From the depths of the pit

Coming to you live from the orchestra pit at the Peacock Theatre... It's finally London show week for the panto, so a full day of delights is lined up. It began with the sound check (an enormously lengthy exercise where each instrument plays into its allocated mic for a couple of minutes while the sound man pretends to adjust the levels. I say pretend, because ultimately only the electric instruments can be heard in the final mix) at 11.30 this morning. We're now at 2pm and have reached song number two. It is likely to be a long day, enlivened only by the consumption of too many sweeties, the odd game of Scrabble (well, that's the french horn section anyway) and the reading out of snippets from Heat magzine (thanks, Dan).

The rest of the band has already done one weekend of the show a couple of weeks back in Glasgow, but I was doing concerts so couldn't make it. That was a shame, because the trip away is normally the sweetener for doing the London run. Not that the London run isn't fun, but combining it with attending credit meetings during the day is likely to be somewhat knackering. The fascination of spreadsheets and conference calls, fairly thin to begin with, dwindles entirely away when one is spending the evenings bopping along to Alphabeat..

Ok, I confess I'd never actually heard of Alphabeat. In fact, I reckon I've heard of about two-thirds of the songs this year (a pretty good ratio for me), but even so I know from experience that I'll find myself hearing some of them in shops and bars over the next few months and startling companions by going "aaaaaah! THAT's how this one goes!"

Right. I suppose I'd better go. Take That coming up...

Freebietastic

Busy week this week - and can't stop now as I've got to get to the shops, find a chair from somewhere, visit my reed man, cook lots of food, put away the laundry and generally acquire a state of readiness and zen calm (either that or gin) for the arrival of hundreds of dinner guests...

But in the week I tested the Entertainment / Economy scale to the max, with freebie tickets to a tremendous and electrifying concert at the Barbican on Tuesday, and one free ticket for the theatre (musicians' comps, dahling!  It was the play I recorded some music for) on Thursday.  The play was great, and the music as a whole (which I had never heard more than the tiniest portion of) was amazing* with some incredible tabla playing, apparently done by 'a mate of Dave's who lives in North London'

You should go and see the play, particularly as it is on in a tiny low budget and very cute theatre for actors / directors / composers who are trying to build a CV.  Support the arts!  Put your money where your mouth is!

The Recognition of Sakuntala

Union Theatre, Union Street - nr. Southwark Tube.

*Even the bits I was playing.  Although every time I could hear myself it did distract me from what was happening on stage...  Oh, the vanity!

Fourth century sanskrit and Sleeping Beauty

So I spent this morning recording music written by a friend of mine for a new adaptation of the fourth century Indian tale, The Recognition of Sakuntala, which is on at the Union Theatre at the end of the month.

What I heard of the music was fantastic, although it was only me there - the other instruments will be added later - so it's hard to get the full sense of what it will be like.  Lots of cor anglais stuff, which would have been delicious in the hands of a more competent player...  Although I believe with the wonders of modern technology they can move around the actual notes I played until they are in tune.  Isn't that lovely? 

Anyway, I am hoping to go along to see the play and will fight the urge to leap up and shout "That's me!  That's me!" every time the music comes on.  Of course, if it all sounds farty and horrible then I'll keep my head down.

From the sublime to the (intentionally) ridiculous, tomorrow:  panto rehearsal.  Which means I'll have that damn Take That song stuck in my head for the rest of the week.  Aargh!

This year is Sleeping Beauty.  Typical aggravating plot:  the hero arrives to woo her because he's heard that she is beautiful; she gets to marry him because he's rich.  That'll do a lot for the bloody celebrity-obsessed WAG-aspiring young girls in the audience, won't it?  

I appreciate that it would be a little far-fetched for him to rock up for her engaging and intellectual conversation, but it wouldn't hurt if her reputation was for, say, kindness or generosity or something, would it?  Bah!  Still, despite him courting her with his unfeasibly gorgeous eyelashes and sweet rendition of aforementioned song, he's [shhhhhh!!] not really into princesses (beautiful or otherwise).  So it will all end in tears when he dumps her for the next handsome prince that comes riding up...  Don't tell the kiddies, though.  It would break five hundred pre-pubescent hearts in a single stroke.

Elegant juxtaposition

Well, hot on the heels of an evening of Brandenburgs, I spent new year's eve at Horse Meat Disco.  Was there ever a finer juxtaposition of cultural events?  I think not.  

It was a great night, although I'm told that there were fisticuffs in the gents toilets over a missing pot of glitter.  No such trouble in the ladies, although I did get complimented on my outfit by a drag queen while I was in there.  I've yet to decide whether that is a good or bad thing.  

The following night I went to August:  Osage County at the National Theatre.  Fantastic.  It's sold out, but what with all the lurgies flying about there are a good smattering of returns to be had.  I highly recommend it if you can get there before it closes in a couple of weeks.   It's an epic 3h 20m long, but the time just flies by as you become completely engrossed in this crazy disfunctional family gathering.  I absolutely loved it.  

Tomorrow will be interesting: I'm recording some music for a play.   Very exciting!