Just When You Think It's Safe
Turned up at the chapel on Wednesday to discover that a cast member was very ill and wouldn't be doing the show so the director was stepping in and reading the part. Drama at the chapel! Amazing how focused we all became! I lent him my script to peruse all his new lines. He hasn't performed onstage in 3 years. I salute his bravery. Another cast member offered to play the other character part at the beginning and we went thru the opening scene several times to get him up to scratch.
Got ready early and went through all the scenes with the director. He knew most of the blocking and the comedy business – mostly his ideas after all. Got him dressed, a few words of wisdom and we went on and did the show.
It was great. The audience had been informed of the circumstances and there was a good atmosphere to begin with. I've done one of these before when someone was sick and someone else stepped in and it makes it a great occasion. I think it makes the audience more involved – the night becomes a one-off for everyone.
The director was very very very good! He didn't need much prompting for blocking. He did all the physical stuff and got the gags and the audience loved it. Though he was holding a book for all of it, apparently people didn't notice. It was a cracking show. We gave the director a special acknowledgement at the end. Then we ran to the nearest pub. I asked if there was any part of it he had enjoyed – he said: "The End."
I loved the excitement of the night. We all raised our game. Through fear perhaps. But it made the show zing. We need to bottle that excitement, that adventure, and release the cork every night. Anything that breaks us out of our comfort levels and makes us be uniquely involved in the drama of the show every single night. Then it becomes this wonderful one-off event each time we do it.
