Well, after
a very productive day painting Blackwood Little Theatre and generally giving
the auditorium some TLC yesterday, I am now sitting down to get some thoughts
on paper about the forthcoming production of Calendar Girls!! When Peta made the suggestion about a year
ago that us “ladies of the BLT” should do this show when it became available,
we all said a resounding yes! In my case
that was because it seemed like a long way off and I didn’t really think the
“nude” bit through at the time... As
time progressed, various more realistic thoughts sprung to mind but we were
assured that any “nude” bits would be tastefully done and we would most
definitely not be showing any “front bottoms” – thankfully!
When we
auditioned for the roles I was very unsure which part I wanted, as I had not
seen the movie for many years and had missed the stage show when it came our
way to Cardiff... But our excellent
Director had roles in mind and she cast me as Cora – the single mother with a
slightly wayward past, rebellious vicar’s daughter, dripping in sarcasm and
church organist. I can relate to some,
though not all, of those attributes, and I won’t say where the similarities
lie! However I can safely say that I
have no clue when it comes to piano playing, so that in itself has proven to be
a bit of a challenge from the offset...
I did manage to learn the first 12 bars of Jerusalem, (with the notes
written on keys and music sheet!) but then went on holiday for a week and
promptly forgot it all again! I have
however enjoyed the singing, although I have had to learn the songs all from scratch,
having never sung Jerusalem, (check out the link to hear us sing!), Dear Lord and Father of Mankind and Stormy Weather
ever in my life...
As part of
our fundraising goals for the production, we all agreed to pose for our own
Blackwood Little Theatre “nude” calendar.
Again, initially this seemed like a great idea. However when the time came for us to strip
off at the premises of the local businesses that sponsored the printing of our
calendar, some of us had to take a huge leap of faith... I think for me personally, being “nude” on stage
involves a fleeting moment during scene 6 which is cleverly choreographed, part
of my character’s role and therefore in my mind, kind of acceptable. But the thought of being “nude” on someone’s
wall for 31 days next May was far more disconcerting!! Thankfully, my friend Ms Louise Greenhouse
was on hand with her trusty camera so at least we didn’t have to also contend
with a male photographer, as the real Calendar Girls did all that time ago!
The
rehearsals thus far have been hilarious, full of innuendo and very much
clothed! Tonight will be our first “bra
rehearsal” for scene 6 and Matthew who plays Lawrence has vowed to wear a bra
too. This is something I have to see!!
The clock is ticking like crazy and every time I think of how long we
have left before our opening Gala night I have a slight flutter of panic in my
tummy.. but this does promise to be the best BLT production ever and I for one
can’t wait!!
Sarah x
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