New paintings and regular art updates.
So instead of taking photos I decided to draw members of the cast. Less issues over copyright when sharing here because no filming or videos are allowed of the actual panto and I don’t like sharing people’s pictures randomly.
I’m slightly dreading doing two performances and remembering my lines. At least it’s finished today so I can have a rest tomorrow. Then I will get back to blogging here, which I have been neglecting this week.
Oh yes it did! All my hard work seems to have been appreciated with the scenery. The panto is a hoot, with compliments about how good it is. The songs were OK. I almost remembered them! I only forgot one line, but non of us were 100%, but that doesn’t matter as the audience haven’t read the script! We even seemed to dance well. All the cast were enjoying themselves and the audience were appreciative, even with a delayed start due to a parking issue. They laughed all the way through and there was some brilliant clowning about.
Well, only three more performances. I’m shattered, but too tired to sleep.
X
Sneak peek of the washing machine front I’ve painted. Today was the dress rehearsal, one person had a problem as her trouser elastic snapped and they fell off as she was trying to make her entrance. I was practicing part of a song, and forgot to go on stage to sing that song. We got a lot of feedback on the mike’s. One of the helpers or cast got a parking ticket even though they were arked correctly… I still can’t remember all my lines, and in one scene the person before me completely forgot his so I didn’t know where I was! And breathe….
But on the whole we are getting it. There are lots of songs, dance, sketches, a nice story, an evil villan and lots of fun.
X
Panto rehearsal again tonight… Oops, the body DIDN’T line up on the back of the flattened policeman. But I can sort it out. The rock for the cave scene works fine… The washing mashing machine looks OK too I think…. Anyway its all kicking off next week… Four performances over three days.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday next week are going to be very busy.
I’ll try not to break a leg!
X
So what is a pantomime. Its a crazy comedy with characters that have been portrayed on stage for years. Some panto(mime) characters include :
Aladdin, The Genie of the lamp and the genie of the ring, Princess Jasmine, Abanazar, widow Twankey and the Sultan and Sultana in our panto.
Jack in Jack and the beanstalk, the giant, Jack’s mother and the panto cow, usually called Daisy.
Robin Hood and his merry men with Robin, Marion, the sheriff of Nottingham, Sir Guy, King John, little John, friar tuck, Will Scarlet.
Sleeping beauty and Cinderella are also pantomimes. So basically they are fairy stories or children’s stories that have been adapted for the stage. Various other characters are added. Like the principle boy, who plays the hero but is often played by a girl, or the ugly sisters and widow Twankey who are played by men. A lot of cross dressing in the panto is traditional.
Pantos are played for laughs, modern ones can be quite commercial and include product placement. In our case we are amateur and just have fun.
If you live nearby to Stoke and want to come along let me know.
More rehearsals today for the panto, we ran through the whole thing today, adult and children’s cast acting together. We also got to use the stage which was good. It gives you an idea of where you will be. What side of the stage to come on. Whether you will knock into another cast member as you dance across the stage.
Just hang on, yes I did say “dance”. We have had a choreographer involved this year. People are being carried on shoulders and doing knee spins and…. We’ll it’s exhausting to look at. I’m glad I’m right at the back, I’m not nimble on my feet anymore.
Three weeks to go… Help!
I’m only showing you a bit of sky and some rocks I painted today as the scenery for the panto is secret. Basically I painted a desert. I had help with the sky (the black is a short curtain above the scenery). I’m too short to reach the top of the scenery. I am absolutely shattered now. 2.30pm to 6pm!i know I paint fast but that’s ridiculous….. About ten foot tall by 30 to 40 foot wide. I will publish the full image when the pantomime is over. Its thin acrylic paint on flat boards.
Blurry photos, we are doing Aladdin for our panto this year. Someone else started it but I then asked if I could help. It’s bright and breezy and as colourful as I can make it. Im not publishing this on Facebook so you are getting a sneak preview. This is the Act one scenery.
Widow Twankey is Aladdins mum. She owns the local laundry and here is the market stall she has in her village. Expect excessive silliness!
When this is finished I will be doing the scenery for Act two. That’s is of a cave in the desert. I might add palm trees. At least its got me painting again, I was a bit down but this has helped.
Can’t show you the show, it’s a secret, but rehearsals continue for the pantomime we are putting on in February. (20th, 21st and two shows on the 22nd).
The show is Aladdin, where he has to find an old lamp, which is then taken from him together with his true love by an evil wizard. Fun ensues.
Tonight we were practising the dances (which is why I haven’t posted a photo). It was hard to get right, basically the choreographer is making it up as she goes along and we have to follow her moves. I’m not the most nimble and I can’t keep up. But we’ve got time.
Fingers crossed.
X
As we sink slowly into Northern Winter, I thought I would post a picture of the spring earlier this year. The buds were starting to burst, the flowers were opening on rhododendrons. The sky was a warm blue, not the cold, grey, scudding clouds of today.
Warmer evenings, longer days… I can’t wait! I don’t want to make time rush by, but please, don’t let it be a long, cold, harsh winter. We already have flooding in South Yorkshire and parts of the South Midlands where towns like Fishlake have been inundated.
Our local pantomime is on in February, just when winter is starting to get really annoying. We are doing Aladdin this time. I’ve got a small part in it. Hopefully I won’t be falling over while I try to dance!
Mallaband-Brown