This was our first rehearsal of the final scene, therefore my
first ‘dying’ experience! I was quite excited about this; violent
scenes are quite fun to rehearse/perform!
There were quite a lot of us and a good few lines to give
out, so we started off with reading through the script together. I’d learned my
lines the night before and had gone over them in my head a lot throughout the
day, so I was sure I remembered them - I did, except for the fact
that I forgot the last part of each line the first time round...
Once we all knew what lines we were saying and had decided how I’d
travel to ‘London Bridge’ (with an imaginary Oliver for now as Natasha couldn't make it to the rehearsal), we went about putting the scene together.With each rehearsal, I put everything I could into looking petrified of the possibility that I was being followed. I stifled a laugh a couple of times... Once because I tripped whilst running to the 'bridge' and once due to the fact that Mrs. Culkin began to hum 'Food, Glorious Food,' in order to provide the tense music that would underscore the scene! Mrs. Culkin also got a laugh at one point, when I told Raees (Bill) that I’d
forgotten part of my line whilst still trying to look terrified of him!
Then it was time for the fun bit! It (hopefully) won't be fun for the audience though... I was told to stumble and fall as
Bill killed my character, which followed a scream. I’m not used to screaming on
command yet, which I pre-warned Mrs. Culkin about, but – to my surprise – it came kind of naturally! The first time we properly rehearsed Nancy's death,
it went really well with a loud scream and a dramatic murder and everything!
We, including Mrs. Culkin, were happy with this part of the scene every time we
rehearsed it.
As Nancy dies near the start of
the scene, I realised that I’m never going to get to see what the
rest of it looks like! I could hear it, though, and I caught the end of Bill’s
death (which Mrs. Culkin had way too much fun demonstrating to Raees how to
do!) once. At one point, I lifted my head to watch the scene after Nancy's death; I didn't think it would do much harm to do so just once. However, not long after I'd raised my head, Mrs. Culkin told me I was still dead... Never mind!
Each time I ‘died,’ I had pretty
much the exact same thought process. The process always began with ‘This is
uncomfortable… I can’t move though - I’m
supposed to be dead!’ Admittedly, I did move my arm, hand and leg a few times…
My thoughts of discomfort were often followed with ‘I can’t feel my hand;' I usually
landed with it tucked beneath my head. Other thoughts included: ‘I think this would look more effective with my hair
left down and curled... Oh, I hope it curls!’ (My hair usually refuses to curl…),
‘I wonder what outfit I’ll be wearing here… Let’s hope it’s a long dress if it’s
a dress then it doesn’t make the falling awkward,’ and ‘Oh no! What if my shoes
fly off my feet as I fall? Wait, what shoes will I be wearing?’ At first, I
assumed that I’d be wearing the kitten heels that I’d be wearing in ‘Oom-Pah-Pah,’
but then realised that Nancy probably wouldn’t make the decision to wear heels
whilst sneaking out behind Bill Sykes' back...
About the kitten heels, though,
they arrived and they fit my feet!
When I got home, I tried the shoes on and practised walking in them – they’re
not actually that high, so I found it fairly easy! I wanted to practice dancing
in the shoes as well, but all that ‘dying’ seemed to have taken a toll on my
neck - I could barely move it! I can’t wait to rehearse ‘Oom-Pah-Pah’
again and, now I’ve got my kitten heels, I’m even more excited; roll on 18th
April!
I'm even more excited than I was about the show in general, now we've at least blocked it all, as well - I can't wait!
-Zahra♥
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