Well, I've got a little behind... (no I don't mean I have a small rear!) I mean behind with this blog! I've got behind for many reasons, one of which is that we've been busy as little busy bees preparing 'stuff' for this year's auditions for Puss in Boots. Actually, as I'm writing this, the auditions have been and gone and all is calm again. For a while, however, things were a frenzy of heightened activity and hyper tension.
So, let me tell you about it:
The thought of auditioning has been known to strike dread into the hearts of many a seasoned SPS panto actor. Yes, some of us are filled with wobble-kneed, jelly bellied nervyness! Some may say they aren't, but I don't believe them.
This year has been my third SPS audition from this side of the fence (as director). I've done five others from the other side (as a wobble-kneed, jelly bellied nervy person). I can't really say which is worse: auditioning for- or choosing- the cast. Actually I can. It's so much worse having to choose people! I absolutely dread it. That's because I'm a bit of a chicken (not a prancing panto chicken, but a cowardly chicken). It's not the auditions themselves I dread, it's just the deciding who to put where and having to say to people they haven't got the role they want, or they haven't even got a role at all. 'Oh poor director!' you shout with leaden irony. Yes, I know it's probably worse not getting a role than telling someone they haven't got a role. However, sorting out the great jigsaw puzzle of putting people into roles takes a lot of time and brain ache. I'm being honest. I don't like it! It may be worse because SPS is an amateur company and has only small numbers of people going for each role, so anyone left out really feels it. Sometimes there are just the right number of people to fit all the roles but, even when that's the case, the difficulty is placing everyone so that they'll be as happy as possible with the outcome. Yes, I know you can't please all the people all the time, but it's good to try.
So now rewind back to the day of the auditions - Saturday, 6th June. Questionnaires are in, we know who will turn up to audition (kind of). Script extracts have been prepared, lots of emails sent out and warm up preparation done. I'm afraid I was a little disorganised this time and when I turned up on the day, the paperwork in my folder was all higgledy piggledy! I don't think it mattered. We managed to fit in most things throughout the day. Choreographer Mel R and her assistants (Izzy and Ellie) got stuck in to the dance audition bright and early with a bunch of enthusiastic dancers. I was amazed how quickly they all picked up the routines - I'm always in awe of that because I am so bad at it. I don't know how they get the message from their eyes to their brain then to their feet and hands so quickly. So, a couple of dance routine practises later and they had to show their moves. They were all good! A quick crust of bread and mouldy cheese with Mel, Fran and Cathy B on the hard, bare concrete steps outside the theatre (sadly no time for restaurant with wine - I feel your sympathy here) and we were back inside and the acting auditions started. We had around 30 people auditioning for acting roles. We all did a quick warm up and then sang 'she'll be coming 'round the mountain'... with suitable gusto. Next we made our way through the day starting with group reading in a circle and then individual auditions.
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| No photos available but these sketches are an actual representation of what happened |
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| This chicken was offered a main role. She was eggstatic until she realised she would have to wear a novelty animal costume. |
Then, before we could say 'NEXT!' it was 6pm and the whole thing was nearly finished.
There was just time to ask a couple of quick, but vital, questions to everyone: 'Who is prepared to do a role that involves being covered in loads of 'gloop'?' and 'Who is prepared to do a role that involves prancing around in a novelty animal costume?'. Then, after most people expressed that they wouldn't mind being covered in 'gloop' or wearing a novelty animal costume... (for fear of not getting a role at all), we could all go home.
That evening my head was buzzing and aching and it was hard to switch off from the day's information overload. Ahhh, that's sad! No, it's much sadder than that... Ahhh! But I did finally switch off...ZZZZZzzzzzzzz only to wake up three times in the night in a cold sweat. What? When? How? Who? Which one? Why? Whom?... It was a long fretful night (I only have myself to blame).
Cockadoodledoo! (chicken heralds the dawn!). The next day Fran, Cathy and I returned to the darkened theatre to discuss our ideas. This was the worst bit and there was more head frazzling. But we got there in the end. Most people seemed happy with their roles, some were positively over the moon! (Yay!) and I was happy because we managed to get everyone in (with a few adjustments to the script!) Phew!
So, that's it. All done. Hypertension over. The cast is set and we're off...
Worst bit over? Yeah!
