Day Two...

This morning we worked with our musical director, Gavin Kaufman, on the first carol, the challenge being to sing it as though we are children who don't know the words apart from the first and last line! This first carol, 'Something to do with virgins' (based on 'O come, all ye faithful'), introduces the convention of the children revealing their inner thoughts using invented lyrics sung to the carol's tune.

The afternoon was absolutely joyful. Having walked for ten minutes to Collingwood Primary School, where we divided into two groups and each joined a class of 6/7 or 7/8 year old children and their teacher!

Matthew imagined that we would be with a single group and had prepared some work to do with the children. Because in fact we were divided into two, I was elected to do some exercises with our half of the group. Neil Caple and I asked them to do some simple name games and then some miming exercises, which they really enjoyed, though by the end of the half an hour, they were as high as a kite!


It's such a shame that one can't take photographs in a school, since the subsequent scene in the playground was priceless. In an attempt to experience being like the children, we quite naturally began playing freely with them. It was incredible to see the other actors behaving in such a childlike way. The image of Lucy Beaumont sprinting joyfully across the playground pursued by a group of crazed youngsters will stay with me for a long time.


When we got back to the rehearsal room we discussed our observations and attempted to charaterise the behaviour of the children. We discussed things like their ability to move rapidly between different emotional states and their physicality, particularly in relation to one another.


It was one of those rich discussions that sometimes happens in the early stages of a rehearsal process that makes me feel blessed to do what I do. This afternoon I was paid to report on my observations of life. What a wonderful privilege.