BEHIND THE SCENES: The Actors Of RAGE - Part One

Another week and another blog, though this time I thought it would be fun if I took a back seat and let two of the lead actors in the show introduce themselves and talk to you about their experiences on the show.

Rick Carter and Emma Willcox are Vertigo regulars who continue to surprise audiences and critics alike with their fantastic work in shows like Dog Sees God, The Breakfast Club and most recently ‘M'. The two are back again giving performances of a lifetime in RAGE as they play the roles of Mark and Laura.

I cannot heap enough praise on these two actors; their commitment to the craft and natural talent is so refreshing, both have a passion, and I for one hope their passion never goes away and they never lose focus because these are two names you need to remember as im sure they will be gracing a West End marquee someday soon.

Rick also joins the Vertigo team as a creative member writing music for an original musical to be presented next year and Emma will collaborate with me and Adele on a new comedy play - yes, they really are that talented (you can boo them now).

Craig.

Hi everyone, it's Rick Carter from Vertigo Theatre Productions checking in for my very first Broadway World blog. I've been kindly asked to provide you all with an entry this week, giving you an insight into my experiences so far with Vertigo, and also how the rehearsal process is coming along for their new upcoming stage play Rage.

My introduction into acting was around three years ago when I auditioned for Vertigo's first draft of Rage. After being successful at the audition (despite being racked with nerves), I was delighted when asked to attend the original workshop back in late 2006, and again in early 2007, this time in a much more substantial role. Throwing myself in at the deep end with this whole experience definitely paid off, as it seemed to give me the acting bug. After the initial two workshops, Vertigo decided that the timing for Rage just wasn't quite right and pressed on with other projects, such as Dog Sees God, The Breakfast Club, and most recently 'M' to name a few. Having the opportunity to progress with the company has been so rewarding, not only on a personal level, but to have the chance to be a part of Vertigo's success through these shows has been amazing.

In this production of Rage, I play the character of Mark, who is quite your stereotypical college Jock, with big opinions, and a big mouth that's not afraid to voIce Them. Mark's journey throughout the play gives me such a huge challenge as an actor, as this is unlike any role I've played before. It requires a great deal of respect as this is a very real and sensitive subject matter and is far from fiction, remembering that young people have tragically lost their lives and how many families, friends and fellow students have been devastated by these horrific shootings. The importance to also extensively research the subject proved valuable to me when trying to understand the hows and whys surrounding these massacres, and that I can translate this from the stage to the audience in the way that it's intended.

The show is now really moving forward and this week's fantastic rehearsal proved that. This week the cast officially came off book which gave myself and everyone the freedom they had been waiting for. The day was heavily focused on Act 1, in the morning, we ran the first act without scripts and put into practIce The previous weeks work like blocking and character development, then the afternoon was spent polishing performances. Apart from a few cue fluffs here and there (except myself of course), everyone seemed to be at the top of their game and didn't hold back one little bit, with tempers flaring and the difference of opinion becoming ever more apparent...lunch break was over (only joking). The dynamics of the cast are now starting to show as the Vertigo regulars welcomed new actors Matthew Tattum, Brian Hook, and Graham Atkin to the company. Not only is everyone bonding and getting along, but the extent of talent within this cast is now shining through, and it's a pleasure to be a part of.

We finished our Sunday rehearsal by filming cast interviews for all you lovely people at Broadway World (they'll be on the site soon), and also filmed a 'spoof' behind the scenes at Vertigo which definitely helped raise everyone's spirits that day, and was hilarious to do, (check out Dale's rendition of 'Blood Brothers'). Well, that's pretty much it from me for now, I hope you enjoyed my blog, and hope to see some of you local Broadway World members at the show in November. Speak to you soon.

Rick

 

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