sunday rehearsal

There is only 2 and a half weeks to go (everyone was quite clear on this) and so it was a tad disappointing today that a few of us were tripping up over lines we knew before - what was happening! Things I knew just went out my head and the same happened for other people. Maybe it is line overload. I don't know. We worked on some scenes that needed work so maybe it was just that, that things need a bit of polishing. Anyway the director, ever calm and encouraging, seems to have faith in us and is still positive which I think is admirable. It helps, to say the least and it also gives you the added incentive to get it right and justify his faith in you.

Funny how knowing your lines at home is different from knowing and acting them out at the theatre. Everyone's said the same.  But it is different because you have other people saying things, possibly slightly differently to what you were expecting, and you are doing physical things as well. More to remember today but happily one little scene went quite well.

I hope that people come along: I mean, whoever comes will enjoy it, I'm sure, so in that way it doesn't matter, but it would be nice after everyone has worked hard on it. It's still an adventure for me because now things like props, the set and lighting are coming into it so I don't know what to expect. Probably best that way so I don't get too worked up beforehand. But I know a bit of nerves are useful.

Shame you get nerves in the wrong place, sometimes. I try to remember my meditation and breathing although it usually goes out the window when you want to be calm.

With ever increasing darkness in the news and in the grey skies of these short autumn days, it is nice to have something warm and Christmassy to look forward to.

Bumps and fonts

I had an interview last week, 3 and a half hours in total: a tour of part of the school, two 15 minute group discussions with students, a 45 minute IT test and an interview with three people. I got to know the other candidates (two internal) over the course of the morning, so we had fun, even if I did not get offered the position. It was only part time, so I am hoping to hear from a similar school which has a full time position and is nearer.

Rehearsals last week were interesting: we all seemed to fluff our lines on Thursday night and took forever to get through one scene, but perhaps you have to do this to get it right. On Sunday we went up to the wardrobe section and I tried on some outfits for Pattie. Turned out I had been wearing the bump upside down, and now that the kind wardrobe lady has helped me with it, it looked much better, with an added bit of padding too. It took some squeezing under a couple of dresses.  The director asked us to look at the recent comedy series, The Kennedys, which is set in the 70s like Season's Greetings, and has a pregnant character. He asked me to look at how she walks, moves etc. I was watching an episode and recognised the actress but couldn't think where I'd seen her.  When I looked online, guess which school she went to. Only the one where I'd had the interview.

Work-wise I am trying many avenues but not all of them lead where I want to go. Time is ticking on and I do want to get something soon. It can get very disheartening. Beggars can't be choosers, but then again I have good qualifications and experience and know perfectly well I am capable of a lot. If everything wasn't so expensive I would not be in this situation. Supporting yourself also makes things more expensive but don't for one minute think I'm hooking up with anyone just for their money. I keep having the weirdest, unpleasant dreams, mostly about being trapped, funnily enough.

I still have my articles to write for Wiltshire Life magazine about our font obsession. I had great fun making my sister a quiz all about the places we have been, including a photo montage at the end. Choosing the photos made me realise just how many places we have been to and how many marvellous things we have seen, adding in photo after photo of fonts and doors and creatures and designs. It was quite moving in fact. I fail to see how anyone could not be excited by some of it. But I understand that they're not... It's quite funny now that we only want to talk about these places and when I'm not talking about that I'm talking about the play. Turned into a right bore.

I don't care. I know what I like and what I can do. Still having fun doing logic puzzles and getting paid for them. Inspired by the Antiques Roadshow, my current one is on antique finds. Every week on that programme someone has found something valuable in their garden or in a skip. I saw a lovely little gravy boat in the charity shop yesterday, from a Staffordshire pottery. Things do shout quality, it's true.

it's getting more real

This line-learning and rehearsing is quite tiring, I think. I suppose it is a lot of concentrating. It is strange how you think you know the lines at home and when you get to the theatre, and you are standing in a different place and hearing different people saying the cues, suddenly it gets muddled and goes out of your head. Got to get them in there now. It's getting increasingly near.

I need to be louder so I am hoping that I will be able to get some tips for projecting my voice from the others. I don't want to spoil anything by not being heard. It's good to have someone telling you that because I think I'm speaking loudly but, as Richard pointed out, at the start I am at the back of the stage and the sound has to carry a long way. So I have that to work on. I still feel odd doing little actions like tidying my husband's clothes, so I hope I can get on with that and get over the oddness.

I have sent a flyer to everyone I know round here so I hope that some of them will come along. It would be good to have as many people as possible. Now I appreciate plays more because I know how much hard work has gone into it. I think I should go to many more. I went to the Masqueraders' show on Friday which was mostly singing, some dancing. It was impressive that so many people enjoy getting up there and singing. At least I don't have to sing, I couldn't do that. When I stepped through the front door, it was at once both scary and exciting. It suddenly made our own show more real. In a few weeks' time, people I know and don't know will be coming through those doors to watch the show. Which is exciting because I know they will enjoy it, it is very funny and my fellow cast are wonderful, as is the director. So I have total trust in them which is a nice feeling. I am of course nervous to do my best and to get it right and so on. But I think that we will be concentrating so hard it won't be possible to take that much notice of the audience.  

I have seen posters around town now which look great, so I hope that people are in the mood for a festive trip to the theatre.

Gloucestershire

Hallowe'en is always going to be a strange day, in my opinion, as the two worlds of so-called reality and spooky things are at their closest. Strange things have happened historically and today was no different. Well, for a start it was gloriously sunny, which was unusual. We had decided that it might be one of the last good days this year for getting out to places (sob!) so we set off, this time in The Van, which was a pleasant change and meant that anyone who did hurtle down narrow lanes towards us would have to do the reversing this time...

So we set off further afield than usual, all the way out past Cirencester in Gloucestershire. It is an area we visited once before and so we were recalling the delights of Langford, Inglesham, Highworth, Ampney St Mary etc and the not so delightful drizzle in which we visited them. Gloucestershire seemingly has a wealth of things to visit and we were absolutely spoilt with what we found. It was one of those trips that was just one gasp after another. And we increasingly laugh about how probably no one else really understands our excitement. Although there are a few people who have shared or share our interests.

First stop (and what a stop), was St Swithins, Quenington, a place near where we'd been before and nearly visited, but ran out of time and energy.  We were without our usual information books, but my sister remembered that Quenington had "beakheads" - the ones where animal heads grip the arch above the doorway in their beaks or mouths. Always entertaining and always worth visiting.  So we found the cute old village of Quenington, complete with 15th century stone gateway, the "knight's arch" and stream. The church notice proudly declared "NORMAN DOORWAY" which boded extremely well, as when the church cares about its romanesque architecture, you can be sure they have looked after it well. (It is a Grade I listed building, I am glad to read). So we walked with anticipation up the long pathway craning a little to get the first look at the door, expecting something exciting. (It's always exciting that first glimpse...)  Gasps ensued. The doorway has a wealth of excitement. It's as if the carver got carried away and did everything he could. Arch decoration, capitals with fabulous faces, flowers, interlacing patterns, and a complicated tympanum showing Jesus standing on the devil, spearing him in fact and 3 figures - with what looked like rabbit ears but must have been hair. There was also a ram's head (date unsure) over the top. It is all a little overwhelming when there is so much to see. It is almost as if the carver is showcasing his talents.  So we stood there, marvelling at it in excitement, and a woman (I can't remember if she said she was the churchwarden or vicar) came along. She seemed rightly proud of the door and gave us an information leaflet.

We decided that, although R had been sure there had been beakheads, perhaps she had got muddled with somewhere else.  But as she was reading about the north doorway, she read on and spluttered in excitement that there was also a south door! Not believing our luck, we hurried round the side of the church and were amazed to see a second equally elaborate doorway, with carved arches and tympanum, this one even more complicated. It was apparently, the coronation of the Virgin and there she was with the figures of the evangelists (their animal forms) and a house (for good measure). And more importantly - there were the beakheads! Around the archway were some delightfully comic beakheads, clutching the archway in their mouths for all eternity, including a wide-faced horse, a boar(?) with little teeth and a hare.  Fabulous.  The "hinge" design up the sides of the door was just the same as the one at South Cerney, also in Gloucestershire - it must surely be the same carver. This sort of thing is exciting for me because how many people (except Pevsner and one or two many years ago) have gone round viewing carvings and comparing them, to the extent that they know the same person must have done their special design in more than one place? We were joking that we could set ourselves Mastermind questions on the subject (but apparently we have better things to be getting on with).

So Quenington was rather exciting and we returned to the van feeling that the day could not get any better, because one amazing door is something, but two is just fabulous. The Knights Templar ran the church so perhaps this has something to do with how ornate the doors were.

Next stop was nearby Coln St Aldwyn's where we went to see two dragon heads. You can't beat a good dragon's head and these two were some of the finest we've seen. Both had lovely toothy grins and had more detail than some, and I was rather pleased with my drawing too.

   

Finally we finished up at Southrop, where there was another woman who told us about the church. The font there was just inside the door and was very elaborate. It had a fancy band all around the top, which was a very complicated design with a rather pleasing "buckle" part.  Below this (we read) were some figures standing on other figures and spearing them. They were the virtues conquering the vices. It was interesting but I don't care for designs with people as much as patterns, I've decided. I didn't really care for the bloodthirsty depiction of these virtues either, and it was an echo of a very unpleasant scene we had inadvertently driven through to get there. We'd been going through country lanes and the sides of the road were cluttered with stupid people waiting to watch a hunt go through. I won't rant here but you will get the point that we were not on their side. Anyway - the font seemed to echo this in tasteless violence.  There was an arch inside that had a similar pattern to that at Ditteridge.

   

The wealth of riches in Gloucestershire (there were many places we had to leave for another day) was a bit tiring and so we headed home before the sun set.

Coming along

I have one interview, which is encouraging. I do find some things which are interesting so that is good. I am continuing to do the logic puzzles, which are fun. The chap liked the last one most of all and said it was more complicated; perhaps I am improving with practice. It's quite fun to think of themes for them which I take from everyday things - so yes, we've had one set in the theatre... of course!

Rehearsals are keeping me busy and in between I am making an effort to learn my lines. As my favourite comedians advised (via Twitter), repetition is the key. It seems that you just have to go over and over it until it becomes second nature. I suppose it is a bit like knowing the lyrics to a song where you hear it so many times, you know without thinking what is coming next. And all credit to Mr Ayckbourn, the language is very musical - the more you look at it, the clearer it is that he chose the words deliberately and (of course) did not just write anything. This makes it easier to learn, in fact, because there is rhythm and repetition and music there. Which our director has made us aware of. It is important to get the words right and not substitute your own version. For a start, it helps the next person because you are relying on the person before you to give your cue. It is funny though, how some lines go in and others you just can't get quite right. But there is time to correct this...!  It is really quite surprising how any of us can learn of all these lines (and not just your own but the ones in between.) As I do more, they are beginning to pop out of my mouth nearly before I've thought about it... That's how it all needs to be, soon.

It is a case of going over and over it again and over it once more to learn the lines. It is lucky for me that I have the time to do this. I admire people like our lead actress, who has lots of lines to learn and a busy life outside it, not to mention the director, who sounds like he is always busy. Which all goes to make it even more special that we are doing this together and it is so important to get it right for everyone else as well.  The nearer we get (there are 5 weeks), the more nervous I feel about actually appearing on stage in front of people, but some people (I'm not sure who) were watching rehearsals and laughing away the other night, which was very encouraging. I'm sure that people will laugh, because some of it is most amusing, specially the puppet show. I laugh at the funny lines every time.

I probably go on about it too much but I did not know I would find it this absorbing. All I want to do is to immerse myself in it and when one rehearsal has finished I can't wait for the next one - I probably should not wish the time away like this. Actually the days in between are vital to go over the last rehearsal's points and lines and to look at the next one. Lines are beginning to trip around my head, now, specially before bedtime. It is no wonder I have dreamt about the director too.

While I am working I have also found it quite uplifting to listen to some of the songs from musicals I like and for the first time I think I feel it is no longer a bit embarrassing to like them! This is all somehow giving me a new sense of freedom. There is much to learn and much to try and new challenges to face. But how cool is that? I was chatting to Richard about how he had started and how many productions he's been involved in. I really hope I can stay involved wherever I go. It would be nice to stay around here and make some friends in the extended group(s) - as it (rather surprisingly) seems such a big thing round this area.

Back to Act 2....

In and around Bath

After stopping off for vital supplies at the art shop, and breakfast at Waitrose, we headed to local areas around Bath, as it was not a great day weatherwise, with a constant drizzle of rain as if we were sitting in a cloud. (We were). Visibility was poor and it didn't seem sensible to go trundling off too far.  Armed with our usual snacks, first stop was Charlcombe, the most delightful little church set up on one of Bath's hills, above a garden and St Alphege's Well.

The one problem with font-ing in this season is that there was no light and churches seem intent on saving electricity (who can blame them) as there are only minimal lights for visitors. You can see lights up above but no switches, so perhaps only the vicar has the key for these. It makes visiting on a dull day rather a dark affair and we were literally peering through the gloom all day. But luckily with the front door propped open we could just about see the delights of Charlcombe font, a real gem, which impressed me the second I opened the door. It is a lovely shape, with an interesting and unusual design set around the bottom. I took to calling the swirly bits "chelsea buns" and then there were definite mushroom designs between these. All rather deeply carved, which was accentuated by the light which fell on it.  We had to peer closely to draw it. The best thing about the font was that it was from one piece of stone and that it had an original stem and base! I do not even recall the last time we saw this as usually the base is later and the font bowl has been put on top. It was for me an absolute delight to see a whole, unaltered font. It somehow made such a connection to the past because the whole thing was as it had been from its creation.  Apparently the writers Henry Fielding and Jane Austen both visited the church (Fielding was married there. I often think if I got married I would use it as an excuse to have a nice font at the back of the room and to make this a focal point for the guests. "Now, if everyone can please admire the font.")

We stepped carefully through the wet grass of the garden on the slope below and found St Alphege's Well (on the hunt for moss again for other purposes). It had atmosphere in such a secluded setting, with the trees dripping around us, and apparently the water was good for eyes, so I doused my lids in the hope that I will no longer have to wear glasses. So far, no change.

Next stop was Langridge, where we have been before and I did remember it once I was there. The columns in the porch are lovely with some fine spirals, always fun to draw. There was also an arch of saltire crosses, or were they circles with shapes in that then formed saltire crosses where they met? I don't know if there is a difference. Inside there is a very impressive arch with much zigzagging and we noted some new things this time: two feet-like carvings at the bottom of columns and also two arch ends that looked like they could have been the start of dragons, they really did - we could see the faint line of where a mouth or teeth would be, as if the carver had been going to start dragons and then been called away or the church said, no, don't bother, those zigzags are more than enough.  See, we really are like Antiques Roadshow experts now.

Finally we finished in the small hillside village of Swainswick; again, somewhere I remember going in times before we drew. I did not remember a most unusual feature inside the church, which was a kitchen area. I jokingly asked my sister if she wanted a cup of tea, and then saw to my surprise that the church provided free tea and coffee for walkers and visitors. What an innovation. If more churches had kitchens, this would be ideal. It felt really kind.  I remembered a strange corner of the church where there was a weird bit of carving - a long piece of fish/finger/weird things like eels all coming out of the wall. Didn't really care for it then and didn't care for it this time either. There was a weird head, a roll of carpet on a famous Bath architect's memorial tablet, and some heads in the porch. I drew one of them - it had an okay expression, but turned more into a halloween mask in my drawing.

Dinder, Doulting, Chesterblade, Holcombe, Leigh on Mendip

Back on the road and this time we ventured into Somerset, out towards Shepton Mallet area. First stop was Dinder, where we found some creatures who were possibly dragon heads, like we have seen before, but on closer inspection seemed more like dogs. They definitely had dog noses, and no dragons' teeth, and pointy ears. So dogs they were. A knowledgeable and interested woman who was helping out in the church took the time to talk to us about them and seemed genuinely interested in art. Not one of these people who can't understand why we are drawing them. Which was a nice change.  The dogs had been rescued from somewhere and had been placed end to end over a window, so that they were not in the usual dragon door arch position. They were quite pleasing, as was the pretty and hidden village of Dinder (despite "no turning" notices where there was really no need. We turned anyway, at speed).

St Aldhelm's well

When we finally got to Doulting (because I was once again too slow to signal the turning), we investigated the church (some unusual capitals in the foyer) and then made our way down a slope to a spring, St Aldhem's well.  Surprisingly it was a busy spot as two cars came to fill up a variety of vessels with the holy water while we were there.  I learned to recognise a liverwort (there were some fine examples) and there was some moss as well. The water was (although it is a cliche) crystal clear, quite remarkably so, and being a holy well I had to sample the water. It tasted slightly minerally but not unpleasant. The water poured out from a hidden and peaceful channel at the back, through into a deep animal trough, which I thought was nice. It was pleasing to think of cattle and horses drinking from the holy spring.

Chesterblade

On to Chesterblade, a tiny, quiet spot with nice views over the hills. The church was small and cute and had a pleasingly tub shaped font. Very appealing. We examined it in detail, as a church leaflet made out it had once had a carved band around the middle. There was a slight discolouration in the stone there at about that spot, but neither of us could see evidence that it had been chipped away or bring ourselves to believe that anyone would have gone to such trouble. Now, convinced we are like experts on the Antiques Roadshow who have seen enough examples of something to recognise things by sight, we did not know of any example of anyone defacing a font in this way and for no obvious reason. So we concluded the chap who drew the font with the band on it had either embellished it himself or got confused with another font (as it is easy to do if you do not write down where you have been). Either way it was rather bizarre and my sister was right to question. Do not believe everything just because it is written down. If we have learnt one thing, it is surely that.   The doorway had two lovely capitals, one a face, with unusually prominent ears, and the other a very pleasing swirly design which on reflection reminds me of a Walnut Whip.  There were also two tiny faces, which proved harder to draw than bigger ones.  Oh and apparently we missed a lamb of god, outside. Our favourite. But sometimes you just get overloaded.

Holcombe Old Church

Next stop (it is remarkable afterwards how long we keep going for), in the quiet spot of Holcombe Old Church, down a lane out of the way and a really peaceful place if you are going to be buried somewhere.  A load of ducks were nearby as we could hear raucous quacking from somewhere. They always sound like they're laughing at something.  Holcombe had a rather appealing porch archway, with a two twirly columns and a really nice interwoven design which could be good for inspiration for making something one day.  I liked how we are now so confident in our churchyard environment we just moved a bench and sat in front of it to draw - well it is tiring to stand all the time - and of course no one came and said, what are you doing, anyway. It was too out the way.

On the way back we squeezed in one final stop (well, it seems worth it when you still have some energy) at Leigh on Mendip. The font here was a simple two-scallop design that reminded both of us of a bottom - it had that pleasing shape about it, it has to be said. There was a little bit of embellishment on the curved corners, but overall it was quite a chunky and cheeky font.