Tuesday 15 March

 

The day is greeted with rumours that a controversial MP has had a stroke. Here we are again! Just as 40 day dealt with police brutality as it was happening, now we have a play in which our central character, an MP, has a heart attack and is forced to justify his existence to Gods. Should we announce in the program that the play was written before the real life MP’s stroke???!

Then at lunch Beru says someone planning to stand in the next election, a member of the Vanuatu Mobile Force, says once elected he will make sure WSB is wiped out as he disapproves of much that we do. I always feel confused with stories like this. The brave part of me says well we must be doing something right to evoke such strong feelings in a presumably fairly reactionary body. The other part feels hurt that anyone could dislike you so intensely!

Day 2 of rehearsals and it is the phase that makes me the most nervous. That vision you have of the piece in your head is a million miles away as people struggle with lines and finding their character and actors work at such different speeds; some presenting a character before your eyes very early on, others looking completely lost or worse still, bored. There is also the fear that the vision you have is wrong for the piece; the theatre, empty, seems huge and the actors tiny and thin voiced. As we allow space for audience on the floor you also feel you are watching it across a chasm that makes it even harder to engage.

Also depressed by the number of actors drinking coke and eating gateau huite for breakfast…but buoyed by those coming back early from lunch to run the scene on their own to get it right. Most of the actors love the chance to do the big production