THE SAGA and Oldham (part 2)

I forgot to set the blackberries last night. It was a scary, hairy moment. There I was, sitting in the production office, munching on a Ham Salad sandwich when I suddenly remembered. But by that point it was too late. Mairead had walked on stage with the two pales of blackberries one of which was meant to have a cluster of real blackberries in it for Bronagh to eat (and smear all over her costume and body)- I hadn't set them. I was cursing, sweating and generally flipping out; it is such a crucial moment in the play and to think that Bronagh would have to mime eating blackberries in such a first class production as this made my skin crawl. Then something happened. Daragh appeared from the shadows and in his usual collected manner informed me that all was well- Mairead had spotted that none had been placed in the pale and being the legend that she is, had done the job herself.

It is moments like these that you tend not to forget. It may seem trivial to you, but to an actor and to me, it is vital that these things are done properly. It can completely mess up a scene. It must never happen again. EVER.

Other than this, things have gone rather well for us in Oldham. Some of us spent a loveley evening and morning dancing in Manchester while others prefered to stay in with a curry and a DVD. I think at this point of the tour, the actors may begin finding it difficult to keep up the momentum. It must be very difficult to stay away from 'auto pilot mode' where you simply go on, do the show and that is it. Things must remain fresh and new and having now done at least 35 performances (or thereabouts) it can be problematic. Indeed, Paul has just informed me that he was thinking about this in the shower this morning. I would imagine audiences are key in keeping the performance alive as each night they have a different feel, each night they bring a completely different and unique atmosphere. An audience shapes the show as much as an actor or a director. We've had some great ones on this tour already and it really is fascinating listening and observing how wildly different an audience can be depending on where we are in the country. We're a diverse nation, that's for sure. They may laugh at a Maggie joke one night and then the next night there may be nothing. It's also interesting to note that a single 'cough' in the auditorium can spoil a line or block a joke. This isn't a grumble, it's just an observation.

Next up- Guildford. Au revoir!