Well, it's just under 2 weeks to opening night, and so, like any good director, I am not so much thinking at this stage as existing in a state of blind panic! There is so much to do and, as always, the mountain to climb seems daunting. This show is one of the most logistically complicated I have ever undertaken - 16 female performers, playing 59 male and female roles (not to mention the non-speaking roles) in eleven main scenes taken from a range of Shakespeare's plays Still, I am regularly ticking things off my "to do" list and, together with my talented cast, we are certainly making the right kind of progress.
I am really enjoying watching the production gently mature in rehearsal, getting ready for an audience. Highlights from the rehearsal room this week have been: adding a basic pavane to an argument between Beatrice and Benedict from Much Ado; finding the relationship between Kent and Lear that allows Kent to speak so bluntly and passionately to Lear; and deciding on a cheeky costume addition, which makes the most of the cross-dressing of Julia from Two Gentlemen of Verona.
I can't wait to get into our actual venue to rehearse - we get in next weekend. We're performing in A-wing at Lancaster Castle - part of the ex-prison - and an area of the castle not normally open to the public - an extra treat, then, for our audiences! It's a 3 storey space with cells on both sides (one of them reputed to be haunted!) and, as a major focus of our show is the importance of speech, I am looking forward to getting some voices to come from surprising places.
Tickets are available from the link below. The show is March 14th and 15th at 8pm. Hope to see you there! (And watch this space for some thoughts from various cast members over the next few days and some rehearsal images.)
http://online-payments.lancaster-university.co.uk/browse/product.asp?compid=1&modid=1&catid=436
Emma Rucastle
@elaru