Frustration at Rehearsals

I know you’re all wondering how my rehearsals are going, and with less than a week to go until our performance week, I’m pleased to tell you all they’re going well. On Monday I forgot a line, said the wrong one and then the rest of the scene died because I couldn’t stop thinking about the mess I’d done. See that’s the perfectionist in me just dying to escape. A few weeks ago I let my frustrations gets the better of me, and really let fly at a rehearsal.

I was rehearsing my major scene in Act 1, and it was not going to plan. My character, Elsie is angry with her husband, they’ve just had a huge argument. The scene must have been run about 20 times, and during that time, apparently everyone but me knew best. Even some of the backstage crew who were watching. Anyway I was ok, just frustrated and hot. David, my husband, showed me what he thought the director expected and unsurprisingly he pulled it off extremely well. However, let’s not forget he has been acting for 10 years! The rest of the cast who were watching said he did a great job and that he should get the part. Now joke aside, you can understand how that made me feel. Cue a little swearing and me marching out to the toilets. I was very, very angry with everyone...

However, the positive from this was that when we ran the scene again I performed it so much better as I was angry for real. I think David was surprised! I know the catalyst for my anger so I’m going to run with it now

Penultimate rehearsal tonight, and now the nerves are really affecting me, although I am excited for next week.

Help would be much appreciated

I have a massive plea to all you up and coming writers out there. I hate titles and I want to think of an appropriate one for my debut novel. Would you mind telling me your opinions on these two titles please?

1) 2 years, 2 people, 2 different lives
2) The Rich, the Coward and the Determined

While writing this post, I've thought of another possible title so can I trouble you for more thoughts on this one pretty please?

3) The Rich, the Coward and the Brave

Adios for now. Love to everyone x

Define ‘lunchtime’

Having too much time on my hands, I frequently eat lunch in Café Nero in the centre of town. Their hot chocolates really are too good to resist. Yesterday I arrived halfway through the possible lunchtime rush, so imagine my surprise finding the majority of the tables taken up by customers having only ordered a coffee. It was lunchtime. Where was their lunch? I felt pretty stupid being one of only a handful of diners at 1 o’clock. Finding out that another of our restaurants in Stafford had indeed recently told customers that unless they were eating between 12 and 2, they had to sit in another part of the restaurant, I allowed myself a small smile. How many of you have entered a restaurant and struggled to find a seat because all the tables are taken up with coffee drinkers? Be honest now, hands up. I have! It is very frustrating. Perhaps the increasing obesity problem in our country is having more of an impact than we originally thought. All things considered, I’m going to stick with a wonderful quote that my best friend told me yesterday; ‘coffee is the new lunch.’ Perhaps…but lunch will always get my vote.

The one positive about being ill

Happy New Year to everyone, hope you all had a great Christmas. I had a cold before Christmas and sadly suffered another one after New Year. My immune system took a huge hit, and I normally pride myself on my healthiness. Having never had sinus problems, I was surprised and annoyed to find out that my cold also wanted to invade all the pressure points in my head. For the best part of a week, I suffered from a dull ache occasionally a sharp infrequent pain across from forehead, and aching ears too. It was a few days before I succumbed and started to dose myself on paracetamol. Sleep was torturous, having more than once been woken up during the night with a sharp knife like pain through my skull. Just when I thought that things couldn’t get any worse, I lost my sense of taste. I would have happily put up with the head pain, if I could have tasted my food, well maybe not, but the thought was there.

Now a week on I can taste again. I only lost it for a week but I can assure you, it felt like an eternity and the positive, it has made me appreciate food again; particularly cheese, bacon and chocolate, my favourites. I feel much better now, am pleased to report I’m painfree which makes rehearsing for the up and coming performance of The Ghost Train much more enjoyable. On Monday declining the paracetamol I had pain above my right eye the entire night and by the end I had had enough, frustration had appeared coupled with a huge dose of irritation towards my fellow actors and I wanted my bed. Tonight, the old me will be back.

One last note, sinus pain is far more than a headache as I gently pointed out to my doctor on Monday evening and anyone who has suffered from it, will testify to that. Here’s to being healthy.

Have a great weekend everyone.

x

Playing Elsie Winthrop

Currently rehearsing for ‘The Ghost Train,’ and only having done four or five rehearsals, I’m already contemplating the merits of going for the audition back in November. It seemed like such a good idea, acting on stage, playing the part of a grumpy, independent woman from the 1920s. Did I mention that the men have to hold the doors open for the women? I am far from being a natural actress, indeed all my movements on stage look forced but I do enjoy myself and I can laugh at what I do or say, which is important. The assistant director has volunteered to give me more practise and help, so I’ve accepted, determined to be a famous actress by the time February rolls around.

Having bit the bullet and asked out the guy who plays my on stage husband, I was in a state of euphoria because he said yes. Cue my fairytale ending, and a wonderful engagement and marriage, having been together for only a matter of weeks. No, wrong…it was all too good to be true; unable to commit he hid behind telling me on Monday evening, he didn’t have the same feelings as me. I was distraught on Monday evening, but having had time to digest what he told me, and knowing that the play must go on; I’m now ready to play the part of his angry, grumpy wife tonight. I don’t think I’ll be lying when I say, everyone will be surprised at my wonderful realistic, acting skills and I only have one person to thank. So thank you David from the bottom of my heart; you stopped me from making a very grave mistake. Here’s to moving on.

Angst - disappointment - ecstasy

Having been a prompter in the last play, 'The Killing of Sister George,' I was keen to try out for the next set of Auditions. They took place on Monday, and I could only take part in one casting audition because I was busy the week before being a prompt! Apparently this was my fault! For some unknown reason, at least to me anyway, I only read 4 or 5 lines for the part of Elsie in 'The Ghost Train', a grumpy, sulky 25 year old, married to Richard but who wanted a divorce. Oh happy times! Needless to say I didn't leave the audition full of hope and indeed everyone who I came into contact with at the beginning of last week will say that I was a right grump and the part would have suited me perfectly.

On Wednesday night we were due a phone call from the director and I had already decided I was going to complain about the lack of fairness in the audition because I was that convinced I hadn't got the part. When I was given the amazing news that I had been successful, I felt like a total fool because I had to take back everything I had thought and bite my tongue. I was on cloud 1000(!) for the rest of the night and couldn't sleep.

Set in the 1920s the play will be a hit, and I can't wait to start rehearsing tonight. Finding and wearing 1920s dress might be interesting though....

The last word has got to go to my badminton friends, who last Tuesday put up with my distracted and grumpy demeanour. I think tomorrow will be a great deal different.

Stay tuned.

Sleeping is a dangerous activity

A very delayed post on a windy, and cold afternoon; hello you to all.

Last week I woke up in severe pain, having done God knows what to my upper back, while apparently being asleep. Walking was about the only thing I could with little or no pain, and driving was a complete no starter. I wasn’t too despondent about ringing and cancelling my computing courses for the week, or being unable to work and having to rely on mum to drive me. But when I arrived at my play rehearsal that Thursday evening, having been driven by my sister, I was very aggravated to find out that the littlest things caused me pain; turning my head to the left or the right was painful and therefore, I found myself missing out because I couldn’t turn. Sleeping was the easiest thing to do, ironic considering it had caused me the pain in the first place.

After a few days my neck/back was much better and now, I’m pleased to be able to report that I am pain free. However, it really should be noted that sleep is dangerous. Or maybe it’s just my wonky and injured back; the vagaries of playing badminton and having a bad technique I guess…