The Start of Something Wonderful by Jane Lambert

Author:Jane Lambert [Lambert, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2017-01-15T05:00:00+00:00

HOW TO SURVIVE WEEKLY REP

by

Emily Forsyth

This actors’ manual is to be my project whilst waiting for my next job. The headings so far are:

Chapter 1

Emergency Stage Evacuation

(procedures to be followed when you have absolutely no idea what your next line is)

Chapter 2

Violent Convulsions (aka ‘corpsing’)

Chapter 3

How to Survive Farce

(after not enough rehearsal and avoid having a nervous breakdown)

I will have to amend chapter three, as the procedures are not watertight, as I discovered tonight – to my cost …

Act Two, and I am within touching distance of the finish line. A couple of pages of dialogue, in which to catch my breath after my leap over the back of the sofa, swiftly followed by energetic dive into the cupboard, to avoid being found by the vicar and his young (ahem) wife. Vince is playing the role of Reverend Pritchard and Margo, Mrs P.

So here I am, crouched down in my usual spot, having a quick slurp of my water and a sneaky look at my script, in preparation for my final scene. My ears prick up as I hear Margo deliver my cue line – two pages early.

Before I have time to shift my brain into gear, the cupboard door is flung open and I am revealed, like a rabbit caught in the headlights. In one hand I am clutching my script, and a bottle of Evian in the other; but worse than this, my skirt is hitched up over my knees and my nasty pop-sock secret is out. I rise slowly, staring into the black void, frantically scanning my memory for my line – nothing. My improvisation skills too let me down, as I find myself saying, ‘I’ll just pop upstairs ma’am and see if her ladyship requires anything.’

‘Her – ladyship?’ enquires Margo, eyes wide, a slight tremor in her voice.

‘Yes, her ladyship, your mother … who has been upstairs … bedridden these ten years since,’ I reply, tripping up the stairs. ‘God love ’er.’

‘But we require you to pour the tea,’ says Margo firmly, grabbing the hem of my skirt through the spindles. ‘Nowww.’

‘Begging your par-don, ma’am,’ I continue, wrenching myself free, ‘but I shan’t be a moment.’ And I disappear out of sight, onto ‘the landing’.

‘Pssst! Abi!’ I hiss, waving my arms in the direction of prompt corner.

Abi looks up, removes her cans and says in a loud whisper, ‘What are you doing up there? Get back on stage.’

‘What’s my line?’ I mouth exaggeratedly.

‘What?’

‘What’s – my – line?’

‘How should I know?’ she replies, frantically flicking through her script. ‘You’re in a different play to the rest of us.’

Part of me is tempted to climb down the backstage scaffolding and retreat to my dressing room, leaving my fellow actors to it. After all, this is Margo’s fault for skipping two pages of dialogue in the first place. But then Portia’s words ring out in my head: ‘Acting is all about teamwork and being a supportive company member.’

With this in mind, I come to Vince and Margo’s rescue by

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.