Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I was thinking of you last night. As our newest impressario, I hope your show went well last night!
Originally Posted By chickendumpling Ditto. I know you said the dress rehearsal did not go as well as hoped but every rose has it thorns, right? I hope everything worked out and even if it didn't, I am very proud of you for taking this on and giving it your all!
Originally Posted By u k fan Ok, here's what happened. The first performance, which technically speaking was a dress rehearsal with family and friends attending on Friday, was awful. At one point I was laying behind the backdrop waiting for the ground to open up and swallow me. It was truly terrible! We decided to run through it again and it was better, but not by much so we went away on Friday feeling very nervous. The REAL performance was on Saturday when we were competing against 5 other groups who all had to perform a play, based on the same theme "Caught Red Handed" We were drawn to perform 3rd just before the interval, which was an Ok draw. We knew that if we could nail it it would mean people would be talking about it all through the break. After what felt like years we were called onto the stage and the performance started. I had a very small role on stage at the start of the play and was then on stage hand duty moving scenery etc. I was very pleased that my part went down well and people were laughing in the right places so we started well. The rest of it is a bit of a blur to be honest. It involved lots of me running around backstage and panicking, but somehow everything was going right. All of the places where we made mistakes the day before seemed to go perfectly and we were getting laughs etc. Offstage there was a feeling that we were actually going to pull it off and people were coming off to hugs from other cast members. I was a bit concerned that we were celebrating too early as our weakest cast member hadn't yet come out on stage. He was playing an Indian Chief and had some lengthy lines to deliver. He was the guy who was always late or just plain didn't show up for rehearsals, but when he got it right he was great. He just tended to not get it right very often! I stood offstage with my SIL who was the other Stage Hand and we were willing him on so much. His delivery is very stilted (I guess would be the word) in that he says a few words then pauses then carries on etc. and in every pause we were mouthing his next bit of dialogue. And I don't know how he did it, but he got to the end of the scene perfectly. I could have collapsed by then. Coming up next was our big emotional scene and song, but that will have to be a story for later as I'm at work and someone just noticed that I'm typing alot!!!
Originally Posted By u k fan (Continued) So we were gearing up for one of the more interesting scenes in the play, basically we have 2 sets of 2 people on either side of the stage essentially having the same conversation and we cut between the 4 of them. It was another scene that wasn't really running right on Friday and if it wasn't done properly it really fell apart. Well, would you believe it ran perfectly. I couldn't actually see it, but it sounded great! This then ran into the song by the male and female lead, continuing on the Indian theme (Red Handed was an Indian in our play) the song was a very shortened version of "If I Never Knew You" from Pocahontas, which is not an easy song to sing, but it sounded great and got a big round of applause. From there on in all of the hard work had been done we just had to wrap it all up and get off the stage. My one last fear was that the last scene would go wrong as it had on our second run through on Friday. This was the scene where someone actually "Caught Redhanded" and the whole thing would go down the toilet if it went like it did the previous night, but again the planets aligned and everything worked fine. We did a quick reprise of one of the songs and then hurried off stage, not quite believing what we'd just done. It had been perfect and all through the interval there was a real buzz with lots of people congratulating us. We couldn't believe it! Since we'd been on stage already we could now settle down to watch the last 3 plays. Between the 3 of them we had 3 robberies of cakes/pies, 2 Sherlock Holmes', 2 Queen of Hearts, 1 Poirot and very little imagination themewise. It was starting to become apparent that we could actually win. Anyway, the judges went out for what seemed like forever. A good sign was that one of the judges had left holding our script, it was the only one taken out with them. In reality the judges were out for about 20 minutes, which is actually quite a long time historically for this competition and we were really nervous. We had several requests for one of our songs again at the end and was informed that the judges had a list of "Reprises" that they wanted performed again. Just as my brother (one of the male leads) and I could take no more and headed towards the bathroom for a "nerve break" the judges came back into the theater, one of which was still holding our script. I kept telling myself that there was no way we'd win, Banbury hadn't won in 17 years. Last time we didn't even enter. So they start off with the lower awards and generally winning one of these means that you haven't won a big award. They didn't present many lower awards and we hadn't won a single one although we did get a special mention in the dance category. Then came the acting awards. In one of the most surreal moments of the evening and possibly even my life, our very own Chief Cook (the guy who fluffed every scene we rehearsed) won Best Male Actor. I was so pleased for him and I hope that it means he'll give 100% next time. Usually there are awards for Best Director, Best Script etc. etc., but for some reason they skipped all of those awards and went straight to the big one. Best Play. I'd like to say that it was one of those moments that seemed like a lifetime, but truth be told because they missed out so many other awards it was all quite abrupt really. The winner was....!!!
Originally Posted By u k fan Ok, so I'm not that mean. I know you want to know who won so with only a little bit more ado here goes... The... winner.... was.... (ready?)...... The winner was..... NORTHAMPTON!!! They are the home team and win everytime! We were very disappointed, but also quite philosophical as we knew that if we lost to Northampton then really we should have won. By having home advantage they are able to have their scenery ready (not allowed in the rules, BTW) they have better sound and lighting and are generally more slick because they can rehearse on the correct stage whenever they need. Also the judges just happen to come from Northampton. What was disappointing was that they had one of the worst shows (A Cherry Pie goes missing and the aforementioned Poirot finds out whodunnit!), it was basically just a lot of songs stuck together. Anyway, lifes like that sometimes. We also didn't get our reprise, which I know upset quite a few audience members. My brother went to get our script back from the judges and was told that the reason other awards were dropped was because they were concerned about time, that was why we lost our reprise too. It was mentioned that there would likely be some awards that would be mailed out, so who knows what may come. We were told by the judge that we came a very close 2nd and that it was Northampton's scenery that won it for them, so there you go. At least we don't feel like we could have done more! So out of 6 we came 2nd! Not bad at all when you consider Banbury's past record. We've now been told to start planning a Talent Show for next month and another production for the new year so we can't have been that terrible!!!
Originally Posted By chickendumpling You was robbed!!! LOL. It sounds like you won it to me so CONGRATS!!! I can't wait to hear what comes in the mail. I hope you had a fun time with it. I mean I'm sure getting robbed of the First Place you deserved was frustrating. And the Indian Chief guy sounds frustrating too but I think it is just so cool that you guys did all this in the first place. And to take second in a competition like this when you guys didn't even enter last year, is pretty notable I think. I really admire people who can write scripts and act and have all that creative genius! You tock, u k fan! A talent show, eh? That oughta be a bunch of fun!
Originally Posted By mele Well, at least it wasn't as bad as the first run through! Bummer that "you was robbed" though. ;-)
Originally Posted By EdisYoda Congrats on 2nd place u_k_fan. Sounds like what happened to me in high school. Remind me to tell you that story sometime.
Originally Posted By u k fan Just to totally bump this up, we haven't heard anything about any other awards, but I have been asked to write another sketch approx 15 mins using the same characters as they have become a bit of an instant cult classic. I'm so pleased that the characters are living on as I got quite attached to them over the course of writing, rehearsing and performing the play!!!
Originally Posted By Labuda Congrats on 2nd place, Kieran, and good luck writing the next 15-minutes worth of material for your characters.
Originally Posted By u k fan Thanks Guys. I'm not too concerned about writing it as I found it easy to write 20 mins last time. I actually had to cut stuff out and there will be 2 short songs in that time also, but I do have to try and write a respectful yet funny nativity which will be interesting and come up with some christmassy song lyrics for the main characters theme song. It should help to pass the time between now and my WDW vacation though!!!
Originally Posted By avromark Kieran I read this thread yesterday, but my acting skills are abysmal so I thought anything I say may not sound so good. It's good that you're experience was good. I haven't acted since primary school
Originally Posted By u k fan Mark, I do my best not to act if I can help it. I enjoy it, but I think I'm pretty lousy at it. I do enjoy, writing, directing etc. though!!!
Originally Posted By chickendumpling <<have to try and write a respectful yet funny nativity >> I once heard a funny story about a TALL young man who was petting a donkey and the donkey bit his pinky...
