BEHIND THE SCENES - THE PANTO SEASON: Final Readthrough

One of the biggest fears that anyone producing any show has is that they won't be able to find enough people to fill the parts available. This fear exists whether you are putting on a show in London's West End, in regional theatre or here, in Cubbington Village Hall.

Tonight is the second read-through of Cubbington Players' pantomime, 'Robin Hood'. Last week there were just enough attendees to cover all of the available adult roles. Co-producers Tony and Brenda are therefore delighted that five more members turn up tonight.

The meeting begins, though, with a discussion about the child roles within the script. There are at least three of these, but there is a problem: recent changes in legislation mean that there is a risk that every member of the group would have to undergo a criminal record check, which apart from being ruinously expensive for the group (£64 per head) would not be completed in time for the pantomime. Tony therefore announces that only children who can be accompanied to rehearsals by a parent or legal guardian will be given a part in Robin Hood.

There then follows an interesting interlude as set designer Teresa tries to convince the producers that a street vendor's barrow, required for one scene, is a prop and not something she should be concerned with. Someone else points out that the BBC definition of a prop is something which can be picked up and carried, which a barrow certainly isn't. After much debate, Teresa admits defeat and the reading can begin.

The competition for places produces some interesting results. The reading is much less slick than it was last week, especially from some of those who were present last week. Some really work at their assigned characters, changing accents and pace of delivery as they read, sometimes within the course of the same sentence. To others, the role comes fully formed and they read without hesitation or deviation.

There are, of course, the little eccentricities which make a productions such as this so much fun. Barry West may be the only one who has carefully stuck his script into a ring binder, but the 'Robin Hood' label on the front is upside down. Daughter Ruth has brought her baby son Charlie - born just before the last panto was performed - along. He sits through the reading quite happily; clearly the production has one fan already.

As last week, the read through is intensive. People switch parts at the end of each Act. Sometimes, characters switch gender. By the end, everyone is reading everyone else's lines and a certain amount of confusion reigns.

What is very clear, even to this observer, is that some people have read certain parts a lot better than anyone else did. One or two people could easily fit into more than one role, whereas some people haven't really grasped any of the parts they have been given. On the other hand, there are a couple of major parts which nobody has performed all that well. It is this last factor which will give the producers some concern over the coming week. Who can they cast in these roles? Is there anyone they can coach into playing the part adequately? Might there be someone else in the group, someone who hasn't read yet, who might fit the role? The problem is that there are no more formal readings left. They have two weeks to assemble the cast and the backstage crew and then rehearsals begin in earnest on October 19th. By then, everyone must be ready to go.

 

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