Rehearsal 11, Thursday 23rd May 2002

Two new faces today: Matt and Helen. Matt is our assistant director, helping out David - who is involved so much in thinking up wild experiments that he hasn't got enough time for the actual directing stuff. Helen is our new stage manager, our previous one, Georgina, having left. Possibly she left as a protest against my cut lines. David says it's because she was too busy, but then he would, wouldn't he?

We start off by gathering into a circle and playing 'zip zap boing'. This is a kind of virtual 'catch the ball' game, that we were shown on Tuesday, where you can't actually drop the 'ball' (hurrah), but you can do more with it than just throw. I think David has brought it up now to confuse and disorientate Helen and Matt - and anyone else who wasn't here last time. Come to think of it, it confuses and disorientates me and I was here last time.

The game allows a chance for latecomers to arrive - who either also weren't here last time or who weren't too worried about what David said then.

On to 'hot-seating', which turns out to be a lot less physical than I had imagined. It's each of us in turn, sitting in front of the others and being asked questions as our characters. To be honest, I'm not very involved at the beginning, because with each question, I try to think how I would answer as The Judge. Once I've got enough answers that I won't be seriously embarrassed, I can start to enjoy the performances of the others, such as:

Julianne, as the Charities Warden with a distinct sexual identity crisis.
Gary K, as the Schools Superintendent who is so edgy and nervous that even I seem quite calm in comparison. He also seems to like teaching and children for some reason.
Andy, as the Postmaster who is so stupid it's a wonder he knows how to put his hat on. I hope that's just acting…
Petrina, as the loud and rebellious Shopkeeper who's not so forthright when she has to be the ringleader.
Kerry, as the suddenly pregnant Locksmith's Wife, straight out of Dickens.
Sylvia and Jenny as the actor-hating Stage Managers.
…and many more.

I'm a little disconcerted, though, because I'm sitting next to David. That might be considered enough usually, but the source of my unease goes deeper. He has a cast list on his knee and marks off names as each person has a turn. But he has put a cross next to my name, and I haven't been up yet. Am I so good I don't need to have a go? Unlikely. Is he planning to cut my part completely? Possibly!

The evening is almost over, and I've mentally prepared my 'hurt but brave' departure speech, before David remembers that I am there - sitting next to him. So I get a turn after all and can join in the fun from the other side. No-one asks me any of the questions I have prepared answers to. They all seem unduly concerned with the court rather than important issues like hunting and keeping the landowners' wives happy. So I have to pause and think before giving answers. With a bit of luck I can convince them that it's just The Judge pondering his replies.

But the star turn of the night has been saved for the end as Robbie bounces around as a gob-smackingly good Dobchinsky - leaving me to wonder how I ever thought I could do that part. His scatterbrained replies, and the way he manages to steer the questions invariably back to the subject of pies, is worth a play of its own.

In fact, tonight has really brought home to me the quality of the people in the cast and I feel quite honoured to have been picked along with them (emotional bit - *sniff*…).

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