9am, Dance Studio, perched atop the Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin.
Once in the rehearsal space the first on the cast’s itinerary was a yoga warm-up led by Corn Ex artistic director, Annie Ryan. Knowing that both of us are as stiff as two planks we decided not to partake. After yoga, more warm-up exercises. One involved the cast pairing off and in each pair there was someone who could not see while the other person leads them around the room. They take their hand and make them touch inanimate objects while all the time being deadly quiet. After the exercise a discussion is held on what the players have experienced.
From this point on we were quiet; simply absorbing everything. The stage had a huge curtain rail going from one wall to another and was fitted with four transparent hospital curtains. Throughout the rehearsal the players used these curtains to reveal and obscure as they and the director saw fit. Also at their disposal was a large rack of costumes, three hospital gurneys, which doubled as tables, and all manner of objects. When the call is to repeat the scene these were reset promptly by Corn Exchange’s indomitable stage director and stage manager team, Mags Mulvey and Clare Howe. They are charged with gently pulling those at the rehearsals back to reality for lines, breaks and all things practical.
As the rehearsal continued I found my only problem being to stifle laughter at the one-liners and impromptu costume changes. These technically superb actors played with Michael West’s original text, teased it and improvised with a mischievous wit. Annie’s direction guided the words from the page to their manifestation within the play’s intricate maze of a life in fragments. Imagination was clearly at the forefront of everyone’s minds and over the entire day the material was being discussed openly and changed where and when appropriate. The combination of skill and fluidity of ideas meant that it wasn’t just a morning of watching actors – it was a trip into a different world.
We are delighted now to declare ourselves film-buffs in Freefall!
Book tickets to Freefall HERE!