Not Long Now

It's Thursday of tech week, and this is really the first chance I've had to sit down and write anything. When the show's as busy as ours, with such rich soundscapes and visual effects, the technical rehearsals take some time. And we're taking advantage of this to repeatedly run sections of the action in costume and usually at full performance pitch, so it's pretty draining.
It's a delight to see others' performances taking on lovely, vibrant colour though, as they do the fine brushwork on their characters. Sophie's characterisation of Madeleine is an ethereal, gorgeous creature, exactly the "romantic moving picture" designed to capture Roger that Ballard talks about early on. And when contrasted with the earthy Renee of Act II, the truth of their twin identity and motivations should keep the audience on tenterhooks until the very final moments. Pete's character was in pretty fantastic shape in week 1, but it's continued to develop and flesh out beautifully. I've also never seen such focus on stage when others are working - it's a masterclass in supportive acting, and I rely on him enormously.
Dan's ability to create a washerwoman by wearing a towel, or a dopey rural shopkeeper who steers perilously close to "Two Soups" territory (and is all the more hilarious for it) is endlessly creative. The only danger is the likely corpsing of the rest of us, but hey. That's our problem.
Today we'll finish teching, do a dress rehearsal and then another for a small invited audience of kind and generous guests. And tomorrow we pack the van for the first time...
Oh, and here's our fab set, freshly painted. Let's hope it all goes in.

Rear views L-R - Jake (Lighting/Visuals), Colin (SM), Karen (Director), Ivan (MD)