Entry Eleven - Last Rehearsal Before Performance

This would be the last proper rehearsal before the actual performance day. We got off to a slower start than in the previous session due to a traffic delay holding up the arrival of most of the costumes and props. The intention was to practice the fight sequences and any other difficult moments before having another full run of the play. These delays meant that we would not likely be able to fit everything in, but nevertheless we managed to make effective use of the time.

We worked on all of the fight scenes, adding in a lot more intent – as the fights had become rather safe-looking due to our familiarity with them. The addition of characterisation and heightened emotion, brings a much more dramatic feel to these fights (some characters are afraid, others are angry, others are over-confident) and also increases the intensity of every aggressive action.

We performed a full run of the play, but stopped at a point close to the end in order to fit in any notes and allow time to clear our equipment out of the studio before our time ran out. This run through was not our best, as it was slightly slower than our previous one, but this was not a discouraging sign. Many of us have often been of the belief that a poor dress run will lead to a good final performance – it would be a shame to peak to early, especially without an audience.

That is not to say that this was a bad performance of the play, as we managed to address a lot of issues from our previous run-through, making subtle improvements throughout, and we also became more familiar with our backstage area where costume changes take place, and where items of scenery and set are stored. The scene changes need to be quick, and more familiarity with the set-up will hopefully pay off when the performance comes around.

I think that tiredness was also a factor for a lot of the cast – this process has been very full-on, with lengthy rehearsals taking place most days of the week, and not to mention everyone’s other commitments. There will be a day off in between this rehearsal and the performance day, which will hopefully allow everyone to feel rested and re-energised when the show comes around.

Quote of the day: “Aslan’s getting plaits” Chris Harknett (The Great Lion clearly felt jealous of Lucy’s hairstyle)