work, rehearsal, work, show, show, sleeeeeeep

*Enter stage left, girl with extremely tired look on her face. She sits and just stares into middle distance. There's no way to get a response out of her unless it involves doing something in the performance or poking her*

That was me yesterday...of course not on the stage itself, but backstage during tech/dress rehearsal.

I am so tired. Admittedly I'm feeling MUCH more human today than I did yesterday (I nearly passed out about 10 times at work and almost couldn't handle blinking, because closing my eyes for a second meant risking falling asleep) and I couldn't go home as I had a few things needed to be done which HAD to be done yesterday.
Waking at 7 after having gone to bed at 12 is EVIL, especially when you know you can't go to bed early that evening and you're going to wake at 7 again the next day. However I've been running around sorting out stuff at work, so I don't have that extra worry on my mind as I'm nearly up to date with everything

I have to confess, I'm now a little relieved I didn't get a main role. My brain bleeds enough with the tune/rhythm having to be kept up by the chorus. We all believe now that Sondheim didn't like the cast very much when he wrote it. Sounds great when it works but BLOODY HELL! If you miss a tiny rhythm catching up is like running after a terrified horse.
So anyway, this week started hectic. Sunday was the get-in (seeing the theatre for the first time) and we didn't leave until 11 (though I got the impression we would have left later, had the Director not come in and said 'everyone you've worked hard now go home and sleep' as the DA started giving little talks), meaning Tom and I didn't get home til 12 and as we were already shattered from rehearsals, the need to sleep until 9 was tampered by having to wake at 7 the next day. I woke up thinking 'oh it's fine I'll go to bed early toni...oh no wait...damn'. It was another 12 bedtime for us. Bear in mind this was AFTER work and AFTER rehearsals. By the end of Monday, I was completely zombified and having to be extremely careful not to snap at those who pissed me off. I ended up making my way to the hall where no one was back stage with Tom following me wondering was what up, to which I burst into tears. I was so exhausted and couldn't face going to work the next day. I needed to sleep. Fortunately, that little cry and Tom hugging me and refusing to let go helped me out a little and I was able to pull myself together. The rest of the evening was spent either staring into space or rehearsing.
Oh yes and just to mention, I've been told I look like a womble in my lunatic outfit. Short hair and a dirty sack apparently are an interesting look for me. I can emphasise the character even more by hunching and doing exactly what mum hates me doing with my posture. I knew that would come in handy some point!
Needless to say I would now like to say a HUGE thank you to Tom for having thought ahead about food and making stew for us to sample before we leave for rehearsals. Otherswise we would die at around 8. So a big pot of stew awaits us everyday when we get back from work. Admittedly the stew part was my idea as it's choddy so contains everything to give us a healthy meal, but the food part was his :)

Woke up today, feeling....a little more human. I have a headache which is haunting the back of my head, but I have tablets in case it decides to pounce.
Many people have taken the day off for the next few show days as going into work THEN doing the play, may very well kill us. Luckily, my boss is wonderful and let me use my last two days of holiday on Thursday on Friday so COME ON LIE IN!! And as tomorrow is the opening of the show, I've asked if I can leave work early, to which she said I could leave at 12.30 (usually it's 1 that people are meant to leave, but she said in my case...). So it'll be home to sleep for an hour. God that's going to be welcome.

But anyway, the play itself is great fun, the stage is terrific and the people doing it all enjoy themselves so we work well as a team. Of course there's still the occasional struggle with words but...dude...this is Sondheim. Singing his songs is like trying to pull out a thorn out of a finger whilst on a crashing truck. However as the hardest bit is not knowing the lines, but remembering which go where like a puzzle, it's worked on.

Anyway, show days begin tomorrow so...onwards and out!

Update

I haven't updated my blog in a good while, I know. But there's good reason for this. First work. I'm currently innundated with stuff I HAVE to do by the end of November. On top of that I have to answer the phone and e-mails which are none stop. On top of that I keep getting colleagues coming up to me asking me to do things which I have to do at that moment as they can't and it's urgent.
Ok work shouldn't stop me from updating, but it does when I come home feeling absolutely shattered, not wanting to do anything, when there's a load of things i do need to be doing at home (not essential, but have to be done at some point).
Now these next couple of weeks are going to be manic. Sweeney Todd is coming to an end in a couple of weeks. We've got mid-week rehearsals coming up and the get-in (seeing the theatre for the first time) on Sunday next week, then dress, tech and final rehearsals THEN the show in two weeks.
I've taken Thursday and Friday for off for the show, or I'll may die from feeling so tired. I've enjoyed these rehearsals and looking forward to the show itself, but unfortunately because of rehearsals I'll be missing Saskia's third birthday celebration. I can now see my mum's reaction...yes..i know
On the same day they're having the 'adult' celebration for Saskia, there's the rehearsal from 10am til 10.30-11pm which Tom and I can't miss unless we want to mess things up for everyone. We made up for it a little by babysitting the other day, but still it's a huge shame we can't go. However, these next couple of weeks are going to be exhausting and I can't wait until the year is over. Everything's manic.

However, the next play I'm looking forward to immensely. It's Weird Sisters by Terry Pratchet and I'm crossing every digit in hope that I have a chance at getting Magrat (the youngest, slightly ditzy witch). However, even if I don't, I may be in the postcard advertising it which is awesome for me. Auditions are in Feb and I'm really looking forward to them.

On some other random topics, I've had an old college 'buddy' contact me via friends reunited, wanting to meet up. I wouldn't mind meeting up to see if she's changed but I'm also a little reluctant as she messed me around a little in college. In the second year I was her 'convenience friend', the person she turned to when no one else was around. However, I'm willing to give her chance to see if she's changed, but I'm not going to be tagged along like I was last time.

Typhoo's extremely happy to have Tom and I there. She won't stop following us when we're at home and accepts any cuddles we give her hungrily. I get the impression she's not happy with being left for 8 hour straight everyday. But then we make up for it but making dinner, then sitting in front of the TV for a few hours before bed, whilst pampering her (I've had to clean Tom off a few times as his shirts have become fur coats)
Oh we also hugely appreciate having an iron and I may invest in one for the future.

So apart from manic work, tiring rehearsals, not much else is happening.

Oh one last thing, Tom and I went to see Borat on Wednesday. It's so offensive it's hysterical. The things he says/does are so ridiculous they CAN'T be taken seriously, which is why it astonished me the way people reacted to him. If you saw someone like him in London you'd think him a street act!
At certain scenes Tom and I were trying desperately to climb into the upholstry of the cinema chairs whilst tears of laughter poured down our faces. It makes Curb your Enthusiasm seem like a news reel. It's the epitamy of absudity and it's unbelievable he can get away with it without being arrested or put in hospital.

It's a truly funny film, not to be seen if offense it taken easily, but as I said, he's so extreme, it can't not be seen as a joke.