Phew….!!!!… Well all I can say was that last week’s music rehearsal was a walk in the park compared to this weeks!! Our new choreographer Emma made her mark in no uncertain terms, as my knees will testify to! Thank goodness I am only involved in the final number. The opening song and dance looked fantastic (and so much better without me to ruin it.) You guys obviously put a lot of hard work in there… Phew!

The only fly in the ointment as far as I was concerned was that I was partnered with ‘Madame Le Directeur’ Parrish who let’s be honest has trouble remembering her name never mind dance steps but at least it was good preparation for my real partner, Tracey Patrick, Bishopthorpe’s answer to Anne Widdicome! Strictly speaking “Didn’t I do well?”…Phew!

So there we are, I am off for a hot Radox bath and a good rub down with the Sporting Life. And to think we only managed to choreograph half the closing number. Next week the second half…. Phew!

Well there we were big and small, young and old, the good, the bad and the downright ugly!! Songs to sing, lyrics to learn and we haven’t even started on the dancing yet. Where is Liam when you want him??

Tom delivers his famous "I have a dream..." 'elf & safety speech

The Woolworth’s Pick & Mix counter that is our cast were first of all treated to a chat by our charming Chairman Tom ‘I’m In the Mood for Dancing’ Davis on ‘elf and safety and the danger of swords. This in itself was a sobering thought, especially when you realise that one of the implements will be in the hands of Alistair ‘Mad Dog’ Dunn… gulp!! Now exactly who had that brainwave?????

Anyway, lecture over and then we were off in the hands of our new chorus master Alex, poor chap! I think at the time of writing he is lying in a darkened roomwith an opened bottle lying at his feet thinking. Why me lord??… Why me?? Having said all that, once we got started there was no stopping us, young and old were belting out the lyrics with gusto (he’s got quite a good voice that gusto!) well we were until we came to Be My Guest… Oh! Now there’s a challenge! I have to say Kay and Rachel led the line magnificently, with the rest of us wheezing and puffing behind them. Believe me this one will take some work!

The assembled cast give a rapturous reception to Tom's speech

It was great to see some of the technical team there too. Believe me when I say these people are the unsung heroes of the panto, chief amongst them Steve Patrick who quietly goes about with his team creating masterpiece after masterpiece. Now that is a talent I really admire. I am not saying we take him for granted but I think perhaps we don’t tell him enough what a fine job he and his team do.

We also had our new Stage Manager there today,

Anne-Marie. Most of you will know here from doing the lighting on our past productions but what many of you may now know that Anne-Marie is an accomplished director and stage manager and believe me when I say we are in very good hands there. It would appear that Philippa has assembled a great team around her and it is now up to all of us to deliver the goods but a word of caution here…. Next week we start dancing and there is no Liam to take the blame…. God help us all!!

Au revoir mon fellow l’oofers!!!

Yes we’ve started and in just under thirteen weeks time ‘Les Trois Mousquetaires will open in a fanfare of cheap French wine and even cheaper French accents. Vive le pantomime!

Madame le Directeur wasted no time and got straight down to business and we were off and running, like a very old Camembert!  No doubt Franglais will be the order of the day for the next few weeks and I can see Paul starting to struggle in not making Star Wars ‘light sabre’ noises every time he draws his sword. Poor Paul, the only man amongst four musketeers! Well you do have to suffer for your art sometimes.

Well this is only a short post but rest assured there will be plenty more to come over the following weeks. I would however welcome any comments good or bad, if only to know that someone is actually reading this rubbish!!

Bon chance mes amis!

"All for one....."

AGMMinutes1Feb 2011

Minutes1March11

Minutes5April2011

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