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The opening night and nothing fell off ... the end of my blog

At last we have arrived at the first night for Glengarry Glen Ross here at the Library Theatre Manchester! It went very well; the audience loved it, Chris Honer our director, was really pleased and the actors came out into the bar afterwards looking relaxed and happy. I am always surprised to hear them talk of having been nervous; I would be so in their shoes, but actors always seem to have so much confidence and poise. But when you think about it, it’s a big moment when a play is first presented to an audience and if it goes awry the actors are the ones onstage having to deal with it. All the rest of us who have been involved in the production are safe backstage or out in the auditorium, or in the case of some directors I know of, lurking in the bar! When the set gets stuck, or the leg falls of a chair, or the gun fails to go off, or some one misses a page of dialogue which just happens to explain a crucial twist to the plot, it is the acting company who have to get the show back on track, and they often do so without the audience ever becoming aware of how close they were to watching a crash and burn situation!Thank Goodness! The revolve worked beautifully, the legs stayed on the chairs, these characters assassinate each other with their tongues rather than with guns, and as far as I could see, the acting company was word perfect. We now have two more previews before the press night on Tuesday, so the director will continue to do a bit of work with the actors until then. I have only one more job to do and I keep trying to persuade myself that it is unnecessary! I was hoping that my duty to this show from now on would consist in putting on a nice dress and my new black patent shoes and giving the set a quick look over, before strolling out to the bar to enjoy the press night performance. The problem is the blackboard which the office manager in the play uses to display the sales figures. Its frame has been painted a very dark brown and it just doesn’t look right to me. The model piece was painted a mid-brown which looked much better and fitted in with the other wood on-stage. Why couldn’t the scene painters have just copied the model? Why can’t I just not mind? There is no point arguing with myself, I know I’m going to have to re-paint it. So back to B&Q tomorrow for more paint!
In all other respects, I am pleased with the set; it looks good, it works for the actors and Nick’s lighting sets it all off beautifully. But when you go, don’t forget to notice the costumes! I think they look fantastic and yet most will take them for granted – just seven men in suits after all. But you are now an in-mate of my designer world and know what goes into it all, so you have no excuse for not noticing the subtle range of colours, the styling which reflects the different ages and character of the men, the perfect shaped collars and the ties which pick out colours in the set.

Enjoy the show! Take your friends! Thank you for reading this blog which comes to an end now. After Tuesday I have another little job to work on – the design for The Importance of Being Earnest, our last show in the present building.

Suddenly I am transported from the 1980’s back to the 1890’s
and I enter a whole new world.

Job nearly done.

We are halfway through production week on Glengarry, and it is going well! so well, in fact, that we are a full day ahead of schedule. This means that, instead of slaving away over a hot technical rehearsal, Nick the lighting designer and I were in a restaurant by 8pm, sharing a bottle of wine. It is quite a straightforward show in terms of lighting, there are no quick changes of costume, few sound effects and no projections, all factors which can work together to create a technical rehearsal of epic proportions. Nick and I have been in Techs at the Library which have started on Tuesday evening and finished just before the show opens on Friday night!We moved on to a first dress rehearsal later on yesterday, which also went very well. As I expected, the actors are having to do a bit of adjustment in getting used to the seating booths of the Chinese restaurant. The chairs which they have been using were not really an adequate substitute for the seating which has been built, and the corners of the booths have turned out a bit deeper than I expected. This means that if the actor gets tucked in there, although it is very comfortable, they can’t be seen from a few seats at the front of the auditorium near to the side walls. Since we have time for two more dress rehearsals, I’m hoping that this will sort itself out as they get more used to the space. Also I am going to buy some cushions to pad out the corners so they can’t sit so far back. We have reduced the height and size of the tables too, because they too were proving to be a sightline problem.The set is looking good now that we have got it ‘dressed’. There are massive quantities of box files and other paper work piled up on all the shelves, notice boards on the walls, wire baskets and other office equipment on the desks. This has taken a long time to achieve, so I felt a bit weary at the thought of having to do It all again! This was because the painters were in last night to finish off their work and usually we clear the set for them. However, it turned out that they could cover up the shelving and so we only had to take down the notice board and move the filing cabinets. It is always a relief to me when the painters come on stage because the things which have been bothering me get sorted out; for example on this show, the outside office door is a dark wood grain effect and the painter had seen this as being rather distressed and worn looking, whereas I expected it to look quite smart. Consequently, every time that door has been opened, I have been thinking, that door is not right!

But no tantrums to report! Because everything has gone so smoothly we have all been behaving very well and we remain a happy company. My next, and final update, will tell you about the first night!

First day of the last week before the first night!

It has been the first day of production week today and the set is being built on-stage. It has been slow progress, because before we could start putting the walls and ceiling in place, we had to lay down the revolving stage, This is a sort of jigsaw made up of curved sections which need to be bolted together, a metal cord runs around the circumference, and then the electrics have to be put in place to make the whole thing go round. So far, I haven’t seen it go round but I have to hang on to the thought that in due course, it will! Here is a picture of the revolve being put in.By the end of the day, most of the office has gone up, but not much progress on the restaurant. The technical rehearsal is due to start at 7pm tomorrow, so that is the absolute deadline. If the set isn’t finished by then… no, I don’t even want to think about what happens when the set is not ready for the start of a tech. It’s not good at all.

The first day of the fit-up is not my favourite day; the set looks a mess because it is still in bits, and I see the paint finishes under working lights, which shows up every imperfection. And there is always the worry that it might not fit! All those weeks ago, did I make a crucial mistake on the plans, which no-one has noticed and put right? Will the ceiling be so high that it crashes into the lights? Will the masking flats be in the right place, or will we see the actors sharing a joke with stage management, whilst they wait in the wings? Since the set is still unfinished, my mind is not yet easy, but it won’t keep me awake. In this job, you have to learn to keep things in perspective, and I will tackle the problems as they come along tomorrow.Nick, the lighting designer, has arrived today and as always, I am delighted to see him. He brings good humour and a calm capable manner besides being a gifted designer. I know that he will always make the set look as good as possible, whilst also giving the actors the light they need. It’s amazing what a difference good lighting makes to a show, and a set can be transformed from a tatty collection of old flats to a magical place by means of light in the right colour, shining with the right intensity, from the right direction.

We have fitted our two tailored suits this evening, and chosen the ties! Both actors were really pleased, although David has lost a bit of weight and so Liz will have to take the jacket in a little to make it a better fit. Tomorrow, at the tech, I will see all the costumes on-stage together and be able to check that I have got the balance of colour as I want it. The furniture will be moving onto the set too, then we can start to “dress it” with the files, books, notice boards and other props. Just in case you had forgotten, only 4 days until opening night!

The final week before the show working slighly more than 9 to 5!

I arrived at the theatre in good time yesterday so that I could get into the rehearsal room before the actors started work. I needed to look at the furniture and decide which items I wanted painting in which colour. Alan, a freelance prop maker and set builder, was coming in to do the job, so I needed to make decisions. It would be much easier if I could actually see all the furniture together on the set, but the painting had to be done then. I looked through the various paints which I bought and made a rather random selection, so that Alan could get going. If I have not chosen well I will have to pay for my mistake by doing the job again myself!

In the afternoon I had a treat! I went in to watch a run- through of the play and really enjoyed it. The performances are fantastic; funny, moving and totally engaging. Seeing a run is quite a milestone in the design process because you can actually imagine this performance on your set. In the worst case you get a terrible sinking feeling because it is clear that the director and company have gone off in a different direction, and that your set is not going to serve the piece as well as you hoped. Then it’s an exercise in damage limitation, trying to persuade production staff to make alterations to the set or changing the costume plot. This is not the case with Glengarry, thank Goodness! I don’t pick up any problems which worry me, although there will inevitably be a bit of adjusting to the actual space onstage. It has helped to have so much of the furniture in rehearsal for the office, but I think the curved benches of the Chinese restaurant will feel a bit different from the rows of chairs which have represented them. You can see two of our actors in the photo, sitting in the mocked-up rehearsal room restaurant.

I have collected the picture frames which I ordered a couple of weeks ago and today I have inserted the finished dragon pictures. Painting the scales was a laborious job but I discovered that I could do it with one hand, so I made the most of my time by catching up on some phone calls. I am including a photo of the pictures and you can see that they have turned out well. Certain members of the production team were a bit shocked at the price of the frames, but if you need a big picture doing, it is expensive. Anyway, they look good and will finish off the restaurant set very nicely.

Monday is the day of the fit-up! Next week we will all be at the theatre, from about 9.30am until about 10.30pm each day, getting the show ready for opening night. I will try to keep the blog running to include you in the ups and downs of production week including disasters, delights, tantrums and hissy- fits.

If you don't want to see the play, at least come for the ties!

As you can see in the photo, I have made good progress on the Chinese dragon painting for the restaurant scene in Glengarry. I still have to put in the scales along the dragon’s body and do a bit more on the background before I can call it finished. Then I just have to do another one! I hope I’ll get time on Friday as I don’t want to work this weekend, because my lovely daughter is coming home from London and I want to make the most of seeing her. Yesterday I went over to Liverpool to see the set builders and to go back to the place where I found the grey desks. I met up with Chris, who was driving the van and we loaded up the desks and the other things, then rummaged around for more office paraphernalia, such as box files, hole punchers and notice boards. We drove a hard bargain with the proprietor, mainly because Chris and I turned out our pockets and it was obvious by the time we had finished, that we had not a penny left! I think we still need more lever arch and box type files to fill up all the shelves but the budget has now gone into the red. If anyone reading this has any unwanted files, just drop them off at the stage door!

The set is going on well and the painter has started work, which is good news since we are due to collect it on Thursday! I am always very particular about the colour matching and paint finishes on my set, some would call it control freakery! I think that the quality of painting makes all the difference between a good set and an indifferent one. I hope that the workshop will deliver a paint job that I am really pleased with. I’m including a photo of progress so far. Liz and I went out costume shopping again today and we have found almost all we need. We may still have to buy one or two ties, but we plan to have a good search through our massive stock of striped, patterned and plain ties first. I love our tie boxes! We have big patterned ties from the 50’s, thin ties from the 60’s, wide ties from the 70’s, knitted ties, checked ties, regimental ties; four boxes packed full of colour and texture, just waiting to perfectly finish off an outfit for one of our actors! There are many things I really love about this job and picking out the ties is up there with the best! Even if you are not sure about the play (which is going to be fantastic), come and enjoy the ties!

DIY stores do not the designer maketh...One week to go!

Only a week now until we start the fit-up of the set for Glengarry! Time to make sure that nothing has been forgotten; I look carefully at my photos of the set, check through my notes and the notes which come out of rehearsal and write down my list. There is another progress meeting at lunchtime which is the ideal opportunity to talk through any concerns. I have quite a few things to raise – who is going to paint the furniture? Have the up and down lights been ordered? Have we got tablecloths for the restaurant? Are there any suitable coat hooks in stock? Do we have sufficient box files and folders to dress the set? Arrangements are made for another trip to Liverpool tomorrow, this time in the van, so we can pick up the rest of the furniture and we can make a return visit to the huge crumbling warehouse which proved to be such a treasure store for this show! Chris, our director asks if the doors can be fixed so they stay open and not swing closed by themselves, and Jamie, our Stage Manager asks me to go to his office to look at some glasses for drinks. I’ve just remembered that I didn’t go! Sorry Jamie!

After the meeting I set off with my list of jobs. Across the stage, I discover a row of appropriate coat hooks at the side of the stage which are being used to hang costumes, so I ask if they can be taken down and replaced, so I can use them on the set. When you are a designer, it pays off to notice the little things around you as you never know when you might see exactly what you want, if not for this show, then maybe for the next. Next port of call is Leon’s fabric shop in Chorlton where I buy red material for under table cloths and white cotton for the top cloths. I hope we can now find someone who has time to sew them up.

Then I go on to visit B&Q to buy paint for the furniture. This is not my favourite shop, and I can feel the stress levels rise as I walk through the door. This is a reaction is due to an old wound inflicted on me by them some years ago, when I was desperate for a bit of Lino for a show. I needed about two metres, I needed it NOW, I even had a pair of scissors in my pocket – But, But, But – the lino was not allowed to be cut except by the cutting machine, and there was only one person trained to use the cutting machine, and guess what, he was off on his holidays! I could see it, touch it, but I couldn’t have it. Is it any wonder that I still carry the mental scars? Today I am lucky. And get served with my paint mixing order immediately by a really nice and helpful young man. The people who arrive seconds after me are less fortunate and give up and go home when I put in my order for the sixth colour. Unfortunately for them there is only one person on who is trained to mix paint. I hope I never need paint when he is on his hols! Michael told me not to buy oil-based paint, but that was all they had, so I got it anyway, Sorry Michael!

Back home, and I have started on the Chinese painting, This could well not be as easy as it looks…