Making sweet music in motion

It was a school holiday but the place was full of action. The entire cast and crew had turned up alongside an army of volunteering mums and backstage hands.

It was clear that the entire group loved what they were doing and were keen on putting up a great show. And practice makes perfect.

The troupe was rehearsing a courtroom scene and I was told that this was the only scene where the entire cast was together, singing Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat. The scene is set towards the end of the musical when the lead character and bad boy Nicely Nicely Johnson is giving testimony surrounded by his gambler friends and dancers. And, I was witnessing an amazing show of teamwork in motion.

The actors were singing and dancing at the same time. On the one hand they were following instructions from Ken Haggarty, who was on the piano directing students to start or stop at a certain note and the young actors obliged, every single time. And, at the same time, they were following Kath Beck, who was choreographing the dances and showing them the moves in front.

She seemed so full of energy that at one point I thought she was sweating it out more than the youngsters on stage. She said: “In this musical, dances are huge. There are about six really big numbers and my challenge is to keep the moves simple but make it look quite big and vibrant.

“In choreography we have to make spontaneous changes because only when you see it in action can you see how it works. I practice at home in front of my mirror ... I get here and realise that it does not work and then you have to adapt as you go along!

“I love dancing and in this business you have to have a passion. The children have to see that you have that passion in order for them to get inspired. This is a very ‘boy heavy’ musical and it is good to see them shine, especially in the dances because some of them have never danced before.
 
“They ooze confidence afterwards and the pride they get from doing something so big is enormous.”

The only person sitting on the side, watching the action very keenly with a copy of the script on his lap, was Alex Farrell. He plays the principal role of Sky Masterson, a gambler and fun-loving character who falls in love with prim and proper Sarah Brown, who also happens to be an anti-gambling activist.

Alex, a sixth form student studying for his AS-Levels in Maths, Chemistry, Physics and his Grade 8 piano, hopes to achieve a private pilot’s licence before joining university and possibly pursuing a career in the Royal Air Force. He took part in last year’s school production Les Miserables, and has obviously caught the stage virus big-time.

Alex, who turns 17 on the opening night, said: “I am pretty pumped up about the show. I always grew up around music and I always enjoyed performing and being on stage.

“I am not the best actor in the world but it is fun and so I give it a go and usually it works out for the best. I am playing a smooth operator – a role where you have to be smart, clever and bring in the laughter.
 
“The fun of the whole thing and, at the same time, the challenge for me is getting into character and pretending to be someone I am not.”

The group does not miss any lessons but are rehearsing three times a week after school. So, does Alex plan to stop when he is in the all-important Year 13? “I don’t know,” he confessed. “My parents have told me that this is the last production I am going to be in, but I have a strange feeling that I will get myself involved once again.

“It is a hell of a lot of fun. There are stressful moments, long hours and loads of work but it is also worth it in the end. The responsibility of the role is the best.”

Palmyra Matner plays the part of Sarah Brown, an upstanding and moral girl who works at the Save A Soul Mission. In Year 12 studying for her AS Levels in media, English literature, art and drama, the young actress moved from backstage to onstage this year. She did the hair for the actors last year and also performed in Fawlty Towers, a Manama Theatre Company production that was staged recently at the British Club.

“Last year I wasn’t confident about my singing so I took lessons and cleared two grades before the audition,” Palmyra, 17, said. “I was surprised to get Sarah Brown’s role ... it was a great feeling!

“I think there are many elements to the excitement. It is so much fun seeing how far we have come and watching the costumes come together. It’s interesting working with different people because each person has a different voice and a different acting style.
“The biggest challenge is stage fright but I need to push through it and get over it. It has been difficult and there have been lots of late nights. I want to act when I am older as I love art and drama. This show is a great experience.”

Aspiring lawyer and Year 10 student, Robyn Durnford, plays the other lead female role of Adelaide. She said: “The accents are really hard. I have to sing very high and in a nasal tone ... exactly as I have been told NOT TO by my singing teacher!

“I have some 15 costumes including a wedding dress. Moreover, I get to dance and I have two songs. All are colourful and fun.”

Two hours on, the song was finally rehearsed one final time and the cast broke into several little groups. One section was being tutored by head of drama Tony Thomas to say their lines; Ms Beck took a set of boys outside to practice their dance routine and another set of giggling girls made their way backstage.

Mum Jan Wheeler is in-charge with helping mums Lindsey Snell and Wendy Farrell. Jan, 59, is an old-timer and gets behind the sewing machine every time the school decides to do a production.

On the racks of the green room are rows of costumes, neatly hung under the names of all the actors. The boys have a different room but all the action this afternoon is in the girls’ section. The ‘Hot Box’ girls are trying out their gingham skirts and I can hear Jan muttering: “It’s working ... it’s working.”

Volunteer students are painting hats and sticking flowers. Jan said the behind-the-scenes work has been in full swing for the past six weeks. Pointing out that sewing is in her genes, she said: “Bags, shoes and ties have to match and look like they came from the 1940s.
 
“My parents are from the 1920s. When you look at albums you can see the pleats on the trousers and how they used to wear them. One of my uncles was incredibly fashionable and I had Alex’s suits copied from one of his photographs, which has the year 1948 on the back.

“I am very finicky about getting the right era because it is a shame otherwise. The kids have to look good and be comfortable.”

She shows me jackets that have been ‘regurgitated’ from an earlier production. Jean Valjean’s jacket has been altered to fit a waiter this time around.

“I am not averse to borrowing things from home and I pick whatever I need from Europe during my holidays. This is easy for me because the kids love it. I am not the music or the drama teacher shouting at them. I am not Mrs Nasty. I am the ‘fun mum’ who is in the backroom giving them colourful costumes!”

Guys and Dolls, a musical fable of Broadway based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon, with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, will open on December 6 and run for four nights at St Christopher’s School Hall in Saar. The show is sponsored by Behbehani Brothers and GulfWeekly. Tickets cost BD6 and are available at the school and Alosra. Call 17788101 for details.