End of week two
Another week hunched over the stove of creativity and we find ourselves up against the tyranny of choice left to us by Mr. Bennett. The subtext is littered with tasty morsels offering up such a range of delicious choices for us and the actors to make. The reduction of these ingredients is the key to presenting this piece of work as a well balanced and flavoursome dish that retains its ability to surprise even the most experienced connoisseur of Mr. Bennett’s theatrical delicacies. As in all great plays Enjoy is deep with meaning and literary allusion, and uncovering the complex histories and relationships of the characters has been a joy. We have edited some of the piece but the language is rich and specific. Each individual has a clear voice and journey. The text offers enough insight to the nature of these people to allow us access to their truths without resorting to didactic clichés. It is inspiring and challenging and offers the company the chance to get their teeth into some meaty parts. With the costumes nearly all chosen and the end image of the play now nearly defined I feel we have come a long way in the first two weeks to a good understanding of the nature of the play. That said, there will be yet more to discover as we continue to develop the production over the coming fortnight.
We have equally enjoyed discovering the nature of the play’s developing form, starting in a very real – even naturalistic – place, a little like a good scotch broth (to further the culinary analogy) and developing through increasingly complex flavours in the fish and main courses to a quite extraordinarily theatrical dessert full of surprising flavours.
We are now in the third week of rehearsals and are about to polish the cutlery, decant the wine and lay the table ready for our guests. If this theatrical meal is as much fun to consume as it has been to make, then… Enjoy!
Damian Cruden
Director
