Rehearsal 1, Tuesday 16th April 2002

It's been so long since the audition, I figure I'll be much more laid back than I was then. I manage a reasonably cool approach as I enter the Concert Hall foyer and approach the chap in a suit on the steps. He's ready for me.

"Len Maynard?"
"No…. I'm Trev."
"Do you want the Len Maynard Suite?!"
"Oh,….yes please."

Up in the lofty rafters of the centre, I find a large room with a big circle of people on chairs. And our director, David, the man whose possible lack of judgement has seen me here in the first place, who offers me a free drink.

The first half of the night is taken up with the traditional 'who/what/why' introductions. People start reeling off impressive sounding resumes and, as the spotlight moves ever closer, I'm desperately hoping for someone to be as inexperienced as me. Hurrah! One space before me, Phil takes my heat by saying he has no previous experience at all. Thanks Phil - I duly acknowledge him as my new best mate!

The apparent speed with which my turn approached is matched by the apparent slowness of the rest of the introductions - and the apparent smallness of my memory as a jumble of names jostle for position and mutate before my very… er… mind's eye.

The introductions finally end and David hands out details of the rigorous rehearsal schedule and talks about the play and the plans for the performance.

"We'll be performing in the theatre lobby."
"Busking?"
"No. The audience will be there to see us."
"Won't they be inside the auditorium?"
"No. They'll be outside the dress circle."
"So there's no stage?"
"That's right. We'll move about - up and down the stairs and in and out of the theatre."
"How will the audience see that?"
"We'll take them with us."
"What if they're too slow?"
"We shall have extra members of the cast to push the audience about and poke them with sticks."
"Oh…"

Next up he takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the parts of the theatre we'll be performing in - taking in a diversion to show us the seedy tradesmen's entrance we'll have to use from now on.

"And there'll be no more free drinks until you've earned them!"

Hearing about and picturing the performance, soon has me excited after all and I add my voice to the general hubbub generated by a crowd of excited extroverts. Occasionally this is punctuated by a plea for quiet, because there is a show currently underway in the auditorium. I wonder if it would be some kind of record for a director and his whole cast to be kicked out of a theatre before their first rehearsal.

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