Bondage!

Yep - that got your attention - didn't it !!!!!

Following on from Asst Director Demon's post earlier today, I thought I'd better fill everyone in on what's been happening with the AMBD rehearsals. Well.....

I walked into the main hall having finished the CAST Academy meeting to find Boy, Girl, Man, Calm Woman and Neat Woman all tieing each other up and Neat Woman brandishing a spare tie, just for me. Lucky me. We then spent the next hour and a half with our hands tied at 6/8 inch distance apart, delivering the script to get us into the mindset of wearing shackles/manacles (no fluffy handcuffs in this show - it's not panto. Shame).

Director Witch stopped the script at one point as he was really worried that Girl had seriously hurt herself from the look on her face. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realised she was genuinely acting being hurt!!!!

At one point everyone had the hairs standing up on the back of their necks during the rehearsal and the atmosphere was "strange" Director Witch even stopped writing notes on what we were doing wrong - so we MUST have been doing it right!!!!!

Things that I learnt last night....

1. Man doesn't know his own strength. Girl learnt this too.
2. It is possible to pinch someone's backside with your hands tied and they happen to be in the way and you need them to move :-)
3. Girl can really act. Director Witch was fooled.
4. There are far too many clouds and moons in this show.
5. Walking round in cirles makes you very dizzy.

That Friday Feeling...

So, here I am - as promised, filing another report. I told you I'd be better, but you didn't believe it did you? Well, there you go

Some of the cast arrived early last night to do a read through to once again push those lines into our brains, even Vicky managed to arrive early and scoff some dinner whilst running lines so some were quite muffled... Obviously Guy was rehearsing for his "other" show so we were without him and Corrinne arrived later as she doesn't finish work until 8 and then has to get there...

Director Demon reminded us that there were just 5 rehearsals left (including last nights) and so wanted to run through, with Producer Him prompting and Director Demon stopping us on the way. I got to sit down with Producer Him for a bit at the beginning, lucky for him I did really as for some reason he can't follow a script (not a good quality for a prompt really!?!). - I'm just kidding PH - stay in your pencil case... And we also got a look from Director Demon so we must stop talking and laughing when Director Demon is talking, bad children. It did feel like being at school, especially when we had a grammar lesson halfway through the rehearsal as well.

Last night was a much improved run through from Monday night, words need to be much tighter but even now, there are some things that Director Demon wants to amend, all for the good of the production of course dahling...

Sunday during the day is set build day, with mainly set construction happening and leaflet delivering (let's hope we get a break in the weather), lunch club and a production meeting later on, which will take place at the same time as the Demons will be getting together for a wee (am) dram and more word rehearsing.

Things I have learned from last night:
1. Just one Hula Hoop can make you want a whole bag, but not enough to drive to the garage.
2. Dave leers.
3. Producer Him not only has every colour of pencil under the sun, but has lots of different coloured pens too.
4. I did learn a new word for the front of the stage but I can't remember it now.
5. Guns are a health and safety risk.
6. Everyone drinks Lime and Soda - except me and Producer Him who's a lager lout

Please forgive me...

Forgive me readers, for I have been remiss, it's been four weeks since my last blog... And - quite a lot has happened since then so there is no excuse (well apart from, my dog ate it, I left it on the bus and actually I have been particularly busy at work).

So, where to start?

Well, as there hasn't been a blog from The Demon side of things since May, I should catch up from there... Oh, I am struggling to remember what's been happening so I'll just bring you bang up to date!

We've had four Monday night rehearsals and and extra read though, line learning one, at Vicky's house where we all met Boomer for the first time, man, that's one cute puppy. Matt became Boomers best friend that night although Boomer was interested in a little more than Matt wanted to give... Chairman read in for a couple of people who couldn't make it including Corinne and was quite good at being a girl - do we have a future Dame in the making here?

Two weeks ago yesterday Lucia had to withdraw from the show, which I know she was very disappointed about and Director Demon asked me to step in as I had auditioned for the part anyway and knew the show. So now I am back in the show as Lucia and luckily I have been able to get the lines pretty much down, much listening on the ipod and Director Demon has been going through the lines with me (one of the benefits of living with the Director), which is good.

Last night, the cast (well, Matt, Emma, Corrinne, Guy, Director Demon and Lucia) gathered at Director Demon's house to run through lines. Emma made a quiche using corned beef instead of pastry and some lovely pesto pasta, Director Demon made a salad (which Emma couldn't eat as there was mushroom in it, although she doesn't like tomato or cucumber (which was also in it) so missed out on lettuce and spring onion!), we know for next time and Matt brought ice cream - good call Matt!

The lines read through was good, no-one had scripts at all and a couple of us have come away with some homework (that's what you get when Director Demon is also in attendance) and we also got the feedback from Monday's rehearsal which was good and very constructive.

What I have learned from the last four weeks:
1. It's weird when one of the cast calls you on the phone and you are listening to them in the other ear on your ipod.
2. Elemental is NOT just an album by Tears For Fears
3. Emma is very fussy about what she can or can't eat (although she did nearly choke me with chilli's at the last read through and I did pick the peppers out of both her lasagne and the quiche).
4. Guy is Switzerland.
5. Moo Moo's are very funny.
6. Emma spends her day off cooking.
7. You can't rely on Producer Him to post a blog when you don't get to

I hereby promise to keep you all up to date with what's going on with rehearsals. No, really I will

Memories ....

are funny things. Take last night's AMBD rehearsal for instance...

The cast sat round in the bar trying to wade their way through the script without the lines in front of them. Very difficult. Personally, learning the lines for this show has been a struggle. The "conversation" doesn't flow very naturally and the sentences are short and stilted.

Producer Him has delivered a unique form of sign language to remind people of their lines. Man had a blank last night on one of his longer speeches and Him was trying to get Man to remember it. At one point we had an 80's pop star (Divine) holding a set of scales (justice) and a last testament (will) Hmmmmm!

It would be fair to say that there were a fair few additional words added to the script by everyone and most of them were four letter long expletives when their minds went blank.

One month today is the Sunday set STRIKE! and it will all be over.
Does that statement scare anyone?

Happiness is ....

very definitely a warm puppy.

I got to cuddle Boomer last night whilst Vicky was rehearsing. He is just gorgeous! After deciding that I needed my ears washing several times and a lot of yelping he settled down and slept on my lap. Sooo cute.

I'll leave Asst. Director Demon to do a rehearsal update as I was otherwise engaged but all seems to be going well.

Other than that, the CAST Academy team had a planning meeting in the bar about the next show which the children will be doing.

Things I learnt last night;

1). Producer Him is allergic to his diary !!!!
2). The website is very out of date. Oops.
3). We need to sell lots of tickets, quickly.
4). Timer is running out. Far, far too fast
5). Him has found manacles


Lyric of the Blog: "and they called it puppy love" Donny Osmond

AMBD Rehearsal Thursday 14th June

Last night was a night for;

Line learning. Otherwise known as "scripts on the table, lets see how much we don't yet know".

Accent improving.

On Sunday afternoon some of the witches got together to watch The Crucible. Hard going or what. As a result of watching the film we decided to alter our accents slightly from Bostonian to English/just arrived in the US and picking up the lingo. As a result, by the third read through of the night, the accents were all much improved and far more natural than they have been.

Stuff learned last night (pinched from Asst. Director Demon)

1). The vicars daughter keeps forgetting the Lords Prayer. Is she getting tongue tied, can't she concentrate with the shouting going on - or is the essence of the play taking hold. Hmmmm.
2). Birds can throw their voices and sound as if they are coming from inside the hall when they clearly aren't.
3). Tabby cats are very nosey.
4). Her has a bird at the bottom of the garden that sings "remember you're a womble".
5). Director Witch likes egg far too much.
6). I remembered the words (most of them) just not necessarily where they fit into the script. Not very helpful.
7). Blue plastic trays breed like rabbits.

Sofa famines and gluts

Producer Him sent out an email last week asking if by any chance anyone had a two seater sofa and some chairs we could borrow for Demons. No replies. Nothing. Zilch. For days. Still nothing. So Him and I went out on Saturday. I needed fabric for costumes. Him wanted to look for plastic glasses and we needed a sofa.

Forgive me Setman for I have sinned - I went car booting with someone else!!!!

Him and I "did" the Denham car boot sale and then went to the local furniture and electrical charity shop in search of sofas that will a) fit on the stage and more importantly b) fit in the wings for the first act. Nothing.

BUT - I had casually asked a lady from a house clearance firm at the boot sale if they had any suitable sofas. Worryingly she instantly recognised me from having purchased a bureau from her 18 months ago for Treasure Island. Anyway. Him and I have had an invite to be shown around their warehouse on Wednesday evening.

If we find anything suitable then we have the option to buy or if we like we can RENT it from them!!!!! This is just fanmtastic as it means I don't then have to try to sell the offending items on EBay afterwards or incur the inevitable stream of freindly abuse from Director Witch regarding my EBay habits.

Mrs House Clearence has also offered to have a list from us for bothe sets stuff and props that we may need for any future shows. RESULT!!!

Subsequently Him rang his mother who has a sofa in her garage. (and doesn't want it back). Someone Him works with has told him that she has a sofa in her garage we can have. Oh yeah and two members of the cast have come up with possible solutions as well. Aaahhh!


Lyric of the Blog: "I was wandering along by the cars at the boot sale when seven lovely sofas came out of the van Ah ha ha. Bop shwaddy waddy bop bop swaddy waddy. And right behind these fine gorgeous sofas came seven other sofas that were tattered and torn Ah ha ha "
(With apologies to Mr ALW)

European Tour

Ok - I'm back ! For those of you who didn't know, Ralph the MG Roadster and I set off on Thursday 24th May, bound for The Italian Lakes and 2092 miles later, we're home again!!!!

We set off for Ashford and got the train to Calais then headed for Vittel, France (1 night), Grindenwald, Switzaland (2 nights), Lake Como, Italy (3 nights), Lake Garda, Italy (3 nights), Bregenz, Austria (1 night), via Germany to Vittel, France (1 night). Phew!

Things I learnt on this holiday, in no particular order ....

1). 6 people, 3 different maps, 3 sat navs, 3 walkie talkies and a route books does not make for a harmonious experience when trying to decide whether to go left, right or straight on.

2). When the tour rep has dinner with you in the evening in a beautifully green alpine ski resort restaurant(Grindenwald) when you are all out in short sleeved tops and open toed shoes and says "Isn't this place beautiful, I just can't picture what it would look like covered in snow" - DO NOT AGREE WITH HIM. When we woke up the next morning 19cm of snow had fallen.

3). When snow falls on Swiss mountain roads out of season - so do trees. Lots of them.

4). When snow falls out of season on a Swiss Bank Holiday - roads and trees don't get cleared.

5). Lake Como is nice and Lake Garda is nicer but photo's of Lake Como in the sun look better than Lake Garda in the rain.

6). Old people like lots of coffee stops. And then Petite Pois stops. Then more coffee stops.....

7). There are a lot of Alps in Europe. French, Swiss, Italian, Austrian and German. The they F'ing cold at the top on the passes and either wet or warm at the bottom. They ALL had snow on them. IN JUNE.

8). Buying a very large umbrella as a holiday souvenir to use is very, very sad.

9). Pine trees in pine forests smell fabulous. Pine scented candles always smell awful. Why ???

10a). Windburn from having the soft top down on the car hurts.
10b). Spraying factor 30 sunblock onto burnt skin brings tears to the eyes.
10c). Human beings have lots of layers of skin.

Broken promises

When you ask someone if something is definitely going to happen and they say yes, then you ask then whether there's any chance it might be postponed or cancelled or moved and they say no, you'd assume (perfectly reasonably I thought) that it's going ahead, no exceptions. Well, Monday morning an email arrives explaining that Cologne is postponed - TYPICAL!!!! The air was a little bit blue when I read it as you can imagine. For those of you who don't know I had to withdraw from the part of Vicky as I was told I would need to be in Cologne for work. The funny thing was that the email didn't come from the person who had stated categorically that it was going ahead - the coward... Add that to a two and a half hour wait at BMW to do a repair that should have taken an hour and that was my Monday morning - not a good start to the week me thinks. Anyway, enough of this, I'm boring myself now, on with the show...

We're starting our run throughs now and the "acting" side of things, so the demanding Director Demon was doing his slave-driving bit and working the cast really hard.
We took it from the top (as good luvvies do) and went through the first half of the script with me standing in for Vicky as she was doing her doggy thing (oo-er) and arrived later.
Producer Him sat and told everyone when they were in the wrong place at the wrong time from the blocking that we had worked on in the previous weeks with some adjustments from the cast when things felt wrong or Director Demon had changed something and forgotten to write it down... I actually got to watch the second run through and take notes, although it's early days yet and the cast are doing a very fine job. Inter-relationships are showing very nicely and word-learning is also going very well with lots of the cast going through their first few pages of script without looking at their books. Both Director Demon and myself are extremely pleased with the progress being made.

Things of note:
Guyman brought a large amount of sugar to keep everyone going, Vicky brought the best chocolate in the world - Lindt Lindor (it's like heaven for your gob), it is very difficult to write this blog without giving away the plot, we have another two week break in between rehearsals

Things I have learned from Monday's rehearsal
1. Producer Him is now paranoid about the size of his pencil case
2. One of the cast is getting married this year
3. Emma thinks she looks like a boy with her new hair cut
4. Producer Her is living in the loft (allegedly)
5. Two weeks till Boomer

Setman

It was all my fault - a lot of things are - but having sold Setman, his parents, sister and brother in law tickets to see the first two shows I was in with the group, back in 2000, Setman advised me that there was no way on this earth that he would EVER buy a ticket and set foot in CVH to watch panto. He hated them. The following sentence was to haunt him to this very day.

" If you need anyone to come and help build the set or do some painting for you, I'm free on Sundays. I'll give you a hand"...Two set builds later and he was signed up as Asst Stage Manager and was behind the scenes for eight of the nine panto performances. Seven years later he's built more sets and props than he would probably care to remember including working windmill, flashing steps, toilets with running water, ceilings on box sets etc and worked behind the scenes at almost every show.

He's also spent numerous weekends with me scouring car boot sales and charity shops for costumes and props. We'd meet up first thing on a Saturday or Sunday morning or both! and plan our route for the day around the venues. Sometimes coming home with absolutely nothing except sore feet, soaking wet or with sunburn having had junk overload. Or, we'd come home with the boot of the car stuffed full of useful junk which we'd bought for peanuts, only to see the relevant Director of the show either grin in sheer delight or bury their heads in their hands at our finds and how we would then adapt them for the stage.

I also had a running joke with him that he "really knew how to treat a girl well" and only ever took me to the very best (ha!) eating establishments. Usually the burger van or doughnut stall.

This week sees Setman, his Sister, brother in law and parents, 11 cars, the contents of 3 houses and 2 cats all moving - to Somerset - 3 hours away. Although he's only been a member of the group since 2000, we've actually known each other for 17 years and spent time together through MG Owners Club at events, club weekends away and group holidays both in the UK and abroad as well as Christmas's, New Year and 'family' birthdays.

Things will certainly not be the same and the fact that my "big brother" and best mate is now 3 hours away instead of 30 minutes will take a while to get used to.

Setman - your CAST family and friends wish you well in your new home.

What a scream!

I went, I saw, I screamed.....

Arrived at the medieval banquet venue with plenty of time to spare having spent ages getting my hair into something that looked vaguely medieval with thin plaits running round the sides of my head over the remainder of my hair. The directions to the venue left a lot to be desired and I had visions of having to walk into a local petrol station to get directions in full costume but worked out eventually that I'd been sent in entirely the wrong direction from the first roundabout and from then on it was easy.

I loitered with intent (well, barn actually) until the given time. The venue was amazing, a completely wooden barn with banner hanging from the rafters. Approx 75% of the guests were in full medieval garb, the rest in black tie. Maidens, Queens, Kings, Knights, Monks etc were everywhere.

The minstrels were hard at work entertaining the audience, although one rather miserable "Robin Hood" did look very sternly at them and told them not to play next to him whilst he was eating. Huh?

The ogre loitered out of sight, in full costume with menacing rubber role play weapon! whilst I hot-footed it into the venue screaming like a banshee. EVERYONE FELL SILENT!!! Unfortunately due to the excessive volume of alcohol consumed by this stage by the punters they were more interested in the chase and arm wrestling than my lines which I'd learnt - typical, but it was all good fun.

The Fiddle was very complimentary and reckons I have an exceptionally powerful pair of lungs.

Equally fun was the exceptionally tiny gypsy caravan at the side of the barn which 8 minstrels and performers were trying to get changed in once the disco was in full swing with high volumes of raucous laughter ensuing as we tried to get out of costume in a very tight space. Highly amusing and anyone outside would have wondered what on earth was going on!

Lyric of the Blog: " The Boars head in hand bear we, bedecked with bays and rosemary. And I pray you my masters, be merry, assembled in this company " Trad

Enough of medieval frivolity - back to Witches and Demons !.........

Dis Dressing Update

So here's the deal - I arrived at the rehearsal having fought my way down the M40 in the worst rainstorm I've EVER seen and having met the organiser, am introduced to a HUGE heap of costumes and given "mine". I think an adequate description at this point in time would be "medieval tent" although having seen some of the others in their clobber latter in the evening I think I'll fit in!

Girl will NOT be jealous. Not one bit. If only I was skinny enough to fit into the costumes she wore for Mort. A word to any potential wise Wardrobe Mistresses - Never put others into a costume that you would not be prepared to wear yourself :-)

Next to arrive was "The Ogre" (approx. 6' 7" at a guess) and we went through the lines we have. Yep. Not only do I have to run into a room of 150 people, screaming at the top of my voice. I have lines to learn as well. 24 lines and 48 hours to learn them in. Luckily they are in rhyme so now the whole of Langley on route to the railway station knows that I am "Elanor the Fair".

So now I know where (it's a medieval barn at Cox Green) when (be there at approx. 8:30) and what I've got to do (turn up in costume, find the ogre, who will be hiding so no one will see him in costume in advance of our "bit" and stay inconspicuous myself.

Then there's the singing. The minstrels are made up of instrumentalists from two folk groups who work both independently and together who will entertain the banqueters both before, during and after the meal. I have a solo bit in a song and an instrument to play as well.

Lyric of the Blog: " Bring us in more Ale, Boys. Bring us in more Ale"

Damsel in Dis Dress

It all started with an email yesterday am from a great mate of mine who I've known for approx. 14 years through work and who's also in AmDram in Oxfordshire .....

"Know any blondes free this coming Fri night who fancy a bit of acting at a banquet? Maidenhead area. Wouldn't be needed until after 8 and not for very long?"

"All you, sorry - all that the blonde, has to do is wear a long frock, run into a room full of people screaming "Help - there's a big ugly ogre chasing me and you'll be saved by a member of the audience"

Now I'm used to performing on stage mainly, although I have done Murder Mysteries where you sit at the table and act whilst eating but nothing like this. However - as it's so close to home and I would only be needed for a couple of hours, I said yes.

Further investigations and a telephone call from the organiser yesterday afternoon revealed that this was indeed a medieval banquet for 150 people taking place near Maidenhead in a converted barn this coming Friday evening and it's a fundraiser for a local school.

However - Having mentioned that my only free night this week WAS tonight!!! I now find myself preparing to drive to Long Crendon, Nr Thame where the organisers live to try on medieval dresses (Girl will be dead jealous at this bit), meet the organisers and the Ogre and meet some guys who will be playing minstrals and are providing other entertainment during the evening. They want me to rehearse "a few lines" with the Ogre.

" Oh, by the way" says Alan, the organiser. "Do you sing at all?".........

I must be raving mad. I guess that playing a medieval damsel in distress makes a change from being an old witch praying for mercy and trying to escape the gallows!!!!!!!!

Watch this space ....

We're back!!!

So, back again after a two week break, it was nice to see everyone again although we were missing Lucia from the proceedings and Vicky until half 9. Producer Him had prepared the set on the stage for us to get straight underway and so we did. Tonights format was to go over the blocking for the middle section of the play for Emma and Corinne as they were not around for the last rehearsal and then block the final third of the play. Director Demon was very happy with the cast remembering their places from the last lot of blocking, he was heard to remark "the system works" on more than one occassion.

A good blocking session again last night making sure, apart from Lucia, that everyone knows where they are to be at any given time. Now, the Director Demon method for the blocking involves drawing out the stage and plotting where each character is at the start of each page and where they move to on that particular page alongside writing the movements against the script. Sometimes, when lots of characters have lots of movements it can get a bit messy, some of the drawings Director Demon and I put together on Sunday looked a bit like spaghetti on the page, but we seem to make sense of it all last night.

Apart from an incident with a fallen table and some smashed glass - all went off without a hitch, next week we'll start with the acting, hopefully with a full cast so I won't have to be a stand in.

Things of note: Guyman didn't have sweets, Corinne has the thinnest pencil in the world - ever, Matt didn't have a packed lunch box, Emma cares, Dave drinks and Vicky and all the girls had a good scream.

Things I have learned from last night's rehearsal:
1. Producer Her has a cool lighty-up pen which is quite mesmerising
2. Producer Him has a very full pencil case - at his age...
3. The cast find words like "business" and "motions" very funny indeed and always relate these words to toilet humour
4. With the lights out, the hall is REALLY dark
5. Producer Him is quite scary when he's chasing you with a mop
6. 3 weeks till puppy