Friday 23 July 2010

Theatre Magic


One Touch Theatre, Eden Court, Inverness
Tomorrow's Venue




I am now all 'showed out'. Another excellent performance this evening, and now I really know that they do not need me any more! I can relax and enjoy the fun!

I am so honoured, I realised when I got home after the end of show tonight that my 'work place' had been featured on the wonderful blog
http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com
which I read with great admiration and enjoyment. Thank you so much Rhonda!

I came home tonight and shared a very late supper with two of my cast members. We laughed so much about what had gone perfectly, and what had been disasterous I began to wonder if I would miss the annual life disruption that is 'the show'. So many folk were pressurizing me when it was over, jokingly telling me that they were booking us for next year, or 'how could I possibly stop doing it'.

I suppose that folk who only ever enjoy the final product never really understand what a long and tiring journey it is until opening night. In a perverse way the very LAST thing one would want an audince to see was the hard graft - to them it is one night of fun, tears, escapism and freedom from the daily grind, the magic of the theatre. For the performer, musical director, and producer it is the end of much physical effort combined with the ever present panic of the dreadful possibility that one might conceivably run out of ideas. A very real kind of theatrical writers block.

I felt that this year, more strongly than ever, an I am absolutely sure that it must be the time to quit, whilst one is ahead, and go out with a roaring success.

I have sung in, or produced 37 shows in the last 25 years of my professional life. That has got to be a long enough sentence for anyone!

I am ahead.
I must quit.
It's been marvelous.

4 comments:

  1. Glad I found this blog :) I started out as a singer about 30 odd years back but ended up an artist instead. I did love to sing though. Particularly modern stuff that pianists mostly don't want to play and accompanists can't play (well not any of the ones I tried) so I gave up in disgust and went on to other things.

    Wish I could see your show. Live performances are completely different from videos or recordings. I will take my youngest to the next one here as he has just discovered patter songs and is completely hooked on them (he's 12). I think he just might now enjoy the whole performance :)

    viv in nz

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  2. I am so glad you liked the blog! I am sure a 12 year old will enjoy whole shows now. I had 6 children of 12 and 13 in the show and they love it!
    Kind regards
    Ann

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  3. Hello! I've jumped over from Down2Earth ... oh, I'm so glad to have found your blog!

    We just love music here, and I especially love singing. At the end of last year, I wrote up my CV for the principal of the children's dance school. They've begun to incorporate musical theatre into their repertoire and now I'll be helping as a singing teacher.

    I'll read up on your back posts for more inspiration. :)

    Catherine (aka alecat, Australia)

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  4. How great! I hope there is some inspiration! I am so delighted that there are folk out there interested in singing teaching - or at the moment - show production! hankyu for your comments

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