Iain Black: Richard
Posted by Bingo Dragon on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Three times a week, a disparate bunch of young folk bring themselves together in a large, stiflingly hot room above a pub and muck around with one of Shakespeare’s best. I say muck around, it’s more like furnishing 16th century language with strawberries, balloons and, wherever possible, death. This is Richard III – Bingo Dragon style.
This is the first of hopefully dozens of blogs by various cast members, declaiming in frightening detail our rehearsal process. Our production is just under five weeks away from its glorious debut, and the journey its gone through to get here has been pretty damned exciting, so God knows what state I’ll be in by the 16th September.
Some more about me - I’m ginger.
Sunday’s rehearsal started off with the usual dire warnings from the barmaids about not using the upstairs toilets; last week’s nationwide troubles looked like they’d finally reached Lancaster, and the cisterns had borne the brunt of social unhappiness. After a warm-up amongst the broken glass, down to the serious stuff, the deep, funereal (literally) scenes early on.
Not that Richard ever sees it like that.
The thing I’ve learnt the most about my character, is that everything Richard does, he has the best possible time doing it. It’s as if nothing could be more fun than the worst elements of humanity. If Richard ever washed up, he’d probably make it fun by making kitchen implements into countries which he would then invade with sponges, brushes and a bowl decorated with his own face. Instead of leaving it at the imagination stage, Richard goes through with it, nothing is ever too outlandish. Also, there must be an immense toy cupboard in Richard’s house. Buzz Lightyears, scooters with an attached boombox, trampolines with extra padding to cushion his shoulder. That sort of thing.
More on me – I’m currently unemployed.
So what else is Richard about? Well, he’s physically impaired, which to most would be a bit of a downer. But like an uplifting BBC 3 documentary, he finds the way to use it to the best of his ability. ‘Yeah I got a hump, but you know what, it makes me pretty great, trust me. That walking stick, well it helps me walk, don’t mock me for that, look I’m great. Stop accusing me of things, you’re just doing it cos I’m different!’ Constant, unrelenting ways to see the way Richard can change any situation to his benefit. Why? Because it’s fun! Looking through the script it’s as if there’s never point where he’s not smiling massively at his own doings.
More on me – I’ve had 11 separate careers.
So what next? We’ve got the finale still to muddle though/expertly whittle into a gloriously-pitched perfectly-delivered oratory masterpiece of brilliance, but some of the set-pieces we’ve already done look rather smashing I think. But how can Richard III be that much fun? Come see and find out.
This is the first of hopefully dozens of blogs by various cast members, declaiming in frightening detail our rehearsal process. Our production is just under five weeks away from its glorious debut, and the journey its gone through to get here has been pretty damned exciting, so God knows what state I’ll be in by the 16th September.
Some more about me - I’m ginger.
Sunday’s rehearsal started off with the usual dire warnings from the barmaids about not using the upstairs toilets; last week’s nationwide troubles looked like they’d finally reached Lancaster, and the cisterns had borne the brunt of social unhappiness. After a warm-up amongst the broken glass, down to the serious stuff, the deep, funereal (literally) scenes early on.
Not that Richard ever sees it like that.
The thing I’ve learnt the most about my character, is that everything Richard does, he has the best possible time doing it. It’s as if nothing could be more fun than the worst elements of humanity. If Richard ever washed up, he’d probably make it fun by making kitchen implements into countries which he would then invade with sponges, brushes and a bowl decorated with his own face. Instead of leaving it at the imagination stage, Richard goes through with it, nothing is ever too outlandish. Also, there must be an immense toy cupboard in Richard’s house. Buzz Lightyears, scooters with an attached boombox, trampolines with extra padding to cushion his shoulder. That sort of thing.
More on me – I’m currently unemployed.
So what else is Richard about? Well, he’s physically impaired, which to most would be a bit of a downer. But like an uplifting BBC 3 documentary, he finds the way to use it to the best of his ability. ‘Yeah I got a hump, but you know what, it makes me pretty great, trust me. That walking stick, well it helps me walk, don’t mock me for that, look I’m great. Stop accusing me of things, you’re just doing it cos I’m different!’ Constant, unrelenting ways to see the way Richard can change any situation to his benefit. Why? Because it’s fun! Looking through the script it’s as if there’s never point where he’s not smiling massively at his own doings.
More on me – I’ve had 11 separate careers.
So what next? We’ve got the finale still to muddle though/expertly whittle into a gloriously-pitched perfectly-delivered oratory masterpiece of brilliance, but some of the set-pieces we’ve already done look rather smashing I think. But how can Richard III be that much fun? Come see and find out.
- Iain Black (Richard)
