Tuning in…

After sending out our press release for ‘The Man Whose Memories Fell Out’ we were lucky enough to hear back from Siren FM and BBC Radio Lincolnshire who were both interested in Fill In The Blank featuring on one of their shows. This was great news as these were both ways that we could reach a wider audience.

On Saturday the 9th of May our director and stage manager made an appearance on Siren FM in the morning. They confidently spoke about the show and the direction it was heading it.

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Photo of Alice and Michael in the studio with Jaike.

The second opportunity we got to go on the radio was on Tuesday the 19th of May. The cast were in the studio rehearsing for the following day so we sent our producer and stage manager to visit BBC Radio Lincolnshire. Alice and Verity did a great job of telling the Radio Lincolnshire audience about ‘The Man Whose Memories Fell Out’ and the host of the show Rob Underwood was great and took a picture of the girls to put on his twitter.

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This interview was great for bringing in some last minute ticket sales and bringing some attention to the company just before our debut performance.

The Last Bow.

So, it’s happened! The performance is over and I have to say, we got some wonderful feedback! As a performer there were things that I would have changed if I could do it again: firstly I was out of time at the end of the time lapse sequence, this doesn’t sound like a big deal but we rehearsed it for so many hours I really wish I had got that timing right at the end! Another thing is that I moved around a few sections of my speech, I think I acted professionally and didn’t give away the fact that I went wrong (until now) but I was still annoyed with my performance. Over all I was incredibly proud of our performance. Two days ago Naomi and I were talking in a rehearsal about how scared we were to be dancing and performing in this piece because of its physical nature, this was a genuine fear from two performers who have never been totally comfortable with this style performance. I’m proud of us for doing it, and apparently doing it well! I’m proud of the entire cast who have worked so hard together to develop this piece; and proud of our wonderful production team who helped bring everything together. Alice D. has written a post which has a couple of reviews of the show, click on reviews and it should pop up in a new window!

Of course it wasn’t just the 50 minutes on stage that counted, we also had the get in and get out, run by our fearless stage manager. We had all day for a get in so we set up and managed to have two full tech runs and a two hour break before we were called back in at 6pm. During our second run we had Phil Crow taking photographs for the schools Flickr page which are all online!

Reflecting back over the past months working with Fill In The Blank Theatre, I’ve learned a lot about being part of a professional company, both positive and negative things. I know now that change is good, and should be expected. Originally we had said that we would be a collaborative company but as time went on and time was more of a pressure, it became much more direction and actors taking direction. We were still able to give input and ideas but it was less about workshopping and letting ideas grow in the space. This is okay because it ended up being what the company needed, but as a first time company and people working in this context for the first time, this difference was often frustrating. It also became clear that working with people on a project like this and for this length of time brings you closer and I think it was very clear in our piece that we worked really well together through the strength of our ensemble work. Overall this has been an enlightening experience and has altered what I can expect from a career in a theatre company, it has also taught me that although I love being a performer, I also have a strong interest in the administration of it all.

Last of all, a huge thank you for all of the technical support at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre. We couldn’t have made the show we did without your guidance and support.

Crow, P. (2015)

Works Cited

Crow, P. (2015) Lincoln School of Fine and Performing Arts: The Man Whose Memories Fell Out. [online] Available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/61839232@N02/17713112130/ [Accessed 21 May 2015].

Curtain Call…

Fill in the Blank Theatre have officially premiered their first show, The Man Whose Memories Fell Out. We have all been overwhelmed by such positive responses from our audience members, many shedding a tear or two at the storyline which clearly has effected many people in various ways. The production was met with great responses; we could not have hoped for a better audience and reaction to the piece. Many admired the narrative which followed The Man’s journey of losing his memory but holding on to his ability to play music, showing how ‘music can move us to the heights or depth of emotion’ (Sacks, 2007).

Although nervous, I really enjoyed the whole day from start to finish. We managed to complete two dress runs which really helped us iron out any spatial issues as the play really comes together in the space with all of the multimedia elements. In terms of lighting, there were some small changes that were made on the day of the performance. I felt that the piece did not need the somewhat stirring effect of a blackout. As we made the creative decision to place all of the actors onstage for the entirety of the piece, it would seem redundant to then use lighting to change the set for the next scene or get actors into position. Everything was left exposed: the rig, the boarders, props, costume and set. We did not want the illusion of naturalism. However, the audience were still left moved by the character’s emotional story.

The Man Whose Memories Fell Out was an unforgettable experience. I was proud to share the stage with such talented and enthusiastic individuals and it was great to raise awareness of such a harrowing illness.

Works Cited:

Sacks, O. (2007) Musicophilia. [online] Available from: http://www.oliversacks.com/books-by-oliver-sacks/musicophilia/ [Accessed 21 May 2015].