Betty’s Blog: Wednesday 5th February 2014

A Matinee Tea performance at BrickLaneMusic Hall today. The day was pretty nasty outside- very strong winds and driving rain, AND a tube strike throughout the London Network, but we still had a full house!

Always lovely to have mates in, and today I had four mates in to celebrate a couple of birthdays- My Brother Vivyan brought along Owen Smith, Isobel Hurll and Andrew Ryan. Four of us- Isobel, Andrew, Owen and myself have birthdays this month, so we are celebrating them here at the Pantomime!

   

Isobel has her birthday today. She is one of pantoland’s Wickedest Queens, having specialised in scary pantomime villains. She once appeared as a very scary Warder in a George Michael music video! As Principal dancer at The London Palladium and having travelled the world in our glorious business, it made a change for her to be in an audience, and I think she enjoyed herself a great deal!

  

The house was extremely happy and up for fun and laughter. Even at this stage of the proceedings nothing gets stale. Vincent makes sure of that! Rusty, for example has come up with a gag to put into the “Drill/Mop” routine, which we will try out tomorrow, along with another piece of comedy business suggested by Peter John the other day. You can but try it out and see the reaction. It is the only way to discover what works in comedy. Trial and, of course error!

 

Everyone made it to the Music Hall on time, despite this 48 hour strike. The Docklands Light Railway is not affected which is a big bonus, but some of the cast have been forced to bring their cars and face a long journey home in rush hour.

My party? We headed off to nearby CanaryWharf, about fifteen minutes away and had a meal there. The thousands of office workings there left en mass at about five o’clock, and the place seemed curiously deserted!

Rusty has been honoured here at Brick   Lane! He has had a lavatory named after him! The Front Of House Loos are already spoken for- One is dedicated the Andrew Robley Suite, the other is named after the late, great Panto Dame Tommy Osbourne- and now Mr Goffe has been inscribed into Brick Lane’s version of Graumans Hollywood Walk of Fame!

Backstage the high tea was very welcomed during our extended interval, and having a central Green Room is so gtood for mixing and mingling with the rest of the company during the break. After the interval it reverts to the Quick Change area where Zara sets out Vincents Changes, and Andrew’s changes, while Ellie and I pre-set the Copa and finale change. It is a much used space that Green Room Corridor backstage!

Tomorrow is a lunch time show, and we’ll be welcoming Sherrie (Hewson) to the Panto- and catching up on news of her recent Panto season at the Sunderland Empire- the one with the bar named after Vesta Tilley, mentioned in this blog a few days ago!