Preview down

Yesterday's afternoon preview seemed to go well and to a warm response.

I felt strong - certainly in saving myself after a total pratfall in the aisle of the theatre on the line "even so quickly were the signs apparent" [crashes into chair, hits the deck, gets up, quips: "some things were apparent"]

It didn't generate the laughs it did at the second Sydney preview and having had a really, really emotional day with it on Sunday in rehearsal, those discoveries came back into play, but not with the same rawness (happily/curiously) - which is a constant negotiation in manufacturing meaning in the moment without force. Ultimately the show went soundly. Relieving.

Delightful to hear Dr Ian McGrath's guffaw in the audience and catching up with him after the show.

And now Opening night. Having the house well over half full I'm just focussing on enjoying the day leading up to tonight.

Closing the Gap

What a time it's been.

Two previews at the Fitz.. 6 years away from the glare of those lights and I've met so many amazing people since who were looking back at me. Wow. So thrilling. So challenging.

Second night I felt I was breathing more completely again and both nights went really well.

To the next step (and so much comes with it). I've moved my stuff back to ma's to save on rent but apart from practicalities, so many aspects of this project have brought me full circle:

Going back to Adelaide, performing my words, packing old junk and mingling it with stuff at mum's, the reinvestigation of former fancies, artistic and otherwise - fatalisms and fancies. Sure.

The single biggest note I keep getting from Anthony is to close the gaps, to hold my line of thought. This is in part due to the circumstances which impinged on our rehearsal time (ah, le fringe!). It's also just something I do. I get distracted. I try to embrace everything at once and trip myself up. This is partly where Horatio comes from: incessant over-observation. But I also wonder if it's true that something is happening to me beside the exigencies of putting on this show, or who I am (or have been, if you like) that must, here and there, be given pause (equivocation undoes me). On the other hand now is the time to get over there and make this statement, speak unencumbered and not get in my own way.

Of course the gaps in life must be paused for. Fiction is different. It has (one hopes) a point...

Will it be easier to close the gap away from my life (that blessed half-hour's lag) here on the east?

Time will tell, Adelaide.

Maclean and the gang in the studio

What a great day recording music with the brilliant Brendan Maclean and Caitlin and Skuse in the Porter family studio.

When we left and it was suddenly dark it came as a big shock.

It's been a wildly mixed January of getaways and festival outings - not least the staggering Schaubühne Hamlet. Much of the month with Anthony away (after some fantastic editing meetings in early Jan) has been about pushing the script around - reapplying myself to the source of inspiration, dealing with an unexpected death of an estranged but good friend and catching up with the ex - all sorts of personal distractions around which the script has developed and certain (but not all) production decisions have been made.

One of the best being asking Brendan aboard to jam with us. A powerful day.

More redrafting awaits.

Go Team

Anthony Skuse comes on board as director - great news. Anthony, Caitlin and I had a great chat over the first part of the script at the Wharf. This lead to further meetings and a great dinner with Skusie and Pete at their place in Randwick.

It's been a strange thing looking for a director, and - indeed - putting this idea out there that I'm doing something different.

Very exciting to have someone as brilliant and as open-minded as Anthony on the project. Already things are moving in new directions.

Meeting #1

Met with Caitlin who will do the sound design - trying to grab a coffee in the cross some days is a real effort - Fernandez' machine was broke, Fratelli Fresh not ready to serve - we end up chatting over some really weird chai drinks at a table the street cafe vendor gave us (using us as his reason to kick a junkie couple off his turf). Talk was general given there's no confirmed director.. but a good conversation which I walked away from hoping neither of us had caught swine flu from our strung out friends..

Adelaide!

Cliff Notes and Wikipedia won’t tell you the secrets of Elsinore. Only Horatio’s behind-the-scenes account of the most epic tragedy ever reveals who loved who and what really went on as he tries to make sense of his own role in events. There’s at least two sides to every story.

Up Late & Alone in Denmark will be playing at the
Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia
as part of the 2010 Adelaide Fringe Festival

Written and Performed by James Beach

In the Studio:

Tuesday 23 February - 2pm
Wednesday 24 February - 11pm
Thursday 25 February - 11pm
Friday 26 February - 11pm
Saturday 27 February - 11pm

In the Main Theatre:

Tuesday 9 March - 2pm
Wednesday 10 March - 11pm
Thursday 11 March - 11pm
Friday 12 March - 11pm
Saturday 13 March - 2pm, 11pm

Bookings on 1300 FRINGE
or www.adelaidefringe.com.au
from January 9, 2010

Getting Real

The venue is booked (!)

Big thanks to Pamela Munt and the Bakehouse Theatre