Greenwich and beyond..

What a brilliant couple of nights at Greenwich. We had some great audiences in, and some lovely feedback. If you came to see it, would be fab to hear what you thought of it.

Until next time...

Love from Broken Leg Theatre. x

Greenwich baby!

First show tonight! cannot wait!

Nancy treads the boards...

We had a rehearsal on the stage at the New Theatre Royal, Brighton. Which was fab. And Nancy had her first blast on stage.

Without being a pushy mum, I'm hoping that it is the first of many performances.

Next play featuring an 8 month old?

Now where's that number for the baby modeling agency...

It's next week...

It's less than a week to go until My Second Life is on in Greenwich and tickets are selling well. Which is a bit of a double edged sword.

On one hand it's like, 'thank God, we're not going to be performing to an empty theatre.'

But at the same time, it's a bit, 'Oh shit. Please let people like it.'

Well too late now to start panicking!

Deep breaths...

Nervous!

We are performing in Greenwich next week and the nerves are beginning to show. It is at this stage when my mind starts making me doubt everything and paranoia starts growing like mould on bathroom tiles. Firstly, I convince myself that I don't know any of my lines, not one, especially not the first one. Secondly, as I play two characters, I become certain that at some point I will come on to the stage wearing the wrong clothes, speaking in the wrong accent and talking to the wrong person. Thirdly and finally, I become like a nervous traveller who has to check their passport every two seconds, except with my costume. I have to go back to my bag of clothes regularly and check that nothing has suddenly dissappeared. Where I think a large pink satin skirt is going to run off too in the dark of the night, I don't know, but I check all the same.
I know it will be, as they say, alright on the night, but nerves are not rational. They sneak up on you in your dreams and create the biggest nightmare scenarios. I was once dreamed, before an exam, that when I got there I had to answer about a hundred pages on Thomas the Tank Engine. I hadn't revised that!
Right, I'm off to read my script and check that my shoes haven't run off for a new life in the sun.
Jade

Wet and windy Bognor

We went to Bognor Regis yesterday to persuade (ok, force) people to come and see our show on Wednesday. My word, it was windy and rainy. We went to the seafront to give flyers to hotels and we were violently battered by the wind. We walked along, our heads bowed, as rain whipped our faces.
Nothing would stop us in our pursuit to tell the people of Bognor about our play; we climbed through hedges, we...we...well we got wet, that's dedication enough isn't it? I bet Laurence Olivier never had to do that. I mean, we didn't even stop for a coffee!
Before we went on our road trip, we had a rehearsal and it looks as though everything is shaping up nicely. We are having our dress rehearsal on Saturday. Oh I just can't wait to put my fuchsia pink hat on again. I bet the others can't either as they usually can't stop laughing when I put it on. Meanies!

Jade

It's nearly upon us!!

Well, it's time to dust off the old costumes and give it to 'em!!

I personally cannot wait to don my 'Clive jeans'!! I have never before witnessed quite such a long zip in my life! I get knackered every time I go to the toilet!! Much excitement also about the bright white and blue trainers.

Clive Senior has got serious style! And don't you forget it!

Andy x

Clive and Clive Junior

Just suspend disbelief and you're not in the garden, but a front room in London.

Cheer up Tom!

He's not really in a bad mood- he's in character obviously!

Jade singing in the garden

Jade practises singing a Dawn Penn number- the neighbours upstairs turned the radio off to have a listen to her- or maybe they thought I'd just put the CD on, she does have a fabulous voice!

Spring!

Yessss, so spring is finally here, and we celebrated this by having a rehearsal in Anna's garden. It felt great to be practising the play with the sun beating down on us, even if was a bit difficult waltzing around flower pots.
It's not long now until we will be performing at Regis Centre and it is all hands on deck with publicity and marketing. I am tweeting madly and we have been bombarding people with eflyers and Facebook event invites. We are even planning a trip to Bognor Regis so that we can try and charm people (with our sparkling wit and good looks) in to coming to see the show. We'll let know how that goes.
Jade

I'm back! As you have probably read, I missed the last rehearsal due to illness. I was so upset that I couldn't be there last time. I lay in my darkened room listening to Rebus on Radio 4 and just couldn't stop thinking about all the fun and laughter I was missing out on.
I am better now though and yesterday was back rehearsing with everyone again. It was so nice to see everyone and to be back singing, dancing and being northern once more.
Ah yes, the singing. I only sing about three lines but I find it absolutely terrifying. What is it about singing that is so scary? I love it when I'm at home when I'm singing along to the radio, or when I'm playing karaoke with my sister, but put me in front of an audience and it feels as though I'm about to do a bungee jump. Yesterday though, I sang in front of Nancy, and she loved it. While I sang, she looked up at me smiling away. I can't be that bad then.
I am much more comfortable with the dancing. Alex and I waltz together and although we haven't done it for almost a year, as soon as the music started we remembered the whole dance as though it was only yesterday that we had last performed it. I also dance to a bit of Ska (it's all about the variety) with my 'husband' Tom, which is always fun.
All I need to do now is brush up on my lines, and remember where and who I am supposed to be when. Yesterday I walked round and round the set about three times before I finally worked out what scene I was supposed to be doing, if I keep that up I am going to get very dizzy.
Jade

Sun/Screens

We had a great little rehearsal today. It was momentarily depressing going into the rehearsal room whilst leaving behind the bright, brilliant Brighton sunshine, but things went so well we all soon forgot about the premature summer happening outside.

A couple of run-throughs and the piece is starting to feel really fresh and exciting. Newbie Tom is on top form especially with his hefty amount of lines.

Next time we assemble with costume and props throwing them into the mix when we get out of the sun and into the login screen.

Alex

Tickets on sale!

We're up on both the venue's websites now finally! With just over a month to go I'd be lying if I didn't say I was panicking a bit, but, phew, we're up there now.

And the flyers are to be picked up tomorrow.

So just need to distribute them far and wide, get 400 people into the Regis Centre, and 800 to Greenwich, as well as rehearse Tom into the part, and think about how to use our development days sucessfully, wait to hear back from our funding application, and sort out all the logistics about for all shows.

EEEEEEEEEEEEASY.

Just have a quick procrastinate and then I'll be right on it.

What time does Diagnosis Murder start?

I've missed this

What an absolute pleasure to be back with the Broken Leggers. As the company technician I'm not often needed for those early rehearsals, so I don't see those lovely people as much as I would like. Our last rehearsal was a real get together. I met our new man, Tom Dussek, who has fitted into our odd little family beautifully. It was a shame poor Jade could not be there but at least I've got that reunion to look forward to. I also got to meet beautiful Nancy, another new Broken Legger, who I'm sure will help us all to find our inner child and outshine us all with vocal her warm ups.

On the technical side of thing, I'm going to enjoy all the folly recording I'm going to have to undertake and tracking down an illusive toilet flush; that in my opinion holds an entire scene together... hehe. Ok I jest (a little bit) but you'll have to come and watch to unfold that mystery. "The Mystery of the Flush".... Maybe I should leave the writing up to the pros we have!!

So moving away from toilet sounds.... Shame I know!

Lighting will be my next challenge... even when I'm browsing through endless amounts of gels, scouring for the perfect shade of pink (much more complex than it sounds, lol) , I still don't envy those who have to perfect a northern accent. They are brilliant at it and work so hard on perfecting their characters. As a welsh girl I already have an accent which I think I'll stick to, I'm rubbish at accents!!!! No I will not show you... nope... I won't do it.

Wow I think Tom's rambling has rubbed off on me.

Looking forward to the next rehearsal... fingers crossed Jade will be back fighting fit (Not that we didn't enjoy Alice's stand-in wiggle) so we can have a reunion of epic proportions.

Chat to you soon Broken Leg-ets.... (is that a word?!..... it is now).

Stacey Korsman (Technician)

Peta doubling up as prompt extraordinaire.

Grandma and Clive Senior getting into character.

Emily and Nancy doing their vocal warm ups.

Alice steps into Jade's shoes to have a dance with Alex. Look at that frame...

Meeting everyone else

Well that was rather special! After rehearsing at Anna's with Jade (I tell my kids that I've been rehearsing with my wife, but she's not the woman I'm married to... an excellent dinner-time conundrum...) I finally got to meet the rest of the cast and crew on Saturday. And what a lovely and talented bunch they are - I knew Peta from Hangman (and her Laaaaaan-dan granny voice is even better than her Lancashire biddy, if such a thing could be imagined) and turns out I'd 'Scripteased' with Andy last year (I remember complimenting him on his excellent Welsh accent, and he told me "That's cos I'm Welsh...") and Alex does indeed have as square a jaw as Peta had said (good looking swine...).

It's very interesting coming in to a pre-existing production. It's a bit like getting a jigsaw out of its box that has already been made once before - there are lots of chunks that are already done, and the fun is in filling in the missing bits.

So I've got a new push bike (a Creme Cafe Solo 3-speed in black, since you ask.... yes, yes, the one with the front rack.... yes, and the lights! Blimey, you can stop asking now, alright?!?!) and cycling down to the sea to learn my lines and trying to anchor my northern accent in one place without anyone hearing is wonderful now that Spring is springing. Roll on the next rehearsal!

Tom Dussek

Great rehearsal!

Jade relaxes with a cup of tea after a fab rehearsal with Tom. He is the new Keith in My Second Life. It's brilliant to have a new perspective on the character and his energy. They've been dancing round the kitchen to ska, so a well earned cuppa for Jade I think! Roll on Saturday when we get the whole cast together for the first time this year.

Arts Council application is in!

Well done to Anna for hitting the 'Submit' button on Broken Leg Theatre's very first Grants for the Arts application! Its been a lot of hard work over the past couple of weeks but a really good team effort to get it in on time.

Now's the hard bit...the waiting! Fingers and toes crossed we'll be able to share some good news in just 6 weeks time!

All hands on deck

Emily and our youngest addition to Broken Leg Theatre working on the funding application for our tour to Regis Centre and Greenwich Theatre. I don't know who's working harder...