Week 49: Much Ado About Rehearsals

Apart from the odd triathlon and drink with friends, my week has mainly been taken up with peparation for Shakespeare on Location. Between planning costumes, venues, songs, schedules and notes, I've even managed to hold a few rehearsals - here's one from Much Ado About Nothing. Hero and Ursula "walk in the orchard" where they lay "false sweet bait" for Beatrice to overhear.

"The pleasant'st angling is to see the fish

Cut with her golden oars the silver stream,

And greedily devour the treacherous bait:

So angle we for Beatrice."

"But Nature never fram'd a woman's heart,
Of prouder stuff than that of Beatrice."

"And therefore certainly it were not good,
She knew his love lest she'll make sport at it."

"But who would tell her so? If I should speak,
She would mock me into air, O she would laugh me
Out of myself, press me to death with wit."

"She's limed I warrant you,
We have caught her Madam."

"What fire is in mine ears? Can this be true?"

Week 45: The bard and bicycles

We headed out one evening to take some promo shots for our forthcoming show, Shakespeare on Location.

It was serious business, of course, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun!

The next day we popped up the Crown Range to watch the cyclists in the Tour of Southland come by. I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of adorable Arrowtown nestled beneath the hills.

Here was the stage winner, Jeremy Yates. I like the concentration on his face and the way his image is distortedly reflected in the wheels of the motorbike. The top three riders (Aaron Strong and Pater Latham) are some way ahead of the pack, snaking up the switchbacks of the hill.

In the bulk of the field there is grim determination and grimaces of pain - that's a tough climb at the end of a long ride in the sun.

Week 30: You are my sunshine

The sun came out this morning and it was beautiful to see. We went for a walk to make the most of it, before spending the rest of the day in a school hall in Khandallah performing two back-to-back shows of Twelfth Night.

Our 'dressing room' is a school classroom decorated with artwork and instructions.

Viola and Sebastian are practically identical - see, you can hardly tell them apart. 'An apple cleft in two is not more twin than these two creatures.' It's called suspension of belief - truely amazing what matching green tunics can do.

Feste plays the fool - in more ways than one. 'Foolery does walk about the orb like the sun, it shines everywhere.'

Olivia - 'You are too proud. But if you were the devil, you are fair.'

Malvolio is 'sick of self love' and 'most villainously' in yellow stockings.

Sir Toby Belch - 'That quaffing and drinking will undo you.'

Fabian - 'If this were played upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction.'

Olivia bestowing slightly more favours on Sir Andrew Ague-cheek than usual. 'You are now sailed into the north of my lady's opinion; where you will hang like an icicle on a Dutchman's beard.'

Orsino is the true Renaissance Man - 'Of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth, in voices well divulged, free, learned and valiant, and in dimension and shape of nature a gracious person.' Even if ours does support Arsenal...

Antonio stands proud - 'Only myself stood out.'

'Haply your eye shall light upon some toy you have desire to purchase; and your store, I think, is not for idle markets.'

'What's that to us? The time goes by. Away!'

And the stage manager is overseeing all- and drinking cups of tea. At least, I think that's tea...