OP performances past

So much fun to be able to say I played the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. As did one of our cast Natalie the other morning on the tube when someone asked why she was carrying a baby basket. It’s a prop for a show she said. What in some church hall? No, in the Globe. The reply, Oh.

Obviously she really meant the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse but who knows what that is. The actors do. The directors and producers do. It’s gaining recognition and the word is out on what it’s like to play it. Attitudes about it vary from the bloody uncomfortable of the Kirkville reviews to the oh they’re doing lots of really good music stuff there.

Well we can say we played it twice already with two very different shows. And as I said to our master of the book, Rob the other day who cares how uncomfortable a theatre is as long as the show blows you away. The Globe is one of the most friendly theatres on the block btw with wheel chair access and facilities, even for the SWP. And yes, the pit is positioned with benches facing each other. Anyway audiences immediately angle themselves appropriately to the stage and indeed there are no backs on the front three rows.

My first two hours traffic with this stage happened on the 25th June. We were given a gracious introduction by Patrick and then left in the capable hands of the head of events at Globe Ed, Adam and the candlelician Tony. Allowed free access we explore the length and breadth of the stage, the sight lines, the aural capacities of the room.

Discovery numero uno and most important was the corridor the width of the tiring house door, in which you are visible by everyone in the house. Venture too far stage left or right and for some audience members, you disappear.

Discovery numero due and equally important, the acoustics are fantastic. No need to shout or project anywhere. The voice spreads out and up and wrappingly caresses back at you. Kinda like the stage at the Old Vic, but obviously smaller. The all wood interior in this respect is your friend. One wonders how it will sound once the wood is soaked with voice.

The second aspect being that consonants are of utmost importance. The vowel carries the emotion and the room is emotionally vibrant.

The real test of a room as all performers know is playing it.

Reuben Kaye singing some Feste

The tenth of july was my birthday, and at the same age Shakespeare was when he died, I participated in a David Crystal lecture. If you don’t know DC, a little research will pruv his warth. Suffice to say he is the new (old) voice of OP. His voice on other language matters needs 3 small letters, OBE. I’ve worked stages and rooms mostly in NL for some 20 years now but DC brings a confidence to the lecture room few will achieve. He likes the off-beat humourous approach too.

Here’s the platt of the evening:

Preface to the First Folio, by Ben Jonson

DC Introduction to Original Pronunciation

Twelfe Nighte

Love’s Labour’s Lost

DC
Sir John Harington – new design of privy published in 1596 under the title A new discourse of a stale svbject, called the metamorphosis of Ajax.

King Lear.

As You Like It.

As You Like It.

Troilus and Cressida.

Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Heywood’s proverbs.

Midsummer Night’s Dream.

10 examples of last lines: Taming of the Shrew Merry Wives of Windsor King Lear Hamlet Romeo and Juliet Troilus and Cressida H4pt1 H5

Henry the Fifth.

Richard the Second.

Heminge and Condell, introduction to Folio.

Just yesterday the 17th July we played an evening of Songs and Sonnets in OP.

Here’s the Platt for that:

#Weyward Sisters#

SONNET
SONNET
SONNET

Dad, Will, Ben – LLL & OP

SONNET

#Will He Not Come Again#

Sonnet 20 – Girls
– Reuben

SONNET

#Come Away Death#

SONNET

#Hey Nonny Nonny#

SONNET
SONNET
SONNET

Willow Scene

#Willow Song#

SONNET

#XXIX#

Chorus Sonnet

R&J Sonnet

SONNET

#Fear No More

SONNET
SONNET
SONNET

#ENCORE – Rain it raineth#

 
Ben wanted to keep the ensemble on its toes to work the cue script process. Everyone had chosen a sonnet that resonated with them. The day before we had finished working the nuts and bolts of the sonnets analysing the form from phonetic and metrical standpoints.

Then Ben worked their contents with incredibly personal results. Seeing as catharsis is the actor’s business, witnessing such in rehearsal without it descending into therapy is gratifying. Information and choices are an actor’s vocabulary and the more we have of both, the better the results.

Those results were explored further during the performance on the 17th in an ordering determined on the spur of the moment. What was fixed were the songs composed by Hazel and her sister. And Sam Amidon a US folk artist, who brought another flavour of folksiness to the songs composition. We sang sonnet 29 to his scoring and boy did it read. Our finale song was Feste’s and with the whole ensemble behind us I felt supported and grateful.

The room when you play it has three god spots. Two on the deck: one downstage centre and the other upstage centre; and one on the balcony, dead centre. You lean back and…

Ben leaning back and sitting pretty.