Practise makes perfect
Cast had the opportunity to polish their performances yesterday during our dress rehearsal. There was a buzz of excitement in the air as they changed clothes and became their characters, and the run through went smoothly.
It was also a fantastic opportunity to view Aston Hall in the candle light. Though the hall at night does make for extremely cold conditions, with the last visitor gone, the hall becomes extremely still and quiet and you begin to feel extremely aware of the history, it’s almost tangible. It becomes much easier to imagine how those in previous centuries would have lived. This was a valuable experience for the cast as it helped them inhabit their roles and remember why we are creating such a project.
We're live!
The first day of our promenade performances went really well. The first show drew so many audience members that Dick’s Garret was packed to the rafters. The footballer’s wife thought there must have been a sari sale on!
It was great to see actors interact with the audience as it added an extra dimension, breathing life into the characters and the hall itself. Mildred's rendition of 'Old Man River' was so heartfelt, it brought a tear to the eyes of a few.
We recieved some positive feedback from audience members who enjoyed the mix of old and new tales and thought our concept was unique.
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| Our cast and creative team |
We began in the Great Hall, with the introduction song 'Aston's Working 'and 'Elizabeth the Housekeeper's Story, 1650'.
We moved upstairs to the sounds of teenage boys chanting 'Aston Villa' and filed into the Great Dining Room for 'Mike's story, 2013'.
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| The teenage boys from Mike's story |
'The Hawk's story, 1649' followed in Charles I Bedroom.
'Brenda's story, 2013' was in the Long Gallery.
After a short walk up to the servant's quarters in the attic, the audience saw 'Henry the Farming Tenant's story, 1650' and 'Shibli's story, 2013'.
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| Laura, the footballer's wife, waiting for her cue |
Then it was back down the stairs to the kitchen to see the 'Dairymaid's story, 1650'.
With the finale, 'Abi's story, 2013' taking place in the Great Hall, followed by a lovely rendition of 'Old Man River', sung by Mildred to close the show.
Come and join us tomorrow for a new look at Aston's working class. Two performances will be shown, one at 1pm and the other at 3pm. We are based at Aston Hall, Trinity Road, Birmingham, B6 6JD. See you there!
