Jessica Harper An Actors Blog

My Fair Lady 2009

6th October - 10th October 2009 At The Grand Theatre Wolverhampton

(This is an on-going blog for the week. It will be up-dated daily. Hopefully I will get some photographs up!)

We are now a week away from the show. Only a few more re-hearsals to go. My costumes are all picked up, awaiting to be worn. Very exciting! Although I do have a slightly strange hat.

4th October 2009

Final re-hearsals fast approaching before opening night. So today we got into the Theatre and did a run. Dressing rooms all assigned. All went well! Ah . . . Except my Flower Girl hat is not "Dirty and Urchiny" enough. So best get that sorted. Well at least in "Wouldn't it be lovely" I'm on my way to getting my five a day. (I steal an apple you see.) So all that's left to do for tomorrow is to get my urchin costume sorted. I'm going for a total re-vamp!

5th October

Press Photograph! Express And Star Wolverhampton

So There we have it. That was the last re-hearsal before opening night.My costume is now officially changed all that's left to do for tomorrow is to dirty my face up a little. At present I am a clean and tidy urchin which really isn't working. So all went well. The set looks great. Just means alot less room than re-hearsed in but we will manage. The only thing that went slightly wrong today is, we are waiting on fold back for tomorrow you see. SO having no fold back today meant slightly out of tune singing. But hey ho as long as it is all sorted for tomorrow then all is well.

6th October

OPENING NIGHT

What a fantastic opening night.Wonderful. Not to sure it could go any better really. Today we met our new president who gave us a few words of encouragement before the performace. Then off he went to watch the show (I hope he enjoyed it!) 

So everything went the way it should habe apart from . . . tonight my apple turned into a pair and this is not a good thing as I don't like pears one bit. Someone stole my apple. I wasn't happy. Oh and some of the spoons went missing in "I'm Getting Married In The Morning!" But apart from that it was super! We were even in time with the orchestra the whole way through. Fold back was all set up tonight. Thank Goodness! Overall what a great night! And I would just like to thank Alison Bennet for my cups of tea today. (Ah this reminds me I must buy some milk for today!) :-) 

7th October
Matinee And Evening Performances

So I arrived at the theatre today far to early for my own good. Just sat and listened to the i-pod for a while. But once I was all costumed and made up I was ready to go. Todays performance held our biggest audience yet. FULL . . . bar a few seats. So it was a great atmosphere when you went out on to stage. Normally our matinee shows aren't that lively and awake but today they were really giving it some. Loving it infact. It was a great performance to be fair. No losing of apples, no baskets in the pits and no still wrapped cigars! haha! This afternoon was the filmed performance. So I am quite looking forward to seeing it! :-)

All That's left to do now after that show is grab some lunch and do the show again! And ... that is exactly what I did.
So evening show! . . . Little less full than this afternoon but all the same they needed just as good a show as earlier so that's what we gave them. Although I did nearly miss my cue. Sitting upstairs in the dressing room I heard the intorduction to "Wouldn't It Be Lovely?" I have never ran (jumped) down those stairs that quick in all my life. I literally threw myself donw them and ran straight on to stage. Luckily, just on time! Nice one! The evenings performance was equally a great show. I'm really enjoying myself. The atmosphere in the company is great. Everyone gets on with everyone. And ... I get cups of tea and wine every now and then, so I'm all smiles! Although I'm not too happy about my ascott gloves falling apart on stage and dropping my hankie! They are my Grandmas gloves to, not sure she will be best pleased!

Still awaiting photographs for this blog. They will be appearing shortly. That's a promise!

8th October

Feeling the strain of the show today. I think it's that midweek tiredness. Not to worry though . . . Friday tomorrow! Right well what a great show. The audience seemed to enjoy themselves. I'm sure at one point I even heard them singing along. Always good! I have noticed quite a large photograph of myself outside the theatre today. Oh Boy!
So... I didn't miss any calls today or miss out on an apple. I'm telling you I'm getting more organised as the week goes on! Oh actually I did forget to pop my gloves on for one number. Tut Tut! Oh we went for a chinease after the show! YUMMY! It was lovely. There was quite a few of us there enjoying the Cuisine! ;-)

Hope tomorrow goes just as well if not better as I have some family in!

9th October

Well to start a good day off I only had to work half a day today! So . . . I was already in a good mood before the show had even begun. Had my dinner at the pie factory and off to the theatre I went. Tonights show went really quickly. I believe that when your'e having fun time goes by quickly. Which is a good thing because my family were watching. They seemed to really enjoy it. Loved it infact. They were on the front row. Can you believe that? The front row. My sister has just had an operation on her foot so it's all bandaged up. She kept waving it around in the air, trying to make me laugh. She succeeded. I really nearly burst with laughter on stage. Luckily I managed to keep it together. Oh one bad thing . . . I didn't get an apple!

10th October

Matineee And Evening Performance

Oh a lie in ... Nice! So here we go again! The show just seems to be going by quicker every day. Ther afternoons perfromance was super. The audience were great to. Really laughing and enjoying it. It always helps when you have a responsive audience. They are much easier to perform too, I'd say. Well in Asscot Sarah decided to drop her Parasol. Right there, front row, middle of the stage, bang! There goes Sarah Parasol. I don't know how I managed to keep a straight face to be honest. But, some how I did!

So with that show out the way and pizzas ordered. It was time for tea and a chill. Man it was a good Pizza. Seriously. I gave my present to Jayne. I think she liked it. I hope she liked it. I bought her the book Pig Mailien. (Not too sure if that is the correct spelling.) Wehad to buy one present each, pop them in the middle of the floor and then someone else hands them out to different people. Great idea really. I recieved a My Fair Lady mug off of Dawn. It's really nice. :-)
So . . . FINAL PERFORMANCE OF MY FAIR LADY 2009! :-( I cannot believe it is over so quick. This really was a brilliant show. No dropping brollies, losing apples or hats, no forgetting lines. Wonderful! Thoroughlly enjoyed it. In the finale the audience were up and clapping. So we really gave it some and carried on singing longer than usual. Not too sure if that worked to well though. As we did literally just stand there singing for ages. But all the same it was fun! Great fun!
Well I think I can safetly say. What a wonderful week, a wonderful show and a wonderful cast. It has been great. I loved every minute of it.

Now for the after show party! :-) Food, drink and Karaoke. Now this sounds good to me! :-)