Bentwater Roads: Groundhog Day

Opening night looms ever closer. Today we had an afternoon start so the morning was a mixture of going over the script, jogging through Christchurch Park, playing fooseball at ShakeAway in the middle of Ipswich and going for a nice swim at Crown Pools.

At 2:30 in the afternoon we arrived back at the Hush House and the technical crew and Alan, Silki and Ivan were already there busy working away at getting the technical details (sound and lighting cues/changes) for Act One in place.

It was very muggy and even the short downfall of rain didn't really clear the air. Everyone was feeling a little strange due to the weather. Entrances and exits and logistics and lighting and sound cues were carefully put in place throughout the evening. As actors we waited quietly in the theatre for when we were needed on stage, playing out our scenes as we came to them and go back over them to add in the sound and lighting cues until the timing was exactly as Ivan would like. It's very detailed and slow work (it always is and this crew has been very good, on what is a reasonably tech heavy show). At one point I saw Silki (Stage Manager) walk off to discuss something with Cherilyn (Costume Supervisor) only to come back 25 minutes later finding everyone on stage back to the same positions they were in when she'd left, she light heartedly quipped 'It's like groundhog day'.

Silki, Ivan, Alan and the crew have all been in really good humour throughout the stressful process of the tech, telling jokes and jesting with each other and throwing smiles to everyone involved. The atmosphere they create is wonderful to work in and by 10pm after a lot of concentration, corrections and additions of effects, they/we had got the tech done for the first act. Meaning we'll be ready for a dress run (a practice run of the play in costume) tomorrow afternoon.

Two more days left before opening night and as we got back to Ipswich we headed for a glass of wine at the Grey Hound and a quick follow up drink of the bottle of red the company bought for my thirtieth in the back garden of Mark's digs - all of us passionately discussing the play, the space and how well the show is coming together.