Small but appreciative audience.
I think it's hard on a small audience to be honest. They don't really have the confidence of a large crowd and the laughs come slowly. We have to work harder as well to keep the pace going and try to find out what they're enjoying most.
It was a good show though. Felt fairly tight and no major catastrophes apart from Sir Toby's facial hair not sticking properly. This is an issue only because the one thing you don't want to have to do on stage is worry about anything mechanical.
There are few things more un-nerving or likely to put an actor off than a slipping moustache or a failing piece of elastic. Actual physical pain or feeling ill is much easier to deal with because adrenaline kicks in and does most of the pain relief for you. Not so with elastic.
It's the lows that make you appreciate the highs. I suppose it must be the same for the performance game?
ReplyDeleteI do recall my one and only moment on a stage, of sorts, and that was my junior school nativity, where my teacher so kindly picked me for the part of the angel Gabriel.
ReplyDeleteNow don't forget that I'm no more that 8 years old. The stage was a bit taller than table height, the backdrop was black paper. For my part I was required to march to the front of the stage and... well, I don't know? As the teacher was reading out the part of Gabriel. Even at the tender age of 8, I was feeling redundant, not to mention stupid, stood there, a hall full of kids sat cross-legged on the wood floor gawping up at me.
But what made the whole experience intensely worse for me was being told to march to the back of stage, turn my back to the school and face the wall of black paper. Looking back on it now, it seemed more punishment than anything else, I mean, back then, one of the punishments for misbehaving was to stand in a corner facing the wall.
Stupid teacher. I resigned shortly after, due to some unhelpful remarks by some classmates that I looked like I was taking a pee as I had my hands clasped together in front of me as I stood facing the wall... bastards.
I imagine today, if that was done there would be all sorts of outrage about it. Kids today, pfft! Don't know they're born (mind is flipping to that sketch at 'The Policemens' Secret Ball' with the Pythin crew sat around reselling stories of their up bringing. I wonder why they chose northern accents? Great sketch :)
*note: please forgive typos, this iPad is shite to type on - must turn off predictive text*
DeleteHow the hell did it come up with 'Pythin'!?... grrr!
Ha!
DeleteDon't speak to me of predictive text. My record is semi-legendary. Sent a text over Christmas to a friend attempting to say I'd got the complete Sondheim lyrics and receieved bewildered text back asking why I was suddenly interested in poultry. "Sondheim" came out as "some hens".
Nativity plays have a lot to answer for.
Kids are no nicer today if my experience in various schools is anything to go by.