The Understudy Network (and network it is!) for Birdsong is pretty complicated. If you have seen the show, you will understand why - it is not simply the characters that are understudied. Because of the many set changes, all done by the cast (bar the excellent moving of the tunnel piece by Gareth, our Technical Stage Manager), when understudying, you not only need to learn the lines and understand the character, but know exactly what piece of furniture they move at which point and as there is much doubling up, which character they are when they move it! Then there is the music which, along with the many set changes, is central to the play's progression. This means that when it comes to understudying, the characters who play musical instruments need to shuffle around.
Who plays who...
Character
|
Actor
|
Understudy
|
Stephen Wraysford
|
Jonathan Smith
|
Alastair Whatley
|
Isabelle
|
Sarah Jayne Dunn
|
Polly Hughes
|
Jack Firebrace
|
Tim Treloer
|
Joshua Higgott
|
Jeanne
|
Poppy Roe
|
Polly Hughes
|
Azaire/Captain Gray
|
Malcolm James
|
Liam McCormick
|
Berard/Barclay/Adams/Padre
|
Arthur Bostrom
|
Alastair Whatley
|
Lisette/Prostitute
|
Polly Hughes
|
Emily Stride
|
Tipper/Gregoire
|
Charlie G Hawkins
|
Tim Van Eyken
|
Marguerite
|
Emily Stride
|
Gareth Moss
|
Shaw/Lamm
|
Liam McCormick
|
Tim Van Eyken
|
Evans/Levi
|
Tim Van Eyken
|
Alastair Whatley
|
Brennen
|
Joshua Higgott
|
Alastair Whatley
|
You may or may not have noticed that Alastair appears rather a lot on the table - the reason being that he is our travelling understudy. If any of the boys go off, the domino effect that ripples through the casting means that he will have to go on as any one of the roles listed above. So far he has had to go on as Evans - this was back in Glasgow and Derby when poor Charlie couldn't even speak! Like the trooper he is, Charlie went on as a silent Gregoire and I, as Lisette, picked up his lines as luckily the writing allows for it, but Tim Van Eyken had to go on as Tipper and Alastair covered the role of Evans.
 |
| Tim VE as Tipper |
Tim VE, who is also our musical director, sings and plays the accordion throughout the show - another challenge when considering the understudy. When he went on as Tipper, things slightly shifted around so that it made sense for Tipper to play the accordion, but if he went off completely, that would throw up a fresh set of problems - most likely to be tackled using pre-recordings. The same would happen if Josh went off and couldn't play the violin.
The girls are slightly more straight forward. I understudy Isabelle and Jeanne and Emily understudies Lisette/Prostitute. Marguerite would then miraculously become a man - by way of Gareth (TSM), the butler. Our wonderful Company Manager, Tim S, has also made detailed notes of all of the set changes so if needs be, stage management would step in to help.
Rehearsals...
Throughout the tour, we have had weekly understudy rehearsals. These usually take place on a matinee-free afternoon for about 2-3 hours.
 |
| Liam and Alastair as Captain Gray and Stephen |
 |
| Josh and Tim VE as Firebrace and Shaw |
We are usually called in at different times to run our specific scenes. In order to cover all the Isabelle and Jeanne sections, I will be called in for an hour or so. Just as in our main rehearsals, as well as doing the scenes up on their feet, we discuss them in depth and, whilst keeping to the original blocking as practically it would disrupt the play too much to change it, try to find our own slant on the characters. Alternatively, we're called in for a line run - by which we sit down and simply run all the lines. This is helpful not only as we can practise the words, but because we can hear the build up to the scenes - something that whilst you are doing the show as your own character, you cannot always do.
Runs...
Our Understudy run was in Cardiff. It was...clunky...as you'd imagine but helpful (and reassuring!) to have gone through it from start to finish. As I mentioned before, whilst you can observe certain scenes, it isn't possible to follow someone else's track whilst performing your own, so the opportunity to solely focus on Isabelle's journey through the play was invaluable. There is one particular (very) quick change she has which I wasn't fully aware of as I am always on the other side of the stage doing my quick change as Lisette - better to discover these in a run than if you suddenly have to go on!
We did the run in full costume and make-up which, as you can imagine, instantly aided the characters. Those in the cast who don't understudy stepped up and played the necessary parts - they were very supportive and, as I think I mentioned back in Cardiff, Malcolm's Lucien LeBrun and Jon's Berard really were outstanding...!
CAMBRIDGE
As graduation unfolded before our eyes, I couldn't help but feel I had encroached upon a rather significant and personal experience in the lives of these students. They had spent a minimum of 3 years in this beautiful town making friends, exploring their chosen subjects and preparing for the lives outstretched before them. I felt very much an outsider, which was quite right and a fascinating place to be. Initially, I presumed it was its prestigious reputation that encouraged my fascination, but as the week progressed, I realised it was simply more fundamental than that. These young people, some as young as 21, have completed a degree and are about to embark on a life - perhaps aided by the name Cambridge - but nevertheless unknown and the anticipation, hope and feeling of transition was palpable.
Surrounded by this bubble of activity, I felt privileged to be playing at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. Though an intimate space, it seats around 600 and with almost full capacity every show, the atmosphere was wired.
Runs...
Our Understudy run was in Cardiff. It was...clunky...as you'd imagine but helpful (and reassuring!) to have gone through it from start to finish. As I mentioned before, whilst you can observe certain scenes, it isn't possible to follow someone else's track whilst performing your own, so the opportunity to solely focus on Isabelle's journey through the play was invaluable. There is one particular (very) quick change she has which I wasn't fully aware of as I am always on the other side of the stage doing my quick change as Lisette - better to discover these in a run than if you suddenly have to go on!
We did the run in full costume and make-up which, as you can imagine, instantly aided the characters. Those in the cast who don't understudy stepped up and played the necessary parts - they were very supportive and, as I think I mentioned back in Cardiff, Malcolm's Lucien LeBrun and Jon's Berard really were outstanding...!
CAMBRIDGE
As graduation unfolded before our eyes, I couldn't help but feel I had encroached upon a rather significant and personal experience in the lives of these students. They had spent a minimum of 3 years in this beautiful town making friends, exploring their chosen subjects and preparing for the lives outstretched before them. I felt very much an outsider, which was quite right and a fascinating place to be. Initially, I presumed it was its prestigious reputation that encouraged my fascination, but as the week progressed, I realised it was simply more fundamental than that. These young people, some as young as 21, have completed a degree and are about to embark on a life - perhaps aided by the name Cambridge - but nevertheless unknown and the anticipation, hope and feeling of transition was palpable.
Surrounded by this bubble of activity, I felt privileged to be playing at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. Though an intimate space, it seats around 600 and with almost full capacity every show, the atmosphere was wired.
The audiences this week felt very much with us. So much so that the performances could be likened to a tennis match...(sorry, Wimbledon started this week)...what I mean is that there was much bouncing(!) off each other. I've mentioned audience response before, as has Alastair in his blog, and how much it can influence a performance - it is not simply the vocal reaction but the wholly attentive silence that can consume a space and shape the piece. Without the audience, there is no performance. It is a two way experience that can never be repeated and when you can almost hear an audience listening, that is when the true nature of theatre and that of the words - the Latin origin of the word audio meaning 'to hear' - manifests.
Recreation...
As well as having a lovely week with the show, we made the most of the town and certainly the opportunity to punt. Day Punting and Night Punting. We first took to the waters on Tuesday when my dear friend Emma - just leaving Cambridge having studied there for 8 years and still lacking the ability to locate a good coffee shop - joined us and wangled a discount. She also bought us a drink in the pub after the show. Redeemed.
Alastair was the first to have a go - I know, you wouldn't have guessed. I would say he did an ok job. To accompany the zig zag bumper car style steering I suppose there were, in Emma's words, moments of brilliance... I then took it upon myself to show him how it's done. Needless to say, he learnt a lot and whole-heartedly admitted that I was the better punter.
As if that wasn't enough excitement for one week, after the show on Wednesday we went night punting! This time we were able to sit back, relax and take in the scenery (if not all completely visible) and aided with wine and nibbles, listen to our lovely punter tell the many ghost stories of the beautiful colleges. I think Jon (Ghost Tour Guide in Canterbury) has some competition.
Having begun the week as an outsider, by the end I felt quite at home in Cambridge. Lovely theatre, buzzing audiences, punting technique perfected - all boxes ticked.
Much to the delight of Liam, next week we move up to the Oldham Coliseum! - where I look forward to exploring Manchester and all it has to offer. Until then X
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