Dark Earth: It's Almost There...

It's almost there...

It's the last few days of rehearsals. We got the "let-in" to the set on Sunday, much excitement. I can only say, it looks amazing. If you can imagine doing a play that feels like you are sitting in the fens during the seventeenth century, but less cold and windy, this is it. Plus, the audience will be able to go around Flag Fen museum and see some of the bronze age remains themselves, before the show starts, if they choose - so they should properly be in the mood by the time they get into our amazing marquis!

We had to readjust to the space, which is a bit bigger, but  a different shape, to where we have held rehearsals, and figure out how to fit 40 people, their gubbins and their costumes into the limited backstage area. And it's Sunday, and it still feels like we have a lot to do. We've got a new stage manager who was anxiously asking what on earth a "weebly" was (it's the online forum we're using, not some new piece of theatre technology, much to her relief) and our lighting technician was on his way from Bournmouth... but there was lots for us to be practising. There were seat backs to be fitted, and props to be located. The set is amazing, but not entirely... finished. The sewing machine was still going, and puppets were having finishing touches added to them.

Monday night, and 40 people were still uncertain as to where and when to come off. New rule: there's a mark on the curtain which shows where you can be seen by the audience. Don't stick your head past it... Note: people can hear you when you whisper. Especially if, as is the case here, the entrances are right behind the audience. We're too excited. Not-very-stage whispers can be heard every time people come off stage (Was that alright? Were you in a different place from usual? Is the lighting really going to be like that?). We found that opening the sides of the marquis to eject actors a bit quicker does tend to make the tent very cold, so we are trying to not do that. New rule: don't walk past the end of the stage when it is all lit up. You're kind of obvious. There are a lot of bodies behind the scenes in a not very big space. It's exciting, but a little cramped.

We get ready to do our finale song-and-dance. Well, song, really. It's all a bit different because of the stage area. We trip over each other. We don't remember the words. Half of us are mouthing the wrong words. We start again. We get through it a second time with a bit more gusto. It's been a long night, and Naomi knows it's time to let us home. "Great!" she says, which is charitable, to say the least. 

This play is on the brink of being bloody brilliant. Everything is almost there. We're teetering on the edge of a high-energy, pacey, fascinating play with a great story, and a great setting. Just one final push... thank goodness we've got another couple of days. It's really going to be great, Naomi, we promise!