Ok folks - hold your breath, tighten your belts - we are officially OFF! Full Tilt's West Side Story, 2010 has after months of pre-production, kicked off to a grand old start! This blog will help us track the journey, which I hope will be rich, challenging, joyful and rewarding. I hope that we might all contribute to this document, so we can share our thoughts, reactions, images, links, and resources.
So - who are we? I'm Emma Gersch, the director, alongside Sam Grogan on choreogrpahy, Harry Burt on music, and Bijan Arasteh as Assistant Director. I plan to blog each day, but will be actively welcoming contributions from the vast company that we have!
The company gathered on March 29th for a morning of introductions and general scene settings. The atmosphere was immediately buzzing with anticipation, energy and lots of generosity. As ever, I stressed the aim to form a warm and equal ensemble, where everyone involves feels safe and courageous.
The past week has seen Sam working tirelessly to get some of his brilliant choreography underway, and I watched this for the first time this morning. Already seeing the shape of some really wonderful work, detailed, full of life and vibrancy and spirit. Harry has also achieved a huge amount with the music, and ambitiously got underway with the hardest song in the show 'Tonight Quintet' - which is already sounding rich and strong. I was anxious to get underway today with some character work, and had some great first sessions with the Jet boys, and with Tony, Maria and Anita. A full day, which threw up lots of questions and need to probe deep into the lives and histories of these characters. We all seem determined to drop the anchor deep, and really mine the possibilities and depths of the work.
Well, that's all for now - more tomorrow, with some rehearsal shots and updates....
Emma x
The Cast:
| Jet Boys: |
| Riff: Andrew Toynbee |
| Action: Jo Phillpots |
| A-Rab: Andrew Cuthbertson |
| Baby John: Chris Draper |
| Snowboy: Matthew Feast |
| Diesel/Big Deal Barnaby Harris Reid |
| Anybodys: Lauren Guage |
| Tony: Mitch Miller |
| Jet Girls |
| Graziella: Rosie Watson |
| Velma: Grace Miller |
| Minnie: Samantha Amery |
| Clarice: Bella Lewis |
| Pauline: Rose Creighton Balfour |
| Jet Girl: Katie Instone |
| Jet Girl: Sian Davies |
| Jet Girl: Sarah Leach |
| Shark Boys: |
| Bernado: Rocky Nti |
| Chino: Gerry Fitzpatrick |
| Pepe: Matthew Ferdenzi |
| Indio: Liam Salmon |
| Luis: Doug McDougall |
| Anxious: Dan Harland |
| Shark Girls: |
| Maria: Jenny Chudley |
| Anita: Samantha Broad |
| Rosalia: Natalie Wilmowski |
| Consuelo: Kyli Morgan |
| Teresita: Jessica Squire |
| Francisca: Claudine Eastwood |
| Estella: Danni Down |
| Margarita: Maria Bishton |
| Shark Girl: Aimee Farey |
| Shark Girl: Kitty Randle (Dance Captain) |
| Adults |
| Doc/Gladhand: Peter Peasey |
| Shrank: Terri Power |
| Krupke: TBC |
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