New Adventures |

Jack Jones and Daisy May Kemp tell us how things are developing in Week 4 of rehearsals....

"We started this week by piecing together and finishing the Soho scene from Act 1. We had already learnt all of the duets the previous Saturday, so we spent most of the time learning each of our individual character’s material. I play a sailor and a pop idol, for which I have already tried the costumes for. The costume for the pop idol is quite something, all golden with platform heels. I’ve considered asking if I can borrow it to use when cycling in London, though to be honest it might actually dazzle drivers to the extent that it causes an accident rather than prevents one. So maybe not.

We continued learning the Spanish material for which the cool flame we produce is slowly burning brighter. Etta says that she still doesn’t feel a tingle though. We also then learnt dances for the Neapolitan and both the slow and fast Czardas. The Neapolitan is great fun. We just get to be guys picking a fight with each other the whole way through, shoving one another and slapping them round the head. The slow Czardas is one of the more difficult duets of the show. Most of the lifts in it are dead lifts, meaning that the girls don’t help in being lifted and the guy just has to pull her of the ground and put her back down, gracefully of course and not like a sack of unwanted potatoes. Though it’s quite nice to do something that is slower and more sombre, it makes a good contrast to the Spanish dance. The fast Czardas is, well, just that really. But it’s in trios instead of duets so that makes it a bit more interesting.

Near the end of the week we were able to start doing run-throughs of Act 1. As Matthew Bourne told us, it’s a bit of a schizophrenic act for the ensemble. For myself I don’t think that should pose too much of a problem, but for the more sane of mind I could imagine it might be a bit strange. It was really good to do as most of us weren’t sure of what came after what or how it all fit together.

I believe we have now finished all the material for the show, with the possible exception of one or two eights here and there. And it only took 180 hours. I have to get my hair shaven off next week too. I am one of the last now, so few of us remain, so few. I am considering selling it all on EBay or something (it’s quite long at the moment) and Steve has already asked for a lock of it so I’ll be sure to make sure he gets that. Next time I write this I will be that little bit colder and will look like a 17 year old"

JACK JONES

The Swan Lake women rehearse the "Nurses" scene from Act 4

"Now into the second week of rehearsals for the ladies, fourth for the men and we pick up where we left off – Soho!
With so many characters, and it being an integral part of the story between the Private Secretary, Girlfriend and The Prince, it took a couple of days to figure out just how everyone got from A to B to C to D to E to F… Soho also requires tight, clean and crisp movements, it shows a great example of social dancing which Matthew often uses and is so famous for – No pressure then!! With Dorian Gray finished, Matthew himself has also been rehearsing us, tweaking bits here and there (I will say no more, you will have to come and see it for yourself)!

Mid-week we began running Act One with various casts (and sometimes a variation on a theme) but never the less we got a feel for how the show runs amongst anxious whispers of “What bit comes next?”. Then it was time for a visit to the Royal Ball! We learnt the Slow and Fast Czardas, Spanish Dance, Men and Women’s competition dance and the Italian Neapolitan dance. This is when the bruises start appearing… Be it from over zealous thigh slapping, a scrape of a high heel, a head butting clash with a partner or from a lift that didn’t quite go to plan… All in the name of art! Amongst all this, the men were doing runs of acts two and four while the women snuck off for some peace and quite to learn bits of Nurses and Women’s dance – Ahhhhh, bliss!

We rounded off the week with a competent run of Act One and an afternoon of learning the Russian dance involving the Stranger, Hungarian, German and Romanian Princess’. A cocktail of feisty women eager to get the Strangers attention only to be snubbed for the Queen!

Next week it’s staging of Act Three and putting the whole jigsaw together. With only ten days before we open, we are in for a busy week!"

DAISY MAY KEMP