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Bernard’s Call Sheet for the Lost Season : Week 2

Normally, Bernard Davies issues a weekly schedule on Thursday for the following week. It is distributed to all performers, technicians, administrative staff. Bernard is the king of the castle of schedules. 

We’re going to keep you up to date with what would have been happening were we not locked down and eating more home-cooked meals than ever before.

Thursday 16 April would be Bernard’s first of thirteen schedules for the (sadly) Lost Season of 2020.

Gianluca

Week 2 w/c Apr 27

ALFORD HOUSE, Vauxhall

La Gioconda commences. 20 more people join the Company, making a total of 113 to co-ordinate and ensure they all have a great time and work hard.

Main Hall La Gioconda music rehearsals  with the conductor, Gianluca Marciano, and his team.  Wednesday sees the full cast, ex Calleja, attending the “Meet & Greet”. The Creative team presents designs and model. Bernard Davies gives a big speech about no mobile phones allowed in rehearsal room and lateness will not be tolerated. Work on act I scenes commence. All artistes involved in act I are on call.

 Lower Hall Head of Music Philip White finalises chorus music preparation. By now all chorus members must be “off copy” i.e rehearsing from memory ready to commence production.

The Gym/Lower Hall Meet Me in St Louis rehearsals continue to work on later scenes in Act I. Recap short runs of rehearsed scenes. Music/dialogue/dance calls are also taking place.  All act I principals and chorus remain called.

Many conversations are had with various debut Company Members about logistics of how Grange Park Opera works, how to get to the theatre etc.  Information on all this and more will be forthcoming. Ongoing negotiations with Alford House about switching on the ancient heating system, taking delivery of the tsunami of parcels arriving for stage management, props and wardrobe, scheduling costume fittings. 

In the office next to the Grange Park Opera Company Office, nine people of Stage Management Team set up shop. Scores and odd bits and bobs of props are left lying around. 

In Wardrobe the team of up to 6 (includes students from RADA and Wimbledon College of Arts)  are sorting costumes, preparing costumes for alterations and generally getting ready for the onslaught of costume fittings. More than a hundred people have to be booted and suited.

THEATRE IN THE WOODS

The 10 crew have now been joined by the 5 person electrician team (known as LX), headed up by Pip Walsh, and, along with the crew.

  • LX construct and install the lighting rig
  • LX sort out the hundreds of lights ready to attach on the rig
  • LX begin to set up all the lights around the site
  • Crew continue to build sets

Crew continue