Rehearsals have kicked off. The last two days have been INTENSE. Having spent the weekend pouring over the first half of both Mary Stuart and Twelfth Night a couple of weekends ago we were ready to get up on our feet on the first day.
It was straight in at the deep-end; we started with the scene that is the crux of Mary Stuart, the entirely fictional and hugely dramatic meeting between Mary and Queen Elizabeth. It is fireworks and in a rehearsal process that encourages a certain irreverence it had moments of being explosive at the very first read through.
In our rehearsal room nothing is set. We have no limits or restrictions other than those of the play. The play is a work of fiction and this meeting of queens is a dramatic experiment by Schiller. So just as he has said ‘What would’ve happened if these two powerful women had met?’ we are asking the question 'What would happen if I was that woman confined by none of my experience of the historical figure that she truly was but only by what the text I am holding in my hand tells me? What is her essence? How is the story of the text and who she truly is best conveyed to an audience?’ That is what we have been doing for the last few days. Exciting stuff.
The last few days have involved the thrill of status games opposite the actress playing Mary. Being adored by my lords. Big boots. Marching. Beyonce. Rave. Comedy mime. A hell of a lot of eye contact and many many laughs.
I got home last night and felt an accuse sense of loss that I would never have the day I had in the rehearsal room ever again. I won’t but I did have today and I will have tomorrow and the day after and after until the seven weeks of performances.
Not a bad way to feel about going to work is it?