Community, community, community
I really enjoy visiting deptford lounge, for me I think its the atmosphere, and the multi functionality of the place (if thats even a word). There’s such a good feeling of community in the building its a great place to work, read or show work to those who want to stop and look. The day for me started with finalising the audio for the show. Having experimented with Garageband for some tracks on the show I’ve got a lot quicker at making it do what i want it to do, and this was needed as after showing some first drafts a couple of days before I went to open the files and BAM! The files existed but with no information in them! Quel Cauchemar! Never the less I was a hero and did what needed to be done. Simple really.
Sitting with my coffee hunched over my laptop, the time for setting up quickly caught up with us. There is a lot of work that goes into putting on a show, and unfortunately we do not have a lot of spare time between these rehearsals, and so it needs to be done efficiently.
Clearing the space to set up in the big windows looking over the square, we began to draw some attention with people stopping and asking what we were doing and when we would be performing. We pressed on and notes were the first port of call. Before we go to the vaults for Mimetic this and the day of filming are the only days we’ll have to get it proper tight. However we still want this showing to be great as Hattie works here and she has gone through a lot of effort to get it organised. 100 points to Hattie.
The mere fact that we are allowed to make so much noise and play music in what is essentially a library is incredible and again a testament to the place. The blackboard says as you walk in they are “sociable people” and so encourages people to come in and socialise and so they do. You see people having meetings, people talking, people taking their kids to read books. Theres a section on local walks, and what films/ theatre they are showing that month. The sports halls above are linked with the school next door and so they really epitomise the feeling of being a part of where you are.
Hattie rouses the public with a couple of tannoy announcements (which really sound the part) and we settle down to begin. 2 children run up to us and ask how long till it starts we reply a couple of mins (whilst we wait for people to make their way over) “ok 10 minutes” they reply and run off. Some of us have to work on our diction, luckily there aren’t a lot of audible sounds produced by us in the show.
The show goes well, the smoothest we’ve done it up to now, a lot of positives, and we pack up as Matt goes to catch a bus to find the van he parked. As all performers we discuss what can be improved and Gemma leaves us with some final thoughts. Having her outside eye is invaluable, as in this 5 hander we have tried to make it so we haven’t wasted a single performer, and therefore we don’t get to see the whole thing as it is, so in order for it not to become some kind of animal that runs away with us, Gemma swoops in and saves our sanity, and the dramaturgy! 100 points to Gemma.
The work is never over, and we prepare for Friday and Saturday, some final things to smooth out and them BAM! The final showing of it this R’n’D. I will miss it once its done for this year.
Apples its been a pleasure!
Bramley Out!