I am back home in London now, got back late last night and it feels very strange not to be in lovely Ludlow any more! The show is officially open and has begun its tour of village halls and theatres large and small. Last week was full on, with everyone returning to rehearsals after four days off for Easter, which seems a very long time in theatre terms….With one day at Pentabus before we all transported ourselves to Shrewsbury, we spent the time easing our way back into the show, and managed to fit in a dress rehearsal or two. Actually, the four days off seemed to have done wonders for the show, with everyone sparky and refreshed (and full of chocolate!) it whipped along with a new energy and momentum that was brilliant to watch.

To start at Theatre Severn was a real luxury, with plenty of space, time, facilities, multiple dressing rooms, and of course let us not forget the automatic soap dispensers. We arrived on the Wednesday, but stage management and the creative team had been there for hours before us rigging and focusing lights, testing sound levels and of course, building the set. It looked fantastic in the space, but there was one big worry about sight lines. We had decided not to put it on its rostra as we had thought that it would sit better in the space. However, getting there and seeing the rake of the audience, and seeing the actors onstage, we decided that perhaps it would be better for the audience if it was raised up. No easy task, it meant dismantling the entire set, building the rostra and then reconstructing the whole thing. Not only that, but Alex had spent a good many hours focusing the lights to the correct position. Moving the set up and back would mean he would have to start from scratch. But after a long conversation, everyone agreed that it was worth doing. As soon as the decision had been made, it was action stations as the team pulled together with almost super human speed and efficiency to get it done. Coming back the next morning, the set was in its rightful position and looked brilliant. Phew.

We had time for a tech/dress rehearsal, and a photo shoot, before the first show that evening. The show had been sold out for weeks, and Brian Viner, his family and friends, and Nick Warburton and his wife were all going to be part of our first ever audience. terrifying. would they like it? would they laugh? would they feel like we had done their lives, and their stories justice? we would soon find out as all of a sudden it was getting on for show time. It was a fantastic first show, the company did a brilliant job and the audience seemed to respond very well. Speaking to Brian and his family, and Nick, after the show, they all seemed delighted with what they saw, which was a relief to hear! Throughout the whole play I could not stop thinking how strange it must be for Brian and Jane and their children, watching a version of their lives onstage that they have had no control over! They had been so generous in just letting us get on with it in rehearsals, and it meant a lot to the company to get the Viner stamp of approval I think!

There was time for the actors to have a very quick first night drink, then it was back to work to dismantle the set and pack everything away in the van, as our destination the next night was a tiny village hall in Clee. From 250 to 47 seats in 24 hours! Winding through tiny country roads, we would occasionally see a poster advertising the show, which was the only sign to me that we were heading anywhere close to the venue (thank god for sat navs). It was a gorgeous little village hall, the sun was shining, and by the time the actors and myself arrived, the set was already up and looking lovely in the cosy and intimate hall. What a difference. The first row of audience would literally be a few inches away from the performance space. We had time to do a quick line run onstage, for actors to get used to the intimacy, and then their evening meal was being very kindly provided for them before the show. I left them in the sunshine, talking about playing a game of British Bulldog on the grass as a warm up…..

I’m now not seeing the show for a little while, returning to see them all in Abergavenny, and I will be very excited to see how the show has evolved.