So, it’s still all go, and just when you think you’ve got a handle on one thing, three others appear that you weren’t expecting! 
Some lovely and exciting news amidst the chaos is that we were runners-up in the NODA standard programme competition for our 'Elephants' programme from last year, thanks to all Ross's hard work.  We now have a gong on the mantelpiece.

So, that’s us up-to-date for the time being.  I really hope that I’ll see you all in the theatre in February, although I’ll probably manage another blog post before then.  Please don’t leave your ticket purchases to the last minute – I’m not sure my nerves could stand it!!!

We’re one year old today!!  I can’t believe that we started our Threepenny Theatricals adventure just a year ago.  In fact, quite a lot had gone on behind the scenes since February but we officially launched ourselves into the world on 1st July 2017.  It has been a fantastic year!  There were a few ups and downs but, on the whole we really couldn’t be happier.

What an exciting month June was for 3-T!  The show announcement at the beginning of the month and then preparing for auditions, which were held on 24th.  Ross and I even managed to squeeze in a short holiday to Menorca in the middle.  The auditions were almost as nerve-wracking for us as they were for the poor auditionees.  As all the cast were invited last time around, we didn’t have to hold any, so this year we were all biting our nails wondering if anybody would turn up!  We got a few sign-ups straight away and then it seemed to go quiet for a while with a few people saying they’d have liked to join us but couldn’t commit to our rehearsal evenings.  I was worried that we wouldn’t have enough people to cast the show.  Then in the last few days there seemed to be a sudden surge, with quite a few new faces signing up too. Of course it was inevitable that some people who wanted to audition wouldn’t make the date, so we had to organise 5 auditions beforehand, and I can’t thank the people enough who let us borrow their living rooms and rehearsal spaces for these extra sessions.

Audition day didn’t run quite as smoothly as planned.  We rushed across town from one of our extra audition sessions straight to the audition venue with 15 minutes to spare and managed to get everything set up just in time.  We were only 2 auditionees in however when a children’s party started up in the hall above us.  It sounded as if a herd of elephants had joined in the World Cup and was about to fall through the floor!  There was no way that we could expect people to audition with that amount of racket going on.  Luckily we had been using the stage area in Murrayfield as a ‘waiting room’ for people, so we decided that the only option was to swap the rooms round.  We asked everybody to wait while we moved all our stuff and rearranged the furniture.  Then just before we started up again I heard somebody at the piano in the main hall right next to the stage area.  I rushed down to see what was about to happen there and discovered a friend from the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society.  He told me they were about to have a rehearsal!  Horror!  Thankfully they were very understanding and moved their music as far up the hall as they possibly could and kept the noise down for their whole rehearsal, which was incredibly kind of them.  I’m now very glad that I sang for a few of their Fringe shows and got to know them - and that they are such lovely people!!

I have auditioned myself many times before, sat in on auditions before and read in for auditions before, but it was the first time I’d actually held any myself.  I know the feeling of dread that many people feel and I am one of the world’s worst for getting nervous auditioning – to the point of physically shaking. I wanted to make it as friendly and non-threatening an experience as possible to help people give their best possible performance.  We weren’t disappointed on the day.  It was fantastic to see what a great wealth of talent there is out there and it was proof of why Edinburgh’s amateur theatre scene is flourishing - and very far from ‘amateur’.

I tried to give people as much opportunity as possible to do their best and often asked people to read a section again if I thought they could do it better.  It’s amazing the difference a second chance can make, along with a bit of direction, and it’s interesting that second chances are what our play is all about!
The day seemed to fly past and we were seeing people non-stop.  We only managed to squeeze in a cup of tea around 5pm!  Finally we wandered along to the pub to have a chat about the casting and I made my final decisions – not ‘under the influence’ I hasten to add!  Although I was delighted to have a cast, I knew my least favourite part of the process would be having to tell the people who hadn’t been cast.  I’ve received a few of those letters/emails/phonecalls myself and know that awful feeling.  It never gets easier and I didn’t want to have to do it to anybody else.  I only hope that those who weren’t cast realise how difficult it was and how decisions can come down to the minutest things.  Just because a person doesn’t get cast it doesn’t mean that they couldn’t have done the part brilliantly too.  I’m sure that they will all go on to find something else just as exciting and magical to do as ‘Dear Brutus’.  With the fantastic theatre scene we have in Edinburgh, Fife and the rest of Scotland, I’m sure they will.
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Now all I have to do is rewrite bits of the script, design the set, find costumes, block the show, write the props list, think about sound and lighting, marketing, programme material etc. etc. etc…..I suppose I really should get going and make a start!
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I can hardly believe it’s almost December!  Around about now children everywhere are posting their letters to Santa or probably emailing/Facebooking/Instagramming/Whatsapping him in our digital age.  Personally, I prefer the idea of writing the letter and then putting it on the fire to miraculously arrive with him completely fresh and un-singed via the chimney (but I’m old fashioned like that).  I digress...
The clock is ticking on our production and we’re ramping up on the preparation in both the performance and technical aspects, so there are a few things I’m sure Santa could help me with (you’re never too old to send a letter to Santa, right?).  We’ve been doing everything from choosing wallpaper for the set (yes, we have that wallpapering job to look forward to) to heading to the recycling centre to rake around for an old telly!  Everybody is pitching in and rehearsals are really getting quite intense now too as we all try to get off book.  The sheer quantity of dialogue is quite overwhelming – particularly to those of us used to bursting into song every five minutes!  It’s slowly coming together though and prompting is required less and less with every run.  Only 3 more rehearsals to go before the Christmas break, so no time to relax!
No 1 on my letter to Santa…Make the words stay in my head and come out of my mouth at the right time!

We’ve also been doing some serious preparation for an exciting cast announcement.  I’m not giving anything away, but in a couple of weeks we’ll have some fun news to share with you all, so watch out on all the social media channels.
The programme is another thing that we’re already thinking about and finding time to chase advertisers, write a welcome message, write and edit biographies, design graphics, develop content and organise photos is a bit of a nightmare, along with the day job, Christmas shopping and life in general.
As you can see it’s busy, busy, busy, so you’ll have to forgive me if I get a bit behind with the blogs and social media posts - but there’s lots of good stuff amongst the madness!
No. 2 on my letter to Santa...An extra day in the week!

One of my favourite experiences as a Director to date has been watching the cast grow as performers.  A good example was when I asked one of the young cast members to do a particular action that would just give her character a bit more of a sinister edge.  I was then delighted when she not only did that action but then carried on the theme adding in odd subtle touches of her own to her performance that really caught what I was trying to get across.  It showed not only a great understanding of her character but an understanding of what I was asking - and there is no better feeling as a Director than when your cast ‘get it’!
I’m certainly learning a lot with this first production and anybody who tries to tell you it’s easy has obviously never tried it!  Running a theatre company – even one as small as ours - is a lot of hard work, but there are lots of little triumphs along the way.  When I look back at all we’ve achieved so far and how well it’s all coming together I feel quietly proud.
So the final thing on my Christmas list?...An audience to come and see all our hard work!  Thank you to those who have already bought tickets – I know you won’t be disappointed!  If you haven’t got yours yet then please do get your order in and come and support us.  We’re nothing without an audience!
P.s. Santa – there’s an extra mince pie in it for you if you tick off everything on the list!

It's been a busy couple of weeks but I finally managed to get back to the computer for the next blog instalment.  We did a photoshoot for 'Elephants' last weekend at our house and because the show is set at Christmas, Ross and I spent most of Friday and Saturday pulling our Christmas decorations out of the loft and putting them up all over the house.  Thankfully the neighbours and the postie already know we're mad so I'm sure that Christmas decorations at the beginning of November didn't surprise them in the slightest!  The photoshoot went brilliantly and we got some fantastic shots for our programme and marketing campaign.
​At our rehearsal on Thursday I remembered that I had signed the Company up for the Twitter campaign #LoveTheatreDay in association with The Stage magazine.  The idea is that everybody with a love of theatre, or a job in theatre, or an actual theatre building or company can sign up and spend the day sharing posts about what they do and why they love it.  I decided to get the cast to each do a short video - just a couple of sentences - about why they love theatre.  Of course when you ask anybody to do something like that at short notice and you sit them in front of the camera and press the record button you have no idea what's going to happen - and most of the time they don't have much idea either.  We got some hilarious moments and some of the outtakes are better than the 'official' videos.  They were all at least brave enough to do it spontaneously in front of each other, whereas I chickened out and said I'd do mine at home.  I then had to think of what I was going to say of course, but the last couple of weeks really answered that question for me and reminded me of one of the main reasons why I love theatre.
​Obviously I love going to see theatre and for around two and half hours being transported into a different world and escaping from whatever kind of rubbish day I might have had.  Theatre does something that television never can and involves all your senses.  As a performer I love getting the opportunity to play such a wonderful variety of characters and acting on stage in ways that I would never dream of in real life, or expressing emotions freely and sometimes to extremes.  Of course there is also nothing like that feeling of drawing an audience in and making them feel it all with you.  To make an audience laugh or cry and take them on an emotional journey with you is one of the best feelings in the world.  As a Director, planning how I'm going to help the actors and production team make that happen and working with them developing the best possible show is something I'm also growing to love.  Hopefully our finished product will do everything we've planned.
​However, although the show and its success is the ultimate aim of everybody involved, I find that one of the best things about any company or production is the close bonds you develop with the other members of the cast in the weeks and months leading up to the show.  That's why so many people talk about their 'theatre family' or their 'show family' and I think its something that only theatre people really understand.  When we did the photo shoot at the weekend we made a day of it.  We had great fun!  We all ate together, laughed together (with and at each other), made idiots of ourselves in front of the camera, shared ideas and stories and it was a fantastic 'family' experience.  Rehearsals have been that way too with birthday cakes, celebrations, encouragement of cast members for other auditions and most recently the #LoveTheatreDay videos.
​So why do I love theatre?  I love everything about being in an audience, being on stage and being back stage, but more than that I love my 'theatre family' and my own little 'Elephants family' in particular!

Apologies for my third blog post being a bit late but we spent the weekend at the NODA Scotland conference in Peebles representing Threepenny Theatricals.  For anybody who doesn't know, NODA is the National Operatic and Dramatic Association and is the organisation that looks after the interests of all the amateur theatre companies in the UK who wish to become members.  It provides a huge amount of invaluable advice and support on every aspect of running an amateur theatre company.

​The annual conference in Peebles is a highlight and there are workshops and discussion groups on everything from Vocal Technique to Techie Talk as well as a ball on the Saturday night, a midnight cabaret from a guest company and a sing-along in the bar every evening.  We went as new members to introduce our company and publicise our show and, quite frankly, to find out what all the fuss was about!  We had been hearing about it for years from friends in other societies who told us what a fantastic weekend it was.  Well they weren't wrong! We had a great meal on the Friday night with live showtunes accompaniment on the piano (which of course everybody sings along to when they don't have their mouths full - and sometimes when they do)!  On Saturday we went to a discussion group called 'It's Good To Talk' where representatives from lots of companies get together and discuss anything that they might be having issues with.  It's really interesting to hear from other societies who might have found solutions to the same problems you're having.  A major topic of discussion seemed to be online marketing and translating it into bums-on-seats!  Lots of interesting tips and ideas came out of that.  I then let Ross go to the Techie Talk in the afternoon and he found out some useful information on set-building and get-ins.
​The ball in the evening followed and then we were treated to a fantastic cabaret by Carnegie Youth Theatre who showed us a phenomenal amount of young talent.  After a late night we didn't have to get up too early for the AGM on the Sunday morning which marks the end of the conference.

​All-in-all it was a great weekend but the thing that I actually found most valuable was getting a chance to talk to members of other societies and share ideas.  Not just at the official meetings but at all the 'unofficial' drinks in rooms we were invited to by various friendly groups and chats around the dance floor or the bar.  It's amazing how supportive all the amateur companies are of each other and joining in and being part of the NODA community makes for much more collaborative relationships.  When you can tell your story face-to-face and other companies can understand your aims and your issues then they really do make an effort to help you where they can.

​This sounds like a bit of an advert for NODA but it's actually an advert for a closer amateur theatre community, however we may make that happen.  The NODA conference just demonstrated how valuable the amateur companies are to each other and how we should all make the effort to support each other.  It shouldn't be a competition because we are all in the same boat.  We obviously can't all go to every other amateur show in the country but it is definitely worth going to as many as we can.  Even if we might not see a production as 'our thing' we might be surprised at a different interpretation or find a new favourite show! Most importantly we will be helping the other companies to survive and carry on that business of showbusiness that we all love so much!

​If you want to find out more about NODA you can click HERE.

My first ever blog! Bear with me folks!  I was going to publish yesterday then realised it was Friday 13th!  Although I'm not particularly superstitious it seemed silly to tempt fate.

So, a blog! I just thought it would be a good idea to try to give regular updates on our 3-T progress.  We're a new company and setting up was a daunting process.  As we work towards our first show we're just learning as we go along.  Although we've all been involved in shows on stage and have helped out on company committees and with marketing, when you suddenly find that you're wearing all the hats at once it does take a bit of juggling and it's a new experience finding out that the buck always stops here!
Not that it's all bad of course by any means.  Having the final say on pretty much everything from direction, to posters to set design and costumes is actually a great feeling.

I have to say that as a first time company founder and artistic director I was astounded at the level of support from friends I have made over the years who work in theatre, particularly backstage, and I received messages when we launched offering help on all fronts.  I can't thank those people enough and hope that we can continue working together for many years to come.

I am very lucky to have a fantastic invited cast for my first play.  I wanted to launch the company completely organised with a first production on the cards.  Setting up my own company was something I'd talked about for years, become enthusiastic about on and off but never really had the courage to take that final step and just do it.  Obviously finances were also an issue.  Producing any kind of show is not a cheap business.  This time I'd made up my mind to go ahead but I didn't want to announce it before it was certain, given I'd talked about it so many times before.  The only way to make it certain was to pick the show, book the venue and find a cast before I launched the company and then there was no way I could change my mind.  I was delighted that there were people out there who liked me and trusted me enough to want to work with me and I have ended up with an amazing bunch of people who are all working their socks off.

I know some people might think 'Elephants' is a strange choice for a first production but I wanted to choose something people could come to see without any preconceived ideas about how it should be done.  I read lots of scripts before choosing but when I read this one I fell in love with it immediately.

The progress so far is really exciting.  The contrast between the first readthrough where nobody really knew their characters at all and our last rehearsal on Thursday was massive.  Everybody has found the basis of their character and they are now adding those little quirks and idiosyncrasies that give them depth and make them human.  It's been a fascinating process to watch and guide and I really can't wait to introduce them to the public.

Now we just have to sell it and get ourselves an audience!

Although I've worked quite a lot on marketing and publicity for other companies, I'm finding that the hardest thing to keep up with.  I think it's mainly because there are just so many social media platforms out there now and keeping them all regularly updated is almost a full time job in itself.  I know there are automated apps that are supposed to update them all at once but since the format of one can be very different from all the others, I find it much easier to get the right message across by doing each one individually.  Getting interesting content for posts is another issue and something you have to continually think about, particularly in the early stages of rehearsal when there's really not too much exciting stuff happening.  There is nothing worse than spending ages creating posts and then getting nothing but tumbleweed blowing across your social media profile pages.  I'm looking forward to the month before the show when everything will really start to move fast and there should be a constant stream of exciting material. 
Having a large cast is obviously an advantage because they will all interact with your pages and posts.  Unfortunately with a cast of just 7 in our first production (one of them being me) we don't have that luxury.

I would like to think that we will get support from other amateur theatre companies.  As we all do this theatre thing for the love of it and sometimes breaking even on a production is exceedingly difficult if not impossible, then we should all support each other as best we can.  The more companies that are out there producing a huge variety of material then the more choices we have as performers, directors, choreographers etc.  Hopefully Threepenny Theatricals will grow in the Edinburgh Theatre community and be able to provide lots of opportunities both on stage and off.

So that's a little bit of the background about me and the company.  I'm hoping to post regularly with all sorts of news and views, experiences and observations.  I hope you'll join me on my new theatre journey.  I'm always happy to receive comments and advice so feel free to add any thoughts below.  Please keep it clean and polite! :)

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