Monday 19 March 2012

Ramble #9... 'I want to be alone': The Bad Peformance


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Yep, we have all had one or will have one eventually. You will beat yourself up about it. Decide it’s time to quit the business and go sell insurance or even worse become an accountant.  Anything, as far, and remote as possible from that nightmare.

I recently had a disastrous performance on stage, so I thought. Came off stage at interval and did a Marlene… “I want to be alone!”  The Character wasn’t there. I had words were coming out of my mouth that had never been written. I was full of self-doubt if I was in the right section of the play.  “I’ll never step foot on stage again!” I whispered in the dressing room as I prepared for act two.

I took my curtain call to applause and not one piece of rotten fruit was hurled. I was told “That’s the best performance yet”, which then made me paranoid, what then were the others really like… fickle lot aren’t we!

You have to remember the majority of the audience have never seen the play before. So what would they know if you have missed lines, or transposed or exited the wrong door? … That’s right, nothing. Provided you have not shown it in your face or mannerisms.

O f course to avoid, ‘The bad performance’. Do your preparation. Get sleep, truly get into the character at the half hour call, if not before and simply put up that fourth wall and be there, be in that place at that time and ‘own the stage!’

Monday 5 March 2012

Ramble #8 ... Time to make up

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When I first started in theatre professionally, in fact well before that, there was only one theatrical stage make up that was THE makeup to use.

That was Leichner Stage Makeup.. yes, Greasepaint as in the saying ‘Roar of the crowd and the smell of the greasepaint.’ Or as it was later to become the title of a musical: ‘The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd.’


Anyway… This is what I was trained in and to me the smell, the feel, the stuff itself is a big part of live theatre. You knew where you stood with it. A No. 5 & 7, lake , blending powder and the powerful removal cream that was twice as greasy as the makeup itself and had a distinctive aroma all of its own. All of this wafting through out the dressing rooms and backstage.

There were a couple of theatrical shops that sold a full range of it in Sydney (Aust) and most ballet shops sold it as well. But….

Alas, these days, although the Leichner company still exists there are no longer any shopfront outlets selling this grandfather of the industry.

I have resorted to the modern non-grease makeup but it is nowhere near the same in quality or atmosphere.

I could not take it any longer… for my recent run on stage I wanted my old friends. So online I jump and a few days later my dear, dear friends arrive from London.

It’s so great that my young fellow cast now get to experience one of the essences of real live theatre; Greasepaint.. they will never forget it!