Our House Rehersal

Scenes in first show
Act 1


 The first scene I'm in is the opening number of 'Our House'. In this scene I'm not playing Reecey or Mr Pressman, I'm just a normal person at a birthday party. When there's dialogue happening, we have to be in the background smiling, pretending to talk and mingling. The dance was meant to be quite casual but the movements still needed to be strong. Everyone had to keep their arms strong in the movements while singing. This is what everyone found the hardest. It took a few rehearsals for everyone to be able to do the choreography and sing loudly and in key. Kat choreographed the main phrase of the dance and the 'girl' motif we took from the original production. (Opening number Our House Dance ). After building the set, we decided to use it for people to stand on to make it look more interesting and use a range of levels - making the most of the spacing and staging.


The next scene I was in was as Reecey. This was the Camden Canal scene, which leads up to Baggy Trousers. In this scene, when Reecey appears he frightens of Emmo and Lewis. To make me look more intimidating we used the staging, they're laying on the floor and I'm on the second block so I'm looking down on them. I then jump off the blocks and walk diagonally to down stage left to join Joe. I put my arm around him and walk him across downstage to downstage right while talking. At the end of this scene I say a short paragraph to Joe about leaving school. I found it quite hard to learn this and say it without stuttering. However, by the dress run I had it down and learnt it. This scene then leads into Baggy Trousers. This number is my favourite and the most energetic and tiring dance. It took a lot of rehearsals for me to be able to sing and dance at the same time without getting out of breathe. During the dance theres not much for Joe and Reecey to do so we tried to run around and uhse all the staging. We climb to the top blocks and bully the teacher up the top. We stayed up on the blocks for most of the song, this was to show that we were in control of everyone. ( Baggy Trousers Our House Dance ).


I then go on during Emmo and Lewis' car wash scene. I walk on from the wing (centre stage left) and then I sit on the top block of staging pretending to be on the phone and listening to their conversation. I then walk down to centre stage, putting my arm around Joe and walking him down with me. After Joe gives me a speech about not going into crime with me, Amber walks on to start embarrassment. She gives a letter to Joe, and I snatch it off him and read it. After my lines in the song I pass it on to Billie and Angie. I then go off stage to get Joes suit jacket. I come back on, hang up the suit Jacket and stand at the back with the neighbours. When Lewis has finished his lines with letter I walk up and take it. We all sing one part of the song together, while in a square with Joe in the middle. We box step in, closing the square around him. This portrays we're all against him because were pointing at him, calling him an embarrassment and trapping him in this thought.


The next scene I had was a short one. In this scene I come on as Billie and Angie walk off after insulting and laughing at Joe. I come on centre stage left and walk to downstage centre with Joe. We talk about him not having money for Sarah's birthday. At the end of the scene Joe runs of after his last line. I then shout part of my line after him - "Y'want a car mate, I'm telling y'. Nothing impresses a woman like cars" - I then pause, turn to the audience and say "Well except honesty. An' personally I've always found cars easier". I then run up the steps of the seating and off.


My next scene is with good Joe. In the last scene as good Joe, he argues with Sarah so he's feeling down and will be easily persuaded to do the wrong thing.  I come on upstage right walking down to centre stage. In this scene I had to talk a bit softer and nicer because I'm trying to persuade Joe to join me and do the wrong thing. My lines in this scene are in between Joe's Dads' song lines. I tell Joe if he does this he'd be able to buy Sarah something nice for her birthday and pay for a party. Joe agrees and I put my arm around him and we walk off centre stage left.


This is my last scene in act 1. It's also my last song as Reecey. During the ball with bad Joe and Sarah, I run on with the good Joe double, both of us carrying a TV box together. This leads on from my previous scene with Joe. We run across the stage, up the steps of the seating and down the side steps. As there isn't very long for this I start singing before I'm in my spotlight. This worked quite well because I'm singing I didn't do it while a policeman is dragging and pulling me across stage to the spotlight. The morning of the show, Fran had the idea to make the police mugshot signs to hold during, so Fran and I made them during the day to use in the evening show. She got this idea from the actual production because in that when the policemen do the count down its their picture is being taken. After the song is done, I get taken off by the policeman.