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Post by eliza on Feb 10, 2019 20:33:52 GMT
I don't know about coccyx-specific cushions, but I've definitely taken cushions into the theatre with me before (3+ hours in row A of the Lyttelton is NO ONE'S idea of a good time) and no one's given me a hard time or complained about my additional height and I have at least three inches on you. I fell and hurt my coccyx last year and couldn't believe how painful it was, fortunately it has got a fair bit better but yes sitting for too long or in the wrong position is uncomfortable and theatre seats are not the best so I do feel for you eliza . I know people who swear by the cushions, there's quite a few options on amazon so could be worth a try. I suspect if you explained if challenged that you shouldn't have problems, since it's a sort of disability thing especially since @baemax has been doing it for years successfully. Thank you to you both and lynette - I'm feeling more confident about bringing one with me!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2019 22:29:17 GMT
Just to add to the pillow chat! The lady in front of me at Jersey Boys the other week brought one, as she’d recently had a hip replacement. She kindly said “say if I’m too tall with it” but it made no difference (And had it I’d have just swapped with Mum who is taller!)
All to say, it didn’t make any difference, and she quietly brought it in a bag and had she not stoped to chat and say we and others around wouldn’t have even noticed! So you carry on and bring whatever makes it comfortable for you!
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Post by Jon on Feb 23, 2019 16:27:15 GMT
When are cast and crew normally required to be at the theatre?
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Feb 23, 2019 17:09:24 GMT
The cast generally for the half (30 mins before curtain up), unless there’s a fight call (some shows with fight scenes do a fight call before every performance). A few directors insist on all cast warmups on the stage.
Crew, depends on their role and the complexity of the show.
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on Feb 23, 2019 17:41:14 GMT
Also depends on things such as needing extensive makeup, something like that can get compensated for time if they need to come in earlier.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2019 18:00:20 GMT
When are cast and crew normally required to be at the theatre? Crew usually 2-3 hours pre-show to run up and check equipment and fix anything necessary. So 5pm for 7:30 show.
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Post by partytentdown on Feb 23, 2019 22:50:00 GMT
Most musicals call the cast for 6pm for the 7.30pm show to do a vocal and physical warm up, make sure make up and costume are on, and generally allow enough time for any hold ups.
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Post by firefingers on Feb 24, 2019 10:12:30 GMT
It varies depending on the requirements of the show. Longest tech call I've heard is 3 hours before curtain. Two hours is sufficient for most shows, although every often you'll have a maintenance call to do all the little fixing jobs you can't normally squeeze in.
Cast calls is latest the half (35 mins before the show) but are often (and pretty much always on musicals)roughly an hour befor, allowing for a physical warm up and a vocal warm up on stage before house open. But uoi may have other calls like a dance call to rehearse a particular piece to make sure it is tight every night, a fight call to run any fight sequences to make sure everyone knows really what they are doing (you can imagine how essential this is with understudies), and calls to run anything else to ensure everyone's safety. For example, I did a show where there was a section on stilts so that had to be run before every show, as a loose nut or a slip could result in a broken leg.
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Post by properjob on Feb 24, 2019 10:13:38 GMT
In my experience it is normal for the house to be opened half an hour before the show which means any activities that should be done out of sight of the audience need to be done by then. That would include any testing (and subsequent repair of anything that is discovered to be broken). It also includes any company warmup on stage as the stage will generally be the only place big enough.
When I was crew in a regional receiving house my call was an hour and a half before the show but that presumably varies on the complexity of the show/venue. I would do my 5 mins of powering up and checks and assuming everything worked first time, would have nothing to do until I would be part of the delegation meeting the Front of House manager 35mins before the show to confirm the auditorium was ready for hand over to them.
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Post by emsworthian on Feb 24, 2019 12:35:14 GMT
Regarding "Hamlet", I wondered if there has ever been a production that played the full version on certain nights but an abridged version on others?
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Post by tmesis on Mar 3, 2019 13:59:30 GMT
I was wondering about the now established two (and almost never more) curtain calls that we always get at the end of a performance in the more 'serious' theatres, i.e., NT, Almeida, Donmar, Hampstead, Royal Court et al. This seems to be an inviolable rule, even when a major star like Cate Blanchett is involved and the audience were gagging to sustain the ovation, as witnessed last night at the Dorfman. This is not the case so much for a West End show but at the more 'fringe' places it's always been the same for the past 40 or so years.* Was it ever thus? Did Olivier, Gielgud take multiple calls in the past. Do serious 'off Broadway' shows in New York have the same, slightly chased, response?
* Interestingly quite the opposite happens at ROH with multiple curtain calls for opera and even more for ballet; the latter nearly always sustaining the audience response just a little beyond what feels natural or warranted.
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Post by MrsCondomine on Mar 5, 2019 10:49:07 GMT
I was wondering about the now established two (and almost never more) curtain calls that we always get at the end of a performance in the more 'serious' theatres, i.e., NT, Almeida, Donmar, Hampstead, Royal Court et al. This seems to be an inviolable rule, even when a major star like Cate Blanchett is involved and the audience were gagging to sustain the ovation, as witnessed last night at the Dorfman. This is not the case so much for a West End show but at the more 'fringe' places it's always been the same for the past 40 or so years.* Was it ever thus? Did Olivier, Gielgud take multiple calls in the past. Do serious 'off Broadway' shows in New York have the same, slightly chased, response? * Interestingly quite the opposite happens at ROH with multiple curtain calls for opera and even more for ballet; the latter nearly always sustaining the audience response just a little beyond what feels natural or warranted. I, too, would love to know about any rules around curtain calls. The Stage has this great article: www.thestage.co.uk/features/2018/art-curtain-call-theatrical-tradition/Possibly this is why curtain calls are still there but are more restrained nowadays: "It’s why, whatever the formation and however actors bow, [Tamara] Harvey insists a curtain call has to be “tight – not drilled to within an inch of its life, but energised and as well constructed as the show itself”. It’s almost a paradox: how to be heartfelt and disciplined at the same time, authentic and in step all at once."
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Post by Dawnstar on Mar 9, 2019 14:21:30 GMT
Does anyone know of a (presumably) MT song that I'd guess is called "Reckless"? I keep hearing it on the pre-show/interval mixtape played at Showstopper & would like to know where it's from, as I like it.
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Post by winonaforever on Mar 9, 2019 17:01:41 GMT
Does anyone know of a (presumably) MT song that I'd guess is called "Reckless"? I keep hearing it on the pre-show/interval mixtape played at Showstopper & would like to know where it's from, as I like it. There's a song called Reckless Blues which is included in Blues In The Night. It's a Bessie Smith song.
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Post by Dawnstar on Mar 9, 2019 18:53:16 GMT
Does anyone know of a (presumably) MT song that I'd guess is called "Reckless"? I keep hearing it on the pre-show/interval mixtape played at Showstopper & would like to know where it's from, as I like it. There's a song called Reckless Blues which is included in Blues In The Night. It's a Bessie Smith song. Thanks for the suggestion but I've just looked it up & that's not it.
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Post by winonaforever on Mar 9, 2019 19:13:05 GMT
There's a song called Reckless Blues which is included in Blues In The Night. It's a Bessie Smith song. Thanks for the suggestion but I've just looked it up but that's not it. Oh that's a pity, I was hoping I'd solved the mystery. It IS a great song though, I love all the music in Blues In The Night.
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Post by Dawnstar on Mar 9, 2019 19:27:55 GMT
Oh that's a pity, I was hoping I'd solved the mystery. It IS a great song though, I love all the music in Blues In The Night. It is a female singer but that's about all they have in common!
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Post by Jon on Mar 10, 2019 2:11:37 GMT
How do actors get to or from the stage quickly if they’re doing scenes which are in the dress circle or bosses.
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Post by Dawnstar on Mar 10, 2019 13:23:26 GMT
The song I was after has been identified for me by someone on Twitter as "She Used To Be Mine" from Waitress. I'm glad to find Waitress has at least one good song, as I haven't found the others I've heard from it to be very interesting.
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Post by winonaforever on Mar 10, 2019 14:24:36 GMT
The song I was after has been identified for me by someone on Twitter as "She Used To Be Mine" from Waitress. I'm glad to find Waitress has at least one good song, as I haven't found the others I've heard from it to be very interesting. Oh good, I'm, glad you found the answer!
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Post by mistressjojo on Mar 11, 2019 0:17:40 GMT
How do actors get to or from the stage quickly if they’re doing scenes which are in the dress circle or bosses. Run. Just sit in the back row of the stalls at the RST to hear them!
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Post by jaqs on Mar 11, 2019 16:32:21 GMT
If you go to the theatre with someone with a mobility issue you can get whisked through some of these routes. Had an interesting journey to our seats at Drury lane once.
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Mar 11, 2019 16:33:11 GMT
^ It's not a secret exactly, but I enjoyed discovering the little access lift at the Lyric Hammersmith that opens right into the stalls.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2019 20:14:54 GMT
Maybe make a burner email account with a feminine name; whether it's fair or not, if they've only got an email to go on, they'll judge it more kindly coming from an apparent woman than an apparent man/simian.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2019 19:22:39 GMT
Inspired by the ‘least reliable performers’ thread...what is the difference between an understudy and a standby?
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Post by ampersand on Apr 3, 2019 8:06:26 GMT
A standby is like a swing but for principal roles - offstage unless they need to cover a role. An understudy is an ensemble member/person with a smaller role who covers a bigger role.
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Post by latefortheoverture on Apr 3, 2019 12:20:31 GMT
What happens when a member of the orchestra or band is ill or wants a holiday? They don't have swings/understudies as such do they? Anyone know any info?
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 3, 2019 12:24:51 GMT
They don't have swings/understudies as such do they? Actually they sort of do - West End bands will have 'deps' (short for deputies) who act in a similar way to understudies. They'll know the score and will be called to replace another band member in case of absence or illness. They just aren't always in the building like understudies/standbys/alternates. The only thing I'm not sure about is whether each show has regular deps or if it's the responsibility of the individual band member to find someone. I should think the former.
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Post by sophie92 on Apr 3, 2019 12:51:38 GMT
They don't have swings/understudies as such do they? Actually they sort of do - West End bands will have 'deps' (short for deputies) who act in a similar way to understudies. They'll know the score and will be called to replace another band member in case of absence or illness. They just aren't always in the building like understudies/standbys/alternates. The only thing I'm not sure about is whether each show has regular deps or if it's the responsibility of the individual band member to find someone. I should think the former. I have a vague recollection of one of the guitarists at Rock of Ages (when it was still in the West End) telling me that they had to find their own cover, but obviously that may not be the case on all shows.
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Post by Mark on Apr 3, 2019 12:55:31 GMT
Much more difficult for a show like Come From Away where the band become a part of the action. Though I have seen a different drummer on.
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