Tech Rehearsal

Having only previously involved in shows as a kitchen helper (which involves turning up on the night to sell drinks or food), box office assistant (turn up on the night and relieve punters of their money), or production photographer (turn up the night before the night - i.e. dress rehearsal - and take photos while trying not to disturb the performance), I've never attended a Tech Rehearsal before.

The Sunday before show week involves a complete run-through to allow the sound and light technicians to practice their cues, set their levels and adjust their flare. Or something. It's also the first chance the cast have to move about the "real" stage, so props and furniture have to be moved into their optimum positions. All this obviously takes much longer than a regular performance, so Tech is a long-winded affair. Apparently this particular example was unusual, as it featured the total absence of any scripts that had been marked up for sound or light cues.

Hotpot is, I suspect, always a little more difficult in this respect as - being essentially a sketch show - there are many more scripts to contend with. Still... NONE? Not very good that, is it? And that highlights the crux of a long-standing tension - probably true for many am-dram groups all over the world - between the fundamental raison d'être of the group (to put on a show) and the almost equally important principle of having a good time. I mean, that's the "am" in am-dram, isn't it? The fact that having a good time is paramount and may even, for many, overtake the show in its importance.

The slight drawback with this approach - which is fine for most of the year - is that there are a some occasions when it results in even more pressure on a few key individuals essential for any show's success. As often happens, these may be people returning to the desk after many years' absence, grappling with changes in equipment that have occurred during their interregnum, or they may be new to the job altogether. Today we had one of each, and they did a fine job of winging it without any cues whatsoever. Inevitably though, this slowed down what was already a pretty slow process to begin with and in the end it took us two hours to get through a first half that, according to script timings, should only last an hour.

Perhaps the most surprising (not to say incredible) thing is that everything does always come together in time for curtain up on first night. Frayed tempers, worries, last minute-itis, late nights, are all forgotten as the show goes on. Maybe it would be better - more professional - if it all ran like a well-oiled machine, but for some people at least, I think the seemingly more haphazard meanderings of cast and crew in the general direction of first night is all part of the fun.

(At least our bit was OK!)