Working With Foursigh Theatre: The Corner Shop Oct - Nov
Foursight Theatre
23rd Oct (7.30), 24th (4.00 + 7.00), 28th (1.00 + 7.30), 29th (1.00 + 7.30), 30th (1.00 + 7.30), 31st (1.00 + 4.00 + 7.30), 5th Nov (1.00 + 7.30), 6th (1.00 + 7.30),7th (1.00 + 4.00 + 7.30) and 8th (4.00 + 7.30) Mander Centre Wolverhampton
This is an on-going blog. So I will keep it up-dated after every re-hearsal and performance. Hopefully photographs will appear very soon.
I am currently re-hearsing for Foursight Theatre's performance of The Corner Shop. It is being held in the Mander Centre wolverhampton. Foursight theatre are also running a corner shop blog please click the following link to be directed straight there:
They also have their own website.
16th October
(First Re-hearsal)
Well This is the first time I have ever worked with Foursight Theatre. I am really excited as I have seen them perform such wonderful pieces that I have always wanted to be involved with. "Thatcher The Musical" and "6 Dead Queens" So I turned up for re-hearsal. I was suprised to see that the show "The Corner Shop" is being performed in a shop. But it works really well. It just adds to the atmosphere and the authenticity of the piece. It is a shop (or many shops) in a shop. Which is wonderful. I got to meet the company and cast. They are all great and are wonderful to watch perform. I was introduced to my performance group and they gave me a brief of the story line and actions. Whilst warming up I learned a few new songs. Baby 1,2. Love it!
So now to really test me ... I was thrown into the deep end. We ran through our first street scene a few times untill we had got it right. I managed to slot myself in just fine. I just had to make lots of noise and joke around alot. That's not too difficult.
For my next scene, I had to become somewhat of a menace. I was to become a gang member, a hoodie a yob! So that's what i did. I stole some chocolate from the corner shop and looked mancingly upon the shopkeeper only to be disturbed by a regualr customer that said he knows my mates mom. Bad times!
So Re-hearsal went really well today. I thoroughlly enjoyed it. The show looks amazing and I am so excited to be a part of it. Looking forward to coming back tomorrow!
17th October
Uh oh! Electrics!
Re-hearsal was a little later today. (So I could get a spot of shopping in before hand! ;-))
Un-fortunatley there had been a major electrical probelm and we had been plunged into darkness, which means we had to resort to the lighting of downstairs, offset. Not to worry though we soon created a stage and begun our re-hearsal. Before I knew it bins were thrown in to the session. (Not literally) But Steve did wish us to use 2 bins in our next scene. So that's what we did. Me and sarah hopped into a bin while the lads pushed us around. This is my favourite scene. Although the bin is quite small so slightly bruised knees but hey ho! This is a very fast and pacey scene and it tells alot in such a short time. (You will have to come and see the show if you want to know any more!)
Later we watched and were then put into the finale. What A wonderful display of sounds, colours and cultures. What a way to finish a show! I hope the audience enjoy this part of the show as much as I do being in it. It's a real feel good ending!
21st October
Full Runthrough
Well today was the first time I have seen the full run through and it was great! Really great! The set is wonderful! Just the fact that you are watching a performance in a shop is pretty great enough but the way the audience wander with the performance is pure magic. So all is well . . . well . . . apart from the fact that I fell out of the bin. We were taking that bend quite gently I though untill KERPLUNK! she's down. Nice one! But no Injuried were incurred . . . This time! haha! Seriously we need to get some sort of license for driving those things. Great fun though, being pushed around in a weelin bin, who'd a thought it.
On a serious not, The Corner Shop is wondeful. It is an explosion on Vibrancy, colour thrown at you from every angle. The performances are rich with culture and truth. You are taken on a journey you didn't think possible from a night a the Theatre. You experience real life, real stories and real feelings. From the second you walk into the shop you are thrown, head first into a whirlwind of excellence. What a show. I am very proud to be part of it.
22nd October
An Audience Member
Well today was officialy the first propour (Dress re-hearsal) run through. Frances managed to gran a few audience members out of Costa. Free night out, champion! I myself was an audience member too. I was quite excited to see how it was going to all come together with an audience of plenty. It really is a great show, easy to watch and easy to understand. The audience, as far as I could hear thoroughlly enjoyed the performance. There was thumbs up all around! I really enjoyed watching it. Now I'm really looking forward to doing it on Wednesday. Cant Wait! :-)
28th October
My First Show
So although the show has been running for a few days now, today is my first show. You see the community cast is split into seperate groups. So we have different show timetables to everyone else. Anyway, we got ourselves all warmed up. I learned some songs that I had never heard before which really helped me to concentrate. un-fortunatley we went on a little late today, only by 15 minutes but all the same. So we hear the audience stampede their way in and the music starts. So far so good! All is looking and sound wonderful. Not too many in the audience this afternoon, but enough. My sister, Brother and Cousin were there watching in amazement as they were led through to different rooms, hearing different tales and seeing different sights. Luckily the Wheelie bin scene went all to plan, as I had a new pusher for this performance. My favourite bit of the whole show is the finale, it is just so lively and you can just dance and sing your way through it. The audience clapped along and gave a big cheer when we bowed. Wonderful. For me, what a great first show. Now only the evening show left to do today!
Evening Performance
Ok so we are starting on time tonight. Infact we have to because tonight is a very important night. It is VIP night. No the queen didn't turn up, how rude! Anyway knowing that made tonight all that bit more nerve racking. They dont call them Very Important People for nothing now do they!? Right so what could possibly be werse than splitting your trousers on stage, getting out of a dist bin? Nothing! and ... That's what I did. I split my trousers whilst clambering out of a dust bin! Not good! Not only that but I had to carry on the show with that oh so lovely gaping hole. Ah well . . . Maybe there are werse things that could of happened. I'm thinking no one noticed but i'm sure that that is pure optimism. Hmm
The audience were loud and really responsive. I thoroughlly enjoyed this performance actually. It felt like the audience we really engaging with us! :-) It's that time again, the finale! :-) Yay! I'm dancing and singing away and the audience are clapping and cheering away! Great stuff!
After the show we had a chance to meet the audience over a glass of wine or 2 .. 3 ...? Actually I settled on mango juice as I was driving. :-( Boring me. But all the same it was lovely to meet them and hear their kind words about the performance. I think they all really enjoyed it. (THUMBS UP!)
30th October
(matinee)
Iv'e had a little break from the show, so better get my brain back into gear! So having to wear different trousers for this showing, obviouslly. The original bin pusher has returned. The show seemed to go well this afternoon. Slightly smaller audience but just as much enthusiasm from both them and us! I am really enjoying these performances.
Evening Show
So... In between shows I went and had some lunch and a did a little shopping. My mom, Dad and Brother came to this showing. They loved it. My Dad thought it was wonderful. That's good. My mom said it was brilliant and it's my borthers second time to watch it so he must have loved it. The audience was quite large so the atmosphere was great! :-)
5th November
After Show Curry
Had a little break from the show. Which I don't mind but would much prefer to be there most nights being thrown around in a dustbin :-) Right so tonight I have 2 friends and a Fiancee coming to watch. Nervous? Slightly I must say! It was quite a full audience actually this evening. St Peters Collegiate School's Theatre Studies class were in taking notes. So yeh, Full! Infact I'm sure the word on the street is "Sold Out" Great stuff. The show went really well. I'm so enjoying my time in "The Corner Shop" It's wonderful and it's about to get so much better, as a curry was the next stop. Bharti had arranged for us to go for some food after the show so that's what we did. All 25 of us ploughed into a teeny tiny Indian restaraunt on Borad street and filled our faces. Personally, I had a chicken tikka massala as always and A GREAT LAUGH! what a great night!
7th October
3 Shows
Goodness what I just said was true. 3 Shows. Oh tiring! Actually to be fair it all happened pretty quickly, over in a flash sort of thing. I think it is because it was our last show and well I didn't want it to be. First show was at 1. I like the afternoon performances because you can hear the hussle and bussle of the town cnetre around you and this really adds to the atmosphere of a hard working conrner shop. And of course you have members of the public who come and watch. They perhaps wouldn't have done so if the show was held in a more traditional way. This performance saw a crisp explosion, funny! We were trying to be all ard and hoods up. So the crisps are stolen and BANG they have exploded. Mind you I think it looked good. Added to the effect sort of thing ;-)
Slowly Corner Shop wolverhampton was coming to an end.
After the final show. I felt a sense of pride and happiness. I was so proud of everyone involved. How the set had come together, how people had gelled as a group, how we had come to understand one another. Also I was proud of myself. I was proud of myself for getting myself out there and doing it. I have made some great friends. Ones that I hope I can see more of, if not on stage then out for adrink or perhaps another curry :-) It has been an experience that I thank Foursight for greatly. An experience well worth experiencing I would say.
ALL THAT'S LEFT NOW IS THAT LITTLE PARTY ON THE MORROW!
