Tech Tock

This week we've been concentrating on technical matters.  The off-site rehearsals last weekend showed that the actors have mastered the material and now only need to gain confidence of working on the stage, with props and costume, under lights to bring the play up to the highest level.

Last Sunday we erected the staging and rostra for the seats; worked out a final seating plan (hooray, we do have room for all the tickets we sold!); and put the lighting bars up.

During the week, I worked out a way of hanging wallpaper in the room, despite not being allowed to hang things on the walls, and carpeted the stage and worked with Martin, our super lighting designer, to hang the lamps which will create the right atmosphere.

I've also been working with Clare, who's running sound, to come up with a plot to enhance the action.

Last night we had a first tech rehearsal (see picture) at which we had the majority of the props and took time to stop at crucial points to work out any glitches in the action.

These rehearsals are always a little frustrating as it means five days without a proper "performance", because the work we need to do fragments the action.  But it also gives the actors and crew the confidence to know exeactly what they are doing when it comes to running the play, allowing the actors to do their job of portraying ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances without having to worry about where they will be putting their tea-cups!

There are now only 4 days to go until we put the show in front of a real, live, breathing, paying audience of human beings.  Then we find out if it's any good!