This town aint big enough for the both of us...

Week 12 - 362 days to opening night

Another bit of good news today - we'd heard a couple of months ago from our ties in another group in Southampton that they were looking at doing Mack & Mabel as well next year - in March 2010 - which while not in our catchment area and three months before ours was a bit of a shame as it's always nice to do something no-one else has done for a while, and then to have two Mack & Mabels within 30 miles of each other was just bad luck.

But we've had word today that the Southampton group aren't doing M&M anymore. Phew. But on the downside there was the opportunity to share costs of props etc Every silver lining has a cloud...

I'd like to think that they had heard we were doing it and are running scared... ;) Yes, that'll be it - they were just too much in awe of our awesomeness-ness-ness. Sssh. Ssssh do you hear that? Yes. Yes it's the sound of my head disappearing up my own arse and...muffle...muffle...muffle..

Neil

And Walker said 'Let there be light' and there was and it was cooool...

Week 12 - 363 days to opening night

Excellent news today - Eliot Walker has agreed to light M&M and to ASM. I don't think it's any secret that I think Eliot is a lighting God so it's brilliant to have him on board (and especially as I know he reads all this crap). And it's doubly so because we both like to geek out over the same technical stuff (hurrah - a kindred spirit). Lighting is a much overlooked in the am-dram world so it's a privilege to have him around on this one - I'm very keen to push the lighting for the production so thankfully we've the right man in place. 

**Phew** Another of my 'must-find-excellent-people-to-help-with-the-show' boxes ticked off.

I'm sure this all comes across as a bit sycophantic, but hey, I don't give a rats arse...

Neil

Skatin' on thin ice

Week 12 - 364 days to opening night

That music sounds familiar. Where've I heard that before?

Some people know 'Mack and Mabel' music for one reason, and one reason only - Torville and Dean. They won the olympics in the 1980s for ice skating using the overture as their music. If you haven't got a clue what I mean then follow the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ0DERFHEIU&feature=related

Neil

This time next year...

Week 12 - 365 days to opening night

Three months gone and, officially, one year to go...

Neil

Catching up with M&M stuff

Week 12 - 366 days to opening night

A year and a day until opening night today. I'm now fairly concrete on the style and tone of the show - it's going to be a big show, bigger than any we've done before I think - technically quite difficult, moving sets, animations, film, live feed, stage effects, possible flying. And, obviously, the kitchen sink. A couple of the groups in the area have BIG productions going on next year - Theatre 2000 are putting on 'Beauty and the Beast', BBLOC are doing 'The Producers', P&P 'Oliver' - none of us vying for the same audience luckily, but I'm very confident that we can hold our own with the 'big boys', but only using a third of their budget...

I've been through the music and now edited a working CD for us all to use - it gives me, George, Ian and Pete a rough working structure to base the show on until we get the score. It's been a case of gathering different versions of all the shows songs from all over the place and choosing which one is best for the scene - in a couple of instances I've spliced, using specialist software, one half of a song into another and - gosh darnnit I'm good - you can't tell the difference.

Interesting chat with Eliot (lighting guru) this week which could help the show enormously. (**Hi Eliot, by the way**) and I spoke to Phil a tech vol at the theatre as he has a specialist hobby outside of theatre and work which could be invaluable - but more of that another time. Funnily enough Phil and Barry, both technical bods have been pestering me, yes pestering, for years to be on stage in one of our shows, and they may just get their wish this time...

HCP's summer show was excellent last week (plus I noticed something new HCP had bought for the show which will be perfect for M&M), and Hamlet seems to be going down a storm, so everything seems to be tickety-boo and on target. HCP now move on to the panto Aladdin in Jan 2010, which is my next deadline to get all new publicity done AND **drumroll** an animated 3d 30 sec cartoon (think Pixar, but rubbish) advertising the show which we can rollout over Jan to July 2010....better get started on it soon...

Neil

The sound of silence

Week 11 - 370 days to opening night

It was Les's funeral today. And I have to say he would have loved it. And the best part of the whole thing for me was when the hearse pulled up and we all noticed that the coffin had a giant pair of headphones on it made from flowers - straddling it from once side to the other as if the coffin was listening to its ipod. Genius idea.

The ladies from HCP sang one of Les's favourite songs during the service, and they were fantastic. Bitter sweet day but a worthy send off for a great man.

Sorely missed.

Neil

Too much else to do, I'm afraid

Week 11 - 3hundredodd days to opening night

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. It's all gone a bit quiet on the blog front because everything is happening on lots of other fronts. I open in Hamlet this week (Arrrghh), Georgina and HCP open this week as well (Eeek), we have Les's funeral this wednesday in which some of us are doing things for - so poor old M&M has had to go on the back burner.

However, I popped in on the HCP tech rehearsal to drop off posters and table cards about Mack&Mabel for their run, and the big M&M banner is on the wall, and looked pretty good from my quick glance at it. I don't think there will be any one there who won't know what next years summer show will be now...

Good luck to everyone for the next few days - it's going to be a hell of a week....

Neil

Keeping it going

Week 10 - 379 days to opening night

I'm with Neil.. its been a hell of a week ... We're all devastated that Les is no longer with us.... I can only reiterate what Neil has already said... a fantastic and professional man who will be hugely missed ... .

 

I'm hoping we can lift our spirits for our next production which starts in a week.... i've no doubt that the players will pull it out the bag, they are a very talented bunch who have the amazing ability to make people laugh... which i consider a huge talent and a very important part of life!  Thats what next weeks show relies on , people laughing and if they do it will have been worth the work!

 

On to mack & Mabel..... an elephant (i'm lost) I think I need a chat with Neil :) I'm sure it will all become clear ... but tell me does it need to dance?........ I love reading this blog and I hope you're all enjoying it to .... lets hope we feel a bit more cheery soon xx

Georgina

Les Acton RIP - Sound Guru and Friend

Week 9 - 382 days to opening night

It's been a very sad week this week for me personally, for HCP and the whole local theatre community in general. Sadly Les Acton, who's done sound for every show I've ever directed, and 90% of the shows I've been in for the last 15 years, died from cancer on Wednesday. Les was, and I know it's a cliche but in this case is so true, one of the nicest and most professional people I had the privilige to know and be around. He was the first to draft me onto the lighting desk for several shows, and I was always confident about what I was doing as he was always right  there to jump in if I ever messed up. 

Always helpful, always fun to be with - his passing will hit the local groups hard as he was always there for anyone who used the Regent Centre. He bore his illness with dignity to the end. The sad thing is words aren't enough to describe Les - all this just seems so inadequate to get across how well loved he was in the theatre community.

Mack and Mabel won't be the same without you, mate. At least you'll always have jelly babies now... 

Neil