It is a GhoStoryteller night in Billericay and the news from the front isn't good. The advance audience numbers are very small, there are some fears that Children In Need has taken the wind out of sales. I arrive at The Fold a little later than planned, traffic was fairly slow, and set up. The lovely staff show me the room I'll be performing in, help set up and offer me a constant flow of tea. The tea is good.
As it turns out the room was full and the show went very well, except for the moment when I managed to knock my glass of water onto the floor. (It was a tall glass, it would have been fine if it were a tumbler. Buy a tumbler.)
Here is an unhelpful video of the event.
Saturday 19th November 2011:
First day of the big Troll weekend. Sophie and Georgina (see blog post, Meet the Cast) are arriving for rehearsal at the Quay Theatre for midday. It's the first full cast rehearsal we've had since July, I've been working one-to-one with them. It was an even fuller cast as Sophie brought Tinkerbell with her - a mostly well behaved dog until a run of my opening speech, which was punctuated with barks. (Everyone's a critic.) We started the day going over the basic blocking, then looked at the sound effects and music we wanted to layer into the story. I'd been shopping for weird noise making devices the other week so we had lots to play with. We finish rehearsing a bit before nine, completely shattered, but with a real sense of where this version of the show was going. The unlive sound cues however took forever to burn onto CD and, with all the other little admin tasks, meant I didn't get to bed until well past three in the morning.
Sunday 20th November 2011: But that's alright, as we weren't starting again till 12pm. Started the day with a bit of a fry up and headed off to the Quay. We dressed the set, did a run and went through various bits and bobs before the tech and the show. Which went very well. People laughed, were silent and - I think this is a good indicator - at the end of the show, as the light faded to a blackout, just before the applause, from the audience was clearly heard the phrase: "wasn't it good" whispered loudly from one audiant to another.
I, of course, being made that way, have to say... well, there's a lot still to do. Barons Court is a very different space to the Quay and some of our effects will not work as well there - though some will work better. So I'm gearing myself for another long get-in where hundreds of tiny changes occur to keep the magic in place.
I did say in an old blog I wanted more magic. I think we found a little.
Tomorrow I'll blog again with some photos we took during the tech.
Robx
Milk Bottle Productions Presents...
Robert Crighton:
STORYTELLER
Written and Performed by Robert Crighton
Plus Special Guests: Georgina Blackledge & Sophie Morris-Sheppard
Multi-Awarding Winning Storyteller Robert Crighton is returning to his roots with a new collection of stories for 2011. Featuring his trademark wit and dark humour, Storyteller will draw you into unusual worlds and introduce you to people you’d not normally meet.
The Natural History of Trolls
Tuesday 29th November to Friday 23rd December 2011
“Whatever you do, don’t think about orange penguins!”
Multi-Awarding Winning Storyteller Robert Crighton is returning to his roots with a new collection of stories for 2011. Featuring his trademark wit and dark humour, Storyteller will draw you into unusual worlds and introduce you to people you’d not normally meet.
This first collection is called The Natural History of Trolls, three stories covering a hundred and fifty years of history, two Queens and their subjects in the fairy kingdom. Midst this epic timeline is the story of an ordinary commute gone wrong, when a troll-like tramp in an Underground carriage turns out to REALLY be a Troll.
Funny, thoughtful and with occasional attempts at wisdom, let Robert Crighton and his team of storytellers lead you through a world like ours – just a little off centre.
15+ age guidance. Not suitable for young children.
Tickets £12 / £10 concessions
Tuesday to Saturday starts at 7.30pm – doors open 7.15pm. Sunday at 7pm, doors open 6.45pm.
Box Office: 020 8932 4747
Barons Court Theatre, “The Curtain’s Up”, 28A Comeragh Road W14
Nearest Tube: Barons Court (Piccadilly/District Lines)
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