My deepest and most heart felt apologies for abandoning you for the past couple of weeks. I would love to pretend it’s because I’ve been so ferociously busy securing lines, moves and drum parts, but frankly, I’ve been holding off on this instalment of the blog for the soul purpose of being able to write this:
“It’s the final count down! Na-Na-Naaa Naaa Na-Na-Na-Na Naaa!!”
Yes, that’s right you bunch of blog reading theatre-goers! We have reached the technical week for My Fair Lady! With us all now being able to do the parts in our sleep (seriously, I’ve been caught air drumming in a deep slumber) we are going to take the Pitlochry festival Theatre’s 60th season by storm! We have but three days to polish those dance moves, focus the spotlights and put the finishing touches on Adrian Rees’ outstanding set and costumes before bursting onto the stage with all the energy, excitement and nerves that only a first night can bring.
But whoa there Nelly! How about I give you an idea of actually what a tech week involves. We’re starting off in the theatre with a band call, which will include the extra trumpeter and cellist who will join us for the run. This gives us a chance to rehearse all the numbers in the correct setting so we can flag up any potential problems regarding sound and sightlines to our magnificent musical director, Jon Beales. We then begin working through the show very slowly…bit by bit…lighting cue by lighting cue…set change by set change, often repeating them many times, until everyone involved is entirely happy with it. During these days more often than not madness sets in. You begin to wonder if daylight - or indeed life outside the theatre -continues to exist, in a kind of ‘If I shut my eyes does the world stop?’ mentality. At the other end of the technical rehearsals you are faced with at least two, possibly three dress rehearsals and finally after a very long, hard week you have the opening night. By this point pretty much everyone is surviving on adrenaline.
So to those of you who have managed to get those golden tickets for the opening night, after you have settled into the comfort of the PFT’s seats and before you are whisked back in time on a fantastic journey to early twentieth century London, spare the briefest of thoughts for everyone who has worked tirelessly in getting the show ready for you good people to enjoy and cor blimey guvner, I’m sure you will!
S.B x
Can't wait til fri! what a lot of hard work goes into these shows, we theatre-buffs totally appreciate it! Keep up the good work. :)
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