All together now, well nearly...

Last night saw the Woods cast get together for just the third time, it feels like ages since we were last all together.  Actually, thinking about it, I haven't has my entire cast together in one place at all yet!  Last week I was only blocking the first half of the play and didn't need Caroline and Sophie, at the read through Caroline couldn't make it and last night Sam Woods-Zombie was away in Berlin with work.

As an aside here, I feel it my duty to note that my cast were very disparaging about my reference to Sam Woods-Zombie almost sounding like Samwise Gamgee, it was very upsetting.  But I still think that it sounds like it, so I will continue to call him the Hobbit, so there!

Now, where was I?  Oh, right, rehearsal .  Yes.  So last night I required the entire team as my intention was to get the rest of the show blocked and then run through the entire thing from start to finish.  Luckily, as we didn't have the Hobbit, I had a couple of able bodied stand ins with most people having a go at reading in for him, including Caroline.  I also had to stand in for Jenna in the beginning as she was on a late shift and didn't arrive until just before 9.  No sooner had she stepped through the door, I had her catching up on the blocking that had already taken place (yes, I know I'm a slave driver)!  Only then did I allow her to have her dinner whilst we switched into the hall for the rest of the blocking and to run through.

I have to say that my cast are focused (in the main), pay attention (mostly), take notes (always) and remember their blocking (9 times out of 10).  This makes my life as a director much, much easier.  They are all consummate professionals and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.  I also thank them for continuing to give me goose bumps despite the fact that I know what's going to happen in the show, as I wrote it!  I just hope that our audiences get those chills too.

Whilst blocking I have realised that my lighting requirements will be quite something and I will have to counter for the fact that the hall is right under the flight path for Heathrow...  I wonder if I could have the hall sound proofed by April...

Song of the day - Christie Allen - Goosebumps

The Lodge in the Woods is one half of a double bill being perfomed in April 2014 and produced by Colnbrook Amateur Stage Theatre.  You can follow them on Facebook or Twitter.  Michael Starr is the writer/director of the sister play and you can follow his production blog here.