August 01, 2007

DRUNKEN BARD PRODUCTIONS

We did the first night of Taming of the Shrew on Friday. It started raining five minutes in, and got progressively heavier all night. Its great doing Shakespeare in a housing co op. At first people went round the houses getting umbrellas and spare waterproofs for the audience members, then in the interval as it started getting heavier someone magically turned up with a marque big enough to cover the whole audience which went up in five minutes.

I thought I had got all the laughs playing Curtis, who is a one-scene "Baldric" character, but my rehearsal ploy of disappearing straight after I'd done my bit payed off as what happened in the end of the play I watched with as much surprise and mirth as the audience.

Crazy drunken eccentric amateurs is everything that makes doing Shakespeare to me and this one didn't disappoint. By the last scene I was standing at the back in pouring rain, laughing as loud as the audience. A row of actors in front of me shouting, laughing, forgetting their lines and throwing their drinks at each other. Perfect. Pictures coming.

We are on again Friday and Saturday this week starting 8pm. If you want to come down email me for the address.

2 comments:

Hertz Hertz said...

You were truly amazing! It took me 10 minutes to recognize you, so much in character you were. Fantastic.

DAVE BONES said...

Thats what everyone said. I looked at the video and I wasn't so impressed, but at least I got my lines right on the last night anyway. It was fun to do.