Careful what you wish for...they can come true

I think Friday I received possibly the best news I have in a very long time, something which actually made me jump up and down and squeal happily (bear in mind we were in a station and I’m a ‘who’s watching worrier’
I finish work, actually feeling relaxed due to being on top of everything. Of course, I still had things to do, but I couldn’t do them until Monday, so I was chirpy enough as it was.
I get to the station and see Tom leaning on a pillar waiting for me as usual. He tells me he has some news for me and as he puts my book away in his bag as it’s too big to put in my own and he knows I like having my hands free to hold onto the train and bus, I notice he’s smiling very smugly but trying desperately not to show it. For a flash of a moment, the briefest second, I knew what it was. However, I pushed it from my mind and waited til he’d finished as I’m usually wrong with those kind of things. This time however, I wasn’t.
He then turned to me and told me that the girl who’d previous being the lead female role had to drop out due to personal reasons and the director informed him that:
I am to play Magrat in Wyrd Sisters.
I had a ‘moments pause before I could move, yet they feel like years’ moment as I digested this, I checked he was being serious, then, feeling extremely light headed and thinking ‘I’m going to wake up at work and find I’ve gone insane aren’t I?’ I hugged him whilst jumping up and down and squealing. Naturally, after talking to Tom, I felt sympathy for the girl who had to drop out as I knew she’d been keen on the part, but that didn’t prevent me from being over the moon. From the moment I heard Purple was doing this play, I LONGED, with every fibre in my being to get that part. I waited for months until the auditions and read and re-read the script to familiarise myself with it, to accustom myself to the character. I remember, the first time I read the book I thought ‘if Purple ever does this show, I would love to play Magrat.’
When the girl they picked for the part walked into the room, my heart sank. She looked perfect for the part and I knew I’d lost it.
Although I’ve had fun at the rehearsals seeing the part I was so keen on being played by someone else was a little disheartening, but hell that’s theatre so I just swallowed feeling bummed out and tried to enjoy the show. She was a good actress, she did the part well, at least the play would have a good crew. And I enjoyed hanging out with mates and just watching my Larp friends have a great time in their parts.
To be told, when you’d settled into the part quite contentedly and you were ready to play the part allocated, that the part you were desperate for has suddenly come into availability again and you’re picked to play it…well, I grabbed the opportunity by the horns. I don’t think I’ve stopped tingling yet.
I have less than 2-3 weeks to learn the words…and this role isn’t a quiet one…and I’ve read on Tom’s blog it’s selling out.
Let’s just say, on Saturday, when we were doing a role-play event which Tom had written out, I did not put that script down. I read it and re-read it and wrote down the hard paragraphs to learn them properly and read it again, got the others to test me during breaks, until they turned round to me and forced me to put the book down for the sake of my sanity (‘you’re going to go crazy otherwise and it may effect the way you learn the words’). They could see I was getting tense and knew if I kept reading I would unsettle myself.

On Sunday, I was offered SO much support by the cast and crew. Everyone was lovely, offering me luck and telling me they were right behind me. Judith and Mandy who play the other witches told me if I ever needed anything not to hesitate to ask and they’d be there backing me up. End of act one run through and I was told I was doing well. As I’d been at every rehearsal, watching the directions and listening to the words, I was able to slip into the part fairly easily (of course there’s still some tweaking to do, but I had an idea of what I was doing).
One draw back is, I don’t have blond hair, so I’m going to wear a wig. I’ve been asked if I could dye my hair just for that show…..no. Point blank. I don’t like the thought of my hair going so light in reality. Wearing a wig, yes, but I don’t have the right complexion for dyed hair.
Mandy had bought a selection of blond wigs, but I just ended up looking like Marilyn Monroe on steroids having a really bad hair day, so after I noticed Mandy couldn’t keep a straight face when I was talking to her, I took it off.

So I’m about 40% there with the lines, and if I really put my mind to it I can do the accent (though I’ve noticed I can’t stop doing it when I’m imitating others or reading) but I’ve been told I need to be dimmer. I’m too ‘smart’ at the moment, so when performing or reading the script, I going to keep an image of the young woman who plays Bubbles in Ab Fab in my head as a reminder.

Although I’m bricking it, I’m so focused on learning the words, I’m sure I’ll be fine.
If I think of it in any other way, I’ll panic and I won’t be.

But I just want to say a huge thanks to those of you who’ve offered me so much support. I really appreciate the optimism everyone’s thrown my way. It’s helped!!

Anyway…on with the show