Laura's Understudy Blog

A ten-year-old boy and a dominatrix

October 11, 2011

Sat on the 345 on the way home after a day of treading the boards (too luvvy?) and listening to Alanis Morisette on my iPod (too trashy?), it strikes me how different a life we actors lead compared to 'normal' people.

actors in rehearsal

Whatever 'normal' even means nowadays! For example, I have spent my day being a 10 year old boy in the morning and in the afternoon, a dominatrix. Not quite your average Thursday morning board meeting that's for sure!

You might wonder why I was a playing a 10 year old boy, and no for once it was not for dramatic licence.

The part of Prince Charles in Written on the Heart is to be played by three brilliant young boys (Hal, Christopher and Charlie) but whose entrance exams were keeping them from the rehearsal room. So yours truly took one for the team, strapped down my bosom and shoved a proverbial sock down my trousers.

Just kidding, but I was doing my best prepubescent boy acting. It was practically Home Alone 2!

As for the dominatrix, Measure for Measure is being set in the dark and glamorous world of sadomasochism. The play is full of power struggles and moral turmoil, so this controversial concept pushes the boundaries of every issue within the play and brings them to the juicy forefront! (Maybe not one for my Gran though!)

We managed to run the first half of Written on the Heart in the morning and the second half of Measure for Measure in the afternoon. Two halves of two very different plays... It still doesn't make a whole... But it won't be long now...

Laura x

by Laura Darrall  |  1 comment


Previous in Laura's Understudy Blog
« My first blog

Next in Laura's Understudy Blog
The Observer »

Comments

Nov 3, 7:55pm
jenny heys

I teach infants and spent this morningas daddy bear being interviewed by the police and this afternoon walking barefoot through various paints and clay. I think the non normal people are the ones sitting in board meetings.

Post a Comment

Name:  
Email:
Email address is optional and won't be published.
We ask just in case we need to contact you.
Comment:  

We reserve the right not to publish your comments, and please note that any contribution you make is subject to our website terms of use.

Email newsletter

Sign up to email updates for the latest RSC news:

RSC Members

Already an RSC Member or Supporter? Sign in here.

Support us

Find out how you can make a difference

Teaching Shakespeare