Week one in the boat

Welcome to the Now is the Hour blog, this is the first instalment of our in rehearsal updates.
What insider gossip can I tell you so far?

On first reading the script is very hard to visualise, the entire second act we are at sea with the cast of 12 in an 1940’s Cunard White Star Line lifeboat (think Titanic style but smaller). After meeting the director, and the boat, yes a real one! Brought, rather fittingly, in exchange for a bottle of rum, for the original one act production of the play which premiered at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe, things seemed to slip into place like oars into rowlocks.

The story is based on the sinking of the RMS Laconia, in 1942, many of the characters are based on real people or tell real stories which is an exciting and daunting prospect for the cast. Already after five rehearsals I feel like I’m beginning to understand and relate to my character, Katriona Bowe-Lennox , a Scottish aristocrat, returning to her two young children from Egypt, as ever with the aristocracy things may not be quite as innocent as they seem; especially her friendship with the handsome New Zealand “fly boy”, Peter Medhurst. The prospect of singing on stage for the first time in 10 years is a little … daunting?

The cast is a mainly male selection, and includes familiar Maddermarket faces, familiar Norwich faces (Crude Apache and Great Hall may recognise some of their number) and some completely new faces, alongside a professional Guest Director, Stuart Dennison, who worked on the original production. Our first week has seen us physicalizing the horrors of sun exposure, dehydration and fatigue as well as getting to grips with the intentions of the characters.

We are still looking for one actor to play the roguish, accordion playing Major Simpson, late 40’s to early 60’s, he doesn’t have a lot to say for himself but is a key role, if you are free and fancy the opportunity to work with a new director in a world premier; do get in touch with the office, office@maddermarket.org!

That’s all for now, keep an eye out for more information coming soon!