In the spotlight

It’s show week once again. This time I’m behind the scenes, operating a follow spot, which is something a bit different. At its most basic level, its a pretty straightforward task; point the light at the appropriate actor and turn it on. But as the week has gone on, the more I’ve realised that there is a real skill to doing it well. It requires far more concentration and focus than I had appreciated (someone using their smartphone in the stalls during a poignant song was incredibly distracting) along with a good sense of timing and even a certain level of artistry.

I felt like I was doing a passable impression of a reasonable followspot operator by the end of the week, but I’d certainly appreciate another opportunity to hone my skills further at some point in the future.

I think it’ll be back to treading the boards for me next though, as I’ve got several upcoming auditions for a variety of shows and I’ll just have to see what sticks!

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Don’t they fly!?

The years, I mean. WordPress kindly informed me yesterday that it was my 3 year anniversary here. That would have totally passed me by!

I celebrated by picking up my knitting for the first time in about a week. I only managed a couple of rows but something’s better than nothing.

I also went to a rehearsal last night. I’m itching to get back to rehearsing a show. But this one was for a show I’m crewing in a couple of weeks time. Backstage work is something I enjoy, and you still get the buzz of being in a theatre, but it’s not the same as being part of the cast who’ve been rehearsing for months and going out on the stage in front of an audience. So I’m keeping my eye out for other opportunities.

In other news, the cake is safely in the freezer and it remains to be seen whether it survives on the other side.