Director's notepad - Sunday 10th May

Greetings all.

We've had another couple of rehearsals, now (apologies for not updating the blog sooner!) - one with Tim and one more without. It's been very successful, and we've blocked two more songs ('Colour in my Cheeks' and 'Back to School').

The closer we creep towards the show the more excited we get, but also the more nervous - it's suddenly starting to feel real! Tim also seems pleased with the stuff we've come up with in his absence (pleasing the writer always a good target!) and although having him in rehearsal is great for speeding up songs and having live piano, we cope equally well without him, I think (concentrating more on acting and getting the action as complete as we are able). However, it can be tricky if the rehearsal backing track is a bit fast, as we discovered with 'Back to School'!

I was right about Kate's attention to detail, and so I've been giving her quite specific things to do during songs, which as well as working well for a very tiny stage space, allows me a level of control that you'd never be able to have with a larger cast (!) 'Back to School', in particular, was a challenge - the lyrics being both wordy, fast, and full of references to props and actions that needed to be worked into the blocking. We had to go over it many times and even take a break for lunch, but by the end of the rehearsal we were pretty confident that we'd got it right. We didn't, however, get to work through another song that I'd planned to do in that rehearsal, which means that in my head we're one song behind. Currently, we have fewer rehearsals planned than there are songs in the show, but I'm trying not to let that panic me...!

We have, however, come up with a good space/set solution for the staging (which tends to move from place to place, and on such a tiny stage that can be difficult to get right), and I think that will make both my life and Kate R's much easier! (The practicalities of when to pick up or put down a prop and where to put it are a constant difficulty!)

Looking forward to fitting in two rehearsals this week, and tickets are going well which is extremely good news... have you booked yours yet? (www.leicestersquaretheatre.com)

More anon...
LB