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As part of the rehearsal process the whole company went away for a residential weekend to an Elizabethan manor house where they lived ‘in role’ and acted out the scenes that are not in the play – in other words what happens to the characters when they are not on stage. This is helpful because it gives the cast a common memory, which they can draw on in later rehearsals.

Paul is now investigating the ‘marriage’ between Ganymede and Orlando in greater detail. Rosalind is a woman of thought, she interacts with Orlando on a cerebral level while he is much more impulsive and is driven by his desire for action. For Paul their ‘marriage’ is a magical moment in the play – in rehearsal the company is investigating the use of ritual and during the scene Rosalind draws symbols on the stage.

Paul is now working on lightening the language, making his voice more youthful, using head resonances. He is still reluctant to fix the way he does things in each scene. He is now feeling secure in his understanding of the character of Orlando and his journey through the play. The final scene is still difficult, suddenly Orlando and Rosalind’s private love becomes public and this is very difficult for Paul to play.

Paul hopes he will be able to play the part in a different way each night. He would like to find something new at each performance – there is no finishing line that he will cross, he will never feel that he has finished working on his character. As an actor Paul aims to strive for perfection while being aware that he might never be able to achieve the ‘perfect’ performance.

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

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