Way out West (incorporating Way up North)

last panto post before christmas

I went to the farmers market this morning, one of its principal features was a long snaking queue of chilly and glum-faced people, not, for once, battling for red onion marmalade or organic cavallo nero, but instead, desperately trying to get their parcels posted in one of the last remaining sub-post offices. Computerisation and simplified benefits seem to have done nothing to make the business of posting a letter or parcel any easier.

I had a strange evening yesterday, I went in to Brick Lane Music Hall (which now resides in a redundant church in Silvertown) to rehearse with the director. It was a classic example of the benefits of documenting a show properly, the accident prone board op hadn't made many notes, and we had to re-create the show. Most pantos tend to get a bit wayward about sticking to the script after a few performances, and sometimes you have to be a bit firm with the turns and make them say the line that a cue depends on. Unfortunately, a panto that is based firmly in the music hall tradition doesn't really have a script, more like a series of arrows saying 'the story might go this way'. Not easy to follow, especially when all my cues came from spoken lines. The audience were very easy going and good humoured, they were there to enjoy themselves, and so were the performers, hopefully I'll do it better tonight. I don't mind getting comments from the stage, if they're well intentioned; I once had to endure a barracking from Mark Lamarr, who had been nervously fiddling with his microphone, and managed to switch it off. He gave me ten minutes of ill-tempered abuse before we managed to sort him out (I couldn't leave the sound desk, and there was no-one else available), small wonder we try to idiot proof everything that can be handled by a performer.

The show itself was about as corny as you might expect, but very good for all that. The MC, who runs the music hall, does a routine straight from the blue book. No-one was working too hard, except perhaps the juveniles, who struggled a little. As a punter you get a three course meal, a well-stocked bar and a warm and comfortable environment where you can walk around and even smoke, should you wish, there aren't many venues that offer that.

posted by Lampy @ 12/10/2005 12:23:00 pm