A double-episode this time, not having managed to organise myself last week. But over the course of the fortnight, serious progress. We have had the most difficult and stuttering of starts, taking a long time even to recruit the right numbers. But that process is now complete – there are eleven of us.
We have our most vital props – the ladders – and this week we also had four brightly coloured cloth snakes. Not only are these decorative and illustrative of our main theme, they also have one functional purpose: when we create the skeleton of the boat, with the ladders lying down, the s akes are then used to tie them together, so that the whole boat can be lifted as one. This was an idea I had when finally deciding on how to make the boat, but this week was the first opportunity to test it in practice. And rather to my surprise, it worked, first time!
We have pretty much also managed to run the whole of the play, albeit in two rehearsals. Which does make it sound as though it is going to be a very long play, but actually this is pretty normal. While one is still working things out, sometimes repeating a scene, it can be a very long and slow process. Nor am I the most patient of directors. Others that I have worked with are meticulous, painstaking, ensuring each moment is fully worked out before moving on to the next. And maybe this is the more professional approach.
But for myself, I am always in a hurry to move things on, and frequently this means leaving some moments or ideas not fully worked out… there will always be another rehearsal. Not that this is my actual intention, and it can lead to confusion. But it also makes the entire rehearsal process more dynamic; it is not a case of having one pattern established early on and then stuck to.
Perhaps the most important development this week came with the arrival of Roji. It has proved a challenge covering for him – and actually J has done a splendid job over the last couple of weeks, even offering to learn the lines – but that is not really a satisfactory situation. So to have him arrive yesterday, with the news that he has decided to quit his job in Sheffield and return to London, was a huge boost. It did mean that, for the first time, we had the entire cast there.
There usually comes a point, in the course of rehearsals, where I suddenly (and after much time doubting whether it would ever happen), when I suddenly see the way forward, and can see that the production will at least be fine, maybe even better. And I am starting to feel that excitement now. When the sound and music is properly organised, I will feel even better. But we are on schedule, with the performance venues now booked: June 13 and 20. Plenty of time.
