“Today has been emotional…”

The rehearsal today was an opportunity for the actors to get into the feelings of their characters.  They used things that have happened in their own lives to help show what the characters are going through.

Jess: “Today has been emotional, we pinpointed certain moments and looked at how we’d be feeling as the character.  Then used memories of our own to reproduce that feeling.

It was great when we were doing happy and fulfilled moments but quite depressing in others.  But finding those moments helps balance the show because it’s not all doom and gloom.”

Jez said: “We talked about feelings that the characters would have and one of my feelings, was feeling exuberant and not having anything to worry about.

First of all we went through the scenes without any words and just used the actions and stuff.  This was to get us to remember how we feel at a certain time and who we are talking to at certain points – you’ve really got to know what you’re doing and be precise with it.”

Rob: “Today was a very important day because Tim got to use his new laser, or as he likes to call it ‘Tinkerbell’.  He was using it as a directing device to point out where we should stand and stuff like that… but really I think it was so he could play with his new toy!

We did lots of stopping and starting in the scenes so that we could see how each character felt in the scene so we could make it even better and more believable.”

Furry friends…

We had some furry friends at Mind the Gap Studios today.

Thanks to Nicky White from Huddersfield and District Fanciers Society for letting us film 4 of the cutest rabbits ever.  The footage we captured will be used to make projections that will feature in the show.

“Trying to remember the order of the scenes gets confuzzling… that’s my own word!”

The cast did their first full run through from beginning to end today:

Rob said: “The full run through went really well, my note was to be low and slow – that means a slow and deep voice, sort of like Eeyore as a man!  Because we’ve been cutting and pasting loads of different scenes before, this time we put them all in order from start to end.

Trying to remember the order of the scenes gets confuzzling… that’s my own word!  Because some of the lines in the scenes are quite similar even though the flashbacks run in order.  I think what I’m going to do now is try and be word perfect and tray and find the right voice.”

Jess said: “First of all we did an exercise where we could inhabit our characters in different hours of the day.  We’ve done this exercise before but since then we’ve done a lot of research so know we really know what they’ll be doing.  It really helped me develop the character and think about who her friends are, what she would be doing outside the cathouse and the different relationships she has with men.  So when we went into the run through I could imagine her room more realistically.”

Recording the music

“We’re all feeling very comfortable with each other, so much so that Jez has brought his slippers in!”

Today was the beginning of the third week of the rehearsals; the cast are exploring different ways of playing the characters and thinking about the meaning of each scene:

Jess said: “Today we went through the first scene again, this time we slowed everything right down so we could really think about what the characters were feeling.  This enabled us to explore different possibilities in the scene and keep it fresh.

We also looked at the end scene again, to compare it with the opening scene and found some new points of focus.  We’re all feeling very comfortable with each other, so much so that Jez has brought his slippers in!”

Jez: “Basically we’ve been doing the first scene, just realising who are characters are.  Slowing it down to make sure that we are thinking before talking and giving us chance to try different ways of doing things.  Like in the first scene, my character George is haunted about what has happened and he needs to get it off his chest.”

“At one point we did have lots of scary blue rabbits all over the place!”

Rob and Jez on the first technical run-though…

Jez: “Basically we’ve been having a big stagger through, that means with technical stuff so we know where we need to be at certain points and where we need to stand at certain points – then putting it all together.

I like rehearsing in that space (Studio 1), when we used to do rehearsals we had to go to another place.  Here it’s really nice because when you have a break you see everyone else, it’s nice to have that contact so you don’t feel on your own.

Tomorrow I’m going to Leeds with Lisa to Si’s recording studio.  I’m going to be recording some honky-tonk piano music like they used to play in the West.  And for ‘I’ll Fly Away’ I’ll be doing some vocals again – the song is about when death comes and you feeling at peace.”

Rob: “It went really well today, it was like a run-through of the show but with bits stopping and starting.  Seeing how the projection would look and seeing what kind of design we would have for the floor or the bed.  It was good fun, but at one point we did have lots of scary blue rabbits all over the place!”

“We’ve been looking at the characters in more depth…”

Yesterday the cast were working on some of the key scenes that really help the audience to get to know their characters and thinking about how they relate to the overall production.

Jess: “Today we have been getting the two river scenes on their feet so that we can compare them, they come at the opening and the climax of the show.  We’ve been looking at the characters in more depth; thinking about how they got into certain situations and what their everyday life would be like.

We also looked at the scene where Carlson shoots Candy’s dog, and talked about how that connects to Lennie.”

Rob: “We didn’t have the main part of the bed today because it is being fixed up, so we just had to use the mattress.  We did the first scene with Lennie in it and the last scene… which I won’t say too much about – I’m not a plot spoiler!

We blocked some of the scenes we read through last week, it was good because I find it hard to learn lines and was surprised at how much I remembered.”

More sell out performances…

Tickets for ‘Of Mice & Men’ are selling out fast at venues across the country.  If you still haven’t booked yours yet, do it quick before they all go.

The following performances are already fully booked:
Rose Theatre, Ormskirk

Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton have sold out for 16 March, but there are still some tickets available for 17 March

York Theatre Royal on 1 April with a limited number of seats remaining on 2 April

Hull Truck and Live Theatre have both booked additional matinee performances due to high audience demand.

360 photography shoot

Today all the cast and crew were involved in a 360 photoshoot for one of the scenes from ‘Of Mice & Men’.  The photo will be added to the blog in the next couple of weeks so please keep checking back.

This is the first time Jess has been involved in a photoshoot with the company, she said:
‘We had a 360 photo taken today which was great, as it was also the first time we were all in front of an audience.  It gave us more of a sense of the set an the atmosphere.

We were in full costume so it felt like we could really get into the character.  I had a headshot in character which was a bit strange, because Suzy has to be happy for her punters but is not happy with her life I had to smile in an ironic way… so it was smiling with the mouth, but not with the eyes which is quite difficult.’

Jez: ‘It was really good fun having so many people in it.  Once I got in costume I didn’t feel like Jez, I felt like George!  It was nice to see the set, projections and lighting like how they will be for the show.’

Rob said: ‘I loved being in the 360, I’ve seen all the others Mind the Gap have done but it’s my first experience of being involved in one.  I really involved being in front of an audience and getting to see their reactions. Also it was in full costume – my costume has been all mucked up now, before it looked new, so that helped get into the role more.

It was nice feeling like a model for the day and having my headshot done, even though it was very cold outside where Tim Smith took it.  It’s always good to do this sort of stuff makes me feel famous… I wish!

The first week will be over tomorrow, it’s gone really fast I can’t believe it’s that time already.  We all get on as a cast… it’s going to be an exciting few weeks and an exciting tour.’

Jez: ‘It was really good fun having so many people in it.  Once I got in costume I didn’t feel like Jez, I felt like George!  It was nice to see the set, projections and lighting like how they will be for the show.’

Rehearsal Day 2

Today’s rehearsal was about getting used to working with each other, and then with the bed – the biggest piece of set which is on stage in every scene.

The bed is becoming like an old friend to actor Jez Colborne who is reprising his role of George: ‘We had the bed in all the other tours and I feel so comfortable with it.  I’m loving being back in rehearsals it’s great working with Jess and Rob, I’ve known Rob for a while but we’ve never worked on anything together before – he’ll be a brilliant Lennie!”

Jess said: ‘Today has been playtime really, lots of fun… and we even had story time  on the bed when we read through the script.  We’re trying to escape from the way we’d say things and are experimenting vocally to make the scene interesting.

Today has been understanding the space and using the bed to create other parts of the scenery for example at different points in the show it’s a table then a river bank.’