01/04 Bad Guys and Rehearsing Act 1

The 1st of April, a new month! Time to really start cracking on with the show!

On Friday the 1st, we had a double period (period 2 and 3), and as the hall was being used period 2, we had to rehearse in the music block. However, after break we were able to use the hall to rehearse.

At the beginning of period 2, when we were all settled, Ms Williams read out a list of everything that had to be done to ensure that the show can work. Everyone had to make sure that they were doing at least one job, but I realised that a few of them needed a lot of responsibility and a lot of hard work and preporation to ensure that everyone was sorted with costumes etc but as I have a lot of other things that I need to focus on with other exams and with my own line learning and costumes etc, I thought it would be best to go with something smaller. The designing and making of the tickets really caught my attention though so I asked to do this and as the poster was also up for grabs, we thought it would be better if two people were to work on them so Anna and I have been chosen to design and create the tickets and posters, aswell as helping with the set building if we would like too.

Once this was sorted, we got onto the rehearsal. During this lesson, we sang through and started to choreograph Bad Guys. Firstly, we sat in a big semi circle and sang through the song a few times to make sure that the notes and tempo were right. We then had to stand next to someone else who was able to sing the correct notes and really sing it out well, but I just stayed where I was because I felt that I knew it well enough anyway and I didn't need anyone elses help. After, Ms Williams decided that she wanted to start choreographing it. We had to get into two lines, tallest at the back and smallest in the front. Half of us had to bob down on the 1st beats and the other half on the 3rd beats. Whilst we repeatedly did this, miss got Jodie and Millie to stand in front of us and to sing out the verses that they both sing togther in the song. However, it was really hard to hear them and they were hardly trying so when miss went over to the piano to play, she got a little annoyed as she couldn't even hear them. As we are now getting closer to the show, I think it's a real shame that people are still hardly trying and its just bringing us all down. Everyone needs to get over the embarrasment and just give it all they have as we only have one shot at this. Hollie will also be added into this song when she returns to school. The song 'Bad Guys' is only meant for Fat Sam's gang but as we only have a small cast we've had to include everyone else in it except for Bugsy, Sam, Smolsky and O'Dreary. Once we had finished rehearsing, we all moved onto 'You Give a Little Love'. It all sounded fine and I think everyone has got the hang of the song now, it just needs a little bit of volume. As this is the last song in the show, it fades out towards the end but as we come to an end in the song we repeatedly sing two lines. Miss got half of the group to sing the line and the other half to sing the da's. I didn't really like this idea as its the last song in the show and its where everyone all comes together, so I feel it would've been nice if we all sang it together. However, we didn't spend long on this as it was time for break.

After break, we all made our way to the hall for our rehearsal. For this lesson, we carried on from where we last finished from the week before, in the middle of Act 1. Tallulah isn't needed on the stage for much in Act 1 and only really has a couple of scenes but during this period I only had time to do the second scene which lasted a lot longer than my first. During my second scene, Tallulah has to flirt with Bugsy. Although we didn't have the correct props like the table and chairs etc, which would've made it a little easier, I still think we managed to make it seem believable. However, the next time that we do do this, I will add a lot more flirting and characterisation into it which will also help Bugsy to react more and Blousey when she enters shortly after. There is also a bit where Tallulah gets frustrated at Fizzy for practising on the piano whilst she is trying to have a deep conversation with Bugsy, and as Tallulah is irritated, she has to basically shout at Fizzy and tell him to "quit the ivories and hit the shoe leather?" I find this line quite hard to get my tongue around when also having to say it quite fast and bluntly, so I will make sure that I look over it and practice it. By time the lesson had ended, we managed to get through the whole of Act 1 and it's really starting to come along. I am starting to improve in my scenes in Act 1 now as we have been over it quite a bit, but I really do need to start learning my lines as it is holding me back, quite a lot.