On facial hair

As someone who’s other half firmly believes that a smooth skin is the only one that deserves getting a goodnight kiss, there have been more challenges than I had expected in growing the villainous Rico moustache!
Challenge number one is in trying to grow sufficient length to make it visible from the front row, never mind the back row (we have a full house on opening night, so I need to make sure that they have something to see!). I hadn’t realised that when growing a moustache your facial hair would hit its own version of a wall and appear to do nothing after the first couple of days. Thankfully seven days in it now seems to have started again and I think that there’s some hope that it will be a good show on Tuesday night.
Challenge number two, as is so often the case now, is the impact of ageing. I am so saddened at the quantity of white hair that has decided to come poking its way through my upper lip. You would think that when I’ve never grown a moustache before it would have the decency to take its chance and appear with the sort of colour that the rest of my hair used to have! At least this particular challenge will be easily surmounted with the application of copious amounts of mascara.
Thirdly, and most surprisingly for me I think, is just how difficult it is to consistently shave a moustache into the desired style - especially bearing in mind challenge number one and realising how long it will take to rectify any mistakes. Having spent a bit of time on Google images looking at different approaches to growing a pencil moustache (apparently the quickest sort to grow) I decided to go for something like a cross between Clark Gable and Tony out of the original series of 24. So that requires shaving straight down from my nose - whilst keeping both sides even; harder than it looks.
Sam Silver has also grown an impressive pencil moustache, whereas Carlos has shaved his beard off.
I wonder whether any of our ladies have had to go to such troubles with shaving etc to look the part for the show?

Shoulders just a little stiff

As some of you may be aware, I am playing the part of Rico in Copacabana with Belper Musical Theatre in just under two weeks time now (how scary is that thought). Anyway, one of the challenges that our director, Jen Lewis, has set for me personally is to stop swinging my arms when I walk. Jen maintains that swinging arms is a sign of weakness and that Rico is a strong, determined character who would not swing his arms when he walks. So now, as well as trying to suck in my stomach and keep my shoulders back when being Rico, I have to relearn how to walk without swinging my arms.
I have a 20 minute walk from the train station to the university each day, which has allowed me plenty of opportunity to practice the gut sucking and shoulder back approach. This morning offered me the first chance to also try the walk without arm swinging. Now what I've discovered here is that in order to be able to do this, I have to put my head into Rico mode, which means stopping smiling and adopting a sort of scowl. In general this helped me to fit in with the early morning feelings of most of the folk in Manchester it seemed. However, when I tried it again at lunchtime, walking around the corridors here, I found a few of my colleagues appeared to be a little taken aback at my grumpy expression.
I do hope that is because it was such a change from my usual sunny demeanour, rather than that they were trying to work out what was wrong with my arms.

Handing out flyers

Surprisingly enough one of the aspects of being a member of Belper Musical Theatre that has had the biggest impact on my behaviours is the annual session of handing out flyers to potential audience members on the high street in Belper. (NB for non residents - I don't know for sure whether the high street in Belper is the one that goes up the hill, which is quite possibly called King Street, or whether it's the A6, the main road through the town which is probably called something else like Bridge Street).
Lke me, I expect that many of you have been enjoying a moment of quiet contemplation as you wandered along a road when all of a sudden someone you have never met before jumps out in front of you and tries to persuade you to take one of their promotional leaflets or something. And like me, I expect that you have been so startled by this interruption to your reverie that you may have visibly jumped, scowled at the person concerned and refused to take one of the flyers.
If that is you, then can I suggest that you try having a go at being the poor individual trying to hand the flyers out for a change.
It's not the sort of job that you're going to be rushing to apply for, or encouraging your children to put at the top of their 'what I want to be when I'm older' list. To begin with it's really cold - especially at this time of year - so after about five minutes your fingers have gone numb and you aren't really sure whether you are still holding the flyers in your hands or not. After about ten minutes it feels as if someone is taking painful nibbles out of the tops of your ears, and after about fifteen minutes you can't feel the little drips at the end of your nose as they form icicles to attract passers by - I'm sure that you get the picture!
But that would be more bearable if people were just a little bit nicer and more friendly. We're quite aware that for some strange reason not everyone wants to come along and see Copa Cabana, although we're not quite so clear on why that would be. There really is something for everyone. From the scantily clad dancing girls with their high kicks, to the debonair Copa Boys strutting their stuff to Dancing fool and the half naked male torsos during the Havana sequences, the visual impact should be pretty stunning. The music is amazing, with our live orchestra performing in the new orchestra room and some incredible solo, duet and chorus numbers. And with a cheesy storyline about the fantasy of the unhappy Steven and his dreams of being Tony, it's not even too taxing on the old grey cells. Anyway, I'm digressing.
As I was saying, we know that not everyone wants to come along and see the show, which means that we are quite ok with people just saying 'it's not my cup of tea' and walking on with a little smile. We're also ok with the surprisingly large group of tourists that Belper attracts who explain that they are just in the town for the day; we have pointed out it's worth returning for!
But it is hard when people struggle to be polite or give negative gestures or facial expressions. We work on the theory that they have had a hard day shopping, or at work, and don't mean to be rude in anyway.
To go back to my earlier point, it has changed the way that I deal with people handing out flyers and I now try to politely decline as I walk along the street - after all I am also aware of just how much it costs to print a flyer!
So to all those who took a flyer from one of this weekend, you've met some of the stars of our show. We are really looking forward to putting on a great production and to you enjoying every moment of it. To those of you who didn't get a flyer and who can't wait to see the show, get in touch with Andrea now on 01332 882909 and get your seats booked quickly. I understand that Tuesday night has already sold out, so please don't wait and miss out.

Picking an image

As our rehearsals proceed apace and the whole show comes together ready for our stunning opening night, I thought it was worth taking a moment to think about the challenges that we face when we take photographs for the programme. I anticipate that you'll identify with some of the issues as they arise.

1 - Resistance
The camera comes out, the lens swivels around towards you and the panic sets in. So you put your hand in the way, turn your head to one side or hide behind someone else. The lengths that people will go to in order to avoid the camera appear quite out of proportion with the act itself. And when you consider that I am trying to take photographs of people who are about to strut their stuff on a stage in front of over 200 people each show, it does seem even more unusual perhaps to be so resistant to having a photo taken!

2 - Background
We rehearse in the old Strutts School in Belper and it seems that when the school was constructed, little thought was given to providing an appropriate non-reflective background for taking portrait photos. Our choice is limited to thin black gauze curtains, shiny black plastic window blinds, grey painted stairwells or the strange yellow paint that is ubiquitous in the classrooms.

3 - Pose
Is it better to go face on or at a slight angle. Which one makes your nose look smaller? Should I raise my chin just slightly and try to hide some of the extra ones that have developed over the last couple of years, or does that make me look more jowled (it's so hard getting old). Will the flash reflect badly off my bald patch? And will anyone other than me care - presumably that's what they see all the time and it's just me that only sees it occasionally when I can't avoid the mirror! Does it make me look taller if I square my shoulders and stick my chest forward a little - and why do I find it so hard to do that constantly so that I look a little less slouch shouldered.

4 - Likeness
And then when the final picture arrives, why does it so often not appear to look like the person who you thought you had taken the photo of in the first place!

Maybe I need a course in taking better photographs. But in the meantime I'll resign myself to the fact that the photos are all going to be reduced to about one inch in height and most people won't notice how much effort went into trying to get them right and keep everyone happy. They will contribute to an excellent and engaging programme - one that will be well worth buying on the night.

More excitingly for me is the fact that Darren Holden of Belper People came along, with his superior camera and ability, and took some photos of the cast rehearsing. You can see them all online here:

http://www.belperpeople.co.uk/pictures/Belper-Musical-Theatre-rehearsing-Copacabana/pictures-14390994-detail/pictures.html

As always if anyone has any useful hints or tips for us on this, then add your comments here!

Happy New Year

I trust that you have all had a relaxing time over Christmas and that the new year has got off to a good start for you. The lucky ones amongst you may also have been given tickets to come and see the Belper Musical Theatre production of Copa Cabana in February! If not, then there are still some tickets left, although opening night has been selling very fast - hardly surprising considering the amazing deal you can get for two tickets for just £11. Of course, we would appreciate it if you could tell all your friends to come along as well - the more the merrier! It is now less than six weeks before the first performance takes place and the energy levels and enthusiasm amongst the whole cast and production crew are very high - we can hardly wait to welcome you to Belper Theatre Hall. Perhaps now would be a good time for you to hunt out your old CDs, tape cassettes or even vinyls and listen to Barry Manilow's Copa Cabana single. Remind yourself of the music, the words and the story. There are some differences between the song and the show, so why not bring yourself a sheet of paper and play spot the difference for yourself when you're sitting there, captivated by the on stage performances? Or perhaps you are a big Strictly Come Dancing fan and you were wowed by Jason Donovan when he danced to 'Dancing Fool' in the final. This is one of the songs from the show, so you get to see the Copa boys dancing to their version - just as much energy but more of a Charleston feel. Whatever your reason for choosing to come along to see the show, we can assure you that we will be having a great time on the stage and we will all be working our hardest to make sure that you have a great time in the audience. So give Andrea a call on 01332 882909 and get your tickets sorted. My Mum is already well on the way to selling her first 30 tickets, can you do better?

The art of dancing

You may have read my previous thoughts on how difficult it is to get your feet, arms, legs, body, head etc to move the way that you want them to and project that effortless grace associated with the word dance. As our company started learning the fantastic 'Havana' number last night, it appeared that I may not be the only person who finds it a challenge.
As Rico, I don't appear in this particular dance number, which means that I had the joy of sitting there watching the others for a couple of hours as they tried to remember when to wiggle their hips from one side to the other and how far to tap their legs around for different counts and rhythms. Overall I will admit that the whole thing was hilarious to watch - as indeed it seemed to be for many of those taking part.
I am delighted that this show allows all of the Belper Musical Theatre company to take to the stage in some big dance numbers, showing off the many talents of all of us. We are ably supported by some amazingly professional dancers as well - I think that they will have the biggest feathers in the live show!
But for me, the abiding memory last night will be the wonderful facial expressions of our lovely ladies as they threw their hips to the wind and with wild abandon pulled seductive expressions and shimmied, shoulder shook and side stepped their way around the song. Well done to everyone - and I promise not to post the video I took in public!
However, if anyone wants to see what a couple of our male members were up to as they showed the ladies an alternative approach, you can have a look here:



Enjoy!

Honk - a review

It's taken me long enough, but here at last is my personal review of the Belper Junior Musical Theatre production of Honk! I am sorry it wasn't here sooner.
Regardless of whether I review this as a parent of one of the cast members, a paying member of the audience, or a committee member of Belper Musical Theatre my overall reaction to the show is incredibly positive for a job well done.
The audience took their seats in the newly refurbished theatre hall at Belper School and there was an air of excitement and anticipation that this was going to be something special. The four piece band commenced their introduction and the curtains drew back to a simple but effective set, displaying five eggs, one of which was a little outsized compared to the others.
On strode Dominic Osin singing as Drake with confidence to welcome us to their particular backwater of England (for some bizarre reason referred to as a dockyard in the programme - note to self, read it more carefully next time!). He was rapidly joined by other leading members of the cast and the chorus, all of whom brought their own enthusiasm to this company focused show. Lucy Taylor, as Ida, brought warmth to her role and sang her songs with feeling and great clarity. And as Carys Lesley took to the stage as the cat, she gave a real mischevious angle to the part.
After a lovely duet with Katy Varney, who gave us a great little tap routine, four pairs of legs popped through the fencing as the eggs began to hatch. The four little ducklings who took to the stage acted out the necessary cuteness of their role before being taken off for a swim by Drake as Ida waited for the fifth and final egg to crack open.
The pre-reprise (is that really a word?) of Different echoed hauntingly across the audience, the top of the egg lifted off and we were blasted by a loud 'Honk!' as Ugly, played by Daniel Shaw, broke his way into the farmyard. After a highly comical 'Hold your head up high', which included a well received muscle stretching session prior to trying a dive, the mood of the show was set. Ugly was outstanding and acted constantly whenever he was on the stage, whether this was to the jeers and catcalls (probably should be duckcalls?) during 'Look at you', as the Cat prepared him for her dinner during 'You can play with your food', as he learnt alongside the wild geese in 'wildgoose chase' or in his tear jerking duet with Ida in the reprise of 'Hold your head up high'.
There were many great moments from other cast members - showing that this really was a performance made up from the sum of all its parts. Izzy Davidson was 'cracking' as Greylag and Molly Hewitt-Richardson showed her future potential as an air stewardess as she invited us to take to the skies in her role as Dot.
We returned to our seats after the interval and the treats continued. The whole cast once again shone as we found out how Drake had got on in Ida's absence before following Ida on her travels, accompanied by an entertaining visual display on the gauze.
Ugly met Penny, perfectly played by Holly Pridmore, and there were a couple of touching moments - despite potential embarrassment for this young team of actors. Myra Peacock brought the house down in her role as the Bullfrog, earning a well deserved round of applause as she hopped off the stage. Her comic timing was excellent and she clearly revelled in this part.
As the Cat lead Ugly away, Nicola Henshaw treated us to an enchanting solo in 'The Blizzard' before the set changed again to show two lumps of ice as Ida arrived on the scene again - her little son frozen to death.
The final moments here were well acted, suggesting real sadness at the potential loss of the little duckling and then joy all round as the swans returned and the whole farmyard was reunited again.
There were some issues with the sound and the visible presence of the cast behind the gauze was distracting at times, but these were minor compared to the professionalism of the show overall.
Elsewhere on our blog we've had the comment that a good show needs to have a great story line and songs that you'll be singing as you leave the theatre. Based on this performance, I'd add in that good delivery needs a cast who learn the songs well, deliver them with energy, accuracy and enthusiasm and who act with feeling. And for me Honk delivered all of this.
Well done to everyone involved.

One final note from me now, you can read the official NODA review of the performance on their website here: http://www.noda.org.uk/Regions/East-Midlands/Show-Reports-East-Midlands/districts/district-2/belper-junior-musical-theatre and see how much their representative enjoyed it too.