A huge week at my house as I embarked on five performances in the ensemble of Mamma Mia!
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I've collected a few thoughts and words of warning for other players thinking of getting "stage show" ticked off their bucket list by tripping the light fantastic after they've reached the fabulous age of 50.
Firstly, there is going to be some guilt, because this is a totally personal hobby that will take you away from your family a lot.
Hours and hours of rehearsals seem like a big commitment until you hit the theatre and the season opens, then you realise those hours were nothing compared to the performance weeks
Hours and hours of rehearsals seem like a big commitment until you hit the theatre and the season opens, then you realise those hours were nothing compared to the performance weeks.
When a fellow cast member explained she'd booked her dog into a kennel for two weeks because she wasn't going to see him enough during our nine shows, I hung my head in shame, missing my three beautiful and utterly neglected teenage girls.
Of course they were perfectly happy at home bingeing on Netflix and social media because I wasn't there to make sure they didn't.
In regard to the above-mentioned teenagers, you must be sympathetic but firm.
Yes, they were up until midnight being embarrassed by their aging mother's public performance on opening night, but they absolutely must go to school the next day so said mother can nap immediately after school drop off.
You will be tired the morning after a show. That's because you didn't leave the theatre until 11pm and your head didn't stop spinning until 1am and the alarm still went off at 6am so you could make everybody porridge and cut sandwiches.
Stay away from sharp things in general though, because your character doesn't have a bandaged hand so nor should you. My fellow cast members underwent stitches, sprains and chipped teeth. Be careful; nobody wants anybody to end up in hospital.
That nap is the only thing that's going to get you through, but don't fall in the fire in the meantime because you are so tired you're dizzy but you're so conscientious that you're still trying to keep the open fire burning to warm your ever so neglected family.
Think of yourself as Cinderella, at least you still get to go to the ball that evening, and twice the next day.