40 Dei - Mon 20 April

We film some bits for a TV ad. Joyanne’s grandfather has died. So she is not there. Titus is having his dentures fitted! We do notes. Am very blunt. Too blunt. Did not mean to make actors feel guilty for making me miserable but that is how it came out. But some good notes too, which actors responded to well. Titus returns full of teeth and no lisp! This buoys the actors as much as anything. Good rehearsal with him and Albert of the final prison scene. Really trying to identify their state of mind and playing it much stiller. And then we turn the scene where Albert and Virana have a possible final chance to get together into one long sad embrace. It’s a big night for Virana especially as she has not seemed to be with us for a while and it is tempting to let Joyanne alone play the part of Lei. I know Virana can do it but she has trouble unlocking emotion on stage.

Everyone takes the afternoon off. Six o’clock and we’re all nervous and there’s not even an audience. Just us and our pride. Virana starts dreadfully, forgetting lines and then the first big song is fluffed. But something is there, I’m not despairing yet. Titus is a different person with his new teeth. Danny and Donald seem to have found renewed vitality in their scenes. Albert is flying, wonderful actor. Morinda as solid as ever. Oh dear! Virana has completely dried and is mortified. But it’s going OK and we hit the big emotional scene between the Pastor and Lei. I don’t know whether it is the accumulated mortification of forgetting lines or Titus’ great performance, but Virana’s jaw starts quivering with sadness and injustice and mine too is quivering, with relief mostly. It’s beautiful to watch…. her jaw not mine! And the first half (is this football or a drama?!) plays out beautifully.

The second half is immense but best of all is the minute after the curtain call. During the curtain call the actors exit singing and then the music stops. The building is completely quiet and slowly the actors filter back on to the stage. Nobody says a word. Everyone seems to be taking in how good that was, wanting to savour it. Some embrace on the stage. Tomorrow is the first preview.