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History ensemble member Nick Asbury on the need for showers when working with others...
You stink
"You stink," said Keith Bartlett to me in the Hell Mouth backstage during the run through of Henry VI Part II on Wednesday, "Your pits are howling." Which is nice, isn't it?
 But, frankly, they were. I did honk. Due to waking up late and haring out the door with ne'er so much a look at the bathroom, cycling like a banshee into work and making it into the theatre with about five seconds to spare and then an unscheduled and fragrant game of table tennis in the interval, by the time Jack Cade came along in the second half and Keith was passing by my raised aloft arms, I was ready to stop people at a hundred yards. Which isn't very ensemble of me, is it? Now, I've known Keith for nearly eight years and if he can't drop me a hint and tell me to go and have a shower then nobody can. Honesty, when you're working physically so close to each other for 13 or so hours every day, is by far the best policy.
As it also is with our rehearsal schedule. And as Michael Boyd has been with our workload. These are tough times for us at the moment. The sheer physical effort of rehearsing all day and then trying to perform to our best at night is nearly breaking us. As a consequence, the company nearly revolted on Tuesday when faced with a punishing rehearsal too far. The good thing is that people listened and whilst everyone was still a bit tetchy for a day or two (which weirdly made the run of Henry VI Part II a zinging little affair. I was squaring up to Clive in the Petitioner's scene and he punched me in the chest; now he is my best mate so if you're going to punch someone it might as well be your best mate, in my book. Mind you, he was probably trying to fend off the smell, I don't know). There was some genuine emotion going on out there. But we all got in on Friday and the mood had significantly changed. We did the whole of Henry VI Part III in the morning and notes and rehearsals in the afternoon and not a sausage was there about anything. We were all laughing and giggling again. We had got something out of our system. Whilst the collective noun for actors should be a 'whinge', we in this company, I think, have been generally pretty good over the last two years. And we weren't complaining for nothing. Rehearsals should have a proper direction to them at this stage and if they don't then we are better off resting. And there's no point faffing about on stage if we're all there with a bucket load of resentment. Nothing will get done. But Michael listened and things have changed. And we're back to full speed ahead.
A bit like I did with my armpits. Which is better for everyone concerned.
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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 |
