ALASDAIR SATCHEL’S WEBLOG


Tensions are building …

17 July 2008

TENSIONS are building, like the top end notes on a glockenspiel, as we head towards our first night.

Wednesday was a lot of fun. Mark, our director, asked us to go down town in Tobermory in character. What a laugh we had. People just didn't know quite what to make of it all. Helen and Ed as Lucy and Julian strapped themselves to the trees across the road from the Co-op and shouted slogans against my character, Sir Alex.

Annie, as Jean, went around and badgered lots of people into buying her newsletter, and even managed to get the entire Chocolate Shop to sing happy birthday to a wee boy.

Barrie, as John Angus, in full tartan regalia, nipped up the hill and put his washing out, which I think was very keeping in character.

The special award for the day, though, goes to Sandy Brechin, not in his first character Aly the accordionist, but as a policeman. Sandy had a big adventure...

In full police uniform he strolled around the town asking odd questions of people, nipped into shops to get a wee ice cream here and there, told people that they couldn’t build sandcastles on the beach as it was a site of specific scientific interest, and that they should repair to the rocky beach on the other side of the pier. Oh, and he also nipped into the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust to report that one of their whales was missing.

So as the bold Sandy swayed along the road, high visibility tabard over one shoulder, ice cream in hand, he was surprised to see a police van appear in front of him. The gnarly finger of the local constabulary beckoned him over. They were not amused. Sandy was last seen rolling up the road in the van calmly licking a raspberry ice in the front seat.

We had the dress rehearsal tonight, with an invited audience of people who were involved in the building of our production centre at Druimfin. It went well, and we were all happy with the result. Some of the key props weren't in place, but we got there in the end.

It was lovely to have an audience in. We could actually dance with people! I think this run is going to be a whole lot of fun.

And now for the first night... Leg breakage all round.

© Alasdair Satchel, 2008

Links

• Mull Theatre
• Right Lines