This production (we're talking The Dream here) has had more than its fair share of up's and down's, cast-wise but - and I'm saying this with my fingers firmly crossed - we are now sorted.
Rich, who was playing Theseus, is now (as we know) playing Lysander. He is understandably nervous, cos he's got so little time to actually get the lines embedded and develop a character and performance, but he is doing magnificently.
Our old mate David stepped into the Theseus-sized hole that had appeared...and then, thanks to someone totally unconnected to the production or the company, had to step out again! The grey hairs started to multiply at an alarming rate around about then.
Many apparently calm and collected emails flew through the ether at this juncture. And Rob, who played the Duke of Albany so brilliantly in King Lear, said he'd have a look at that Theseus-sized pit. We adjusted some of the lines and he said yes. And now he too is doing a splendid job of stepping into a breech, dear friends, and settling everything down so that we can now really concentrate on the play.
The Dart Drama Festival, where we presented some of the Mechanical's scenes, went really well and was a great testing-bed for all the actors involved. We are now fine-tuning those scenes in conjunction with all the others and it has to said that it's looking very fine indeed.
As can be seen in the poster on the left, we have had another venue added to this winter's tour. We are more than a little delighted to have been asked to take The Dream to the 'From Devon With Love' festival, which is taking place at the Bike Shed Theatre in Exeter. You can follow the link to their site and get loads more information there, but suffice to say it's a massive step up for us and one that everybody in the company is really looking forward to.
We have several other venues from whom we are waiting to hear, so you never know, we could be popping up at a venue near you sometime soon.
The thing about this whole production, in terms of staging it, is that we usually have very little to do in terms of a set...although I doubt Mr B would agree with that statement!
When we produce Dartmouth Shakespeare Week, we are the luckiest company ever inasmuch as we have a fantastic natural set in Dartmouth Castle. For sure, we add bits and pieces...
...like the galleon for The Tempest, all the wooden pilings for Macbeth and the platform extension for As You Like it and Macbeth, to mention but a few. These are very large and, for our purposes, 'unconventional' sets. And Chris, bless his cotton socks and sorely put-upon knees, does the most fantastic job creating all these things. No, what I mean is the more 'traditional' notion of a set: flats, dressing, things fit into a pre-determined space for a specific production; most of the things that have been built for the Castle have been used again, recycled and so on. We lack 'stuff' that will fit into a conventional space.
Which is why we're having to think a little outside the proverbial box for taking The Dream on the road. Kinda fun though...and thanks to Jilly, Jane and the ever-patient Mr B, we're already a long way along the road to having a brilliant set to cart around with us when we do the play for real!
It's going to look fantastic.
I should mention here that, in respect of set, I mean the big stuff...I would hesitate to upset our lovely team that provide all the flags, curtains, cushions and so forth; their work is invaluable and always looks spectacular.
(Was that OK? No brickbats coming my way..? Good.)
AND IN OTHER NEWS...
As mentioned in the previous musing, we have a lot of this cast appearing in other productions whilst rehearsing for this one.
Some of the faeries are in the local panto at The Flavel this year and also doing some work in Miss Saigon...as is Lucy, who is playing Hermia in The Dream.
So go and call the box-office number and book your tickets as soon as you like.
Lucy and Freya will be more than delighted to see you there!!
