Ripping up the text!

Yeah, out of the frying pan and into the fire. That is a typical day two of rehearsal. Actors always feel the need to be up and moving . I'm terrible for it.

"In my experience we should look at character now, or later on we'll just run out of time." Rhys tells the company.

So we begin looking into the text looking for clues. These guys (Characters) have a background, a home life, and family and friends. We've just got to find them.

Rehearsing in this way means a couple of things. One is that we put of blocking. The reason being that the blocking (Moves) will happen in quite natural manner once you've decided on character relationships. The seconds is that as a company we begin to realise through our discovery, that Nevilles Island is deeply complex. Especially a studio production. It requires a realness as the audience is practically on the Island with you.

This is scary. As actors you begin to doubt yourself, looking at the time frame and thinking "Ahh we'll never make it". It's out of the comfort zone and settling for anything other than truth. Our truth, our decisions as a company.

Better that than a whole load of pointless moves in day one and two. Just to make ourselves feel comfortable, and that we're getting ahead!!!

Heart beating ten to the dozen. I just hope I can sleep.