Disney Meets Game Of Thrones

Um… Hello… Is this thing even on…?

Hmm….

…….

What is a blog?

“a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.”

- Cheers Google.

So this is a webpage – check. We are a small group – check. I am not in a suit – check. We can work on the regular thing.

So I guess I should introduce myself. I am Matt. I am the second founder and Artistic Director of Bespectacled and I am hijacking the blog today and in the near future. I am usually the fool causing chaos behind the scenes rather than in the public eye so please forgive me if this is an odd post.

I have recently been back in the rehearsal room for the first time in quite a while and, lets just say things have changed. When I last took an active part with the actors we were still auditioning them and it is amazing to see how far everything has come. First – we have a script! A whole, bona-fide script which you know is professional because it contains a little note of acknowledgement. Not only that but this script is up on its feet in the voices of some bloody brilliant actors!

Reading the script as it was being edited was fun, you saw the plot branching and the characters beginning to form. There would be gentle pruning and on occasions slash and burn was needed to allow fresh ideas to grow. And I would sit and read it as the characters would begin to step out of the words and the spaces between but they were always ephemeral glimpses of transient ideas. To see everything in this world of skin, hair and bodies everything became more exciting. These characters have slipped off the pages and in to our actors’ breath and it is great to watch.

Where to start without giving too much away?

I eased in with a casual rehearsal with Buttons and Aurora (guest starring, Prince Charming) and Zara the director blew me away. I was amazed to watch the friendship I had seen in the script come together between two actual humans under her watchful gaze. I don’t want to go in too much detail because I hate spoilers but I saw some great humour, humanness and cruelty on Sunday. I just had to stick my oar in though. I was determined to only speak when spoken to but I had to tweak a delivery here, an intention there. Whilst I may have caused a touch of chaos, I also hit upon some key dynamics. To illustrate the contrast between two characters I declared “You are Disney, You are Game of Thrones, go nuts.” And do you know what? I think it helped - I think it sums up nicely a dynamic in the script. If you want to see what I mean, come see the show.

Next up was Thursday with the King. I’ve never met royalty before. Well I have, his name is Charlie and I have met him before but hey. Unfortunately our previous king has had to pull out so Charlie stepped up for an audition. It was an informal affair, we were pretty sure we would offer him the part but it is good to be sure. I did not behave this time, I stepped in to lead with Franki helping me get back in to my directing boots (Only metaphorically. I did up my own actual boots). We started by playing with the character. Charlie is a young lad of only 22 but our king is much older so we worked on physicality with Franki helping him put on his regal clothes and older bearing (again metaphorically). Next was the voice, helping him find a good balance between strength and age. As an old king, tired of ruling after so long, his thoughts often drift to his retirement and this of course affects his speech patterns. To bring this out I drew on one of my few talents, I distracted him as he spoke a single line. I made him think of the finest breakfast, a single rose, his hobby. Then Franki hit on a perfect final thought. A first kiss. Such a change in his delivery.

To bring this to a close I want to say this. Finding my feet again isn’t too easy, I have forgotten plenty and I am still far from good enough but luckily Zara and Franki are more than able to compensate whilst I try and up my game. Challenges like this are why we do what we do. How can I serve the collective who have put this together from scratch? How do you make a 22-year-old university graduate into an aged ruler of a magical kingdom? How do you sculpt a childhood friendship formed over 10s of years in a matter of months? How does a dragon slayer offer a sausage roll to a girl he’s supposed to fancy? For me, questions like these are where the fun lies.

Don’t forget to buy your tickets to the ball of the century from Eventbrite - here.

If you like, follow us on Facebook, twitter, Instagram, sign up to this blog, meet us and chat like olden days if you like, but stay in touch.

Matt.

Artistic Director and all round good guy (debatable).

#theatre #SistersGrimm #liverpooltheatre