Okay, I hold my hands up, I've been a tad rubbish at the performance-by-performance blog. I could sit here and try to retrack the process and write several entries but I won't. Instead I'm just going to bang it all out in one hefty indigestion-sized lump of goodness.
All in all the pre-Christmas run of Habeas Corpus went brilliantly. As expected we had some quiet "I've purchased my ticket, now you WILL entertain me!" type audiences who were relatively reserved in their laughter but our spies in the bar afterwards informed us that everybody enjoyed it. I'm sure there were some who didn't but them's the breaks. The day you can please everybody is the day it stops being enjoyable.
Over the course of the week, my interpretation of Dennis Wicksteed became more and more Frank Spencer-esque, to the point that I felt I was selling out and doing a cheap, not-very-good impression. Physically, that is. The voice was very much as it had been when i originally 'found' Dennis. However, I wasn't going to get bogged down with it. If that's how he naturally evolved, I'd stick with it and who knows - he might be completely different in January. I only had the one costume for Dennis and decided he didn't wear deoderant and didn't wash his clothes. When i inspected the shirt i discovered that the pattern was not colourfast and my sweat had caused the dyes to run. I was already changed when i discovered this and forgot to check if I had blue armpits when I got home. I suggested after the final performance that to keep the reality of Dennis, I may not wash the costume over the six week period until our January performances. This was met by a small but hearty rebellion. The costume is now in the wash.
Everybody had their own little ways of getting into character for the show, most of whom used traditional warm-up techniques. The sort of techniques that used to drive me nuts because everybody had to do them. Like everybody had to learn french at school. I don't like to be told that i 'must' do something. If i'm asked, that's fine but being told that I must tends to wind me up a tad. But the main reason i refuse to do these traditional warm-ups these days is because over the years i've found alternative ways which tend to work better for me. And I tend to use whichever method works best to get inside the head of the chacter i'm playing. To get inside Dennis' head, I sang songs in character. So Dennis Wicksteed singing "One Day More" from Les Mis or "A Whole New World" from Disney's Aladdin. As for the physicality, when I felt nervous I used that nervous energy. When I was relaxed I rolled my shoulders a lot and kept jerking my head slightly.
I'm very happy to state that the actress with the bad hip managed to soldier on and completed the pre-Christmas run with a smile on her face and sherry on her breath. She's going into hospital between now and the January run so we're all hoping that she's back on her feet in plenty of time to reprise her performance as Muriel Wicksteed. Get well soon Amanda!
After the final performance some of us went to the pub for a quick drink and a chat. Then that was that. Until January.
The cast for this play are amazing and I know it's said alot but I've genuinely felt somewhat lost today not chatting to Alan about the golden age of the silver screen, or chatting to Penny about ghosties, or warning Kate that all that fruit'll make her go, or hearing Jez laughing from the other end of Southend; to mention a few.
In fact I'm enjoying working with these guys so much that I feel I really should promote them in some way, so here are their spotlight or CCP links. And obviously, don't forget that I'm also available for work too :)
David Anderson (Me) https://www.spotlight.com/0216-1274-1726
Dhugal Fulton http://www.spotlight.com/2855-4500-9464
Amanda Whiteford http://www.castingcallpro.com/uk/view.php?uid=374738
Kate Austen http://www.spotlight.com/2693-4537-1310
Penelope Lambton http://www.spotlight.com/3819-5640-4844
Jeremy Battersby http://www.spotlight.com/0539-0163-2810
Teri Levett http://www.castingcallpro.com/uk/view.php?uid=150594
Emmy Van Beek http://www.castingcallpro.com/uk/view.php?uid=296584
Christopher Poke http://www.spotlight.com/5010-8946-3277
Alan Thorley http://www.spotlight.com/1970-0162-3018
