Last Entry
Its Friday night. Having a few glasses of wine and reflecting on the shows, the run, the process.
It's all over. No, we have not dreamt it.
After each production I do I read a passage from a piece by Auden entitled The Sea & The Mirror. It ends with the most incredible poem to Love. But before that is the most inspiring few words on acting I've ever read. Re-affirms why I do this and what the rewards can be. The genius who founded my drama school (Drama Centre London) read it to us on the final day of our year and it's poignancy is incredible. Read it.
How do I feel?
Sad. Exhausted. Adrift. Proud.
It was a great production. A wonderful process. A show that on most nights was magical and lovely and entertaining and comical. On some nights it was brilliant and we all knew it. I moved forward as an actor and a person. It was wonderous to be in creative company and try to live up to the standards set. I learned from each actor involved and from every audience. I wish the rehearsal and show process had been longer. Another month would have been fascinating. We'd have hit a wall and then gone through it, and who knows what we'd have found on the other side?
What do I do now?
Off to Paris for a few days. A break and chance to explore another culture. And be anonymous for a while. Then back to London for the foreseeable. My theatre company has a production coming up at Theatre503 called "Blue on Blue" and I'll be organising stuff for that as well and keeping the Actor's Gym ticking over.
A plea. Go see Rosslyn Chapel!! Its beautiful. And now the tourist season is moving away from its peak, it's nice to experience it in a quieter atmosphere.
A thing of note. Our director stayed with us EVERY NIGHT. Except when the football was on. But each night we'd do group warm up and sing songs and play games. Bruce would give us notes, ideas, new gags and ask for objectives for the evening. This is unbelievably rare. Directors usually leave the show for the run and return only for the final night drinks and celebrations. We were lucky to have a director who was not satisfied and wanted to develop the show each night and make us work harder and pursue the characters' objectives further and further. Just playing. With a serious goal in mind. But I don't think we realised our fortune. The opportunity was there for us to create anew every night and when we did it paid off handsomely. I want to make the very most of what little talent I've been given, and am dedicating my life to doing this, and to have a director who's equally driven and enthused is very special and inspiring. Gotta make the most of these chances. Cos now it's all over.
I'll end with more Memories and Thoughts:
"Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee…" Every night a joy.
William The Cat giving us his blessing and meeting me after the show most nights.
The cutest Lion you've ever seen spinning and spinning and spinning…
The first time I saw the fairies doing their scene outside and watching with my mouth open.
The director, one of the most laid-back people I know, cramming furiously for his emergency performance that evening, and then acting us off the stage, getting all the laughs and his surprise when he came across lines in the script as they really are, rather than how we've mis-learned them.
Furious games of Woosh (Trademark Bruce Strachan Inc.) who's final standings I'd like to take a look at.
The comments of surprise, delight, warmth, gentleness, happinness, joy and more we'd elicit from audiences who had no reason to come see us or say what they thought. Their kind words are the best encouragement to our profession.
Many people having this as their first taste of Shakespeare which hopefully will encourage them to explore his work more.
The LOVE put into this production and the COMPASSION it took to make it work. Everyone should be proud of their work and it proves the age-old adage true: "What you put in you will receive ten-fold."
"Mind there's a step here."
Finally thank you to everyone who's read this blog and all the comments and advice and postings and the audiences who've made this an amazing journey for me. Thank you.
End of blog.
