Private Resistance: Opening Night

So opening night from the perspective of the work placement woman.  It's busy! What people may not consider is that things are being finished/finalised/ tweaked up until the last minute. Making sure everything is ready in time and the best it can be.

So the day goes like this:

I arrive at Sir John Mills Theatre (on time I'm pleased to say) and iron some costumes. Would they have had time to iron shirts in 1940, whilst Briton was under the occupation of Germany? Probably not but Eastern Angles actors are well looked after.

We get on the tour bus and head to Aldeburgh. On the way the exact days for the scenes in Act Two are finalised. And we flick through the programme; I am thrilled to say my name is in it!

We arrive at Aldeburgh and Naomi (Jones, The Director) gives her notes from yesterday's dress rehearsal. I finish the calendar (a focal point of the set for those of you who have not seen it) by crossing off the days to show the correct date. Very carefully and regularly checking that I'm not making any mistakes as the calendar costs £11 a sheet - A2 is an expensive size to print!

Everything is then set for a dress rehearsal, this is the first time I have seen it with full costume, lights and sound. Although I have already seen some scenes multiple times, I am still captivated and thoroughly enjoy seeing how everything has come together.

We then reset the millions of props (this is only a slight exaggeration), which seem to have been hidden far and wide by the actors, or they have taken them to use them!

Then the house is open and the audience comes eagerly in. This is the really exciting part, seeing how an audience reacts to the performance, when they laugh and what makes them sit forward in their seats, enthralled by the action. Overhearing comments afterwards they loved it, particularly the ingenious set which encapsulates the magic of theatre for me. If you've seen the show you'll know what I'm talking about, if not, better get those tickets booked to find out...