The First Show!
A crazily hectic day yesterday in preparation of our first ever US performance! After the all night torrential storms, we were relieved to learn that the weather would clear by 3pm in time for our outdoor events to start at 4.30pm! The marquee tent that we had hoped to perform in had miraculously disappeared, and we were left with a stretch of grass, framed by a breathtaking view of the lake and mountains and lake. So - we had to work out magic to turn the place into Ephesisos - our Greek Island setting for the play. We had been told we had the run of the resort, we could use everything - so we did!
After a rehearsal run of the show in the morning, we got to work in our teams, preparing food for the pre-show, Heather busily cooking and transporting 60 portions of chicken kebabs, humous, greek salad...creating our playing space, flying flags and bunting, and hanging black drapes from trees to create a makeshift changing area, and setting up a cafe in the town square.
The show invites our audience to become someone else for the duration of their stay - arriving as 'holidaymakers' to the island, the newcomers are kitted out with new ID - a mask, and a breast plate depicting their new persona. They might be Homer Simpson, the Queen, Madonna, Kylie, or actors from the show - the concept being that they are empowered to play, lose themselves and experience a flavour of the theme of confusion and identity loss in 'The Comedy of Errors'. Once checked in, our resort host dishes out their new ID. Unsure how it would go down amongst our new American audiences, we were delighted by our first audience:
"I want to be Kylie!" shrieked one woman grabbing at her new ID, and Dolly Parton proceeded to sing through her canon throughout the pre-show event. Sharon Osbourne was reunited with Simon Cowell, and had a heated argument over the chicken kebabs, and a 6 year old girl from New Jersey became Tina Turner, enjoying her new large hairstyle! It was a hoot! A local bike shop owner was so taken by our crew, he lent the cast some bikes to wizz around the town square to whip up more audience, and promptly shut up shop to come and watch. He became Homer Simpson, entering into the pre-show games with gusto!
Demetri (Paul Taylor Mills) and Brook (Lucy Gill) led our smallish audience in a 'baywatch' run down to the beach to do aqua aerobics - a prize for the person who waded boldly into the sea (Homer Simpson claimed it), and then back over for food and more fun, before the show began.
By the start of the show, we had about 30 in the audience, all game and playing amongst one another and with the cast. They clapped and whooped through the first half, putting their masks on when the Duke came in, as instructed, and staying engaged throughout. The cast did brilliantly - considering a rather bitter wind blowing over the lake (we covered our audience in beach towels, and cut the interval in case they left!).
All in all - a great start to the tour! We have another show today, which we will be sharing the the Shakespeare in the Valley casts and crew (A young American company who have done little else but try and convince our crew to buy them alcohol and go skinny dipping in the lake)
That's all for now - until tomorrow. Sending love and wishes from the mountains, and fingers crossed for today's show.
Emma xxx
