The Boys are Back in Town
At last, it looks like the theatres are coming back to life. One of the local theatres is actually open and performing shows. I managed to obtain tickets for Six, the musical about the wives of Henry Viii. It was absolutely brilliant, the energy, the clever lyrics, costumes and presentation. It was so good to be back in the theatre again and not wearing masks. The theatre did ask that everyone took rapid flow tests before they came, but I wonder how many did, as the place was packed. However, the local theatre that we use for our amateur productions is still closed. It has listed our shows in its advertising brochure though, and tickets are on sale at the box office, so fingers crossed. A friend Ashton More has also written a musical performed at the Chelmsford Theatre utilising local actors (professional and amateur) but mainly consisting of schoolchildren and it was a big success. Our Lindisfarne play, Don’t Dress for Dinner, that was cancelled at the start of lockdown is now rescheduled. However, as always happens some of the cast are now unavailable so auditions have had to be held to recast, but now it is up and running and rehearsals start soon.
Other groups are also busy holding auditions for this year’s autumn shows and I have acquired a part in Terence Rattigan’s Flare Path and have even offered to sort out costumes – mainly RAF uniforms. It always surprises me how many men have no idea what their measurements are, and they provide the most ridiculous information for costume fittings. No doubt, it will all be sorted out before they actually get to wear the uniforms and find they don’t fit.
It felt most strange to see people turning up with their scripts and it is obvious that everyone is desperate to get back to the acting world again. In addition, there are several local film shorts in production, including my script Feet of Clay that we finally managed to film, and it is now at the rough edit stage. If the stills are anything to go by it looks incredible. Meanwhile, onwards and upwards.
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