Birmingham Stage Company

A week in theatre


3 August 2017

I will either never forget this week or struggle to remember anything.

 

On Tuesday night we officially opened David Walliams’ GANGSTA GRANNY at the Garrick with David in the audience (David Walliams, not David Garrick). I was too nervous to watch the show and so went for a walk along the Thames. I arrived back just before the interval and listened through the crack in the Dress Circle door. I still didn’t have the nerve to open it. In the second half I gave myself the role of the policeman who comes in briefly to quiz Granny. It meant I didn’t have to watch the second half either. Thankfully the cast were less nervous and gave a thrilling performance.

The next morning I was back at the Garrick to tech the new HORRIBLE HISTORIES show MORE BEST OF BARMY BRITAIN with my wonderful creative team. We only had two hours before GRANNY was back on stage so we were all in the theatre this morning to tech and dress. Fortunately our actors are totally on top of the show so it went wonderfully well. Tomorrow we’ll dress rehearse once more before the first show opens at 11.30am. 

This afternoon we met with the theatre owners Nimax to assess the opening week of GRANNY and agreed we needed to add more performances. I was then off meet the author of our forthcoming new production in 2019 to discuss the plot for a brand new story for the stage. It was our third meeting and the brilliant author had taken all our ideas and melded them into an amazingly exciting storyline. This is me holding it in the photo!

At the weekend I’m back on stage at the Cheltenham Everyman performing THE BEST OF BARMY BRITAIN with the wonderful Gary Wilson and on Monday we begin rehearsals for AWFUL AUNTIE. 

If it does all become a blur, it will be a blur to remember. 

On Tuesday night we officially opened David Walliams’ GANGSTA GRANNY at the Garrick with David in the audience (David Walliams, not David Garrick). I was too nervous to watch the show and so went for a walk along the Thames. I arrived back just before the interval and listened through the crack in the Dress Circle door. I still didn’t have the nerve to open it. In the second half I gave myself the role of the policeman who comes in briefly to quiz Granny. It meant I didn’t have to watch the second half either. Thankfully the cast were less nervous and gave a thrilling performance.

The next morning I was back at the Garrick to tech the new HORRIBLE HISTORIES show MORE BEST OF BARMY BRITAIN with my wonderful creative team. We only had two hours before GRANNY was back on stage so we were all in the theatre this morning to tech and dress. Fortunately our actors are totally on top of the show so it went wonderfully well. Tomorrow we’ll dress rehearse once more before the first show opens at 11.30am. 

This afternoon we met with the theatre owners Nimax to assess the opening week of GRANNY and agreed we needed to add more performances. I was then off meet the author of our forthcoming new production in 2019 to discuss the plot for a brand new story for the stage. It was our third meeting and the brilliant author had taken all our ideas and melded them into an amazingly exciting storyline. This is me holding it in the photo!

At the weekend I’m back on stage at the Cheltenham Everyman performing THE BEST OF BARMY BRITAIN with the wonderful Gary Wilson and on Monday we begin rehearsals for AWFUL AUNTIE. 

If it does all become a blur, it will be a blur to remember. 

 


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