Thursday 24 February 2011
The first two panto evenings were mostly okay. The first night was nervy, and I was wooden (but I do get killed off twice in the show, so the ability to play dead is a bonus!). The second night went very well for everyone, it seems, but I couldn't seem to get it together, and was getting quite miserable about it.
On Thursday, however, everyone fell apart. No-one had mentioned 'the Scottish Play' by name in the dressing room before the performance, and this must've jinxed us. The King forgot all his lines; the musical director had the piano in the wrong key; everyone missed bits out; and I completely forgot to sing one of the lines in my first song (standing there like a guppy, trying to catch up!). This cheered me up immensely (don't know why), and I was keen for a bit of after-show entertainment.
A few friends in the audience were going for food, so I suggested Mamma Mia's, forgetting they don't open Thursdays in the winter, but when we got there they were open. And packed. It turns out it was 'Chigna Pempti' (or something like that) - which is Burnt Thursday - the last Thursday before Lent, when the last of the meat is traditionally grilled, and a bit of a knees up is had before austerity begins. Also, as the misogynist tale goes, this is the day when the women are so busy gossiping that they forget to mind the meat and it gets burnt! Hmmm.
This is a wild night out in the Greek calendar, so there was a bazouki band; Spiros got out his trumpet; and everyone was dancing.
I didn't stay late - thought I'd better run through my lines one more time before bed.
The first two panto evenings were mostly okay. The first night was nervy, and I was wooden (but I do get killed off twice in the show, so the ability to play dead is a bonus!). The second night went very well for everyone, it seems, but I couldn't seem to get it together, and was getting quite miserable about it.
On Thursday, however, everyone fell apart. No-one had mentioned 'the Scottish Play' by name in the dressing room before the performance, and this must've jinxed us. The King forgot all his lines; the musical director had the piano in the wrong key; everyone missed bits out; and I completely forgot to sing one of the lines in my first song (standing there like a guppy, trying to catch up!). This cheered me up immensely (don't know why), and I was keen for a bit of after-show entertainment.
A few friends in the audience were going for food, so I suggested Mamma Mia's, forgetting they don't open Thursdays in the winter, but when we got there they were open. And packed. It turns out it was 'Chigna Pempti' (or something like that) - which is Burnt Thursday - the last Thursday before Lent, when the last of the meat is traditionally grilled, and a bit of a knees up is had before austerity begins. Also, as the misogynist tale goes, this is the day when the women are so busy gossiping that they forget to mind the meat and it gets burnt! Hmmm.
This is a wild night out in the Greek calendar, so there was a bazouki band; Spiros got out his trumpet; and everyone was dancing.
I didn't stay late - thought I'd better run through my lines one more time before bed.
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