast in a few weeks time. I am busying myself finding somewhere to live in London, but have been slightly hindered by the death of my mobile phone. I have been left disconnected from the outside world until I get off this boat and down to a mobile phone shop.

Only one more week of dressing up as a monkey to go!