Oliver week Dec 1-6

Quite a mad week.
Week and weekend before rehersals. Costumes and pieces come together.
Also on Sat loading set into truck from warehouse and collecting lots of wood and likely props from container.
And on Sun unloading truck into theatre. Good fun :)

Rehersal on Monday. Whole evening from 6 to 10.
We could watch kids a bit do their bits.
Run through in order - in Boy for Sale a disembodied voice (Helen) yelling go further over James!
During the week we come in from other side (House Left) and Ronnie gets a chimney sweeps brush by Thursday (as "there's always a sweep in Dickens" :) ). Quite enjoyable pretending to size up the lad for sale and discussing different things (mostly in own head!) each night.

Consider yourself is next for me/us chorus adults.
That's the run into stage (past Dodger and Oliver with wheelbarrow coming off) middle front for me with Deirdre.
SING and prance. Pause briefly "yadda rhubarb". SING and prance and walk off "chat yadda".
It took us a good while (right from the start of all the rehersals) before we weren't making a mess and fogetting each step/action. I hadn't a partner for it for a while. I think the girls took it in hand one week and more or less decided I might just about be able to do the dance (after ALOT of practice). Not sure. Brilliant fun to dance with D. Lovely to turn to an amazing smile at "we're going to get along".

Act II opens with oom pah pah.
No tables for oom pah pah. A bit more awkward as we were able to lazily lean on the tables.
I quite like oom pah pah! :) In rehersals John Power gets up to introduce Nancy singing "Goddess of virtue" "uohhhh" and I call over Niamh to sit on my knee. At end of oom pah pah we all get up and go in hailing Nancy but then "It's Bill Sikes" yikes scared and Caoimhe was on my knee. On stage we were standing but after Bill Sikes came it changed a bit - usually cowered in corner with Valerie and John and Ciarán when he got thrown over to us.

Later on walk on stage for singing who will buy (reprise) as dancers come in again.
Then down onto street to see Oliver get caught.
And off.

On again just after Nancy's murder is discovered and off as a lynch mob to catch Fagin in the 3 cripples.

Finally the finale. Mash through crowd each night to get closeish to front. If I find Valerie I'm about okay. Kids first all up around platforms. Then chorus in - Consider yourself - no dance. Then Oliver comes into middle. Then 2nd principles and principles.

Shows each night Tue - Sat with 2 on Thur and Sat.
No bother with the chorus pieces for me but after bringing coffin's on/off or table off I feel a teeny bit shaky at start.
Unrehearsed bit. Big coffin is awkward. Though I quite like it :) chuffed. Very funny that.

Oh oh! I got to fire the gun on stage Tue. :) And kill poor Bill.
Took aim, click! misfire. :-o steady. BANG! uohh pretty sparks.
It's loud and makes peoples ears sore :( Chris fired it Tue and it was fired offstage Wed/Thur/Fri and Carl did the deed each night.

Thursday night party in Liam&Ailish's house.
Before that home and chat. Fionn's Mum & Dad came to see the show with Sheila.
Chat then later singing songs. Carmel lovely depressionb/railroads/...? song. Chris piano. Hilary guitar. Everyone singing :)
Good fun. 2 beer party for me. too much singing :)
Everyone cleared out at? 2? Probably. Except for a couple of people smoking out the back!

Last performance Sat 8-10.
Set disassembled and truck loaded at end of play. Daire home with Ray & Fiona & kids.
Party on Saturday in Dundrum in a little Spanish restaurant - Buona Sera. OMFGIWFBIFIL22T! :) W2TA4O5C.
And jaypers too.
Daire got home from kids party 2:30. I got home 8am. Taxi with Lisa, Carl Niamh. Frosty.

Sunday bed 8am, up 1:30.
At 2pm unloaded truck full of the stage set again at Nick's house. (cycle out)
I had thought there'd be maybe one or two people missing but not at all!
Kids and I got our Christmas tree Sunday too in Murphystown stone.
Kids decorated it all themselves.

Monday 9 kids did not have school so I was at home with them.
Did merges for work though - about 4 of them.
Tue work from, home. Fionn to funeral in Cork.
Wed back to work.
Thur & Fri I also took holidays and I was sooo relaxed after Thur.
BUT now (Tue Dec 10 I've got an awful chesty cough. ARGH! :-( BAH.

Oliver playlist with backstage from my point of view

Here is something like what really happens backstage from my perspective (leaving out loads!)

ACT I
Scene 1 Workhouse Dining Hall 	 

get ALL the kids QUICK QUICK!

  	"Food, Glorious Food"   	Oliver, kids Chorus
        "Please, sir. May I have some more?"
  	"Oliver, Oliver" 		Widow Corney, Mr Bumble, Oliver and kids
Scene 2 Workhouse Parlour ... and into Street
  	"I Shall Scream" 		Widow Corney, Mr Bumble

Go house Left with Ronnie, 2nd couple to walk on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_left

  	"Boy For Sale" 	        	Mr Bumble, Oliver, street people, Mr Sowerberry

Consider purchasing scrawny orphan, chat silently, nod to other street people.
Exit house right (avoiding other couples going L, the undertaker Mr. Bumble ond Oliver exiting in middle!)
Offstage grab corner of coffin and lug it into place on stage.

Scene 3 The Undertaker's
	Liberal terms ...
  	"That's Your Funeral" 	Mr Sowerberry, Mrs Sowerberry, Mr Bumble
  	"Where is Love?" 		Oliver
        morning - fight - ecape 	Oliver, Noah, Charlotte, Mr&Mrs Sowerberry, Bumble

Blackout. Go onstage, lid onto coffin, grab corner and lug it offstage.

Scene 4 Paddington Green
	"Consider Yourself"		Oliver meets Dodger

Ready to enter from House Left, Chris Aoife James Dee .. ..
Watch out for wheelbarrow coming off.
Need to really RUSH on fast.

        "Consider Yourself"		Adult Chorus

dance! sing! prance! SMILE! :D
exit House Right.

Scene 5/6 Thieves' Kitchen

Hello Daire! Time for a cup of coffee and a biscuit and a chat for some adults.

  	"Pick a Pocket or Two" 	Fagin and Gang
	"It's a Fine Life" 		Nancy, Bet, Gang
  	"I'd Do Anything" 		Artful Dodger, Nancy, Bet, Oliver, Fagin, Gang
  	"Be Back Soon" 		Fagin and Gang
Scene ~7 Street
	Oliver is caught stealing from Mr Brownlow. Dodger,Jack,Bow-Street-Runners
  	  	 
ACT II 	 
Scene 1 The Three Cripples 	 
  	"Oom-Pah-Pah" 		Nancy and Company

onstage for curtain up for oom-pah-pah
This is all changed so not sure what's going on! At House R with Niamh at start.
After Bill Sykes arrives back to house R cowering with Caoimhe or Valerie or ...
pubness and drink (gin) and laughing and chatting.

  	"My Name"			Bill Sikes
        	...

Shocked when Nancy is slapped.
Leg it offstage House R when Bill Sykes shouts.

  	"As Long as He Needs Me" 	Nancy

Scoot around to House L. After song blackout - grab table + cups exit House R.

Scene 2 The Brownlow's 	 
  	"Where is Love?" (reprise) 	Mrs. Bedwin, Oliver
  	"Who Will Buy?" 		Oliver and Street sellers

nobody is walking on to buy strawberries/milk/... anymore

        doctor's visit			Mr Brownlow, Doctor, Oliver, Mrs Bedwin
        Oliver goes with books	Mr Brownlow, Doctor, Book boy, Oliver, Mrs Bedwin

move into stage, up steps onto back platfrom.
Carl - Carmel and me - Gareth and John Power - Brendan below.

  	"Who Will Buy?" 		Oliver and Street sellers and Chorus

JOYOUSLY! :) to sky and other chorus singers

        Nancy catches Oliver

move into stage, chat to rose seller+Gareth.
Then looking at Nancy grabbing oliver. Then Bill Sykes.
Exit House L

Scene 3 Thieves' Kitchen 	 
        Nancy & Bill argument 
  	"Reviewing the Situation" 	Fagin
Scene 4 Workhouse Parlour and into the Street
        honeymoon bliss over for Mr and Mrs Bumble
        old lady visits Mrs Bumble - locket 	 
  	"Oliver" (reprise) 		Mrs Bumble, Mr Bumble
Scene 5 Mr Brownlow's and into the Street 	 
	...				Mr Bumble, Mr Brownlow
	...				Nancy, Mr Brownlow
  	"As Long as He Needs Me" (reprise) 	Nancy
Scene 6 London Bridge 	 
	Nancy with Oliver caught by Bill Sykes and murdered, Mr Brownlow, street people, BSRs...

Brownlow finds Nancy's body. "Murder Murder!" John Power in.
me and various street people coming in.
shock woe. who? what?
Emma - It's Nancy!
Bow-street-runners arrive. Search Fagin's den.
wah oh ... Bill Sykes appears up on bridge. Crowd spots him.
BANG! (James shot the poor fellow on Tuesday)
more shock woe ahhh.
Where's Fagin.
Crowd goes to 3 cripples to lynch Fagin.

  	? "Reviewing the Situation" 	Fagin
  	Finale 	Full Company		kids, adults