LOVE NEVER DIES Blog: Squelch in Plaster by Adam Perry

07.30 – jump in the shower, shave, dressed, brekkie and some telly to wake up my eyes!
08.01 – received a text saying my car was on its way! (never had a private car waiting for me before, very excited!!)
0815 – car arrives (with blacked out windows, ooo get me!) and on my way
08.50 – arrive at the workshop where today’s fitting is taking place

I am having a full head plaster cast today which I am really looking forward too!! The reason for this fitting is for the complex design for my character Squelch.

So, I am chatting with Leigh and his wife who are going to be ‘plastering me up’, they talk me through the procedure and cover me in plastic bin bags neck to knee as I sit down. They place a bald cap on my head and get to work. They soak plaster strips (the same strips hospitals would use when you break a bone in your leg or arm) and start placing and moulding the strips to the back of my head. Once the back is done, they leave it for around 5 minutes and it starts to get warm; this is part of the setting process!!

Now comes the part I have been excited/frightened about, my actual face!! Gulp…!!! I place a large bowl on my lap filled with wet plaster, my eyelids and eyebrows are covered in moisturiser and the plaster starts to get slapped on. Now, I am trying my hardest not to move and not to make any facial expressions and for anyone who knows me, this is so hard!!

The final part is placing the plaster strips over the wet plaster to really make set. Once it is set they start to pull off the mould, starting with the back then the front. It’s the most bizarre thing, my eyes have only been in darkness for 20mins, but as soon as the lights hit me it’s so hard to open my eyes, they are so sensitive!!

After 5 minutes everything is back to normal, all washed up and ready to head back to rehearsals. Its 10am, my car arrives and off I go.

10.30 – get into rehearsals.
13.15 – lunch!! Today on the menu, paella!!!!
14.30 – the cast head back up to studio 7, but me and Miss Fleck aren’t called till 1530, hhoorraahh, so we sit down and have a little tea and biscuits!
15.25 – head up to the studio to join the others
17.30 – rehearsal over, great work today. On our way to an Equity meeting, Equity is the UK Actor’s Union. As we are a new show, they come in and just make sure we are ok and everything is going well!
18.30 – making my way home. Must look through the score tonight and learn the harmonies!

For now bloggers, take care

Squelch

From the LOVE NEVER DIES Blog at www.loveneverdies.com