day three and day four

Yesterday – more rehearsing. And went to have lunch and a recce of the space in our London cafe for The Man With the Flower in His Mouth – the gorgeous and super camp Dean & Hudson – lovely food and even lovelier staff. Quite a lot of pink and gold though, not sure how well our costumes hold up under the bling decor. Then off to a quick meeting with a producer before we did another workshop at the Young Vic – this time on Producing models/making your own work. Interesting. And I hope useful, for the participants.

Today – off for a meeting/interview at the Soho – fingers crossed – but all very vague so don’t quite know what exactly I’m crossing them for. Still. Wearing my lucky pants too, just in case. Then afternoon and evening rehearsals to look forward to – we need to work out how dark (or not as the case may be) it’ll actually be outside, during the show. It’s not like last year when it was pitch black by 5pm. Hmmm – wonder how credible it will be that it’s gone midnight?

day two

Another great day, reviving is fun. Though now that Easter is over and the rest of the world is back at work the deluge of emails in tea breaks is a bit less fun.

first day

Today we started back on the Flower Man train. It’s brilliant – it’s like the same old play (and they both still know all their lines) but a totally new production. Massive changes. All very exciting. And feels like such a luxury to have a week to play with it and find all the newness over again. I do like rehearsals best of all.

goodbye newcastle

I think I love Newcastle even more than I love Rufus Norris. What a totally brilliant place. Yes. Though partying til 3am with Erica and the cast of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ so feeling pretty wiped out now, on my train ride home.

newcastle

On the train to Newcastle, feeling a little bleary eyed after my five hours sleep. Off to meet Erica Whyman at Northern Stage, and also another female director called Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh who runs a Newcastle based company called Zendeh.

Then tonight watching Erica’s production of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’ which my friend Lorna is in.

composers and readings

Met with my composer for the musical we’re writing about autism – haven’t seen him for months as he’s been in a show in the west end forever – we need to get on and write it! Damn you west end musicals! Then had a meeting with Jess to talk music for STC. Oh how I wish we had more rehearsal time and could play to our hearts content and discover things as we go. As it is we shall just have to make lots of decisions before we start, and try and remain open enough to change things as we go, in our brief window of play.

Then off to RADA for the rehearsed reading – a triumph – hoping the show gets the future life it so clearly deserves. Ideally with me attached. And we just had such a wonderful time working on it – Colin has the remarkable ability to make a cast (of really quite disparate performers) bond in an instant. He is a brilliant man.

Now I must go to bed – I’m catching the train to Newcastle at 8.30am tomorrow…or rather today. Eek!

bluebirds, ACE and RADA

Annoyingly I wrote a whole, and rather long post yesterday, which seems to have dissolved into the ether. So yesterday was spent having a lovely meeting in Northampton followed by some reading of 17th century research (for Stc) followed by the writing of a short story. For no real reason other than inspiration striking, which is perhaps the best kind of reason.

Then today I rehearsed the Bluebirds in the morning, had a production meeting for Flower Man, followed by a meeting with the Arts Council (they’re so lovely and friendly, who knew?), followed by more rehearsals for this Rada reading tomorrow. Now home to emails and the final draft of Stc before we go into rehearsals proper. And maybe if I’m lucky a detour by way of the chip shop…

three shows in one day

Yesterday was a busy day – especially given I’m trying not to work weekends. Who am I kidding… I’ve been in front of the computer all day, and it’s Sunday!

Anyway yesterday spent the day at RADA co-directing (with the lovely Colin Blumenau, Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds) a rehearsed reading of a brilliant and unknown 18th century play called The Child of Nature. Then dashed home for a read-through and dinner with the Flower Man cast, then from 9.30pm til midnight worked on STC with Sam (who plays Jordan in that, and is also the Flower man in The Man With the Flower in his Mouth). Phew.

Must get better at not working…now off to a meeting with Emily about Pursuit of Love.

catching up and stories

Today I’m back on the computer – catching up with all the admin that I’ve let slide this week while we’ve been playing in the air. Though must find time today to do more re-drafting on STC. It’s all coming together. Yes.

Just been sent a wonderful book in the post – Haroun and the Sea of Stories – amazingly the only Salman Rushdie novel, literally the only one, I’ve never read. Also useful research, both for STC – which is also all about stories and story-telling, and for Arabian Nights, which I might be directing in the autumn (fingers crossed).

day four and sharing

Hooray. It was all worth it. Another long hard day followed by a sharing of what we’ve been working on for the aerial choreography for STC – it was beautiful, magical, touching and funny. Right, now to get back to the script and give the cast a draft they can go away and learn. Onwards.