Melodrama ...

The past three days have flown by with teching Beauty and the Beast thrice over. This is because there are three teams of kids. The:

• Zut Alors!
  
• Sacre Bleus!
  
• Ooh La Las!

It has always seemed such a bore to call the teams A, B, C or Red, Yellow, Blue. And so it has been our silly - inventive - practice for the past 13 years to use something from the play. 

In The Wizard of Oz at The Castle in 1999 we had 'The Lemon Drops' and 'The Blue Birds' from the Over the Rainbow song. In Aladdin at South Hill Park last year we had 'The Jewels', 'The Gems' and 'The Camels'. 

It is all much more exciting and gives each team a greater sense of identity in the context of the piece and is actually much easier on the communication front in the rehearsal room. It also looks, and is, more creative for the programme.

Technical rehearsals were split over two days which meant that Act-the-First was Monday and Act-the-Second was yesterday. 

Psychologically, this is healthier, especially when doing a musical and when there are only 8 working hours in a normal day. Though theatre never seems to have 'normal' days. However, there are a few components still to sort in the second act this afternoon before the first Dress Rehearsal this evening.

Given that yesterday was only our twelfth day all together, and that ten days in the rehearsal room isn't enough to craft all the detail, it was important to keep driving-through the technical no matter how broad the Rolf Harris brush strokes. 

It was a hugely enjoyable experience because the technical team and crew are superb: efficient, industrious, good humored and with the ability to solve a multitude of challenges.

Lighting, sound and music cues are all more or less in the Prompt Copy - itself a work of art - which stands us in great stead for the Dress this evening with the Zut Alors!

I was fascinated throughout at how actors can sweat buckets, be uncomfortable in high heels, corsets and wigs and still appear at ease and remain in character whilst singing, dancing and machinating scene changes. The scene changes we do not attempt to disguise and are very funny (for the right reasons).

There are going to be some terrific performances in Beauty and the Beast and I am now awaiting the final test this Friday morning to be able to gauge what we have been trying to create these past couple of weeks when it goes before a schools audience.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the production is how the design concept has created a certain performance style based on 19th century melodrama. This has all developed quite naturally so it may be that there is something innate within the actor that allows for these conventions to surface.

Time scale, the Christmas context, design and rehearsal mode have all contributed to this end and the result is very rewarding.

Our photographer arrives today for the Dress Rehearsals and this will allow for another shift in gear.