toDay 13 of Transfiguration

After the YesterScare, the hyperstress, the taking up smoking for the afternoon and totally exhausted and reporting to Andy the Chair of our Trustees, who sat me down in the garden and gave me wise counsel, before Katie took me to The Service of Light where I received the blessing from the woman priest and something finally shifted.

Getting it all ship-shape. Gave up smoking. To rehearsal space. Rehearsed God, on Sarah’s insistence just in case we can’t get the person I’m thinking of right now. Hmmm…

See, I  blabbed about my McKellen, our face to face encounter, I blabbed about Spall, I blabbed anout Thompson – not to mention ‘My Name Is…’ – I blab altogether too much. (When I’m not blubbing in church in exhaustion-fuelled epiphanies.)  So, this time I’ll keep schtumm. Let’s see what comes…

Meanwhile, just in case I’m sitting there in the audience in my writer’s suit watching my play,  and ‘God’ is unavailable…

I’m God’s understudy.

Updated the actors on production news. Then…

The Monday Rehearsal, Edric Hall. The stagger through of half the play, with the combined adult casts, fifty-plus people. We had director Sarah and designer Annie, workshop leaders Ollie, Ita, Pat, Di, plus Kate, Cecilia, Katie and I.

After warm-ups with Pat and Ita, we split into groups and disappeared into the various studios off Edric Hall. Sarah, Ollie and Simon worked in the main hall with the Tunnellers, rechoreographing their march; then on Scene 6 in which the hissing leering Devils worked their routines and into 7 where Jesus confronts John Crow.

Ita meanwhile was working with the Doctors and Nurses in the Crucifixion scene. Jenn later texted us: ‘Operating on Jesus was traumatic – and the Let Them See ducking  amazing!’

Di meanwhile worlked with the whores on their characters, encouraging them to find their own names and personal histories, their back-stories.

Annie was measuring and costume-fitting: wonderful sight of Lizzie waltzing around in full medieval goose gear!  And Kate helping Betty and Pamela mark up their scripts – they’d missed out when Sarah had marked and numbered the scenes.

Staggered breaks. Edric Hall, Studio 2 and adjoining rooms all requisitioned for people going through lines, doing vocal warm-ups, developing their storylines – whole place buzzing, very exhilarating.

And er quite… tiring! I is orfe ter bed! 🙂

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