Not being able to actually take part in the Pantomime this year due to a previous engagement I decided to help out backstage cause they're always saying they're in need of more people! All agreed with Mike (the guy who directs and generally runs it) that I would just be helping out out the back and being a general runner I put it to the back of my mind for a week. Next thing I know I'm being asked to do the curtains on the Saturday night due to Mark who normally is Curtain Boy had a gig with his band Shoot the Moon... cut a long story short I found myself turning up on Wed 1st, frozen on my ped at Nether Stowey village hall and getting myself organised to pull the curtains for every night and being put in charge of flashes... When I told my friends at college this and explained what flashes was they wondered about the sanity of the person who gave me the job... and I didn't blame them!
Now for those of you who don't know what "flashes" are I shall explain!
Basically they are small round plastic things with a black paper top and two little metal spikes underneath. This is put into a box, which can be pushed out onto stage using a very technical device (a stick...), which is connected by a wire to another black box. on this box you turn the key, flick the switches and then, at the right moment (and that bit is VERY important) hit the BIG RED BUTTON!
Outcome? BANG and a rather large FLASH! a.k.a Flashes!
Each show there were 3 flashes left by the big red button to be used in the panto which I used in all the right places (kinda) but on the saturday night I was allowed... well a little more freedom...
"Theres 30 underneath the make up table Alice - put one everytime Caraboss (the evil fairy) enters at least." 12 flashes were used on saturday night - may have been more if it wasn't for the fact that by the 6th and the end of the first half Dean up in the spotlight box couldn't see a thing so we decided to cut back down to the ones that should've been planned. Well I managed that but then 3 snuck in somehow... can't think how at all! *whistles and looks around innocently*
Ok well maybe I wanted to give by brother Dan a fright when he got dragged up on stage to do the music man (Thank you Dean!) so a large explosion at the end of their rendition right next to him may have made him jump a lil...!
I do apologize to Mike and Craig for setting one off right under their feet... It was an accident I promise! I honestly thought they had moved over to the other side of the stage so when Caraboss stormed off I slipped one in. Unfortunately they hadn't and made them jump a lil! But it gave them something to ad lib on while they were waiting for people to get in positions!
One chucked in for a lil surprise for Sharon as she entered the palace at the Fairy Queen (a turn of events for the person who usually ended up as the baddy!) may have made her and everyone else in the place jump a lil! But as I told her in the interval it was either as she entered or in the middle of her song... haha!
The little girl coming up to me just before the walk down saying "there aren't going to be any more bangs are there?" I do wish I could've said yes but unfortunately I'd run out by then!
Not sure I'm going to be asked back next year to do it if I can't actually perform in the panto but we'll see!
Didn't get round to wiring a load of flashes under Deans car though for scaring the life out of me though =/
But what does he expect when he walks onto stage saying "I'll pay for that damage"
me: "What damage?"
Dean: "Well I didnt think your bike was that close... I may have reversed a little too far..."
me: *stony faced* what's broken?
Dean: "well... the headlight, the back brake light, the kickstart, the stand, umm the panels... most of it"
me: "Its only just had a new engine put in it!"
Dean: "I'm joking!"
Me: "I'm going to kill you now! you just scared the life out of me!"
Dean: "Sorry!"
Well thats about all I can tell you now really but I'll leave you with a couple of quotes that made me chuckle...
Me: "How many kids on stage?"
Dean: "Theres only two kids on stage but thats just Mike and Craig and I'm not giving them any sweets!"
(Background: This year the production was Sleeping Beauty - Aurora being played by Georgie Youe, whereas last year was Cinderella - Cinderella being played by the pre mentioned Georgie Youe. If ya didn't already know!)
King Fisher: "Cinderella I fancy..."
Nurse N: "We all know who you fancy and it wasn't one of the ugly Step Sisters!"
Aurora: "Excuse me?! I thought this was MY story! Cinderella was sooo last year!"
Oh and Sharons hissy fit on stage about the spider on her wing - thanks Dad for pointing that out, she'd been waiting for the past three performances to have a hissy fit on stage about it and she got it on the last night! I couldn't see it but it sounded brilliant!
Night all!
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