Entry Eight - Running Act Two

Today we had a full run-through of the entire second half of the play. Before starting we had a fight-call where we ran through all of the battle sequences, so that there wouldn’t be any stopping and starting during the run.

We started the run-through from the scene in the Beaver’s house, just before the end of Act One and continued from there. Since this scene was only rehearsed recently there were a few moments where it got a little choppy, but with more practice it should very soon be flowing smoothly. This scene then ran into Edmund’s arrival at the Witch’s palace, which also had a few stumbles as it has been quite a while since it was last rehearsed. This first run-through feels like a nice way to get everything up to the same standard, so no scene falls flat when compared to others.

I was very pleased that we were able to get through the whole of Act Two, and with plenty of time to spare before the end of rehearsals. Sometimes first attempts at full run-throughs can prove disastrous, but this run gave a positive indication that the show is in a good state.

The run wasn’t completely smooth though, as there are various scenery changes that need to be factored in, as well as costume changes that also need to be taken into account. Everyone needs to be aware of when their entrances and exits are, and also to be on hand to move scenery on and off again to ensure the show doesn’t ever grind to a halt. These are all elements which will likely be planned out for our next rehearsal in which we intend to run the show in its entirety.

The issue of corpsing was still a factor, and although it was not as invasive as it was during the early days of this production, it has a habit of taking the momentum out of a scene – and once the momentum begins to drop, it is very difficult to get it back again. Also there are plenty of truly wonderful moments in this story, and when they are acted genuinely it makes for a much more engaging scene. These moments are not all that rare either, there isn’t just one single moment that the whole play leads up to; there are many of them throughout.

We are moving into the final week of this production, and with the focus and dedication of the ensemble as a whole we should be able to produce something pretty special by the time we perform to an audience.

Quote of the day: “I don’t think that really was Father Christmas” George Bradley (Just after Father Christmas makes his exit)