A long day's rehearsal yesterday. Despite my sore throat (partly from a cold, partly from shouting - yes, yes, I know, I have to conserve my voice), I was in a good mood because I felt that the big fight scene in which I was involved was now just right.
Fool that I was. At the moment when I thought we were done, Director Seth and Actor Barry express their dissatisfaction and decide to rechoreograph the central element. Am I happy? No. I'm tired and bored and want to go home. So out goes the uppercut and in come some other moves. I don't think they work, but I go through the motions rather than say anything. We do that a couple of times, have a break, then run the whole scene again. I am in a foul mood - but that's good, because my character Steve is in a foul mood and my emotion feeds his. And suddenly not only does the scene work for me, but it's easier and the audience (the rest of the cast and crew) are loving it.
When I finally go home, I reflect on how much my acting - of this particular character at least - has improved in the last two weeks. My portrayal of this violent thug has gone from hesitant and intermittent to full on. I have truly become Steve Marks. Friends who come to the play will see a very different person from the one they think they know. It will be, I am sure, my best acting so far. So, make your way to Crouch End this Sunday or one of the days which follow... (for details and to book, click the link in the right column)
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