Aboard The Nancy Blackett

‘We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea' Blog: Week 2

By Christopher Buckley

After a restful weekend of getting to explore the ins and outs of Ipswich, it was great to dive straight back into blocking the final section of Act One. A difficult moment we encountered was when we were trying to block out a piece of action that required the characters to be hit multiple times by a series of waves. Naturally it was difficult to try and plot out something straight away onto the stage, and even more difficult to create something original that didn't look like we were palm trees flailing about in the wind. So we took to the floor and experimented with various kinds of physical movement and choreography. After several hours hard work, we had successfully created a unique and interesting sequence, and we soon had it up and running in the small confines of the stage's cabin area. It was exciting getting to create something as an ensemble, making a flow of movement that was unique to just us and our characters.

Tuesday was a big day for all of us, as we attempted a run-through of the first half of the play. Although not truly terrifying as we still had the safety of having our scripts in hand, there was still a nervous but excited buzz as we got everything  ready  onstage. After a quick run-through of the sections we had blocked on Monday, we launched straight into the run after lunch. Naturally there were points where all of us were a little confused over who moved to which position, but the overall atmosphere after we had finished was one of tired but perky optimism. As the first half builds to such a peak as the children face ever growing dangers at sea, we all felt the run had been useful in helping to plot out our characters journey, as well as highlighting new ideas we hadn't realised before.

This optimism was so contagious it followed us into Wednesday's rehearsal, as we began to block the second half. In fact, it must have given us some form of energetic boost as by the end of the day, we found we had blocked and cemented over half of the entire act. In addition to this, it seemed as if everyone was starting to drift away from the reliance on the scripts and some sections were being delivered without a single glance down at the page. It was quite electrifying and everyone left the room feeling very happy about the piece. Maybe the spirit of Ransome himself was watching over us as we worked, championing us on our way.

If indeed that was the case then he would have been doubly proud of us on Thursday, as we left the rehearsal room for a final excursion on-board the very ship he had owned (and used as inspiration for the boat in the book) named the ‘Nancy Blackett'. We arrived at the Woolverstone Marina, all clothed and ready for a rainy day, to be greeted with a gloriously hot summer's day. After finding the boat we were met by two members from the Nancy Blackett Trust, a group dedicated to preserving the wonderful yacht that had been Ransome's favourite boat. After a delightful tour finding out everything we could about the inside and outside of the boat, we had the huge privilege of being able to take her out into the Marina. Bobbing about on the water in the hot sun, learning how to tack and secure ropes properly, it was as if we had been lifted out of our normal lives straight into the pages of one of Ransome's books. After returning the boat back to its mooring we all said goodbye and headed back to the rehearsal room, feeling a lot more confident about sailing (and a lot pinker from the sun) then we had that morning. The experience had a dramatic effect on us all, and we all felt very comfortable moving around as if the set was a real boat. We got through as much blocking on the second half as we could, and after a hard day's work both us and the production team headed off to Pizza Express for a wonderful company meal.

We all came into Friday's rehearsal with a fresh determination to finish blocking the entire play, and set to it with great energy. By now it was clear to see that people were quickly picking up their lines, and there were whole sections of dialogue which everyone did completely from memory without any use of script. We finished blocking, and decide to run the whole of the second half after lunch. Lunch came and went, and my cast mates and I were soon launching into the run determined to give as good as we had. As the second half is significantly shorter in length, with the children managing to safely cross the sea and finally make their way back home, it wasn't long until we found ourselves in our final positions happily singing the old sea shanty ‘Spanish Ladies'. And so, after a hard but fulfilling week, we found ourselves with the outline of the entire play and we all set off for weekends of line learning and relaxation.