
(Picture above shows Jennie Fox as Thetis and Glyn Williams as Peleus (c) Avril Jones Photography)
On Sunday 22 April 30 actors from the cast of Olympus - including 8 children arrived at The Questors Theatre in Ealing at 9.30am.
Two hours later we had run through an hour long version of the show, with the remarkable Ted Robinson holding it all together as a narrator, dressed as The Greek God Hermes. Only 14 years old, Ted had his 7 or 8 monologues - linking narratives - off pat. And he only had the script the week before. His first entrance through the trap door, we felt, would get the show off to a good start! (And it did...) Christopher Backway, too, excelled as the young Homer, taking the pressure in his stride.
At 12pm Maggie, the Stage manager called time on the tech rehearsal but we had got to the final number, so had broken the back of the show and acclimatised to the Questors Space and it's remarkable set design by Alex Marker.
Graham Mountain and Alister Morton sorted lights and sound and though Ian Rae was placed with his keyboard on the high walkway at the back - he still managed to follow everyone...just!
We did the show acoustically - no mikes - and the workshoppy feel of principals in costume and ensemble in blacks gave a real essence of the piece
Penny Parks drilled the movement that afternoon in a rehearsal room - then it was a cup of tea on the green opposite before performing OLYMPUS to around 100 people that afternoon.
Next step - hone the detail ready for The Ashcroft Theatre in two weeks time and a whole new set of technical requirements. The momentum is building now - it is a race against time! The show is aptly named!