Busy, busy, busy! And the chances are that this will be the last blog until we've knocked 'em dead between 5th and 9th August. It would be brilliant if I could write something, and send it, from back-stage at the show, but it's a question of signal? What signal? Which kinda puts paid to that notion!
Never act with children and/or animals. Well, we've got both! Inanimate animals, sort of, and very animated children, which is just fantastic!
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| Freya, Ben and Isaac, just taking a break from being Servant's.
As to animals - we've got a couple of surprises up our sleeve but trying to get a real dog on stage, while not impossible (we did it in The Dream in '07 and Much Ado in '09) isn't the easiest thing to do, particularly when you're trying to act. Nigh -on impossible when your canine star is trying to get off the stage to the packet of crisps in the front row! But we think we've solved the problem with this little fella:
To quote an oft used line, 'It's a puppet!' - or in this instance, a stuffed toy. This is Bianca's lap-dog, named in fun by some idiot (!), who was trying to think of the most unlikely name for a dog like this. And it's stuck. Allow me to introduce Vomit the Poodle.
Sorry.
But Sally, who is playing Bianca, is using him to great effect and managing not to get distracted by the various (hilarious) noises coming from the rest of the cast.
Here's Sally with her new best friend.
Please note the laughter. This is the
ingredient that has seemed to increase in leaps and bounds since we started rehearsing the touring production of The Dream last year. Not that we weren't always a pretty scatty, happy bunch, but the fun-factor seems to have cranked up to eleven since that production.
And here are a few more shots of the cast rehearsing, just to make the point!
  
To top it all, the rehearsals this year have been bathed in glorious sunshine pretty much all time - which also makes everybody a lot more cheerful!
Apart from sunshine, there has been another aspect of rehearsing this year that has added another layer of gloss to everything. We have been really privileged to have had the chance to work with one of the countries (if not the world's!) greatest text and voice coaches. And boy, have we had a blast!
Michael Corbidge has taught us so much in the time he spent with us that it really is difficult to explain the effect he has had upon the whole company.
Working with humour he has shown us just where and what we need to work on. He has opened up an amazing reservoir of talent, enthusiasm and energy in the company that, although it was there before, we just weren't tapping into it effectively. And we've only just started this exploration.
Here are some shots of all us working and having a laugh with Michael.
  
There have been other amazing people from beyond the company too, who have all added to our knowledge and understanding of what it is we are striving for. We learn all the time, all of us, even the teachers. So huge thanks to Jane King, Gareth Ballyn, our own Lynne Deller and Janie, our director, who pulls all these disparate threads together and helps us weave them into something magical.
We've even managed to grab some really important social time too, albeit at a Sunday rehearsal. Our Trooch (Rich) arrived with all sorts of goodies in the boot of his car and proceeded to set up shop and tempt everybody with food and drink!!
At least it was us with a barbeque on stage and not a group of spectators, who did exactly that one year...half an hour before we were due to go on stage! Ah, the stories we could tell...
James and Sam going all hunter-gatherer
The tribe tucking in.
Trooch having a real problem making decisions!
So all in all, this year is shaping up to be one of the most inventive and exciting Dartmouth Shakespeare Week's thus far. And that is all down to the wonderful bunch of people who are involved.
Thanks in large amounts are, once again, due to Keith Gould who took these fabulous pictures and whose work is hugely appreciated by everyone in the company. He does it every year, and every year he comes up trumps!
And also this year, lest we forget, we have a really talented group of musicians involved, who will be performing live during the production. Simon Fox (who played Oswald in 'King Lear' last year) has written some beautiful music for the lovers and, under the musical direction of Jess Heywood, everything in that department is shaping up brilliantly...they also have responsibility for the sound effects. Oh yes, we have those too!
 
Here they are rehearsing and having a conflab with Janie about choice of incidentals
Whilst it's not a pre-requisite that people who join us, in any capacity, have to be mad, or liberally supported by alcohol or even come in disguise, it sometimes happens. The names have not been changed to protect anybody!
James, thinking about auditioning for 'Notre Dame de Paris'...probably.
Rich, demonstrating his Mr Gumby impersonation, sans handkerchief.
Clare, thoroughly enjoying a small libation and wondering if one more would hurt.
This is NOT Shahar, he is NOT associated, in any way, with these people. Honestly.
Given the time, we hope to have another blog or two up before we go 'live' but under the circumstances, we'll all probably under the table somewhere, wondering what the heck just happened!!
Here's hoping to see you all at the castle sometime between 5th and 9th August.
If you can't make it, keep your eyes peeled here or on the web-site.
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