Following the heatwave, London was hit with a torrential rain and booming thunderstorm that left many roads, tube stations and parks out of action on Sunday. The VERY SAME DAY our first live show outdoors (and out of lockdown) was scheduled to take place, before a sold out audience!
Argh! Of all the rotten luck…
“The cast and crew arrived that morning, feeling relieved we’d all made it through rehearsals without any of us testing positive or being pinged!” recalls director, Marie. “Last minute cast changes worked like a dream, the sets were eye-catching in the park and it was all going to go well…”
Our audience had of course been reminded about the potential of bad weather so it was no surprise when they arrived and mingled at the entrance gazebo, that many were wearing sturdy footwear or that there were a few hats and hoods dotted around.
We made two thirds of the way through our first show before the heavens opened.
“It started as what can only be described as an unthreatening drizzle,” explains an event volunteer, “but quickly descended into a full-fledged downpour!” But despite the horrific conditions, the support of the audience increased; cheers grew louder from under the colourful umbrellas and nobody ran off mid-monologue to drier pastures!
So we had a choice to make. We could either cut the show short and forfeit the performances of the last two monologues OR power through to the end (for about ten minutes or so) in order to ensure no Young Theatre Maker missed this opportunity to perform that they had worked so hard for.
The decision was easy. Moving as swiftly as we could, we sought shelter in a covered area of the Thames Path. And with the beautiful soundtrack by Nina Perry drowning out the choppy waves, we staged the final two pieces.
Our Young Theatre Makers coped with these changes with utter professionalism and really did themselves proud. “So sorry you couldn’t do your other two shows,” shares one audience member, “but honestly it was just brilliant. So well put together, amazing writing, super performances, loved every minute. Well done to you guys!” The dedication from the crew to pack down and gather everything from all eight installations around the park was impressive. With wet hair, wet clothes, wet shoes, and wet faces they paddled through the sodded grass to gather wet props and soggy set. They hung everything out to dry with good grace and humour, teaming up for larger pieces. Seeing us run back and forth, a neighbour of Bubble HQ even passed some fresh towels out the window to help us (thank you no.1)!
Though the weather saw to it that the show was slashed down from three performance times to just one, the cast left full of pride for what they had achieved. This experience has only strengthened their enthusiasm as a company of theatre makers. The next show takes place this Saturday at Deal Porter Square and they will be more than ready!
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