5 Things to Know Before your First Show and Tech Week

I don’t come from a performance heavy family so when I was 15 and did my first show, I was blind going in.

These are 5 things I feel like every newcomer performer should be told

1.     Jeans have NO place during show runs. If you’ve just performed for 2 and a half hours and its like 10 pm, the last thing you want to do is shove yourself back into them. Trust me sweats are your best friend, unless its wrap party, then wear your jeans til the cows come home.

 

they're dead to you

2.     Eat. I always forgot to eat during my first show and it affected my performance. McDonalds and green room biscuits are fun but you need to balance  it. Don’t mean to sound like your mother but make up is already hurting your skin , a tonne of junk food ain’t gonna help.

 

3.     Take your time. Yes, you might be able to get hair, makeup and costume done in 15 minutes. But its rushed and you’re not in the right headspace. Its best to be calm and collected. Moral of the story, don’t show up 30 minutes before the show goes on.

 

4.     Hang up and tidy up your costume and props! Its best for everyone involved. You know where your stuff is for the next day. You also aren’t getting in everyone’s way as you are probably sharing a dressing room. Seems basic but you don’t want to be that person.

 

5.     Take your makeup off. So so so important. Yes you are tired, yes you have work or school tomorrow but your skin doesn’t care. It’s the largest organ in the body, respect it. Even if it’s a makeup wipe. If you’re young and have someone collecting you or you’re public transporting yourself home, wipe your makeup off during that journey. Just don’t leave the wipe in said transport, shove it in a bin or pocket. Tiredness isn’t an excuse to litter.

 

I hope this helped. They seem like they are pretty obvious but I knew none of them when I started.

Have an awesome day. See ya around

What I Keep In my Rehearsal Bag

Primal theatre/pantomime season is coming up and nothing makes someone panic like not having everything they need in their rehearsal bag. Today I will be going over everything which I find essential to bring to rehearsal

Stationary:

·         Two different coloured highlights. Why two I hear you ask? Well I always highlight my lines in one colour and stage directions in another as it makes things a little clearer to me.

·         A pen for stage directions and notes as you may well forget them once you get home.

·         Little page tabs are also severely underrated. I just find them really useful for when you need to find your page

·         Obviously an essential but if you forget your script then you are truly lost in a rehearsal.

·         A necessity is also water and a snack. You can’t concentrate if you are performing on an empty stomach. You don’t want to feel sluggish either though so keep it light with fruit and cereal bars. Also always eat breakfast.

·         Spare money in case you need lunch or go out for coffee after.

·         Because no one like smelling or looking terrible after a rehearsal having a mini deodorant can make you feel a little fresher and more confident.

·         I personally have short hair but have a long fringe (emo alert) so I have a teeny hairbrush and some bobby pins always with me.

 So that’s what I personally carry those things with me. I keep it simple and its completely different from my actual show bag. I try to keep it to the rule that if I lost in the theatre, I wouldn’t be too upset.

I’ll probably do another post on my show bag but until my next post I’ll see you around