Gaslight
Playing Bella Manningham at the Rugby Theatre 6-13 February was a tremendous experience. After a 7-year break from stage acting, it was good to tread the boards again. Here is a small selection of photos from the 90 or so that were taken during 2 dress rehearsals.
I don't know about my performance but that wig deserved a standing ovation. it managed to stay on, in spite of me throwing myself around the stage! I called it 'Fido' and fed it twice a day.
Moving wallpaper - or furniture anyway
Referring to my last blog post on 21st February - the crisis is over. It sounds over-dramatic I know, but a few weeks ago I thought I'd never feel happy again. Business was slow in 2009, resulting in mounting debts and the need to drastically reduce our monthly outgoings. We made enquiries to let our house and before we knew it, it was advertised and snapped up with tenants wanting to move in within 2 weeks! We weren't in a financial position to turn it down and it meant we had to find somewhere else much cheaper to live, and find it quickly. As luck would have it, a flat was available to rent in the same road, just 65 yards away at an affordable price. Extremely lucky, you might be thinking, and you'd be right, the flat is fabulous BUT... no dogs allowed! If we'd had time to consider it all properly we would NEVER have parted with our 2 gorgeous little dogs, but we had to make an urgent decision, so the dogs went. Trevor, my daughter Lucy and I never expected it to be as painful as it was and we all cried buckets for days after we gave them to another family.
However, just over a week ago, we contacted the family and they agreed to us taking the dogs out for a few hours. It was lovely but when we returned them, the pooches seemed so pleased to be back with their new family, we accepted they aren't ours any more and it was time to let go. Crisis over and happy times have returned :)
Well, here we are, 5 days until Christmas and I'm 2 weeks into rehearsal of "Gaslight". Click here for a synopsis.
Despite initial nerves, I found the first week enjoyable. The other actors are talented and easy to get along with. There is Keith, who plays my deranged manipulative husband, Mr Manningham; Howard is the kindly, efficient and delightfully eccentric retired Inspector Rough; Barbara plays a kind and helpful servant and Rebecca is a flirty and impudent teenage servant. In charge of us all is Steve, impressively making his debut as a director.
Friday 8th January 2010:
Postscript: I have deleted the second half of this post and all comments, but will endeavour to post news and photos, as soon as I get some time!
Welcome to my new-look blog, previously called 'Running for Carers' and now simply 'Annie'. Trevor and I have finished fund-raising for Carers UK so I'm not quite sure what to do with this blog.... I probably will just share snippets of news from time to time.
Graham Kendrick
In the last month Trevor and I have been busy organising a Graham Kendrick concert, which will take place at the Coventry Methodist Central Hall on 8th December. It has been a massive financial risk for the church as we needed to sell 550 tickets just to break-even. We've had to pay for Graham and his musicians, sound engineers, their hotel accommodation and meals, posters, fliers, newspaper adverts.. oh the list goes on!
Thank God, at the time of typing this, 600 tickets have been sold and there's still a week to go.......
Gaslight
I used to work as an actress but due to a change of direction, I have not performed professionally on stage since March 2003. It is something I would very much like to return to in 2010, as I approach my 50th birthday. I recently auditioned for a small part in an amateur production of Patrick Hamilton's Victorian thriller,"Gaslight" at a local theatre (6-13 February 2010). Amazingly I've ended up with the main part as Mrs Manningham, a woman brought to the brink of madness by her manipulative husband. Ingrid Bergman played this part in the 1944 film. First rehearsal tomorrow - SCARY!!!!!!
Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer in the 1944 American MGM film version of "Gaslight"
Ingrid Bergman
Diana Wynyard and Anton Walbrook in the British 1940 version, called "Murder in Thornton Square". This is my favourite of the two films.
