Fyse’s Floating Face

Posted by Fyse on Friday, 19 November 2004

While I really dislike auditioning itself, I probably hate waiting for the crucial email even more. I did two first-round auditions last weekend, and was recalled for both productions in the middle of this week. While the first round of auditions normally takes around 5-10 minutes per person, recalls are a lot more serious. The ‘My Fair Lady’ recall lasted an hour, with time spent on singing, dancing and acting, while the call-back for ‘Me and My Girl’ was a gruelling two hours. I prefer auditions to be too long rather than too short, as it gives me more time to get over the inevitable nerves, but two hours of improvising put a bit of strain on the old concentraion span.

Whilst waiting, I check my emails with absurd regularity. At least my new phone means I can check them from anywhere, and don’t have to sit in my room all evening. Of course, it doesn’t make any difference whether I get the news immediately, as I’ll have to wait for news of both shows before I make any decision anyway.

My computer just tada’d at me to signal a new email, but it was only this weekend’s list of auditions. I guess I should do some of them, in case I don’t get either of the musicals. I’ve tried a term at university without any drama, and it was dull in the extreme. I actually found I did less work, if that’s possible, because I was so bored. I’m due to hear this evening about one of them, and on Sunday for the other. I reckon I’ve probably got a fair chance of something in one of them, but we’ll have to wait and see.

I’m torn as to which production I would rather do, if I am fortunate enough to be given the choice. ‘Me and My Girl’ is at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, the professional theatre in Cambridge and consequently far larger than anywhere I’ve performed before. The down side is that it involves staying a week longer in Cambridge this term for full-time rehearsal, which would screw up my money-earning plans, and I really need money. ‘My Fair Lady’ is the annual ‘Lent Term Musical’ at the ADC Theatre, which I’ve taken part in the last two years. It’s a two week run, which some people don’t enjoy, but I love. Thirteen performances allows you to get very confident and slick, and the second week of the run is out of term, meaning the cast can drink all night and sleep all day. Much better than knowing you have a lecture at 9:00 the next day.

I came to university absolutely determined to get involved in student drama, and did about ten auditions at the beginning of my first term. I made a total mess of almost all of them, but was lucky enough to be recalled for the Footlights/ADC Pantomime, and then be offered a small part. I suspect I only got that due to a chronic lack of men, and had I not I probably wouldn’t have had the confidence to try again. I’d like to think I’ve now improved enough to get roles on merit rather than by default, but being male is still a big advantage in Cambridge drama. My social-life at uni revolves almost entirely around the ADC, without which it would be comparitively abysmal. I have plenty of good friends in my own college, but if it weren’t for university drama I wouldn’t really know anyone from the other colleges. Some people live their lives in Cambridge like this, without any form of university-wide activity, but I’d find that far too insular and claustrophobic. I know people from pretty much every undergraduate college, and that’s the way I like it.

P.S. I guess my American readership (of four!) might not know what I mean by college as opposed to university. I am studying at St Catharine’s College, which is a part of Cambridge University. The following page on the university website explains a little about the collegiate system, if you want to know. I realise that’s a big ‘if’.