Ever since my earliest recollections of primary school Burns recital competitions, I have enjoyed a fond affection for the insightful and lyrical wordsmithery of our national bard. Not since Shakespeare has a man so aptly surmised our existential trials and hardships with analogies and imagery so exactly appropriate, you marvel that they had not existed before.
One such example comes from the very poem I recited as a child, and which began my love affair with Burns’ work; A Man’s A Man For A’ That.
“The rank is but the guinea’s stamp;
The man’s the gowd for a’ that.”
It is a couplet that could easily be used to refer to Burns himself; despite attaining the various trappings of celebrity and success within his lifetime, he seemed to have scant regard for its worth to him; possessed instead, as he ever was, with his quest for true love and the succour of the human soul.
In this regard, he was a man after my own heart. Little surprise then that I should have auditioned for Nonsense Room’s ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ – and less even that I should be thrilled to have landed a part. Or, rather, six parts.
The challenge ahead may be great but so was the man and so is the material so I can but do my best to do his great works justice.
Here’s tae ye, Rabbie!
Wha’s like ye?
Gie few an’ they’re a’ deid!
Six Roles For Breakfast
The joint read-throughs of Ae Fond Kiss and our Nonsense Room sister-show, Treasure Island went very well, with plenty of lovely characterisation coming through from everybody already – and this was rehearsal day one! Both casts are full of the kind of people you hope you get to work with as an actor; generous, fun, considerate, enthusiastic – this should be a fantastic two months.
So the script has been perused and it seems I have a generous helping of both characters and gags! I am to play: Burns’ father, Gilbert (his brother), William Creech (his publisher), John Armour (Jean Armour’s father), Tam (a pub-dweller – perhaps of O’Shanter fame?) and last but not least, Annie Wilson (landlady of The Edinburgh Inn).
The most obvious challenge is making all the characters different enough in voice and physicalisation but also believable as representations of the actual persons concerned… and then there’s making sure they’re all funny.
Yes, it is certainly a hilarious script, aptly described by Bruce, our director and the co-writer, as a ‘romp’ through Burns’ life and many loves. It is full of raunchy encounters, saucy one liners and some larger than life characters that had me in stitches just reading it. I guess this is a good thing since I have to portray a few of them now!
Round The Old Joanna
Ah, but I do love a good old sing-song! Just as well really, as there is a considerable amount of it in the show.
Today we were learning our parts for the five-part harmony versions of Ae Fond Kiss and Auld Lang Syne, just two of the Burns songs arranged for us by our musical director, Matthew. He is rather talented; the harmonies sound lush! There is nothing quite like the ecstatic sensation of being a part of creating complex and beautiful harmonies with other people. It gives me the shivery shivers! I’m really looking forward to performing these for an audience now.
I’ve remarked to others in the cast and now I’ll tell you guys – I reckon this show has a near perfect balance of raucous comedy and moving, poignant moments of real emotion and it moves seamlessly between the two. Many of the most touching moments are provided by Burns’ own work; his poems and also his songs performed by each of the three girls in the cast, portraying the characters for which the songs were originally written, which adds a bittersweet edge to the laments in particular – especially in the case of Highland Mary.
(sniffle, sniff)
Gilchrist Muir
Archive for category Blog
First Degree Burns
Jul 15
Treasure Island Blog 14/7/09
Jul 14
Lee's Blog continued….
Day 1- We started at the Mining Museum for the morning where we met everybody involved. We then continued with a read through of both shows which were great to hear out loud ! Both shows look like their going to be great fun and there was generally a good vibe after the readings! I then enjoyed some poached eggs on toast from the cafe and off to Rosslyn for the afternoon session…Sword Fighting! Something i thought would just be testosterone filled enjoyment was actually a real challenge and required a great deal of focus! Everyone seemed to help each other plough through and the opening fight scene was bearing some sort of shape by the end of the day. Came home with a frazzled brain but with the satisfaction of a good days work…Roll on tommorow more sword fighting!
Day 2-Met in the Rosslyn rehearsal space again today for 10am. Start with a bit of a group warm up then split the casts and get on with business. We start by going over the fight we had been working on yesterday which is really starting to come togeather. We then decided to think up as many pirate quotes and phrases as we could which could be used for ad-libbing in the show. Next we took a look at the second fight scene between Arrow and Benn Gunn. This fight is more light hearted so we tried to push for as much physical comedy as possible which i think should be pretty funny! This for me in particular was very physically demanding and left me very sweaty and tired, but Bruce seemed fairly pleased with what we had put togeather, so after a bit of tinkering this scene was pretty much complete by the end of the day. My voice feels fairly strained from the pirate banter so may have to take a bit more care of the old vocal chords over the coming weeks before i start sounding like rod stewart!
Ae Fond Kiss Blog 12/7/09
Jul 12
Blog by Rebecca Bradley
Right so it’s the Sunday before rehearsals start so I’m just reading through the script and continuing my work on the Scottish accent. I’m so excited about the play but my main worry does have to be putting on the Scottish accent and doing it well, but that’s not stopping my eagerness and excitement.
I’m on a summer break from the acting course at Queen Margaret University at the moment, which has been lovely, free time and sunny days, but it’s great now to have a project, something to work towards. I really am looking forward to getting my teeth stuck in to the characters of Nancy, Nell and Jean’s mother. So far I’ve been researching Burns life and work to grasp a better understanding of what life was like and the living conditions of that time.
Can’t wait for tomorrow, get to see where we’re performing, meet everyone and do a bit of singing, great stuff.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yup, that about sums up my level of nervousness and excitement at the prospect of trying to do justice to arguably Scotland’s favourite son….EVER!!
I was amazed, humbled and terrified in equal measure when I was informed that the role or Burns was mine. I have been a great lover of Burns’ work from a very early age and competed in many Burns recital competitions throughout primary and high school. I even based my drama school ‘Movement Assessment’ (possibly the most daunting thing I’ve ever done, considering how ‘gracefulness impaired’ I have always though of myself) on debatably Burns’ greatest masterpiece, Tam O’Shanter.
Now I find myself trying to bring the great man himself to life and one question stands out like a sore thumb every time this concept springs to mind…WHERE DO I START??
Thus far, I’ve spent most of my spare time reading various biographies, guides and opinions of Burns and I think I’m starting to get a better understanding of what is a very complicated individual. From such humble, agricultural beginnings, it is fascinating to see just how far his talent and passion for the written word would take him…and yet how unfulfilled it would ultimately leave him without the love of a good woman (or twelve!!) to share it with. I was also very pleased to learn that, contrary to popular assumption, Burns’ was actually around 6’2” tall (only an inch and a half less than myself, as opposed to the 9 inches I previously thought I had on him) and was not quite as slim as many of his statues etc would tend to suggest…which considering he spent so much of his early life toiling in the fields, would seem to make sense also. I’ve got a long way to go to match his trademark “sideboard” facial hair, but I’ll give it a bloomin’ good go!!
All in all, I am incredibly excited to get started and really get my teeth into this amazing character!
Here tae us, wha’s like us…?!