The Guinea Pig Club Blog Post 3

Wed 19 Sep 2012

Glasses, wool and Simon

18.09.12

The first week’s already gone, doesn’t it fly by (no pun intended). We’ve been working our way through the shape of the play, getting the blocking done chronologically, so we can move on to adding detail once we have a basic outline. Of course we haven’t been able to stop ourselves looking at some of the details already. As promised in our first read through, we are always analysing the characters as we work and the actions of the scenes are motivated by this. It brilliant to see how involved with and attached to their characters the actors are already, and really helpful as we are amending the text as we go, tweaking and shuffling for a better rhythm.

One scene that took a surprisingly long time to put together simply involved the pouring and handing out of drinks. With four or so soldiers waiting for a glass, and McIndoe having to be at the right one for the right lines, this was not as simple as it sounds. What we eventually had to do was pretty much choreograph a neat little step from glass to piano, to bed, to glass etc, where each glass picked up went to the next person along and so on. It basically came to look like an elaborate party game, with Graeme dancing between partners in the middle, glasses in hand. I hope we remember how we did it when we come back around to it in the next run!

Another noteworthy mention is Simon. He is our ventriloquist dummy, or should I say Georges’ (playing Tom) as George is the one doing a fantastic job acting as two characters, one of which he is controlling with his hand. To say the doll is creepy is an understatement, with peeling paint and loose fitting limbs he is exactly what most people fear when they think of dummies. It does not help that he is in need of more than just a paint job, his mechanism is currently faulty so his mouth moves unexpectedly, which is why I do not judge George at all for not wanting to take Simon home at night for extra practice. I look forward to the day Simon is taken for some r&r and comes back looking good as new – though I should learn from the play not to go judging by appearances.

We finished today with a knitting scene, not the first activity that springs to mind when you think of wounded RAF pilots. As a knitter (and proud!), I was shocked by the boy’s lack of knowledge of the skill, ‘missing’ fingers or no. I’ll have to find the time to enlighten them before opening night.

Will let you know how our first run through goes soon, looking forward to seeing it all put together.

Ruby Clarke

Assistant Director, Guinea Pig Club