From Page to Stage - Diary of a Priory Production (Part 3)

Have you ever watched a play and wondered who chose it, how long the actors rehearsed, and the work that goes in to getting it onto the stage? In the third part, Dixie Atkins continues the behind-the-scenes story of our September 2010 production - Noel Coward's Present Laughter.

Rehearsals usually last from 7.30pm to 10.00pm maximum but our first rehearsal, on 4th of July (a stirring date to start!), was a marathon. We started at 6.00pm and finished at 10.00pm. Normally, you plot a play with the cast in two halves, but holiday absences mean I don't have a complete cast until 19th July, and plotting requires full attendance.

The cast were amazingly patient and scribbled madly all evening. There are approximately ten stage directions per page, which gives a total of 880! Some are my directions, some are Coward's! The bigger the part, the more directions, and all this to be learned before they have even started to learn lines. Ten very tired actors, plus Director and Stage Manager staggered home that night. Now we have a week's break before we really get going.

During that week, I collate all the programme material: CVs for the actors and me, Director's notes, material on Coward, cast and backstage names, and acknowledgements - for this play, the Lion's leant us a wonderful Art Deco table. Next, publicity: snippets of information to feed to the local papers in the hope that they will be published and elicit interest. Now the Designer is anxious to get going but - bombshell - we need to rewire the main part of the theatre, so no set-building can begin until the 3rd August. My Designer, however, is not beaten. He goes away to construct Art Deco lights and mirror at home!

12th July. At last we get going. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday - 2.5 hours per night. Apart from the regular rehearsals, I am working one-to-one with the inexperienced actors. They are all extremely keen, which is half the battle. Julanne has a great deal to live up to as I played her part, Monica, in 1976! Things are going well despite the absences.

Rehearsals follow a pattern: the actors steadily improve until they move from studio to stage, when there is a small dip as the cast get accustomed to the set. Then more improvement. Big dip when they relinquish their scripts. Actors hang onto their books as long as possible; scripts are their comfort blankets. Lots of work for the Prompt and very soon we're back on track. Another glitch when props are introduced. Present Laughter will be more complicated than usual because, owing to circumstances, the move to the theatre and dropping books come at the same time!

24th July. I gate-crashed a stamp-collectors' congress! Having read in the Kenilworth News that this was being held at the Holiday Inn, I decided it was the ideal place to find my 1920's stamps. I was somewhat apprehensive but everyone was helpful, and I came away with enough George V facsimile stamps for all the letters required in the play. I am also haunting car boot sales and the local tip, to find the props that our Property Department cannot supply. 80 of the e86 props have been bought, borrowed or provided from our stores.

29th July. A meeting with my Wardrobe Mistress to find as many costumes as possible. We now have all the women's costumes, plus the many silk dressing-gowns! The 1920s' dress styles are wonderful; with no waists, we don't have to worry too much about them fitting! Men's suits are more of a problem and we may have to hire in. Period drama always presents special problems, e.g. shirts must not have buttoned cuffs. Cufflinks were worn in the 1920s. I spent six hours finding authentic hats, gloves, bags, jewellery and wigs. All the men have decided to grow - or cut - their hair!

30th July. Our last rehearsal before the break, and our first run - when you go through the whole play rather than acts or scenes. Some of the duologues are excellent and I am happy with where we are at this time. After a pep talk about learning lines, we part for 2 weeks. I shall still be doing one-to-ones, searching for the last elusive props and furniture items, and working with the Designer. I am horribly conscious that when the cast reconvene, we have only two weeks of rehearsal left.

Dixie's journey from page to stage continues and the fourth, and final, instalment of her diary will appear in a couple of weeks time.