ECHO 1/12/05

Tech rehearsal – mountain to climb in terms of costume and stamina – unreal, a monumental challenge and by the end of the day I feel exhausted and worried that I may not be up to it. Timing getting short away by weight of costumes or else their impractical design, at one stage I can barely see through a wig and yet have to get through slapstick routine – underneath though there is still the little imp waiting to get out. Then at close of the tech, feeling ragged and concerned someone spots a butterfly (see entry 30/11/05) on my ‘slosh’ costume in the dressing room – a perfectly preserved Red Admiral from out of nowhere, certainly it wasn’t there throughout the day as the costume had been moved three times beforehand! Myself, Mark (playing Josh the Jester) and the costumer Clare look at each other amazed. I get goose bumps, weird chills and a sense of overwhelming humility. It would seem we have been blessed.