The Winter's Tale 2009: Rehearsals finished

in situ:'s Winter's Tale group reassembled on Saturday to put the performance back together in a weekend. One actor not returning had been replaced with another member of the group who was unavailable for Saturday, so we spent most of the day revising the order of scenes and remembering the transitions.

Having spent two weeks revising lines, it was pleasing to note how well they were embedded in long-term memory, returning with a little coaxing, though many of the cast did two weeks of Twelfth Night a couple of weeks back and are finding another two weeks of performance more taxing.

On Sunday our new actor joins us, proving to have learned her lines to perfection, resulting in a collective sigh of relief which boosts the cast's confidence measurably. We run through the whole performance twice and there now is a definite collective sense that we can do this. I make several annoying mistakes, but console myself with the knowledge it's better to make them now than later. It gives me a sense what I still need to do to get my performance up - mainly relax, take my time and speak more clearly, not race through the lines.

On Monday evening there is time for a final dress rehearsal which goes well, boosting confidence further. We've done our best and must now open the doors and let the crowd in, but there is a strange lack of any sense of quanitifiable improvement. Last year's revival of Oedipus was very different, though we began with several specific improvements we wanted to make, resulting in a more cohesive production.

We'll just have to see what the public think..!

The Winter's Tale - night 6

It's the last night and I feel sad. The group has been together for nine months putting this performance together and this is our last night together performing. I am also surprisingly nervous. Perhaps it's Mark's promise to check closely my knowledge of my lines.

It goes well, though far too quickly. I even manage to nail my final speech word perfect, which has been bothering me all week. It's not the words which are so difficult with Shakespeare, just the order the come in. And that there are so many of them.

Bella and Richard throw a great party after which gives us the chance to say goodbye to each other, though most of us will see each other at the forthcoming performances of Metamorphoses and Oedipus Rex.

I can't wait.

The Winter's Tale - night 5

The inevitable happened and the arrival of Harry's baby is imminent, meaning director Richard steps into his place. This increases tension slightly as we're all wondering how it will go, though he assures us: "I think I know the lines." We run through the dance steps and lip-synching beforehand.

We all want it to go well, so we're very focused and the tension increases through the first hour. There are a few walk outs when we move back outside. One distracted me slightly, but I recovered. As usual no one else notices, Radar admitting he just listens for his cue in the last line of each speech. The rain holds off nicely, just starting to spot as we move back inside for the final two scenes.

It's getting harder to squeeze out tears in the finale. I'm tired and the tension in my head is impeding me somehow, drawing me back to reality. This changed abruptly after the end when the 88% of the audience who remained gave us an extra curtain call!

One night left now. I'll feel sad tomorrow and next week will seem quite empty. But as Richard pointed out, Oedipus Rex is coming up in a couple of weeks...

The Winter's Tale - night 4

Another sell out tonight, thanks in part to the 25 Swiss students and their teacher who formed the bulk of the hardy souls who braved the weather. The forecast had said rain would move across the Midlands and possibly reach East Anglia by the evening, but we were still disappointed when it arrived. Thankfully the CD player held out, the rain didn't get too heavy and we didn't have to opt for the unrehearsed wet-weather option.

It's always nice when someone stops to say how much they enjoyed a performance. Tonight Margaret, one of the students, tells me about similar performances she's seen in Basle and how much more she enjoyed this one!

Sometime ago I adopted a policy of going up to people whose work I like and telling them. This isn't usual in a country handicapped by the famous British Reserve, but positive feedback is important, particularly for artists who are working hard to make a name for themselves. I wasn't looking for anything myself, but over the years it has led to a brief chat with the lovely Martha Wainwright, a couple of conversations with members of now sadly defunct (I can't take the blame for that) Canadian female rock group The Organ and a friendship and opportunity to work with multi-talented singer Piney Gir.

What could happen if you told someone how much you like their work?

The Winter's Tale - night 3

I dashed home slightly early from KCUK, meaning I was able to get some tea and relax for a bit before leaving for the Leper Chapel, any tiredness disappearing as soon as soon as I left.

The director's pep talk was aimed at focusing us more on our performance and not taking too much notice of the audiences' reactions. Specifically, don't worry if they're not laughing at the jokes and applauding all the songs. It's not an indication of quality and Saturday's performance was just as good as Sunday's from his perspective.

There was a little tension around after two nights off, but it quickly evaporated once we started - until we reached the Sicilian scenes and we put it back in.

A few lines were skipped somewhere in the middle but it was hardly noticeable - certainly not to the audience, another sell out thanks to the people who turned up on the night.

The Winter's Tale - night 2

A fantastic second night thanks in a big part to a responsive audience who laughed at the jokes and applauded the music.

Perhaps we relaxed into the performance more. Buoyed by the response to the opening scene, our confidence, energy and focus all soared. Individual and chorus lines were clearer and the performance built to a wonderfully moving ending. Tanya, powerful the first night as Hermione, was explosive in the trial scene. All the actors were buzzing both during and after.

I was much happier with my own performance, only mixing up two lines and hitting most of the chorus lines.

Now with two days off before we return Wednesday evening, I have some time to polish my presentation for KCUK on Thursday.

The Winter's Tale - opening night

A good opening night, four-fifths sold out and only two walkouts, citing "claustrophobia" - which indicates the second scene works! Paul has developed an excellent performance, starting weak and transforming into a menacing jealous Leontes. The vaudevillians routines work well, although I mess up a couple of times.

I did cock up one part quite badly and froze, my mind blank, thinking the whole performance was about to collapse, but Harry stepped in quite brilliantly and picked up with his next line. And no one noticed anyway, as usual. Perhaps I will relax a bit more in subsequent performances.

I particularly enjoy Harry and Rachael's transformation - partly because it means I've just spoken my last line - which sets up a wonderfully moving ending that candlelight makes especially atmospheric.

"Go together, you precious winners all..."

The Winter's Tale - final dress rehearsal

An exciting run through this evening which came in at just over two hours.

Whatever slip-ups there may have been were barely noticeable. The music queues were almost spot on - if I can just nail a few more chorus lines...

Tickets meanwhile have been selling well even - better than Oedipus at the same time last year - and we should be close to selling out every night with the additional coverage in the Cambridge Evening News and Cambridge Crier this week.

"It is required you do awake your faith"

The Winter's Tale - penultimate rehearsal

The mood is confident at the Leper Chapel tonight. Lines are mostly learnt and we're going to concentrate on some of the transitions and choruses which have been tripping people up.

This goes well, running over the detail of some of the slightly more ragged scenes, but ultimately it's down to us to know the lines. Tanya is unfortunately sick, while Harry's baby is due today and director Richard is understudying his role. Still we manage to get a lot done and finish with a speed run through the whole thing.

This is useful as it means we get to experience the whole play again - minus the music - but it does place additional stress on the actors to get their lines out... Just as I was confident of having them all, the tension is ratchetted up another notch and they spill all over the grass leaving me grasping for the sense of the information I have to impart.

Better now than Saturday night...

"Behold, and say 'tis well"

The Winter's Tale - Term 3, week 10

The final week and we perform a full run through for the first time. It comes in at almost exactly 2 hours and shows us exactly which parts we still need to practice.

After working hard over the weekend and last couple of days, my lines are nearly there. I still have some weak points that need improving and my knowledge of the choruses will be helped by concentrating on a couple of them this coming Thursday.

Best of all, the five minute vocal warm-ups are really helping my voice - which is handy, because I have the first line.

Maybe I should to get warmed up properly before KCUK next week!

Pulling it all together

The Winter's Tale - final weekend rehearsals

A tiring weekend spent running slowly through the different scenes and then repeating them at performance pitch.

On Saturday we made it through at least halfway and it's starting to come together quite well. We can see which bits need improving and where lines need to be polished, but the overall performance is taking shape. I've missed so many weeks the choreography I came up with has slipped my mind. Fortunately, Harry isn't so forgetful.

Sunday is harder. The weeks I've missed concentrated on the second half and I'm behind. I've also neglected to learn some lines, which I'll have to focus on over the next couple of days. I'm all responsible for the songs, so as well as my lines I'm going to have to learn the music cues.

The group as a whole worked hard and remained positive. With three more rehearsals this week, it looks like we're going to get there..!

Running out of time...

The Winter's Tale - Term 3, Week 9

I looked at my diary yesterday and noticed we open a week on Saturday. The panic rises and I consider running away and hiding for three weeks.

Tonight we concentrated on scenes in which I have no lines. After missing last week's session with a heavy cold, I feel like I've got away with it.

On the other, I could do with the practice...

Why you need a strong finish

The Winter's Tale - Term 3, week 7

More work on the finale, which should ensure a strong finish.

Which, after all, is what you want. Whoever left a performance saying what a great middle section it had?

Wow them at the end and they'll all go home talking about it.

Flowers of spring...

The Winter's Tale - Term 3, week 6

I'm still feeling tender, but I don't want to miss another session, so I decide to take it easy this evening.

When I arrive, the Leper Chapel is filled with wonderfully fragrant flowers. With a little care, we manage to avoid them while we work while the scent and the colours change the atmosphere of the pastoral scene completely. A pity we can't do something similar for the performance.

I'm tired by the end of the evening - the first time I've done anything since the operation. Happily, it hasn't been too taxing - no choreography tonight.

Extra lines

An extra session for the vaudevillians tonight, though one of the number is excluded through some confusion about the meaning of "next Thursday".

We go through the pastoral scene a couple of times, slowly with some direction, then running through as it will be performed. It's quite long at 20 minutes, a significant part of the play. Fortunately there's a lot of fun in it, even when it's only exposition for the audience - much raising of eye-brows and scratching of chins.

My ideas for a costume for the vaudeville Polixenes achieve... some surprise at the amount of thought I've given it.

Well, what else do people do on train journeys?!?

Complications in the Black Forest

The Winter's Tale - Term 3, Week 3

It's not only light when I arrive this evening, it's warm too. The streets are full because Cambridge United are playing their final home league game of the season and a win against rivals Torquay United will secure a play-off place for them. Two loud cheers shortly before 8:30pm indicate they may have achieved their goal.

Meanwhile, inside the Leper Chapel, another brainstorm leads us to focus on choreography this evening. "A Walk In The Black Forest" is no longer the preserve of the "vaudevillians" and has now become an ensemble piece with everybody jumping in and out at different times! It will require some work to get right, but it's shaping up to be fun.

The rest of the time is spent on the pastoral scene with Polixenes, Camillo, Perdita, Florizel and the old shepherd. It points to a lot more work needing to be done to learn lines.

Apparently part of the script is missing from the wiki, so I promise to add it.

The Method and The Tale

The Winter's Tale - Term 3, Week 2

Tonight we concentrated the part between Screaming Jay Hawkins' "I Put A Spell On You" and Bobby Darin's "Take Good Care Of My Baby".

The focus is now on creating a performance. There was a brief discussion on internalisation and Method acting and some experimentation with the game "It's Tuesday" (actors in neutral, director announces "It's Tuesday", actors respond with an extreme version of a chosen emotion). The subsequent performance was greatly improved. Still need to work on those lines though.

The wiki is working! People have accessed it and amended the text, although no one has turned up with a printed version yet. I'm planning to have a complete version which I can personalise with a format with highlights my own lines.

The lines that currently get the most laughs:

LEONTES:
A gross hag
And, lozel, thou art worthy to be hang'd,
That wilt not stay her tongue.

ANTIGONUS:
Hang all the husbands
That cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourself
Hardly one subject.

Social Media Meets Experimental Theatre

The Winter's Tale Term 3, Week 1

A run through with books for timing brought us in at around 1 hour and 50 minutes, as well as showing how much more work we need to do learning lines.

Everyone is still working out of annotated books, so perhaps it's time to share the script on-line somewhere. I'll suggest starting a wiki - but I'm not going to call it that..!

Learn Your Lines!

Many people find learning lines difficult. During Oedipus and The Winter's Tale, I've found that starting sooner rather than later helps. I've learned speeches in half an hour simply by taking the time to sit down and do it. It requires discipline.

We are now at the stage where we have worked out the text we'll be using, so it's down to the actors to learn it. Here's some good advice from director Richard Spaul about learning lines:

"LEARNING LINES:
The way to make the most progress at this stage is for everyone to have learnt their lines if possible by the restart - or as near to that goal as possible. if that can be done, we can move forward very quickly - if not, things will be slowed down. So I think that should be aimed
at.

Some tips on learning lines:

1. do it regularly. Could everyone spare 20 focussed minutes a day? That's the best way of doing it and is much better than making desperate efforts to learn lots of lines suddenly. So that's what I'd recommend.

2. when I'm learning lines I make sure I understand everything and can see how one thing leads to another - if I can see how it all connects I can learn it more easily. With Shakespeare there's often a rhythm to the verse and if you can hear that it can help you to fit the words in (as people learn the words of songs along with the tune).

3. It's helpful to identify key points in a speech or scene. Once you've got those in your mind, you can start stringing stuff together.

4. Some people find it helpful to write their lines out or to make a recording of it.

5. I think it's always better to say it aloud and to act it out properly - to speak it with feeling rather than to parrot it mechanically. Preferably to a real person who's listening, if you have anyone to perform such a service for you. The most obvious people are other people in the cast, so why not collaborate on a spare evening some time? This will all help to make it stick.

But the main thing is diligence. Most people who complain of not being able to learn lines don't put enough time into it and end up rushing."

I might add Jerry Seinfeld's productivity technique - should be unbeatable..!

Paranoid Choruses

in situ: The Winter's Tale - week 8

Two weeks out and I'm itching to get back, which perhaps prompts me to return a little too early. Tonight we work on the "paranoid choruses", taking the text originally spoken by one character and attempting to present it in different way.

I foolishly agree to speak Leontes's lines (because I'm a boy - not exactly breaking the mold there) in "Too hot! Too hot!" while Rachael and Tanya interject while stood facing each other in front of me and cutting off my contact with the audience. It seems to work well from early on, though I'm starting to cough within 15 minutes and begin to lose my voice by the time we come to perform the "finished" piece. I'm relieved when we break and sit down to discuss what we'll be performing in two weeks for the work in progress showing.

The Bohemian section we did before has been extended with more introductory dialogue included, but I'm not Florizel this time around. The perils of being ill. Instead I will be Leontes in the opening section, something we haven't worked on before. This will mean reading the dialogue from books, something we haven't done before in performance.

As usual the picture isn't entirely clear what will happen in two weeks' time, but these things have a habit of being worked out satisfactorily over the weekend prior.