Well, we’ve reached the end of rehearsal week 1…and what a week it’s been!!

It all began on Monday morning as the cast of ‘Ae Fond Kiss’, as well that as that of our sister show ‘Treasure Island’, congregated at the Powerhouse Room (our show venue) in the Mining Museum in Newtongrange. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, as well as a couple of brand new ones, which really made me feel immediately at home in the company and filled me with an instant sense of fervour for the weeks ahead.
My fellow Nonsenseroomers have already charted the events of that morning in previous blogs, so to save repeating ourselves I’ll move swiftly along to the rest of the week’s endeavours…

Firstly the songs! Our first ‘sing-through’ with our wonderful MD Matthew took place on Monday afternoon. It was so uplifting to hear these beautiful arrangements of some of Burns’ most recognisable melodies…and also to hear a couple of his lesser known ditties, one or two of which were previously unknown to me. A couple of the girls have truly beautiful songs, in ‘Ay Waukin, O’ and ‘Highland Mary’ (and voices to match based on our first few singing sessions) which I eagerly anticipate hearing once the girls have become suitably comfortable with them. I was also thrilled to learn that the song I chose for my audition, ‘We’re A’ Noddin’, had made it’s way into the show on the back of that audition…and even more so when I discovered it would be sung by a man in drag!!

Of my own songs, ‘My Love is like a Red, Red Rose’ stands head and shoulders above the rest, both in terms of the basic melody itself and the scope it gives me to truly perform and make the song my own…Burns was, after all, a wee bit o’a showman at heart! Thus far, the complex harmonies in ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ are proving to be the greatest challenge, however once we’ve nailed them I honestly believe it will sound beautiful enough to have inspired the great man himself! (no pressure then…)

Away from the world of the sing-song, we have made some excellent progress in putting the basic shape of the show together this week. There are some fairly intricate scene changes and some truly manic costume changes…but it just wouldn’t be anywhere near as fun if everything was straightforward, now would it?!

Well, that’s about enough from me for one blog…I need to get myself ready for a rehearsal of my other Fringe show, King Arthur, now anyway! (figured this is as good a time as any for a wee ‘plug’…check out http://www.siegeperilous.co.uk/king_arthur09/cast.htm for cast & production info as well as ticket sales).
Tattie-bye for now,

Allan.

Here tae us, wha’s like us…?!

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