To follow up on what Matt said in his post concerning Goodbye Miss Monroe. I watched this show every night and most rehearsals. The acting environment was quite new to me and I learnt so much from where I sat every night in the lighting box with the two computers one on either side of me that I had to work whilst following a script for cues. Liam (Billy) has been a friend of mine for 34 years and I watched him work with such professionalism that it became quite evident as to why he had been a success in his previous roles. I was as surprised as anyone in the early days when we would talk on the phone about this man Jack Cole that I, as a dancer and complete devotee of the MGM dance style, had never heard of him. I am always measured in my praise coming from a ballet background, where the validation is not always forthcoming. But on that opening night after the lights went up I was so very proud of my friend and his accomplishment of writing a directing a brilliant piece of theatre. Shit I think I even cried at one stage but of course that was in the dark. Matt and Anna two extraordinary actors who play the lead roles truly bring these characters to life which was a very difficult thing to do. Never for a single moment when you watch these two do you think of them as anyone but the person they are playing, utterly believable at every minute which is the essence of live theatre I think. There was never a voice raised, never a harsh word to anyone, always encouragement and a complete willingness to evolve as the show went on. Anna Burgess is one god damn funny woman who had me in stitches every night before curtain, which Matt never complained about while doing his lines before show. Never give her a microphone if you work with her. Bahahaha Anna you know the phrase! I wont be in Melbourne for this run but it was a truly memorable experience being part of it from the beginnings with this group of people...friends. And I wish you all the inevitable success which will be forthcoming px
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 22:03:26 +0000