Break It Down Again

Looks like a member of the audience got locked in after last night’s show!
But that’s it now for another year. After the initial script reading back in March, we started rehearsals back in September, finally arriving at opening night ten days ago. We finished on a high, but it was definitely a fraught journey getting there for me, having missed so many rehearsals in December due to other commitments. But once I’d got the words - including the revised ones for week two! - I started to enjoy it and could play around a bit with the character.
I’ve always tried to get down to help strip down and put the set away, though not every cast member is able to commit similarly. Probably a throwback to the years when I was more backstage than onstage - i.e. it’s just something I’ve always done.
It’s actually quite satisfying dismantling the sets and props - saving what can be reused and binning the rest. We are fortunate in having a scenery and props store at the back of the stage, but it’s not huge so we have to be a bit selective in what we hang on to. And if something hasn’t been reused after two or three years it will probably be bound for the skip in order to free up space!
I’m sure we will all have plenty to chat about at next week’s post Panto party but, for now, I’m just looking forward to a quiet night in…