Tuesday 19th April. Embassy Centre, Skegness
We are now fast approaching the last leg of this run and as ever we are asking ourselves where the time has gone to. It doesn't seem like two minutes since we were in rehearsals and now we are looking at 3 months break from touring.
Skegness is one of our newest venues but now becoming a very popular one with audiences. Over 550 in the crowd today for our matinee show and then we travel back home to do one of our local venues tomorrow.
Our backstage panic is building a little as Jenni has a throat infection and it looks like it could be a big one. The decision for today is that the show has only minor changes and Helene will stand in for Jenni in the Carpenters section. Marie is preparing to learn some of Jenni's major songs, and Colin is on standby to do 'Some Enchanted Evening' on his own instead of a duet with Pen. That should be interesting as that particular song has been a thorn in the side of both Colin and Pen when it comes to remembering the words. Funny how some songs just have that effect. We think that they are both mind readers as one of them always knows when the other is about to have a 'word blank'.
Great show, fish and chips eaten (its a rule that if you can see the sea you have to have fish and chips), and now the four hour journey home.
Wednesday 20th April. Whitley Bay Playhouse.
Back to one of our local venues, and a venue we have not been to since its refurbishment. Looking ever so splendid now after millions of pounds on a facelift, however it is very confusing backstage because of the new layout. A matinee only show makes it an easy day, and the rule of 'see the sea, must have fish and chips is broken'. Back in the house by 6.00pm is a very strange feeling on a workday.
Friday 22nd April. The trip to Aberdeen.
Now it is time to mix business with pleasure. A weekend trip to Aberdeen to see Debbie, Harry, Lucy and Rebecca, along with Sarah of course. Regular readers will know these names very well as our best friends who we are looking forward to seeing after what seems like a long absence. We travel on the Friday ready for the show next day, and seeing as the pub next door to the Travelodge contains an Indian restaurant, well, enough said.
A six hour journey to Aberdeen is not the most pleasant of tasks, but we get there safely, and Steve two bellies is trying to find the hottest curry on the menu for one bellie, and 35 popadoms for the other. A lovely night out for the cast and of course Debbie and Marie talk forever with so much to catch up on.
Saturday 23rd April. Aberdeen Arts Centre.
Two very well attended shows. Matinee sold out! As ever the audience are fantastic and the cast are mobbed at the 'meet and greet' afterwards, signing what seemed to be thousands of CD's and programmes. Needless to say that Sarah has now appeared along with enough sandwiches to feed 5000 and there is enough food to occupy one full dressing room. For those not familiar with this ritual, Sarah is a friend of Debbie who out of the goodness of her heart goes to the time, trouble and expense to provide this food for the cast and children in the show. How many people are there like this in the world??????
Sunday 24th April. Inverurie Town Hall.
Sarah is one of the first to arrive with yet another mountain of freshly prepared food. Bill Bill is already sizing up how big his doggy bag might be to take on our next journey. Thanks go once again to Frances Mitchell who done an enormous amount of work to promote the show in Aberdeen and Inverurie. Frances originally just one of the audience members with a love a live music who wanted to do her bit to make sure that live music and shows like ours still attracted audiences in smaller places like Inverurie.
Monday 25th April. Two days off.
The cast agree that rather than travel 6 hours home, and then back to Scotland again on Wednesday morning, the most logical thing to do is to stay in Scotland and chill. First stop Perth, and a new Travelodge that has just emerged. Add to that a brilliant food pub in the same grounds and who needs to go anywhere. Well, the dancers do of course. A shopping precinct next door too, and that is their time occupied for the next 4 hours. Pub and food in the evening and everyone is in major relax mode. Fantastic.
Next day we travel further south to Dunfermline ready for the short journey to Greenock next day. Helene has gone back to Nottingham for an audition and so spends the two days off doing a million train journeys, while the rest of the cast occupy themselves with various day trips. Marie and Jen go to a safari park, Bill goes to the bank in some coastal resort, the dancers go into Edinburgh for the day, while Colin and Steve take the lazy option of KFC and Travelodge bed.......not the same bed together by the way.
Wednesday 27th April.
Arts Guild Theatre, Greenock. Another successful days work with over 600 coming to see the show. Now planning a brand new multi million pound theatre to be opened next year, there is a certain excitement around the place that we also share. So many people have worked so hard to pull the venture off, and we wish them every success in the new venue.....and please let us come back to it!!!
Thursday 28th April. Palace Theatre, Kilmarnock.
Two shows ahead of us today, and then the prospect of the three and a half hour journey home. The latest on Jenni's throat infection isn't good and all emergency measures are now put into place. Marie takes most of the Solo songs, Helene steps into a few routines and Colin is on his own for Some Enchanted Evening. Things like this are great for keeping everyone on their toes. Oh the joy of show business.
So there we have the remainder of April and how it panned out. Only 5 more days to go and the tour is officially over. How will things change for next season???? Who knows! Who will stay, who will go? Will anyone not be invited back? Will the company have another contract to fill after the showcase in June. Lots going on.
Watch this space for the latest updates and the blog entry for May.
