Globe Education Online

This is the second bulletin from Celia (Laura Rogers). It covers Laura's experiences during the first week of rehearsals, finding Celia's voice, and dancing for the jig.

First Week of Rehearsals

In the first week we spent a lot of time getting to know the other people, sitting reading through the play and then taking it bit by bit, scene by scene, translating it into modern day language and really discussing what it meant to us. That way, we would all understand, not only what we were saying, but also what other people say to us. If there were bits we were stuck on then Giles [Block, Text] would give his version and the director [Thea Sharrock] would give her version and we’d give our version, and hopefully we’d all come to some sort of understanding. Then we’d read through it all again, understanding what it meant.

We spent all of the first week doing that. Although you do start to think, “Time is ticking on and we haven’t done anything yet”, it is important that the groundwork is done, so that when you start putting the play on its feet, a lot has already been done; you can’t run before you can walk.

In the first week of rehearsal, I was still doing a show in Chichester, so I’d be coming in here for 10 o’clock and I’d have to leave by 3 o’clock to get back up there, which was quite tiring, but it’s lovely to be in demand and busy and doing so many things. The show was great, really good fun.

Finding Celia’s voice

We’re working on voice at the moment. I’m Welsh and Brendan [Hughes, Duke Frederick] who is playing my dad is also Welsh; he is North Walian and I am South Walian; so we’re working on using our own voices for the parts. With Shakespeare it’s very easy to slip into a heightened Received Pronunciation accent [RP] and be very posh, but Thea is adamant that she wants everyone to be speaking in their own voice. That has turned out to be a challenge, because nobody really knows how they sound so if someone says, “Just speak like you” you think “Oh, but how do I say that word?!” We’re all made up of so many different voices. You’re different depending on who you’re with; if you’re with your mates, you’re probably more relaxed, and if you’re with somebody with a position of authority you probably become more polite. So that is actually quite a challenge – I never thought it would be that difficult to speak as myself!

Also, the play I’ve just been in was a Noel Coward play, so I was talking in a very posh, very clipped English voice and then I came here and was told: “No, you’ve got be more natural, more neutral” which was hard. But now that the other play is over, I’ve got that out of my system and so I should start speaking like myself again.

Dancing: the jig

When I left rehearsals early in the first week, I know the rest of the cast were doing the dance call for a couple of hours. They were just experimenting with different moves, they didn’t set anything in that time. We’ve started the putting together the jig now, just yesterday. It’s very funky and modern, even though we’ll be in period dress. It’s not what you’d expect from a normal jig. There are lots of jumps and stamps and elbow movements, very rhythmic and lots of drumming, but obviously we haven’t set the whole thing yet. There is also a wedding dance which the director wanted to be very proper and straight and reserved, then she wanted us to break into this mad jig.

Knowing the Globe

I’m sure there is a slight advantage having worked here before because you know what the stage demands, but every show is different. For this play we’re having a platform built out and stairs from the stage and the pillars that are trees, so the acoustics are going to change anyway. I know my way around the building and I know lots of people who work here, so I feel immediately relaxed. So I suppose there is an advantage. I also feel comfortable enough to just say “Giles, can I have a session on text?” whereas I suppose if you hadn’t worked here before you might be a bit hesitant, if you don’t know how the system works. I do feel that working here is like coming home; it’s lovely and you know you’re going to have a great six months.

These comments are the actor's thoughts and ideas about the part as s / he goes through the rehearsal process – they are simply his / her own interpretations and frequently change as the rehearsals progress.

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