His Dark Materials Technical

I love days like yesterday. We started at 1000 and worked through to about 2000. We managed to run with costumes and effects both plays of this mammoth adventure. I am impressed once again by the sheer scale of the endeavour and the quality being produced at this stage. Usually these days can become a litany of what might have been but instead theatrical moments are being created constantly and should become one seamless tapestry by first night. Play One sees my greatest involvement as John Faa, Lord of the Western Gyptians. I had been worried about my costume. I spent most of Saturday looking for hats. I now have a selection of five or six that could be usable. However I settled for a sleek grey furred Russian looking ear flapped number that works for me. My ensemble is completed by the essential pair of calf length boots provided by the Nuffield Theatre in Southampton. In between I have a black leather coat, black leather belt, a neck piece that turns my black tee- shirt into a polo neck, a bandolier to which I have attached my daemon and my hammer is tucked into my belt.
There was one minor disaster for me. Charley (who I admire greatly and plays Lyra) had entrusted me with a piece of backstage technicality involving the spy fly and a tin. This involved winding up said spy fly and delivering it and tin into the hands of Iorek. Unfortunately I had a CRAFT moment ("can't remember a f****** thing") and missed my chance. This was mainly due to being too concerned to watch the scene when Lyra meets Iorek for the first time instead of winding spy fly. I did help with directing this scene and so have a proprietorial interest - Charley is great and Marcus is growing steadily into the part of the bear! To compound matters I then stationed myself far too early at the back of the auditorium for my next appearance and forgot to give Marcus the tin (I even passed him backstage but my memory was unstirred). The backstage crew had to come to rescue the tin from my inept hands. Charley graciously forgave me in the interval but oh dear these senior moments!
In the second half of Part One I play the King Bear killed by Iorek, Lyra's companion and friend. THe scene seemed to go well until the disposal of my dead body at the end. We had talked about it on a number of occasions but had never tried it mechanically. Being bodily removed by three one handed bears (the other hand holds the bear's head) was undignified, largely ineffectual and hilarious. We will have to rethink this!
I wore my contact lenses but found my right eye was irritated and so was greatly relieved to be able to change back into my spectacles for the afternoon.
In Part Two I appear as a non speaking cleric in the first scene and then as a fighting soldier in the Church Forces just before the interval. I have then a long wait after the interval before I appear as the Welsh Jeptha Jones - quick change- before appearing for the last time as a ghost in Land of the Dead sequence. I have a long time doing nothing in Part Two, other than annoying my companion actors especially the delightful Megan.