We have just come out of three days of intensive rehearsal gasping for breath and a little heavy eyed but healthy both in body and spirit. For the first time in 29 rehearsal sessions, yesterday afternoon we had a full company to work with. When I told the company this there was a pleasing shock amongst them and appropriate shaking of heads – then some clapping to mark this achievement! This was a milestone in a way I suppose, not a good one to mark but it came at the perfect time for our fourth run through. I was pleased to be able to reach this point to understand the transitions and journeys through the play. To aid this process with such an episodic piece I asked the company to think each time just before they go on to think about the ‘6 W’s’, which are: Where have I just come from? Where am I? What am I doing? Why am I doing it? When is this happening? Where am I going to now? This is especially important with this play as there are huge sweeps of time change and journeying where action and circumstance must be remembered for the story to make sense. There was a perfect example of this yesterday when at the start of the second half Pericles came in to meet Helicanus returning to Tyre after years travelling. Pericles came in all smiles and greeted Helicanus warmly. In my notes afterwards I asked Joe, who plays Pericles why he was smiling if the last thing that happened to him was that he had thrown his dead wife overboard and then given up his recently born daughter…? The 6 W’s!!!
On our final day we managed to work with more of the production elements that will assist our story telling, namely the curtains underneath the platform that help define place and become practical in the storm scenes, nearly the complete musical score – we are now just adding in one main piece of set, lighting and costuming. These are obviously key elements and the costuming will be the main element for the company to get used to as there are quick changes and understanding of where the costume bands are placed for each country. Wearing your costume for the first time lifts an actor immeasurably particularly a younger actor as it acts almost like a mask part covering their own identity part giving license to truly ‘become’ this ulterior personality. Some of the company don’t need this mask as they have the confidence in their own skin to be able to find the physicality beyond themselves where others don’t have the body confidence to be able to push themselves yet, which can come with age but for some may never completely come as self-consciousness is a trait that is present in many people, young or not. I try to address this with physical warm-ups that encourage them to play and be stupid – my reasoning is that if I look a prat that will allow them to submerge themselves in this as well. Or maybe I just look like a prat…
I have been very impressed by the company this week everybody has lifted their game immeasurably and been professional, committed and enthusiastic in their approach to rehearsals. I asked them to raise the bar for themselves this week and they have done that with vigour and I can only applaud them for that. The piece contains many diverse sections drawn from different influences, from large physicalised choral scenes to single monologues spoken on a bare stage. There are some beautifully intimate moments in the play where I am drawn completely into their world and am beguiled by the truth in their playing. There are moments that make me laugh out loud every single time and I know they will continue to do so. I can’t wait for an audience to see this piece, as I want the company to have people watching and engaging in the world and characters they are creating and for them to feel their reciprocal energy. We are so close you want it come round quickly but now a part of me wants it to slow down as I don’t want it to end. I’m never happy either way! We still have a way to go to get up to performance level but we are on the right road and heading in the same direction.
