Thursday Rehearsal 16th Nov

3 hours have never disappeared quite so quickly as they did last night!

The cast worked exceptionally hard in the hands of "Dame", "Alice" and Director to get the last three (and biggest) songs choreographed for the opening number, Let Me Entertain You, Who Will Buy and I'm a Believer. They all looked fab by the end of the evening and Dame especially looked very pleased with himself for choreographing a song! - forget them by Monday at your peril!!

I scaled the ladder and hung one of the drapes of fabric for the Sultan's Palace set from the stage roof to check for length with the help of Setman. I had this idea that I wanted the set to look like the inside of a Bedouin tent with wide drapes of fabric in front of a plain dropcloth, so having bought the fabric and worked out how we are going to sew loops on it and hooks to the hardback and side flats it was time to see if the theory would work in practice or if the cast would have material on their heads!

I think it will work as the set crew are going to have the completed 'tent' in a large plastic box with a carabina attached, ready to hoist the centre up into the roof space and then attach each panel of fabric to the back and sides of the set.

All the harem girls tried on their costumes for Arabian Nights which Director's Mum has made for me. Apart from a couple of gripes over bare stomachs most are happy (ish!) and Bilgewater FINALLY has a costume. Phew.

I've broken the back of the sewing now and just have 2 dames costumes left to alter, one dress for Alice and lots of bits (fairy wings to customise, my hat to embellish, remaining sultan's drapes to hem). My main concern & worry has switched from the costumes to getting the set finished. We have no drops completed yet, the double hardback still to paint and I have another shopping list for B&Q on Saturday. More ******* shopping!

Let the hall wide awake, grinning like a Cheshire cat and unable to go to sleep. Ticket sales up to 454 out of a possible 938. We only sold 560 ish for Treasure Island last year - including door sales.

TWO weeks today is opening night!!

Lyric of the Blog: " Take your passion, and make it happen. Pictures come alive, you can dance right through your life" Irene Cara