Tech-Tastic

We are so nearly there! Tonight is our opening night, our first preview and chance to start to share our work with an audience. I hope the company will be waking this morning feeling refreshed and revived, after a very long and arduous technical rehearsal. Despite its length, I think the tech ran extremely well, considering the complexity of the show, and the amount of radio mikes involved and sounds to balance. Claire, our sound designer worked amazing well yesterday and managed to coordinate everything to achieve a wonderful sound. (Phew!).

This is such a nervous time for a director - being on the cusp of 'going public'. However, I have such huge faith in this brilliant and bold company of players who never cease to amaze and surprise me. The energy is infectious and I can't wait to see how this ripples out across the hundreds at the Minack. A huge well done to everyone involved in getting this massive show to production stages. Having lost our designer at this very late stage, a special thank you needs to be extended to Eloise who has stepped in and carried on the work with aplomb as if she was always with us! So congrats to all who survived and achieved the tech - and to our brilliant stage manager George who remained calm and collected throughout the whole day (and night).

So here's to our first day and, I have a sneaking feeling that..."Something great.....is coming!"

Emma x

Washing lines and woodwind

'America'

Welcome back!

In true fashion Full Tilt are back and we are running at full pelt in our final phase 2 of rehearsals!



Jets Vs. Sharks: 'Prologue'




BIG NEWS:

As if the Atlantic didn't have enough sharks already, we've added a further two- in gang form. A huge welcome and well done to Suneil and Andrew as they jump right into the action and swim like no Shark has swum before in catching up with ALL the dances, scene work and songs.




FUN NEWS:

The set and costume's have arrived in full, filling the set with yet more colour. Y-Fronts on the washing line and hanging as happily as the cast's smiles, in awe of the phenomenal twenty strong orchestra who joined us in rehearsals last week.

Brass and woodwind glistening in the sun we're basking in the sunshine. Topping up Puerto Rican tans and working out for our pumped up American Jet Boys.




TICKET NEWS:

We're SOLD OUT! Great news for everyone involved! Thank you to all those who have eagerly shelled out to support us and enjoy a fantastic day of picnics and 1950's 'cool' entertainment.




We can't wait to get down to The Minack... Something' coming... pull up a chair!
The air is humming,
And something great is coming! ...

A Krupke draft and other thoughts...

We're nearing the end of the first phase of rehearsal now. After tomorrow's rehearsal calls, the piece will sneak into our long term memories via sessions one or two evenings a week until June 1st when the schedule returns with a vengeance! As the momentum quietens and the movements, shapes and rhythms of the piece sink down into the performers, it's time for the costuming, lighting and set to be realised and refined.

But until that point we're moving through Act Two. Krupke is the break in Act Two. The point where the Jets, bereft of their leader try to establish a normalcy in what is a brutally jagged situation very far away from normal. At the very least goofing around will prevent them from having to confront the task of mourning and grieving the loss of Riff...

The "New Minack"

Well, today we had our first full cast rehearsal in our very own outdoor space, and I think I can safely say on behalf of everyone that it was a real eye-opener. I think we've all realised how tough working outside is going to be on our bodies!!! Above are a few photos from today's run through of Act One. I've had so much fun working with everyone so far- roll on Phase Two of rehearsals!

Siani xx

Just a few from today!

A bit of Quintet and some accent coaching

The cast have tackled the very challenging song 'Tonight Quintet' and have successfully taken ownership over the song. What is apparent from rehearsal is that this song is where the Jets and Sharks psych themselves up for the rumble.

On Friday 9th April Terri Power ran a accent workshop with the cast on their New York and Puerto Rican accents. Following this extremely useful workshop, the detail in cast's work on authentic accents is noticeable. Not only is this noted in the scripted lines but the cast also now have improvisational phrases to use in scenes which helps to bring the scenes to life.
Some of the phrases the 'New Yorkers' worked with to help them are "New York", "I want you to listen to me", "Bring her here", She's bringin' me somthin'", "Don't worry about it", "Get in the car", "Get outta here", "We went to the store for coffee".
The Puerto Ricans also did a lot work on accents. See the video below for an insight into their accent work.

More Rumblings....

Just a note on the Rumble....

I think what is starting to coming across in the action now, whether that action be musical, movement or textual dialogue and scene work, is the reality of the situation in hand, the central human condition at the core of the action. It began to be grasped by the cast today as we worked through the reality of the awful situation of the rumble and the culmination of the tensions that bring the story to this harsh point; the brutal fact that by the end of the scene, all involved in this pivotal moment have actually been complicit in murder - the taking of another human life. At the end of Act one there are two bodies on the ground, put there by boys playing at being men who can kill. But when reality hits home and those boys realise the full depth and resonances of their actions - what it really means to be a man who kills, play time is over for ever.