Calm before the storm

A week to go and I seem to be in a pleasant lull before the storm.

The set is well on track. I went in to assist last night and we made excellent progress. Only one last piece to build and Helen Critchley (Set Design) has started to artwork the finished sections. We might even have some nights off!

The real hard work will come on Sunday 20th when we move it all onto the stage. Get in day is always long, fraught and frantic. The Cast are going to escape any of this, as they will be having a line rehearsal in another part of the theatre with Sally Norman (Production Secretary).

At the moment, the maintenance crew are busy stripping the theatre ready for the refurbishment, which will start immediately after Copenhagen has finished. The seats will be ripped out while we clear the stage on Sunday 27th ready for the workmen to begin work on 28th. It’s been an opportunity to throw out junk that’s been unused but lovingly hoarded for years. At regular intervals a shopping trolley, piled high, passes by while we work. I didn’t know we possessed so much rubbish.

The programme went through its final proofread at the Box Office yesterday and is now being printed. As usual Paul Scott (Box Office Manager) and I set the theatre to rights while I was there. If the two of us could sort things out merely by talking about it we would be looking forward to a utopian future. He is a man with incredibly good sense. Any hope that we may be able to get in on Saturday, Paul?

Tonight we should have actors, costumes, photographer, lighting, and sound – a whole production team together for the first time. Also we will be running the play from beginning to end – up to now we have only been taking it one Act at a time. Should be an interesting evening.