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Trainee Resident Director Alex Hick shares his rehearsal diary for the West End transfer of Kevin Elyot’s Coming Clean.
How do you return to a play after 18 months? How do you bring a new actor into a cast? We begin at the deep end, plunging the actors into a full run of the show. This is a great opportunity for everyone to flex their acting muscles and to work with a new actor in the play. It allows us to see what we need to focus on for the week – we look at the big picture before then getting out the microscope.
We worked in the moments of intimacy in the play with our movement director, Jess. We looked at how each moment of intimacy is about conflict – we used contact improvisation to explore the sharing of weight between the two actors and the dynamics in their relationships. The intimacy between the men is integral to the play and, as it is the first time this seminal gay play is being presented in the West End, it is important to render each moment truthfully.
This rehearsal involved an aerobics class, a political rally and a waltz! We worked through the text with the actors using exercises to explore the scenes. Each exercise uses the dialogue of the play but changes the context to highlight and explore a certain dynamic between characters. A gossip between two friends becomes a waltz – finding moments in their conversation where one character is leading and the other following.
We worked through scene changes with Jess. We began by sketching out each change practically, working through which props needed to be set for each scene. We looked at how each scene change could be used as a tool to further tell a story and to prepare the audience – transitioning them into the mood of the next scene.
Our final day was spent working on rhythm and tempo – finding the gearshifts in the play. We finished by presenting a full run of the show to an invited audience. Having a supportive audience was invaluable for the actors, it gave them the opportunity to really play and tell the story to a fresh pair of ears. It has been such an exciting week – we break for Christmas and return next year at Trafalgar Studios!
Also By Kings Head Theatre:
Fundraising Gala: Keeping a Charity Theatre On Its Feet
Beauty And The Beast: A Gender Swap Performance
The King’s Head Theatre was established in 1970. Passionate about championing ethically produced fringe theatre, we are known for our challenging work and support of young artists. Last year 116,151 audience members saw a show of ours: 44,607 at our 110-seater home on Upper Street and 71,544 elsewhere. At our home in Islington we had 774 performances last year of 95 different shows. We are committed to fighting prejudice through the work we stage, the artists and staff we work with and by producing work for minority audience groups. We believe in fair pay for all on the fringe and create accessible routes for early career artists to stage their work; work we are passionate about. Last year we announced the theatre is on the move. Subject to a fundraising campaign, the King’s Head Theatre will move into a custom-built space in the heart of Islington Square, directly behind its current home securing the future of the venue for generations to come.
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