40 Dei - Thursday 12 March

Most mornings when I drive down the final hill to Wan Smolbag I pass a teenage albino girl leading a blind man, Willie, to the youth centre where I think he does a French class. We came across Willie during a review of our radio soap that ran for 8 years. He listened to every episode. He said he could tell when we changed an actor for a part, even quite minor parts, and he seemed to know every story line including several I’d forgotten.

Warm ups going so well and everyone says they appreciate them. The theatre is even cool when we come in at 8 am. We leave the working lights off for the warm up, stretching by the light coming through the side door. This week, we’ve been using the Running and Stamping Book by Neil Cameron. Jogging as a company in silence on the wooden floor of the theatre. We were running in pairs, one with eyes shut, the other shepherding the blind one round the space, when a mobile phone, unfortunately left on, screeched to life with some hideous ring tone. The group were visibly affronted and disturbed such was their concentration.However the theory that a good warm up will always lead to a good rehearsal was rapidly disproved!

The 2 cast solution is being severely tested. Bob, the second pastor, has returned from 5 days off due to a gum abscess but has missed so much and does not know the lines. Betio, whilst being more game now to have a go cannot shake off a sore throat, or more likely vulnerable vocal chords. It seems to be a recurring problem He too struggles a bit with lines. This means that others in that cast feel they are not getting a fair go.

We must go on to the second half on Monday.We discussed a line ‘Jesus I tellem se ol pastor oli ol dabol fes.’ Jesus said pastors were two faced. We decided that the character should quote the chapter and verse (in Matthew’s gospel somewhere) to take the heat off us. Yes the character is drunk, yes he’s a character in a play, but that wont necessarily impress some pastors here!