BEING TOMMY COOPER: On Rehearsals
By: Carrie Dunn Apr. 26, 2013
We are coming to the end of our second full week of rehearsals and there's only one more to go now before our opening night in Guildford - all a little nerve racking. However, this week has been marked by three important and positive events.
On Tuesday we had our first costume fittings and everyone seems very happy with them. Suits and dresses were generally held to be attractive and "right" for the characters. The shoes especially seemed to have been a big hit, but perhaps it is just that everyone, men and women, likes glamorous footwear!
On Wednesday we heard for the first time the various sound cues that help us define the changes of scene and even the feel of a scene when there is ambient noise in the background. Suddenly, everything felt a lot more cohesive. Personally I can't wait to be on set next week and see the lighting states. You always know a play or a show is really about to take off when you see that for the first time in rehearsal.
Each day we have rehearsed a few scenes and then done a run of the play. That helps give us a feel of how things fit together, especially where small scenes run quickly one after the other. However, on Thursday, instead of an ordinary run, we were asked to invite one or two friends to the rehearsal. They would provide an small audience for us, and more specifically for DamIan Williams (as Tommy) to play to, and to help him and Cecily Boys, our director, gauge audience reaction and timing. They could also give us a little feedback.
Just having a half dozen people in, who didn't know the show, made a huge difference. I realised just what an great effect this play was going to have on an audience. It made me realise too that I had certain problems of my own. As I am playing the dour character that was Tommy Cooper's agent, I am going to have to work hard at not laughing along with the audience at "Tommy"'s act which Damian does so well and obviously relishes immensely.
Our guests were very enthusiastic after the performance and there were some helpful suggestions which were taken on board. So now, encouraged by the reaction to our first rehearsal/performance, we'll push on through the rest of rehearsals, to the technical rehearsals and dress rehearsal at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre ready for our opening night on Friday 3rd May in Guildford. Come and see us. We'll be somewhere near you at some point on our tour.
www.beingtommycooper.co.uk
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