Day 16 - We have lift off (on a magic carpet!)

"The Roar of the Greasepaint, the smell of the crowd!" {Musical title from 1965}

Dear readers never fear Pongo and his diaries have returned after a short hiatus. many apologies for this but as you can imagine it's been a very busy week and in turn very tiring. Every night this week I've trundled home and gone straight to bed without penning a few words - but don't worry - we're back!!

So what have you been missing?! Well let me give you a run down.

Wednesday saw us finishing the tech. it was a long old day but nice to know we finally had everything set. The problems with our mangled mangle were fixed as suggested by our wonderful crew and all the timings for the quick changes and slosh recoveries have been figured out. It was all starting to take real shape by this point.

Come Thursday we were ready for our two dress rehearsals. After working a couple of moments Gerry had issue with, got into costume make up and started the first dress, which Brian of Fox Photography was capturing on film for us. I can't wait to see the shots - Brian tends to get some fantastic show shots!! Hopefully there'll be a few to use on Jamiebrook.co.uk - WHAT?!?! You haven't visited the website.... I think you should.....! the first dress had a couple of problems, more to do with pace and keeping the story prominent.

I somehow managed to swallow a massive gob of shaving foam in the slosh scene. i couldn't believe it, I took a massive gasp and inhaled said gob, prompting much gagging and spluttering mid scene. Funnily enough the exact same thing happened the last time I was here. Believe me it's not a nice feeling having foam down your windpipe!

I personally thought the second dress was a lot better, and I managed to get through without swallowing any more foam.  Thankfully, although a little raw from all the coughing, my voice held out… it was home to rest with a bit of a steam and a healthy dose of port & brandy!! Purely medicinal of course! The nerves were starting to really kick in by this point though… we’ve had this stuff down for so long now – without an audience, we tend to forget if we’re funny or not.  There is of course a sure fire way of judging your funniness – the imminent opening show audience!

In they spilled on Friday, our first 14:30 show – minus Abanazer!  Kit was off doing his annual comedy gig for Prince Charles with comedy legends such as Ronnie Corbett & Jimmy Tarbuck to name but two!  I would have loved to have seen the show – unfortunately it’s an invited audience and more importantly – I had my own show to be getting on with!!!

It went ok I think.  Very quiet audience and there were still a couple of points that seemed to have stickiness to them, but we got through the first one and got the much needed laughter.  For Pongo I don’t think the audience warmed to him as I’d have hoped, so made a couple of self-imposed notes to try and win them over quicker!  Thankfully for the opening night performance – in front of the Lady Mayor of Guildford – I felt a little nicer!!  Although there was a comment or two that I was a bit nasty and vicious with my truncheon to start with!

We had a lovely moment, where Joe reacted to a bash on the head a little late.
“That was a bit delayed!” I said getting a nice titter.  If things like that are happening in show two – it’s a good sign that we’ll be having a few laughs with each other as we settle in and develop the show.

Afterwards, I jumped into my whistle and flute, for the function, laid on by the Arnaud management.  I was greeted by some old faces from my ushering days, who were eager to know if I remembered them.  Such a warming feeling to be remembered back! The annual crew party has been postponed to Sunday night instead this year (the night before our day off) so we all tootled over to the Brit for a little gathering!  Such fun was had by all – especially with the relief of finally being OPEN!!!

Best wishes and "We'll see you on the Green!"
PONGO
X

The Panto Tree

Day 13 - Technically Technical Technicalities.

"And on the first day the lord said. . . . . .LX1, GO! and there was light." {Dan Mills}

So... Tuesday was the start of the technical rehearsal.  Here's where we finally get the chance to work with all the props, our costumes and of course the set - which in one of my scenes is VERY important.  A lot of actors don't like the tech, saying it's tedious and boring - I  for some reason love it.  I think what these actors forget is that it's not their rehearsal.  We've had two weeks to practice our bits, for the crew this is their first crack of the whip, so surely they can be forgiven nedding to go over things a couple of times, after all it's only going to make the cast look better!

My first job of the day was to settle in to my dressing room!  I'd collected my decorations from my parents a few weeks ago, which have been sitting patiently in my bedroom waiting to be freed!  Now - they have been!  I parked by the dock doors and off loaded thirty odd bottles of water, some food, fruit & goodies and most importantly... thirty-two heavenly little cans of GINGER BEER!!!!  I'm now ready for whatever panto throws at me!

So Panto Christmas tree, deco's and tinsel all up, with a nice mince pie and a wee dram (of sherry) just to toast the start of my Christmas.... I do this with my parents at home.  Now onto the rest of my dressing room.  Different actors have different rituals and routines they follow when they get into their dressing rooms - I'll explain mine...

First and foremost for me is my little "teabreak" set up.  I always have my own mug, (this year supplied by the wonderful folk at the D&P) teas and coffee and my little travel kettle - which boils just enough for one.  But never fear - should I have a guest... i have smaller cups!  Then on to my Make-up.  Then come the laptop, set up and ready with itunes, internet and Spotify, for a little music or research. 
I have to have a box of tissues and wipes, and my heavy duty make-up box to hand, when I apply it I'll sort out what I need for this particular show and leave that out - nice and neatly, because I'm a little O.C.D with things like that.  Then I have my towels... need a couple of those... nice and soft for wiping my 'boat race' when taking the make-up off.  There's my mini Boots chemist (other good pharmacies available) with my Vitamin C, cod liver, multi vits, Echinacea, Propolis, smelling salts,  lip balm and tiger balm - with a spare head pack available in case of any aches in the lumber region and finally my trusty Arnicare.  Reading it back I realise how camp that all sounds - but it's best to be prepared. 

Once all my bits and bobs are out, then it's time for photos and cards etc, just to make it a little more homely.  The script is always to hand, just in case (especially as I'm having to learn understudy lines) as is my inhaler just as a relief for a sudden "wheeeeze!"  We move to the sink; mouthwash, aftershave, hair stuff, deodorant, hand soap and shaving apparel.  "One has to be smelling sweet for my public Darlings!" Talking of sweet smells, there's a nice candle to improve the sweaty aroma and for down times, my journal (handwritten this time) and my book!  And finally... as it's crimbo, a bowl of sweets for guests and a stack of Christmas cards... yet to be scribbled on.  So there we have it... five minutes to read how I tart up my dressing room!  What a Queen!

Eventually after getting fitted up with my mic pack by the leg-end that is Christoff Tindalson... we do a quick sound check and prepare to begin.  It went well last night.. and we managed to get up to Act 1 Scene 3; stopping when the set that I have to "go through" decided to malfunction.  To but it bluntly I "mangled the mangle!"  No doubt our fabulous crew will have a solution sorted come morning.

After all that it was home, to steam and chill out before early doors!  Long day today = tired Pongo!  And it's going to be even longer tomorrow!

Night all
Pongo!
X 

Our wonderful ensemble & band "sitz probing!"

Days 11 & 12 - "I'll be HOME for Christmas!"

"The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.”  {Ralph Waldo Emerson}

Hello dear readers... numbers are on the up, so I'm obviously reaching an audience somewhere.  It's very flattering that people are returning to read my blog, so please do spread the word and get all your friends to have a butchers!  Combining two days into one here, as I've been off enjoying myself over the weekend, minus the laptop. Starting with Saturday...

...which was the day we’ve all been waiting for… and at the same time dreading.  The producers run!  I was looking forward to it, as it was the first time we ran the show from start to finish, which again is a good indication (even without all the props and effects) of what state our little baby is in.  For the same reason therefore you fear it a little.  What are they going to think? Why aren’t they laughing at this bit?  What DID they laugh at that bit?!  The end result of course is that everyone is always very kind with their thoughts.   Absolutely fantastic to catch up with some of the Arnaud crew, who were present AND…. Mr Nick White, who paid us a visit after moving on to the new St James’.

 I think we all knew there were gaps in the show and a few moments where the “ball was dropped” for whatever reason.  This run through gave Gerry and Jamie (Barber) the chance to access what should “go”.  We were running massively overtime as predicted, so I wasn’t surprised to receive an e-mail on Sunday night with a couple of snips.  Nobody likes cuts, especially if it’s a section or line you’re fond of, but they are unfortunately inevitable.  I have been lucky so far, but expect further cuts may follow by opening night. 

The early finish meant I was free to quickly pop into town and pick up my swanky new suit for opening night!! 
“Who’s that sexy beast of a man?!”
“It’s….. It’s…… IT’S PC PONGO!” or at least this is the response I’m imagining/hoping for!  I somehow doubt I’ll be getting it!

Then for me it was the long drive up to my Homelands, to see Sandy.  It was great to spend some time with her and my parents.  A couple of vinos and the “Celebrity final” were a wonderful way to relax before the mayhem of tech week begins!  It also gave me the chance to see Sandy in her panto – and she was fantastic!!

Monday saw us in the Methodist Church – our homely rehearsal room for the last time.  We did another run to work the bits that needed working and put into practice the suggested cuts.  We’ve had to lose a number in Act one, so unfortunately the audience won’t get the chance to see the wonderful Royce giving us his Dolly Parton and singing “9 to 5”.  It was a very entertaining number, so it’s a shame you won’t get to see it… the idea’s there for future shows though!  I show felt a lot smoother with the cuts – it just flowed better.

After lunch we went through all the Abanazer scenes for Gerry.  Kit is otherwise engaged for a special Royal gig on our opening performance, and Gerry has the task of filling the boots, so to speak.  Gerry, ever the pro already knows all the words – so it didn’t take long.

Eventually it was time to move into our “home” for the next 6 weeks, and my “home from home” theatre – the YVONNE ARNAUD!!!!!  I’ve been put into dressing room 7, this time around – my lucky number, and on arrival found a lovely gift and card from Mr Barber.  Now this is how thoughtful the folk at the Arnaud are and how well they know me… instead of the usual bottle of wine welcome… I had two giant bottles of ginger beer!!  “WHAT?!?!  No booze!”  I hear you cry…?!?!  Well it’s a bit of an in joke, but 4 years ago, myself, PG and Lloyd Hollett found ourselves in the daily ritual of a pre-interval ginger beer gathering…. And so the Ginger Beer club was born! 

Final part of the day was the Sitzprobe, which for anyone not ion the know, is  German phrase meaning “Seated rehearsal” – where everyone gets to sing with and hear the band for the first time.  It was a great atmosphere in the Circle Bar, where we held it and it was joyous to finally hear all the arrangements! Well done to Anthony and the band!

So, we’re in, we’re settling and we’re ready for it…. So BRING ON THE TECH!

Best Wishes,
Pongo X

Day 10 - "Aladdin: Im a real boy....!"

Friday has come around again ladies and jellyspoons, and today, as a special weekends treat, you get two entries for the price of one… continuing with this one from Day 10….!

"The best things in life are silly!" {Scott Adams ~ Dilbert}

Another early morning today, made more entertaining by shared looks and digs relating to last nights revelations!

Straight into things with “12 Days” to get us all nice and sweaty at 10 in the morning, first time around with understudy Adam, as PG was “slacking off” again.   Thankfully I’ve brought a spare shirt… I may be Pongo by name, but I’d prefer not to be Pongo by nature!  The scene’s very manic and can only get more exciting once all the props, custard pies and an audience are added!  I think this is going to be a crowd pleaser, beyond what has been experienced in previous versions!  But if you’re reading this and thinking “Oh no… I’m not going if I’m going to get soaked!”  never fear… we have a very sensible cast this year, who will merely tease you with a sprinkle of water as opposed to drowning you!  WE HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Today followed the same format as yesterday, working through the scenes and working where necessary.  Act 2 had received a little less work than the first, BUT, does contain certain set pieces that came together very quickly without much rehearsal, such as Guildford’s beloved Ghost gag.  We had the debate today about whether we liked the gag or not… I think myself and PG were the only two that were…  such a shame I’m not in it this year… but it just isn’t possible.  If everyone was crammed into the scene, it would probably resemble a subs bench!  Overall I think we all found today very beneficial, for our own clarity and peace of mind.  We all seemed a bit more focused on the job at hand today – I do hope Gerry wouldn’t disagree! 

Now despite the hard work today was also the bringer of surprises!!  Lucy (our Jasmine) getting the biggest of all whilst rehearsing the garden scene with Emma.  Emma has the joy of humping Aladdin’s lamp around with her for a sizeable chunk of the second act, for the purposes of plot… the story would be over pretty quick;y if Abanazer got his mitts on it!!  So, to make it easier for Emma, the lamp will be attached, by some means, to her belt, meaning her hands are free and the lamp doesn’t become a hindrance.  Now our lamp isn’t small… so imagine if you will the look on Lucy’s face when she was whisked up into Emma’s arm only to find something reminiscent of an “appendage” pressing into the groinal area!  It was of course the lamp… but Emma very quick wittedly called out “I think I’ve found my manhood!” adding “Tell me that’s not going in the blog!” and indeed it has….  Talk about having that “little extra something…!”

We then set about a run through of the act, again stopping where Gerry thought necessary.  He also spent much of the afternoon session brushing up the final scene – which isn’t an easy job, as it’s a lengthy scene and has lots of action, excitement and a couple of upsets in it!  For example the male principals share a lovely skit at the start of the scene which involves a lot of whispering and a few “bumps in the night”.  We’d marked it all out earlier in the week, but it really got took up a notch today… it’s a lot tighter, and as a result I believe much funnier; another example of Gerry “seeing the whole picture” and altering things to suit!

We’ve also started making a few cuts this afternoon.  It’s a shame to lose anything, as no one wants to lose lines or stage time, but it is a bit of an “In joke” at the Arnaud that we have to make cuts before opening.  Better to have too much and lose some quality than have to bulk out with drivel!  As a result we’ve lost a lovely bit of business, dumping Kit into a chest and us all sitting on it, but we agreed as a cast with Gerry that something needed to go, to make the final moments less wordy.  I hope everyone was happy with the result, they seemed it and the scene now seems a lot slicker and, as a result, pacey and inevitably more exciting!  I think we managed to achieve this without the loss of any humour or shortcuts when it comes to the plot.

We have a full run through tomorrow for the theatre producers and the crew, so… first opportunity to see how things lie with an audience!  Will what has been making us laugh, transfer to a fresh audience?!  I have no doubt it will!  So tune in tomorrow for a full report!

For now though… Pongo’s off to watch a bit of Ant & Dec!

Night all
PongoX

Post Script: As it’s “Follow Friday” on twitter, I’d like to introduce you to all of the ensemble I’ve been talking about! Enjoy reading about panto? Then why not follow them too!

Amy Reader @amyreaderr                             Sarah Louise Jones @sarahloujones1
James McArthur @jamesCmcarthur             Ben Gillett @bengillett94
Charley Maclaren @ Cherleynicola7              Lydia Bannister @Lydiabannister
George Hankers @iamGRH                            Adam Haigh @adamhaighltd

Day 9 - "TGI's" The Gang Initiations

Friday has come around again ladies and jellyspoons, and today, as a special weekends treat, you get two entries for the price of one… starting with this one from Day 9….

Yeah, I love doing ensemble pieces. You get to meet so many new people and make new friends. {Devon Sawa}

Today has been a very looooooong day!!  All the principals were in at 10 to work through Act one, which, although it ended up taking longer than expected, did prove to be very useful.  We walked through the act slowly, picking up any bits that needed clarifying or cleaning up with Gerry, which continued into the afternoon after lunch, and then did a full run of the act, with all the songs and dances before the Juves arrived.  The run was worth the hard work of the morning, getting to see the act as a whole.  It highlights the sticky points, which inevitably are present – but at least Gerry now knows what needs work, and we have plenty of time before we open.  There are some things though that we won’t be able to work on properly until we’re in the space and working with the set and props.  The laundry scene for example, lacks the pace and timing it requires at the moment because we have no choice but to mark it through.  I can’t wait to practice with the mangle!!!  

We had a surprise visit from Jamie Barber yesterday afternoon, who popped in to say “hello” and check on how things are progressing.  He even turned his hand to making me and Royce a cuppa… “forget our pay boss” I thought… the world’s alright as long as there tea, coffee and preferably an ample supply of biscuits.

The evening session, with the babes was spent completing the finale number and practising it a few times.  It’s so much fun – I can hardly believe that I’m enjoying DANCING!!!  What has happened to me?!  In all seriousness, the reason I can enjoy it is because of Jill’s choreography.  She knows (from my GSA days) that I’m not a superb dancer, but she really makes me feel at ease, she laughs with me rather than at me, and is always on hand to help and go through things, if she can see I’m struggling.  I don’t know how they do it (Gerry & Jill), they work so well together!!  The pieces are so well put together, very entertaining and everybody gets featured.  Jill is also an expert at dealing with the babes; I can imagine it’s hard not to patronise when teaching children, but she doesn’t and she gets so much out of them in such a short space of time!

Despite all the fun and laughter we’ve been having, I think everyone was feeling it yesterday; coming towards the end of the second week, a busy tech week ahead of us and with other things going on for people such as radio shows, auditions and families etc, you could tell that we were feeling tired.  What better way to chill out then, than to go for a company shindig – or… dinner at TGI’s!  Myself, Joe and Lucy along with all the ensemble (minus James who wasn’t feeling well) went for a bit of grub and then on for a drink or two.  I really enjoyed myself, and as I predicted, it was a perfect way to get to know “the gang”.  We were sharing some funny stories, after Amy instigated “never have I ever”…. which I couldn’t possibly repeat for fear of offending or embarrassing; Suffice to say I’ll be looking at certain people in a different light today!  I’m already looking forward to the next time – and I can see the Brit is definitely going to do a booming trade when we get into the theatre! Hic!

I mentioned this a couple of days ago, but I’ll repeat, how pleasant it is to have such a comfortable atmosphere with good banter amongst the cast.  Things can be a tad awkward and unsettling if people don’t get on and mingle with each other… a separation between, ensemble, principals and crew is the last thing you want;  after all “we’re all in it together!”  Thankfully that is not the case here, and there’s no diva-ishness and snobbery.  [Lifts head from screen and shouts…. “Gordon get me a coffee!!!!”]

On that note, I’ll bid you farewell and see you shortly on “DAY 10” – go on…. You know you want to!

Pongo
X