Panto Reharsal #1

So we’re up and running! The first rehearsal was last night where I think that I scared a number of the cast. Not that I was hugely scary or anything, it’s just that I have a somewhat different approach to directing than many ‘Amateur’ Directors.

My take is that the actor should act first and the director comes in second – hence the director shapes the play rather than tries to sculpt it from the page. This way you can get the best from your actors, even though you may well have to push hard to get more out of them.

The key to this is to get your cast to think. They have to think, in the case of pantomime, how do I want the audience to feel about my character? Once you’ve got that in your mind, you need to think about how you are going to achieve this?

Too many times I have witnessed actors try and use their bodies to try and make them look funny or endearing. In truth the only muscle that you need to use is your brain. If you’ve thought it through enough of what you want to accomplish, trust me, your body will follow.

And the cast appear to have got that message – which delighted me no end. I’m very proud of them, even at this early stage.

Tonight I have two jobs to accomplish: The producer and I have to move the mid-tabs to the right position and a couple of the cast and I are going to dive into the costume store and see what we have in there that is useful for this production (a terrifying prospect as the place is full to the gunnels).

So, I’m stepping outside… I may be a while…