Jonno is Deputy Stage Manager for Up On The Roof:
Today is a matinee day. It's a long day but fun too. The show is in three acts so each show is a bit like doing 3 short plays. The show is set 1975, 1980 & 1985 so going through the decades twice in one day will be interesting, tiring and sometimes is a bit disorienting.
The cueing position at the New Wolsey is at the back of the auditorium with a fantastic view of the stage making it very enjoyable to cue the show, picking up on every little nuance that happens during the performance. Very much an ensemble piece the performers and the audience are both as important as each other. It's really lovely to see the company adapting to the different moods every night.
I'm interested to see what happens tomorrow. We have to a rehearsal on stage where a few changes to be made for when the production continues on to Basingstoke. I'm not sure that we are going to fit on the stage in Basingstoke...... I'm sure we will work something out.
Of course being a matinee day the sun has come out and Ipswich is alive. Typical I'm stuck indoors wearing black all day. Spring is here at last! I did manage to walk through the park on the way in this morning which was beautiful. I'll rush into town between shows to grab something for tea.
The best thing about being at the New Wolsey is meeting new faces and working along side some great people. The conversations on cans (radio headsets) are interesting. The flyman has lost his mug. It turns out some one front of house thought it would be a good idea to take it on holiday. Photos have been coming in of the mug at an airport in Spain. Really my 1st time in Ipswich is turning out to be great fun. I'm lucky that I can look at my job at the moment and think of it more like a social life than work, of course there is a lot of work being done at the same time, its all done in good spirit and is relatively stress free. But then its only just gone 12 noon and we have two shows to get through so anything could happen yet and probably will....... To be continued.