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History ensemble member Nick Asbury on looking forward to Christmas...
Holidays!
What a weird and wonderful week it was.
 I haven't written because we were so busy and then, alleluia, we had Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off. I got my Christmas tree up and some tinsel round the window and everything. It's been strange coming back this week to do the shows. And I've really enjoyed doing them as a consequence.
But, most importantly, we had the understudy run of Henry V on Thursday last week. It was brilliant. All the performances were so strong, all were working for each other. Chris McGill deserves a medal for doing Hal in both the Henry IVs and Henry V - that is a fearful amount of lines and entrances and exits and fights and moves and thoughts and emotions - with such a small amount of rehearsal time. I think it is such an indicator of the strength of this ensemble that he and we pulled all that off. And a lesson for future ensembles that we must need more time to fit all that in. It is not something that the paying public have to know about but it is a necessary and vital part of our practise. And it's bloody knackering. The sheer number of hours that we spend in this building - the dear young Courtyard. And they must needs sort out the drains too....
We then did our bit for the Company by doing an extract from Henry V the next day for the AGM and Prince Charles. He came and met us afterwards. And then he stayed and saw the show, so he obviously liked the trailer in the afternoon. He popped backstage afterwards and a had word with a few of us. He seemed to really like it and I apologised for smelling of leek. Which is not something you do every day to the heir to the throne. Doing Henry V knowing he was in the audience was interesting, because after all we're doing a play about his family. And there are some pretty edgy lines about the nature of kingship in that play and they had a little edge to them that night. Still, it was a great show that night as we'd not been working our guts out during the day and felt let off the leash and the audience seemed to love it, which is much more important.
This is our one free week, then it's Christmas! We get four days off which is a pretty much unheard of luxury for any actor working over Christmas. The Noughts & Crosses company are back working Boxing Day, bless them, but we don't do a show till the 28th! Mind you, we do a Trilogy Day on the 29th so that should work off any extra pounds we put on over the Christmas meal...
Then we have New Year's Eve off! My ambassador, you are really spoiling us. Still, we are doing Richard II on New Years Day which should be an interesting show. I wouldn't sit in the front row if I were you. Then, dear friends, the coup de grace; the icing on the cake; the piece de resistance: yes, we start re-rehearsals on January 2nd for Henry VI Part I. Blimey O'Reilly.
This is going to be a major shock to the system. A week later we have, on consecutive days, a walking UNDERSTUDY line run of Henry VI Parts I & II! This is cruel. Bang goes my holiday. I'm going to be spending it poring over lines for the Henry VIs. Sigh.
Never mind - I'm still having the time of my life. It's been a fantastic year. I hope, whoever you are who may read this thing, that you've enjoyed following bits of it with me. And next year is when the whole of this enormous project comes together and we'll being doing all eight shows. It is very very exciting. Especially with all the tinsel round me window.
Thank you for reading and I hope that all of you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Have a good one. Badgers permitting, we will.
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About blogger Nick
Likes: Cricket and music. Fields and dark pubs with no music
Dislikes: Lager, crowded streets and light bars with music |
