While on my brief Disenchanted hiatus, and as our creative team prepare for the Melbourne season, it is timely to reflect on the Noosa performances just passed.
Friendship
One of the perks of working in theatre and travelling to new places are the friendships that form as you work. Getting to know my cast and creatives has been a truly enriching aspect of this tour.
Throughout my life, and particularly in my artistic endeavours, there have been many serendipitous moments and I have formed connections with my peers in the arts that affirm my chosen path.
The conversations shared off-stage fuel the bond and trust during a show and I love learning about the lives of the people with whom I get to create; some of their personal stories are truly fascinating and I feel energised in their presence.
I’ll briefly recap our week leading up to our first preview at the Noosa Arts Theatre.
Production Week / Sitzprobe
Sitzprobe occurs when the singers rehearse with the musicians for first time. The word has German roots (like some of our princesses) and translates to ‘seated rehearsal’. This took place on Wednesday 25th of July with a tight turnaround for bump-in – where we gained access to the theatre – on Friday 27th of July, which also happened to be the first performance night for our preview season.
The scenes, songs, and choreography were solidified and the next step was to attempt a full run with costumes, hair and make-up, and musicians. We had grown accustomed to keyboard accompaniment by Bradley McCaw, our musical director, and the challenge was to adapt to the sound of the full band.
The sitzprobe was a music intensive where we clarified tempos, rhythms, melodies, dynamics, segues and the general feel of each number with the musicians. It was a fun day and we discovered new choices within our tracks and a renewed excitement for the show.
Performances
By midday on Friday 27th of July, we were in the Noosa Arts Theatre. Each actress set up her designated dressing room area and once the lighting plots were programmed, Madison Thew-Keyworth, our director, called us on stage to get our microphone packs and run through the show.
During the technical rehearsal we overcame challenges associated with being in the new space. When a performer becomes acquainted with a work, they run the risk of becoming complacent. I tried to strike the fine balance between adrenaline, confidence, and focus in order to completely surrender to each of my tracks on stage.
My tracks have the added challenge of fast and frequent costume changes, and in one song I even change character twice. It keeps the heart pumping and there is definitely a rush that goes with that.
There is so much trust involved between cast and creatives, and I felt well supported backstage by everyone who helped me to get in and out of my costumes. I’m thankful that we have such a great team.
The preview season was a success and Mad About Theatre enjoyed a sell-out season at Noosa Alive! It was a thrill to perform to packed houses. The energy from the audience was a welcome boost for the cast.
Running the show once a day during production week, and twice on some days, was a physical, emotional, and mental challenge but the result was both humbling and rewarding with such joyous feedback from our patrons.
Melbourne Here We Come…
On Thursday 6th of September we will be celebrating our opening night in Melbourne! Come and see what we’ve created and have a read of this great write up by Weekend Notes (Melbourne): Disenchanted – Australian Premiere
Our Australian Premiere is a strictly limited season so if you’d care for some escapism with a group of princesses then book tickets to our performances through Ticketek
