Gareth Fordred is a founding member of the faction theatre co. In the 2012 Rep Season he is playing Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Leicester in Mary Stuart and a reveller in Miss Julie.

Uncovering The Faction #3: Avoidance

‘it’s the fault of trapped wind’

So, time to stand up. On your feet. Go on. And…act. I said act. Walk and talk: mostly both.

Yes, no longer the time where you’ve had all of those wonderful ideas in your pretty little head, now it’s come to the toe-curling, knee-buckling first time of standing a scene on its feet. Cripes.

‘You mean I actually have to show you what I mean?’

At this point, or very soon afterwards come excuses and apologies of varying shapes and sizes. Perhaps the actor wishes to preface the actual act of acting with explaining to the director at great length precisely what they’re going to do. Because, that way, if they fail completely to do what they mean to do, then at least said director knows that their heart was in the right place. Or something.

Or afterwards, after a brief moment of silence where the director is probably just collecting his/her thoughts: the actor jumps in with a highly detailed defence of why what they just did wasn’t quite what they meant to do. Not exactly, well not at all really. Not even close.

It’s the fault of trapped wind/tiredness/my parents/the inability of the director to have explained what they wanted/God/the temperature/gravity. Anything.

And breathe…

It’s alright. Because, funnily enough: that wasn’t opening night. Or if it was, this is a very sick joke.

We can do it again. But differently. And again. And again. Until it’s better.

Hooray.

This is when we relax, stop caring, don’t worry so much, step down from Red Alert and start to enjoy the process itself: for itself.