Our second from Beth
Connnections week has been and gone and what a week it has been. Together we have laughed, cried, sung, danced and snapped enough selfies for a lifetime.
But first, back to the beginning...
While initially the idea of taking part in Connections was a daunting one it was somewhat reassuring to know that for the majority of the cast it was their first time too. Giving up every Saturday afternoon plus the entirety of half term seemed like a massive commitment at the time, but actually now it's over my week seems quite empty without that extra session.
It seems like such a long time ago that we all helped choose the play, and fortunately we got our first choice as I am so confident that it was the right decision. The play turned out to be so perfect for our cast I can't imagine what it might have been like if we had chosen differently.
After we auditioned for and received our parts the regular rehearsals commenced. It was tough but incredibly rewarding. The more we thought about our scenes and the more we explored and developed our characters, the better the play got. It was really lovely to be able to see the progress everyone was making each time we showed back our scenes.
As the weeks progressed and half term drew nearer we set about sourcing a colossal and ever changing list of props, many of which were helpfully obscure. I mean, who doesn't have a historically accurate Tudor dagger encrusted with rubies lying around their living room?
Then before we knew it half term was upon us, and it was intense. It was as fun as it was tiring but we made it through the week fuelled mainly by excitement, in-jokes and cheesy chips. One by one the scenes all clicked into place and the play started to become the wonderful performance it is now. The week was concluded with a fabulous and very confusing Wardrobe-specific version of The Bean Game, which I have decided is the best way to end any week.
The performances themselves were nerve wracking but were a joy to watch and be a part of. I can't decide what I enjoyed more, performing, or getting to hear the audiences responses afterwards. We all got such positive feedback that it made the whole thing so worthwhile and proved that all our hard work really did pay off.
This has been the closest thing to a professional production I've ever done and I was surprised at how different it felt. I don't think I've ever really properly understood a play and characters the way I do now with The Wardrobe.
It seems obvious but I never realised just how many things there would be to consider. You can't just learn your lines, you have to learn your character inside out: their innermost fears and hopes, the stories from their past and their aspirations for the future, the relationships they have formed and the way they feel about themselves.
Then there are the more practical aspects. We battled with awful axes and dodgy daggers, scrapped the awkward and distracting blood capsules, avoided splinters and were reminded that white underwear, translucent nighties and stage lights are categorically not a good combination. Also, do you have any idea how hard it is to convincingly choreograph snatching a newspaper out of each other's hands without it looking messy and without ruining Sam Winder's beautifully made broadsheet?
As for my personal challenges regarding character, it proved surprisingly difficult for someone with an ego as big as mine to adopt a royal air, and then even more difficult to then feel and portray the wealth of different emotions in such a complex scene. In just a few pages of dialogue Elizabeth proved to be even more capricious than me, though I suppose she has cause to be a bit mixed up emotionally. After all she has just found out that she has to marry Henry VII, a man who looks surprisingly similar to Lord Farquaad (an image I had in my head throughout the scene... Unfortunately).
In my other scene, becoming Harriet was an entirely different process. Weirdly enough, having to be pretty childish, constantly annoy Bobbie's character and spontaneously burst into song came quite naturally to me. Funny that.
The real challenge came from trying to imagine the reality of the situation and the ever present threat that she was faced with. Also, as a fan of the macabre it took some effort to remember that the gory article about Jack the Ripper was supposed to be horrifying, not utterly fascinating.
I think it's fair to say we've all learnt a lot. A few phrases in Shqip and some self defence moves, a bit of pre-Tudor history, the song Sweet Violets and the function of a spinning mule being just some of the highly valuable pieces of knowledge we have gained... Oh and some pretty good warm ups and character development techniques too I suppose.
As a group we have all worked so well together. New friendships have been forged and existing ones strengthened. Apart from the occasional bursts of giddiness, which frankly were to be expected, I was impressed at how mature and professional we could be, especially considering what a young and inexperienced cast we are compared to previous years. It gets said a lot, but your Yew Tree friends really do become very much like your family. Maybe it's because you work so closely or spend so much time together, maybe it's because we all share a similar weird sense of humour. Who knows. All I know is that I honestly couldn't think of a better bunch of people to spend my time with.... WHAT TEAM?
Special mention must go to Ceci... Sorry, Leah, who over the last few months has very much become like a real sibling to me both within the scene and outside rehearsals. I would be proud to call you my little sister.
Also to Bobbie, Amy T and Daisy for having me in absolute hysterics throughout the process. I don't think I've ever laughed so much in my life.
And to Georgia for becoming my very patient personal stylist and doing my hair so fabulously every single night.
And finally of course to our wonderful director and assistant director Sarah and Mikey without whom the play would never have been such a success, and to our fabulous crew, Oz, James, Charlotte, Grace and Toni for building such a beautiful set and for ensuring that the whole thing ran so smoothly.
Thus far, it has been a truly wonderful experience and one that I would recommend to anyone.
Now we all have a well deserved break before we get to restage the play ready for Kendal in May and I for one am looking forward to it immensely.
- Queen (Eliza)Beth
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