The Inn at Lydda in rehearsals: Week three
Assistant Director Isabel Marr shares an insight into the rehearsal process for The Inn at Lydda.
So we’ve come to the end our third week of rehearsals for The Inn at Lydda. With the basic physical shape of each scene having been worked out in week one - and without yet having the pressure of needing to focus on runs, as often becomes the case in week four - this is arguably the most important time in a rehearsal period. Over the course of weeks two and three we’ve been going back over each scene in more rigorous detail but also with a much more playful and experimental approach. This is the time when we’ve had the fewest constraints in our method of discovering the ins and outs of these characters and this story, and in realizing the overall tone and feel we’re trying to achieve. We’ve also continued to pick apart the language (sometimes, still, changing it – though we’re hoping our ever-evolving script will be locked in at least a few days before we open…)
One of the many highlights of last week was having the incredible fight director, Kevin McCurdy, come in to choreograph our fight scenes and help us with a few potentially hairy moments of sword wielding. Admittedly, our fight scenes are few and far between and not quite as bloodthirsty as many of the company would have liked, given how much fun everyone has working with Kevin. But they’re there! We were also joined by our choreographer, Sian Williams, who’s been creating a dance number for Chris Lew Kum Hoi’s character (it’s brilliantly raunchy) as well as our composer, Nick Powell, who’s been teaching the company a beautifully haunting choral number to open the show.
Of course, the company being off-book has been another hugely liberating part of weeks two and three (heavy on the three) and of course not having the restraint of scripts-in-hands leaves room for all the more the prop requests. As a general rule for our company - who are largely male - having a free hand means there’s room for either a SWORD or a STICK! (Not to play to stereotypes…) Amongst some of the other great prop requests stage management has been asked for are a leg of cooked chicken, a blood bag and a now-notorious stuffed beaver hand puppet… don’t ask.
But possibly the most exciting part of last week was having our first couple of sessions in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. Those who hadn’t worked in the playhouse before were able to get properly acquainted with the space, and there was, of course, lots of playing with candles. This involved tasks like trying to work out how to create the effect of a solar eclipse without having to try and to snuff-out and re-light 72 candles within the space of a few seconds. Running a scene under candlelight - in the space - for the first time really does give in the most enchanting quality, and getting some time in the SWP has I think only made us all the more eager to get started. Bring on our final week before tech!
The Inn at Lydda will play in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse from 2 – 17 September. Book tickets.
Image © Marc Brenner