So I've been working on a show called "In the Blood" in the Caird Studio at college. It was not the show I wanted but it turned out to be a way better environment then any of the other shows. I felt bad at home talking about the show because Chris and Shannon were not having an easy go of it and all I could say was how lovely everyone I was working with was. It has been great working with Charlie, wandering Cardiff, poking about in skips and peering over fences into church yards looking for American looking garbage for the set. Our Stage Manager Ethan has been supportive and didn't micro-manage. Bethan, the Deputy Stage Manager, was cool and kept us well informed. Seriously - our crew is all so calm, super chill, and beyond that we all get our work done so there's no worry about whether something will get done or not. It's been fantastic.
Tech week was amazing. Spent all day lifting heavy things, climbing ladders and using tools. I really enjoy focusing stage lights and I was one of the only people who enjoyed it so I got to focus many of them. I know it probably makes me some kind of freak, but I also enjoyed running the cables and making them all neat and tidy. Any day spent mostly at the top of a ladder is a good day in my book.
Some of the props have been interesting. Not just picking up the oil drum and having the nice man give us honey from his bees and maple syrup, there was this cross. They required a neon cross - buying one is prohibitively expensive but renting one wasn't much better. So we rented this thing from Welsh National Opera, it's a pine outer casing with lights inside and this neon wiring in it. The wiring was a nightmare. In order to plug something in at college it has to pass PAT testing and this thing would never pass, not ever. It had exposed wires, the lights inside weren't clamped down, the neon wire didn't actually run into anything. So I stripped the cables and took out the lights so we could just use the neon wire - that was assuming that the neon wire was going to work, which it didn't. So in the end I striped the neon wire and we ended up putting battery operated LED lights inside and I gotta say it looks amazing.
So we get into the actual tech rehearsals and dress rehearsals and it falls to me to the costume changes for a gentleman named Lewis. Lewis is what is described in this country as "well fit." A nice guy, not really my type, but not at all unpleasant to dress and undress. He proposed actually, twice, but only in that appreciative of my pastry way. We do all the scene changes which is fun and of course there's blood. I took over the blood, I kinda jumped on it because I really wanted to make blood packs and I get to everyday! It's this awesome blood made from molasses, I kinda want to use the spare blood and make a treacle tart.
So today is our last show and also my 30th birthday. The cast and crew are going out after and we're gonna celebrate! S arrived Thursday night so he'll be here to, which is nice. I left him the college bar last night whilst I worked the show, I left him with the guys from workshop... ya. He already is making friends and a girl who is a twin asked if we were twins - we said yes. My birthday is a gorgeous day here in Cardiff, we just got back from Tescos and it is lovely. I'm wearing a new dress and feelin' fine.
We got our placements for next term as well. I got the one I wanted *jumps up and down* it's Deputy Stage Manager for the four shows running at the same time in the college's brand new theatre, The Richard Burton. It's probably the best vote of confidence they could have given me. I get to call four separate shows, the first shows in the new space. I am so excited and terrified and jumping up and down. God is good.
