Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr me hearties!
Greetings and welcome to the blog. I’m Luke and I’m delighted to be bringing this week’s edition to you. I’m so pleased we are doing this show, it’s always been one of my favourites as it was pretty much the very first musical I was ever part of waaaay back when I was but a young whipper-snapper. Well the years have rolled by, but I still love Pirates of Penzance as much, if not more, than I ever did.
The music is fantastic – real proper singing that tests us to our limits and pushes us to be better which is always great. These days, I like the show even more because you get just how silly and funny it is. So – great show, great music, lots of funny stuff – and that’s before you factor in Mr Warren McWilliams adding his considerable talents to add more mayhem and hilarity, the fabulous Fay Kemal bringing out our best with some brilliant routines and the wondrous patience of Erika Gundesen who is slowly but surely getting us through the fabulously complex music.
So on Monday we were a rollicking band of Pirates as we set the opening to the show, much laughter and energy was brought to proceedings as we cavorted about, swilling from flagons of sherry and launching Jack McGinn (who plays Frederick) around. By the end, we’d all worked up a good sweat and it looks like we should be opening the show with a bang and starting like we mean to go on!
Wednesday was a singing day, Erika (along with our fabulous pianist Alex) worked with us on ‘When the Foeman Bares His Steel’ which is in Act 2 and where I’ll be playing the Sergeant which is a really fun part. This was one of 2 songs I sort of take the lead in, so a great rehearsal for me in getting this under my belt. We also did some more work on some of the other numbers and we really started to crack the end of the Act 1 finale. This is a massive 10 minute piece of music in multiple harmonies and is a bit of a nightmare when you first look at it. However, once we crack it – it will sound A. MAZ. ING! So very excitingly at the end of Wednesday we ran through the Act 1 finale from beginning to end, up to speed and you could really hear that the chaps were 95% there (no disrespect to the ladies, they were downstairs setting some dancing with Miss Fay – so this was a singing rehearsal just for the gents!).
We’ve been ploughing through the show at a good pace, and I think we’re due to go back for a few recap rehearsals which will be great. Once we get everything together, bring the humour out, start belting out those harmonies and adding in all the fab bits and pieces being added on top – I’m confident this is going to be one of our best ever shows!
So what are you waiting for, shiver those timbers, splice the mainbrace and get booking your tickets now! Else we shall have to confine ye to Davy Jones’ locker!
Pirates of Penzance runs from 7th-10th June and tickets are available to buy through the Millfield box office here:
