WEEK FOUR

Monday 24th May

Yesterday, which should have been my day off, was spent working! There is no end to the sacrifices I will make for my “Art”!!! Although, this sacrifice was actually for someone else’s art! Four hours of Acting and Accent Coaching for a certain Pop Star (from a certain Reality Pop Show) who is shortly making her West End debut in a new run of a certain show that I opened six years ago at the London Palladium! Any guesses?

What a very down to earth young lady too. Putting her all in to this opportunity (that could open all kinds of doors to her future career). If only the press would give her a break and leave her alone for a while! I was dying to say, “I totally understand. My photo was in the paper just the other day. It’s relentless isn’t it?” Actually, dear reader, my photo was in the paper … sadly next to a not uplifting review of OOTW! Hey ho!

Our session went very quickly, but I was pretty bushed by the time I got home. If I hadn’t already spent some time with my GG this week, my weekend would have been pretty grim. It is important to grab some quality rest time in between the shopping, the washing, the ironing … and the acting! (I am pleased to say that GG, who will have nothing to do with making my sandwiches, is not averse to a little light ironing!).

It was another lonely (but quick) journey back down to Chichester last night. After unpacking my beautifully ironed t-shirts and my week’s supply of microwave suppers (all five of them), I went straight to bed.

And, here we are at the beginning of - ‘week four’.

We start with a run through of ‘Leaps and Bounds’. There are so many moves (and arms everywhere) that it takes a lot of concentration – there are lyrics to remember too! Stephen changes a few moves (for the better) and we run it again.

While we’ve been rehearsing, Herr Director has been working with the Kangaroo and Dingo Dog. We all meet up and run ‘Aboriginally I’ - it’s great to see the Kangaroo and Dingo do their (fantastic) stuff.

At the end of this section of Act Two, the Jaguar and I have yet another quick change. These costume changes are going to need some serious work during the tech.

Herr Director breaks most people, and a few of us rehearse ‘Just So Part Two’. Surprisingly, we all remember the Jive dance … and I don’t end up a physical wreck!

Herr Director blocks the scene around it, and within minutes it’s lunch time, already!

At the moment we are at the point of simply saying our lines as directed by Herr Director - I’m really looking forward to the actual rehearsal of the scenes.

My voice is feeling a little tired. I know I should have had a day off yesterday, but it’s hard to turn down work (always the fear that it may not be offered again).

During lunch I overheard a murmur that once back in rehearsals we would be ‘running’ Act Two – up to where we’ve blocked … and that’s exactly what we do.
I’m not sure why we are doing a run (there are parts of the show that we have barely touched on). Perhaps Herr Director wants to show us how much we’ve achieved already.

Most Actors like to be comfortable with their work before ‘performing’, and ‘running’ always feels like a performance rather than work in progress… but we give it a go.

There’s a feeling of ‘rabbits in the headlights’, but we get through it! At least we all know where we need to put extra work in!

The Kolokolo Bird’s ‘Wait a Bit’ is such a beautiful song. George is one talented man (and the Kolokolo Bird is one talented singer!). I was not looking forward to hearing ‘Does The Moment Ever Come’ - there’s a part of me that feels it is MY song. The Elephant’s Child does a great job, still I can’t help but wish it was me! Oh the frustration! There’s so much I’d love to do with the song, and the role. But hey! I’m enjoying creating my Leopard (despite being a balladeer at heart), and I’m gonna get on with it… even if it kills me… and at moment it feels like Stephen’s choreography is doing just that!

We stumble through and it doesn’t take long so there’s time at the end for David to go over some music with us.

On my way out I take a look at the call sheet for tomorrow. Aah … I’m down for an 11:00 am call - an extra hour in bed!

Walking home I check my mobile. My Agent has called! I spent last week (and my precious weekend) chasing him by email and phone – at last a response.

I call straight away and manage to speak to him first time … a miracle! He tells me that the Casting Director of a show I would love to audition for thinks that I’m too old for the younger role and too young for the older character. I can’t win, damn!

I suggest that he brings the Casting Director to Chichester to see me in OOTW … my new short back ‘n sides haircut has taken years off me!!

And with that, he’s …… gone.

‘Age’ is a tricky dimension for an actor! How old you are (your ‘actual’ age’). How old you feel (your ‘inner’ age). How old you look (your ‘outer age’). I’m certainly not getting any younger – but neither am I looking any older! Not young enough, not old enough … as I said already, can’t win.

I spend the rest of the evening listening to my harmonies and watching TV. Around 10:30 I feel a ‘cookie moment’ coming on, but have to abandon all efforts to get in to the kitchen - the Giraffe is being San Tropez-ed by Emma our wigs’ girl. Say no more!

Tuesday 25th May

I awake just before my alarm. I’ve had a long and uninterrupted sleep and am feeling refreshed and ready for another day.

Feeling so good in fact, that I’ve got the stamina to try another call to my Agent. No luck! Having breakfasted, I give it another go. Is this possible? Yes! The voice that comes on to the phone is MY agent (not someone else on his team), but MY agent, again. This is just too good to be true! Does he have a great audition for me? TV, Film, Theatre? No! He’s just checking in. I suspect he is feeling a little guilty, because neither he, nor anyone on his team, came to my First Night. To be honest, I’m so busy I haven’t even thought about it.

As I walk to rehearsals my GG calls. It’s been a while since she saw her folks in Ireland, so instead of being home alone and missing me (of course she’s missing me!) she’s off to the land of the Leprechauns, ‘to be sure’! It was so good to have her with me in Chichester last week. I’m looking forward to the end of rehearsals when I will have more time off and she can come down for longer.

I arrive at the Boy’s Club to find costume fittings are taking longer than scheduled. I hang out with the Wildebeest (as you do!). She tells me she was involved in a makeover show recently, and it’s on the television on Thursday night. (How do you makeover a Wildebeest?!). She tells me she felt like a new image (and some free clothes) and when the opportunity presented itself she told the programme makers she was a ‘Trainee Consultant’ and ‘Bingo!’ she was in. I’m looking forward to seeing her on the box.

We ‘Actors’ often have to be less than honest (OK, lie!) about our occupation. A friend of mine was on ‘Blind Date’ years ago, but she had to tell them she was a hairdresser. If she had said “Actress”, she would have been sidelined. What do the producers of ‘reality’ shows think will happen? Do they fear an actor will burst into song or quote Shakespeare? Hang on a second - that’s usually what they want, especially on ‘Blind Date’!

I’m called in for my fitting and the first outfit is my Commis Chef costume. It’s much too big, but will be pinned to my shape and sewn to fit. I put on my Chef’s hat and the image is, nearly, complete.

I rehearse for an hour before lunch. David wants us all to sing through ‘If’ to see whether our harmonies are there yet. Herr Director, almost casually, mentions that the certain West End Producer (the one who’s co-producing JS at the CFT) wanted to sit in on rehearsals, but he’s put him off. He will however be coming to see a dress rehearsal. Herr Director tells us not to worry. Okay!

After lunch we gather around the piano to learn the ‘Finale’. It’s basically the ‘Just So’ song, but with some changes in the lyrics, and a couple of new melodies. While Herr Director works with the Elephant’s Child, Eldest Magician and Kolokolo Bird, Stephen blocks through the song in the games room. Just like the opening song, we have our animal books with us. We then put it all together in the rehearsal room.

We run through the Finale a few times, but I can feel our concentration is ebbing. It’s late in the afternoon and people are tired. Stephen threatens us: “If you don’t get it right and put in the energy needed, then we’ll have to call you all in on Bank Holiday Monday”. That got the adrenaline pumping! ‘Tired’ suddenly became ‘energetic’!

We couldn’t be working harder, and I wonder if Herr Director and Stephen are worried that we may run out of rehearsal time. We are coming up to a busy OOTW week, besides which we seem to loose the Zebra each day.

After going over the basic schedule for the next few weeks, leading up to our tech week, we get on with learning the last song: ‘The Curtain Calls’. Yet another version of ‘Just So’ and ‘Limpopo River’… but with some more harmonies!

By 6:00 pm we have finished learning the music and are done for the day… well actually, not all of us. At 6:30 pm, the Jaguar and I have a rehearsal in Gunters.

I pop home for my car, eating a sandwich on the way.

Back at Gunters and we spend some time with Stephen solidifying our choreography. We start with our ‘Just So’ moment; which is a fun, ‘catwalk’ type staging. We move on to the Jive section, and then ‘Ladies Out’.

I’m really enjoying working with Stephen. He has endless energy and enthusiasm. He’s not a choreographer who demands you follow his steps exactly, without discussion. He seems to appreciate it if you bring something to the rehearsal room. He clearly wants his work to look great, whoever’s performing it, and he gives us the space, and encouragement, to be part of the creative process.

During this evening’s session, I take the opportunity to raise my tail (no pun intended!) idea with Herr Director. Apparently nobody likes the idea. They all feel the show is so stylistic that a tail won’t fit in with their design. I feel so strongly about my tail that I don’t give up. I explain that in my research, I discovered that a Leopard’s tail is as long as it’s body (vital for balance) – a Leopard without a tail is an ‘unbalanced’ Leopard. I can see I’m losing the battle. (And - as it turns out dear reader - you’ll see from my performance that my Leopard is a pretty ‘unbalanced’ character - the result of having no tail perhaps!). Stephen consoles me: “It’ll only get in your way, you’ll be pleased you never had it”.

I press my next idea - a cloth cap, which will give me a smooth, flat, Leopard-type head (as opposed to the hat that was designed for the Boston Leopard). This idea also meets with resistance.

Herr Director explains that design elements have changed since Boston, but he’s not sure my hat will. We decide to wait until the hat arrives and see if it works on my ‘Chichester Leopard’.

I normally wear my glasses in rehearsals, but for tonight I take them off because I’m sweating. Herr Director so likes the fact that he can see my eyes, he’s considering cutting my Leopard glasses. Controversial! Let’s hope Peter agrees!

By 8:00 pm I’m knackered. We’re all knackered! We call it a day. I’m glad I raised my concerns about my costume, but a little disappointed that it’s very possible nothing will change. Stephen says that whatever I end up with (or without!) I’ll be able to make it work. Of course I’ll make it work!

I spend my evening learning my new harmonies. I wonder what my GG is up to in the ‘land of the little people’?

I can’t get the “We’ve done all of our growing head to toe” lyric and tune out of my head. We sing it in canon in the curtain calls, just like ‘Row, row, row your boat’ from Primary School.

Actually, I have hundreds of lyrics going round in my head:

I attempt to sleep! Eventually I do, because all of a sudden it’s …………

Wednesday 26th May

The Parsee and I walk to rehearsal. He tells me that being the youngest in the cast, he’s feeling under pressure to prove he can do the job - and like every actor, he is worried what the rest of the cast think of his performance. I tell him that experience has shown me, that the feeling of wanting to show people you are the best for the job is always with you, but the important thing is to concentrate on the character, rather than on one’s personal performance.

This morning’s rehearsal is devoted to cleaning up the musical numbers. We start with the usual vocal warm-up and then crack on with the opening, the Parsee Cake Walk, finishing up with ‘Leaps and Bounds’.

‘Cleaning’ a musical number is the opportunity for all the cast and creative team to solidify the music and choreography. It takes time and patience, but it is vital. I can’t say I enjoy this part of the rehearsal process, but today was very useful.

Before lunch, the Jaguar and I talk about our first scene. Last night Herr Director mentioned that he sees the Jaguar as a Phil Mitchell (from EastEnders) type of character and likened the Leopard to Billy Mitchell (Phil’s cousin?). I understand what he’s aiming at, but not convinced of the choices!?

I suggest to the Jaguar that as I’m playing the Leopard as a bit of a ‘wide boy’ (but bordering on thick), maybe he could be ‘Del Boy’ to my ‘Rodney’. This helps!

When we realise that Herr Director is rehearsing the very same scene in the lounge at the Boy’s Club with the Elephant’s Child and Kolokolo Bird, we decide we should join them. At last we are rehearsing the scene, instead of blocking and blagging (as I like to call it). Now we are getting somewhere. Within minutes the scene starts to feel much better.

It’s a lovely sunny day. The sun is out and the pollen count is … soaring! I try not to let my hay fever put me off sitting outside for lunch.

Back to it, and we attempt to run the show… without the Zebra. I feel that Act One went much better than Act Two, but of course we’ve spent more time on Act One. My main problem is bringing the song together with the choreography, but that’s musical theatre for you.

The Jaguar and I are feeling a little lost. Having watched the show, well the bits we’re not in, we’re struggling slightly with exactly how we fit in. Our repartee doesn’t really seem to be landing, and we are finding it hard to get our song going. Maybe the Del and Rodney Trotter idea is just too broad? To be fair I knew it was broad brushstrokes, but by the end of the day it feels like I’m using a roller!

I do love watching other people’s work develop and grow. I even got goose bumps at the end of ‘Wait a Bit’, and I haven’t felt like that since seeing a (fantastic) Broadway show while in New York last Christmas.

It’s the middle of week four and I’m beginning to doubt my work … Quelle Surprise! Insecurities eh? I’ve been in this business seven years and I’m still insecure … I’m starting to realise that feeling never goes away.

I just gotta keep going and trust that it’ll all fall into place. I’ve already heard “you’ve done really well with the material you were given” - I don’t wanna hear it again.

After popping home for some dinner I head back to the theatre for OOTW rehearsals. Juno is off the show this weekend, so Venus is going on for her and Lethe/Marika is on as Venus.

When I get to Gunters the cast is rehearsing the scenes and songs that Art (that’s me) isn’t in. I’m only needed for the seduction scene and that doesn’t take long (my seductions never do!).

The rest of my evening, I watch some TV, chat to my GG, and am oh so glad to climb in to bed!

Thursday 27th May

On my walk to rehearsals I call the production office of ‘the certain West End transfer show’ for which I’ve been asked to do some accent coaching. Unfortunately, because I’m busy with JS, they have hired someone else to cover their rehearsals. Hopefully, when I have a little more free time, I will be able to pop into their Tech week and note the show. It’s a shame when you can’t do it all!

This morning we are running Act One (again). To say that I completely messed up would be an understatement. The time I’m spending at home working on my harmonies is clearly not enough… and to make it worse, today I can’t even remember my Leopard lines. In past experience the time to mess up (if you’re going to mess up) is in rehearsals, but because we are ‘running’ the show, I’m a little frustrated with myself, to say the least. (There were moments when my language was so ‘Gordon Ramsey’ I should have been cooking an omelette!!!)

After the run, Herr Director gives us his notes. He politely acknowledges the fact that I was “having a bad day”. Tell me about it. He does! “It’s horrible when you mess up a line, and then it all goes down hill from there”. “There was a time when I was acting in a ‘whodunit’ musical and skipped twenty pages - ruined the show!” he finishes.

Stephen checks some steps in the Parsee Cake number and, thank goodness, it’s lunch.

Unfortunately the Parsee has a sore throat and the doctor has told him not to speak for a few days – he’s not a happy Parsee … but a very quiet one!! Lou, our trusty Deputy Stage Manager has to read his lines, and David deals with the singing. It certainly gives an interesting edge to the show!

After lunch I try to put my Act One fiasco out of my head. Act Two goes better for me. I mess up on a couple of things, but on the whole I am pleased … well, relieved … and no bad language either!

Herr Director and Stephen give us our notes. I’m not convinced that the Jaguar and Leopard moments are really working. My doubts are realised when Herr Director says he’ll find some time to look at our stuff. The Jaguar and I do a comedy crossover when we chase after the Kolokolo Bird. He thinks that is exactly right for the characters. We just need to bring that into the scenes.

After a short break for table tennis with the Kangaroo, we set the curtain calls. Stephen sets the bows beginning with the cast members that have the least time on stage as a particular animal character, all the way up to the Eldest Magician, who hardly leaves the stage throughout the show.

The order in which ‘the bows’ are taken can be a ‘temperamental’ time! Stephen has very cleverly worked it so our bows are taken in our character groups. The Giraffe, Zebra, Jaguar and Leopard take their bow together. After the bows we take our places on the revolve at the edge of the stage - very Sunday Night at the Palladium!

Herr Director tells us that we’ll be doing a full run through tomorrow - on stage! I’m really looking forward to that. Roll on the Sitzprobe. That’s something else I’m really looking forward to.

I go straight home and stand under the shower. I should really have a bath as my thigh is killing me. I think I’ve pulled a muscle. I’m looking forward to watching the Wildebeest’s makeover, but unfortunately it isn’t on terrestrial television so I am disappointed! I spend the evening watching TV with my script on my lap. Still worrying about my, albeit small, scenes. The phone rings and it’s the Jaguar (is he psychic!). He asks if I’m interested in doing some extra rehearsal after the run tomorrow. “Of course” is my relieved reply.

I explain to him that I feel I don’t ‘own’ my work. He feels the same. I don’t really know what I’m doing, and no matter how many times I go on as the Leopard, I still can’t get under his skin. In musical theatre it is not uncommon to feel like this about one’s character. The time spent on the musical numbers can often overshadow the ‘character work’. It is very unsettling, and I am struggling to ‘believe’ in my character.

I have to put my worries aside for the moment - tomorrow I’m ‘Out of this World’ - Venus is Juno - and it’s gonna be hilarious!

Friday 28th May

I awake with lyrics hurtling around in my head – the alarm is yet to stir.

At 10:00 am we are onstage and taking it from the top! The stage has been transformed from its OOTW set. The Hollywood landscape … and Grecian columns …. are gone, and the JS set is in place – packing trunk, animal books and …. dustbin!

The backdrop of the set is a wall, with several doors. Stephen begins by telling us how we are to make our entrance through these doors. We run through, without music, so we all know our places. There are some spacing problems. I gesture to Stephen to indicate my concern. I gesture again. He duly tells me that he saw my over exaggerated gesture the first time around! I cringe - I am back at school and have just been told off. Or even worse, I’m a celebrity wannabe chef in Hells Kitchen and Gordon Ramsay has just cleaned the floor with me! I stay out of trouble for the rest of the morning. Tensions are rising, and it’s not even the Tech. God help us in a couple of weeks’ time, it’ll be handbags at dawn.

We gradually move through Act One doing spacing onstage and then running each number. It feels so different to be onstage… but in a good way!

At last the wardrobe department produce my character shoes – Leopard skin brothel creepers! When we get to my first Leopard entrance, I try them out. They look, and feel, great!

During a break, when I’m not needed on stage, I chat to a very dejected looking Wildebeest. She’s feeling quite despondent. She doesn’t have much to do in OOTW, and she has even less in JS. Unfortunately, the Wildebeest doesn’t have her own ‘story’ and, as an actress, she is disappointed that her character doesn’t give her the opportunity to showcase her talent – that moment to really shine onstage. It’s frustrating, and particularly so when you are as talented as the Wildebeest. (However, it’s the audience who ultimately decide who shines for them – and the Wildebeest does have her moment, don’t worry!).

We get to the first entrance for the Jaguar and Leopard - we space through ‘The Chase’ and then ‘Ladies Out’. It’s slowly falling into place… but there’s still a way to go.

We break for the day and I mention to Herr Director that the Jaguar and I are going to rehearse together after lunch. He says that he’d like to come along.

At 3:00 pm we meet in the foyer of the theatre and I get my chance to tell Herr Director how I feel. I explain that whilst the Jaguar and I have started to create some funny ‘physical’ moments, I can’t feel the lines working. Our characters are not as easily defined as, say, the Giraffe (a tall leggy blonde) and the Zebra (a petite African equine). The Jaguar and I are pretty much the same height and build, so there is not an immediate ‘visual’ impact. We need to create very different characters, and although we are beginning to do that physically, with movement and body language, the lines don’t seem to be helping us. Herr Director explains that he has written numerous versions of our scenes and over the years the lines have been swapped around. I wonder if over time the definition of the characters has been lost a little. In the past Herr Director has cast very different ‘types’ for our characters, and I guess that may have helped the actors define their roles. Either way, this Jaguar and this Leopard are determined to make the roles their own!

I have three hours until OOTW so I head back to Old Bakery Gardens. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to discuss my character with Anthony, and relieved to find that he has shown a sympathetic ear to my concerns.

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