First day back on the job. First day since 3rd February. Fucking hell, that was a long time to be sitting on my hole. I know I needed a chill out after panto but that was ridiculous. To tell you the truth, I couldn’t wait for this day to arrive for the last while. I was getting bored to tears in the gaf, waking up every morning, no where I had to be, no list of shit to do, no horrible deadline, nothing. Just doing everything at my own pace without a care in the world. You would of thought that I might of got up to something a little bit constructive with my time. Well, that was the plan but if I think about it, I did fuck all. This blog was about it and let’s face it; I haven’t exactly been giving that 100%.
So here we go, the Gaiety School of Acting Grad Show again. Let’s do it. I am gonna get stuck into this. This is going to be the best performance by a stage manager the world has ever seen. I am going to own this motherfucker. I’m actually, for the first time in ages, gonna take a job seriously. Wow, I really am focused, amn’t I. Holy shit! My head is so clear. I’m ready to tear this job a new arsehole.
I was kind of shitting myself this morning. Ye know, the way you are before a new job, you might only know one or two heads, sometimes you might know nobody. I know the director and the production team vaguely, they’re all cool but I don’t know any of the students and those are the people I’m gonna be working closest with. So first impressions and all that. I don’t know what it is, I always have a thing about first impressions, they are massive, especially when you are being introduced to 21 strangers at the same time. Seriously, it’s like that, that is how I’m introduced to them. I sometimes think that it might be a good idea to crack a joke or something but, in the end, I come to my senses and realise that that would be the worst idea in the world.
I stroll in to meet everyone and it is grand.
We sit around for the reading of the new play and it is very hard to focus. The dialogue is very naturalistic and quick, there are 17 characters, and each scene is only about a page long. I’m trying to differentiate each character from the next. I am drifting in and out of concentration which is understandable. I have fuck all to be doing except timing the fucker. I will let the director bring it to life in front of me. I’m sure I’ll get it when they’re blocking it.
At lunch, we have a productions meeting and this is where I kick into gear and, by the end of it, the only thing I realise is that this is going to be one of the handiest numbers of my life. There are fuck all props, the set is minimal. . Oh, and if anyone knows where I could get one of those large coffee machines that they have in cafes, the big fuckers, it would make my life even more chilled out. I haven’t a clue where to even start with that shit but once I get that, it’s plain sailing. Gonna check out the ould auction up in Rathmines this Thursday for one, I’ve seen one or two in there from time to time.
After the meeting myself and the production manager, Tom, laughed about how easy our job is going to be. Anyway, my job, for the next couple of days, is to chill in the rehearsal room and make sure breaks are taken when they are supposed to and write a report of the day to everyone on the production team.
On other gigs, I can’t tell you some of the shit you have to do. You’re in charge of the tea and milk; make sure the burka boiler is filled, looking after screaming Billy Barry Kids, filling up dancer’s water bottles and making stupid props. On this gig, you take it at your own pace. You don’t have some boss giving you shit for no reason. Once you have your shit together, you get no hassle off anyone.
Great to be back at work and, do you know what else is savage, the rehearsal room is just off Talbot Street, right beside that place that sells Mega Drive games, I am gonna go to town in there on pay day.
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