Who would have thought that a failed audition for the iconic Lady Macbeth would lead me to play one of the most coveted female roles of all? While the path to becoming a tragic Scottish queen was temporarily closed, a new and equally captivating role was about to open its doors.
Let me take you back to February 2021. Full of ambition and a touch of nervous excitement, I logged into the Zoom room (we were in full covid lockdown), ready to conquer the role of Lady Macbeth. While the outcome wasn’t what I’d hoped for, fate had a different plan. A spark of interest from the director ignited a conversation about another role; The Nurse in Romeo and Juliet.
“Was I interested”
“Err, yes please!”
Embracing the unexpected opportunity we embarked on a theatrical adventure that would shape (for shape, read take-over) the following six months of our lives.
The Journey Begins
I found myself immersed in the encouraging world of TASCO, (The Alternative Space Company) with a collective of other actors, young and old (er!) alike, resembling as close as we could in a Zoom room, an old-school repertory theatre company. It was here that I first crossed paths with a group of incredibly talented actors, all here to collaborate on a project, the full details of which, were yet to be defined, but based on a book called Shakespeare’s Dream.
Concurrently, the seeds of another new project were being sown. “Romeo and Juliet: The Confessions”.
I was fortunate enough to be involved in the initial research and development phase with the talented writer / director, Frank Bramwell.
Writing plays and books that stay faithful to words, themes, stories, and characters of Shakespeare’s work, but giving them entirely new settings, has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and one I believe that has given Shakespeare’s work new life and vitality.” Frank Bramwell
We spent countless hours exploring the depths of Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy, unearthing new perspectives and creating a world within a world, Verona…as seen through the eyes of The Friar and The Nurse. What did they really think about the star-crossed lovers? And what regrets, guilt, fear…secrets, were they holding onto?
Over the next few months, we delved deeper into the world of Romeo and Juliet and the lives of our respective characters. Such was our passion and earnest debate about the background history and psychological make-up of our characters, that just occasionally, we’s stop, chuckle and remind ourselves,
“They’re not real! They’re made up!”
It was a period of intense exploration, collaboration, and artistic growth, where the script was changed, updated and rearranged from meeting to meeting. What had initially been conceived as a two-handed play, at the eleventh hour, became three. A Juliet was added.
The Nurse: A Complex Tapestry of Maternal Love and Loss
Often relegated to the realm of comic relief, The Nurse in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a character of profound depth and complexity. Beyond her boisterous exterior lies a woman deeply devoted to her young charge, Juliet. As Juliet’s surrogate mother, she is fiercely protective and loyal, embodying a maternal instinct that transcends biological ties.
Her comedic banter serves as a poignant counterpoint to the underlying sorrow she carries. The loss of her own daughter, Susan. This complex interplay of grief and maternal love elevates The Nurse from a mere comic foil to a fully fleshed out character whose complexities are as rich as the play itself.
Described by many as loving, kind, talkative with a smattering of inuendo…I couldn’t deny the ‘typecast’ label. “Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more.”
Behind the Scenes
Fifteen intense days of rehearsals pushed us to our limits,but the collaborative spirit within the company was infectious, and we happily put in the extra hours to fine-tune every aspect of the production.
About two weeks out, our Juliet discovered that the dates for another show she was appearing in, clashed with our opening in Buxton. What to do? Frank jumped to the rescue and quickly drafted in another young actress to play the role. With (by this time) just one week to learn a complicated wordy script, Natalie was full of confidence.
“If I forget anything, I’ll just ad-lib!”, she said.
“Ad-lib? Shakespeare?” I asked, apprehensively..
“OK, well, if you want me, I’ll just be over here, in that corner…having a nervous breakdown.”
A particularly hilarious rehearsal ensued, where desperate to follow Natalie’s cue’s I just went with her, followed by The Friar, who also attempted to rearrange the various scenes and somehow stick with the tale.
Our director (Marcus, by this point), said it was fascinating. Like watching a car crash in slow motion and he coudn’t bring himself to step in or stop it as it was just too delicious and he just wanted to see if we could get to the end and escape unharmed. We didn’t. We were traumatised!
A Year of Uncertainty and Triumph
“What, will these hands ne’er be clean?” Lady Macbeth
The excitement of the creative process was, of course, muted by the unwelcome presence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns imposed a stark reality. Months of preparation and rehearsal, turned into a blur of uncertainty as we navigated the challenges of a world in crisis. Washing our hands to ‘Happy Birthday’ every hour, was a minor distraction. But at least (they) got to sing it for real, in rehearsal, on my birthday.
Constant testing became an unwelcome but necessary part of our routine. With every negative result, a wave of relief washed over us, bringing us one step closer to the stage. The weight of anticipation was palpable, as we hoped and prayed that none of us would fall victim to the virus.
And, more importantly that the public would be brave enough to venture out!
Finally, lock-down was lifted and the day arrived when we could step out of the shadows and into the spotlight at the Buxton Fringe Festival.
The Venue: The Green Room, URC, Buxton.
Capacity: 50
Actual first night Audience: 1
I had been warned. This wasn’t my compatriots first rodeo! But, hand on heart, this is absolutely the smallest audience I’v ever played. What, I hear you say? You actually performed? Yes, we did. In true ‘the show must go on’ fashion, out we went and gave it full throttle.
Turns out our single audience member was a reviewer. Here’s what he had to say.
https://buxtonfringe.org.uk/reviews2021the.html#2900
Our subsequent nights in Buxton, proved more encouraging. A steady trickle of customers, all masked, sitting, seat-and-seat apart, ready for some theatre. The lovely tradition of a Q & A session after the show, was a new one for me, but one that I relished.
Our move to Brimingham and The Blue Orange Theatre, saw the return of our original Juliet. One quick afternoon rehearsal, and the benefit of a photographic memory, saw her slot back into the cast with ease.
It was the loveliest feeling ever, after two years of being in the covid wilderness to finally be back in a real world theatre. Our audiences swelled and were so eager to engage and to talk to us. Here’s one of our Q & A’s with our audience, which I think shows just how grateful and relieved were all were to be doing ‘normal’ things again. Albeit, still with masks on!
Finally, the six months of researching, debating, writing, learning, directing and performing were over. The post show blues hit hard! But a lovely Award for ‘Best Adaptation’, sweetened the end.
It’s a funny old game, showbiz. The closeness and intensity of the experience has you feeling like family and then at the end of the season, you each go back to your own lives and perhaps not see or speak to your cast mates ever again. Or at least until your paths cross again in another show. I sincerely hope I get to work with these guys again in the future.
Probably not Natalie. Not for the reason your thinking.
Because…we all joked that in five years time, we’d probably all still be there doing the Buxton Fringe Festival. Whereas the beautiful, confident and naturally talented, (yes, she really did ad-lib, Shakespeare) Natalie, would have completed her drama training and gone straight off to Hollywood.
