An Update

March 9th

Well as the weather wracks outside my window with wind, rain, snow and then whatever else has been picked up and blown across to rattle along our street. As this is all going on and the cats lie at my feet, I thought I better keep my word and jot a few more notes down for your enjoyment.

But firstly, I would like to thank the audiences. Yes, I would like to thank the public that have graced us with their company. For after all without our nightly paying guests, our performance, our 'art' would be nothing. So many thanks to you all, a very key ingredient to our production. I'd also if I may, take the opportunity to thank the House Managers and ushers, who keep the peace, tidy the theatre, become the welcoming faces at the start of the night and especially to the House Managers and Todd and Rachael in the box office who look after the theatre as we thrash about on stage. Oh and a big thanks to anyone who has kept up with my waffle, poor spelling and lapses in grammar. Oh and before I forget a big thank you to Jon and his willingness to talk about his experiences at The Market Theatre in Soweto in the 70's and 80's.

So if you had read my last blog, I described how I tried to avoid direct emotional experience to enhance the performance. Unfortunately, I didn't say it was unavoidable, did I? Also while working so closely with Will for so long, there are now those moments on stage where I don't know if it's 'in the moment' or the fact that as I've shared the company so long with this incarnation of Andre, that I really do get very choked with emotion at the end, and as a by product I can't help reflecting on my friends and loved ones that I have lost in my life.

As for talking about losing my Dad, I thought about that for a snap second on Saturday, and I nearly lost the plot, so I will stick to thinking of my character's father in future, and after all isn't that what having the God given gift of imagination is all about. That after all is what part of the challenge of acting is - the use of imagination.

One thing that I should report, last night as Andre was saying 'To be or not to be', I lapsed into dwelling on one friend I lost recently. Guardsman Darryl Hickey KIA in Helmand, Afghanistan 2007. So I suppose Daz, that one was for you. I also want to add that once again this has been one of my most treasured Theatrical experiences and I will always be in debt to Mr. Lyman. After all 'Everybody loves Will'. (If you have been to the talkbacks you'd really know what I'm talking about, although yes there is a little bit of inspiration to Raymond.)

Well must go.

Yours Aye,
Ross