Rehearsal 12, Saturday 25th May 2002

Another Saturday rehearsal. For this one, we've met up a bit early at the Capital One building - requiring me to do without the Saturday lie-in I'm desperately in need of. Never mind, I may be bleary eyed, but at least I'm not late. Well, not very late.

Why have we met here, you ask? Has David, realising the likelihood of legal action from the Gogol Preservation Society, decided to put us all to work, like some cash-strapped Victorian father sending his children down the mine? Fear not, indignant reader, for we are planning to put on a couple of performances here and have merely come to get a look at the spaces available.

What that means in practical terms, is that we have to wander about up and down stairs quite a bit. We wonder whether we'll be allowed to use the unoccupied fourth floor. If not, we'll make use of the large 'atrium' - that's latin for 'big hole in the middle of a building'.

This is the first time most of the cast has been inside the building, and it is rather impressive. Mind you, there are different scales of being impressed: Barbara, for example, seems most taken with the pieces of shale in the tree-size plant pots, and how nice they would be for her garden.

At the other end of the scale, some of them seem interested in where I work, so I take a small breakaway party to show them. Actually, I say small, but many of the others follow too, not realising that we are a breakaway, and I end up with quite a procession when we arrive. I explain that this is the nerve centre of the whole UK operation. I can tell that this has impressed them because some of them have gone into coughing fits. There are, of course, some sceptical voices, who suggest that some of the things on my desk, such as my rubber houses, my bell and my twirly thing are silly toys rather than a required part of day-to-day business.

Eventually, we finish and I'm looking forward to a sit-down. First, however, we have to cross to the other side of town to get to the theatre. David tells us to meet him in the first floor foyer rather than the rehearsal room. This is the prelude to more walking up and down stairs as we are shown where each scene will be and how the audience will be set out and moved around the three-storey foyer. It is nice to be able to picture the scenes taking place.

The thought of a sit down is even more enticing now - lack of sleep and the stormy weather are taking their toll on my energy reserves. It's not over yet, though, for David has another bout of stairs for us to handle. I'm not even sure how we got there, but by some strange sleight of foot, we suddenly find ourselves in the backstage area.

Actually, this detour is the most interesting of the day and David gives us an extensive tour of the theatre. It's great to be led about the labyrinthine corridors, to see the backstage areas, to hear about the history of the theatre - completely refitted in Victorian style in the 1970's- and to stand on the stage and imagine performing there. Some of the others talk about a 'rake' on the stage, but I can't see one at all. Perhaps all those stairs have made the blood rush to their heads. I tread very carefully anyway, because I've seen on TV what happens when someone steps on a rake and I don't want to look a fool.

The tour ends when we climb yet more stairs to find ourselves in the bar. It shows how disorientated I am that I had no idea we were below ground level. We break for lunch, and I'm so worn out by now that I just find the closest seat and stay in the bar with some of the others. Simon tells me about seeing Kareena last night at the Lace Market Theatre and how good she was. Kareena tells us a bit about how that theatre works and I resolve to sign up as soon as I get some time - gosh, I'm so addicted!

After lunch we get back to proper rehearsing, continuing the 'blocking' with Acts 2 and 3. Luckily, I'm not in those. Lucky for me I mean, because I've got a headache by now. I guess you could also argue that it's lucky for everyone else too - but I'm sure you're much too nice to. A good bit of relaxing while I listen to the play eases away the headache.

In the pub afterwards, I tell the others that I now have rehearsals every day because of my open-air performance on 3rd June. I hope that some of them will come, but there isn't much of a response until I point out that Gary G and Shelley are in it too. I ask David if he'll be coming too, hoping he'll be able to give me useful advice afterwards - I mean other than, "Don't ask me to come to anything else, Trev".

Matt impresses us all by managing to 'pull' just by sitting next to an empty seat. David is inspired enough to try his own, more direct approach. He claims afterwards that he is an avid gardener and was merely offering to show his peonies. Hmmm….

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