"Lets get physical. Physical"- Thank you Olivia Newton-John for aptly summing up this first week of rehearsals. Even as I type this, my head keeps bobbing asleep (a bit like when you see someone fall asleep on a stranger on the tube-- but probably less funnier)
For the next few weeks I'll be doing a brief weekly blog on the rehearsals for COMING UP. A new writing piece, on at Watford Palace Theatre from the 10th- 24th October. (http://www.watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk/page/coming-up)
The story itself is a magical, evocative, physical tale of broken family ties & the need for connection. Set in India.- Mumbai (Bombay) in the present day, & Mangalore in the 1940s. All through the portal of an important family book.....
So be prepared for a fair bit of time jumping. This is not your standard, run-of the mill, kitchen sink drama. There are vicars, tigers, Nespresso coffee machines & more. Leave naturalism at the door, and expect proper theatre story-telling.
It all started as standard: the initial meet and greet on the Monday. Get to know the people in the building; who you'll be working with; first sit down read through of the script & a view of the set design. Great. We're doing well. Pass along the plates of biscuits please.
But that's it. No resting on them laurels for anyone hereon in, as the rest of this week has been quite the physical experience! It has involved a fair bit of stretching, walking, lifting, rolling, running, balancing & jumping. Even as I think about it, I start to ache. (anyone giving free massages?!)
With a cast of just 5, and about 20 characters in the play, its fair to say there's a lot of multiple personality disordering going on; as well as creating the physical language we need to show and inhabit. All in a way that serves the brilliant text & is entertaining storytelling for the audience.
So we've got to play a lot this week. Discovering different walks for the numerous characters; exploring the times & places of India; creating images that will help the audience's imagination and thinking about our inner animals (the monkey, the goat, the antelope, the contemporary dancer)*** to help us. Everyone has been pitching in with ideas. If it works, it works. If it hasn't, we've let it go.
Additionally we've spent time on some of the initial scenes- delving into characters & the text. Making the story come to life at its core: familial relationships & discovering who you are.
Coming up (*ba-doom*. *groan*) to the end of the first week, I can say it has been a complete ensemble experience. Knackered-- but in a completely satisfactory way.
Lets see what week 2 brings.
(***please note, no real animals or contemporary dancers were harmed in our inner thinking.)
FULL SHOW DETAILS & TO BOOK: http://www.watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk/page/coming-up
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