Anything Goes Get In
Boat building day, at last. The much anticipated day has finally arrived and, hooray hooray, we have survived! The day started really well with the truck turning up on time in blazing sunshine. There weren't many of us, but those of us who were there, worked really bloody hard. We are sure however that the Daleks being in the Park and Dare have caused the theatre to shrink because that set has been there twice before and never has there been such a struggle to get the damned thing in. Blasted shutters! Someone had to be on permanent duty, holding them up, as the rest of us pushed and shoved various huge frames and rostra tops up the steps. In fact, we were struggling so much that Richard, who was just in Treorchy to go shopping, stopped to help us for half an hour or so. Vicar Dave on the other hand just nicked our ladder to take WWRY signs down. Thanks for that, mate, we'll remember that next time you want a hand.
After getting the stuff in, we took a break in Dom's while Alan and Charlie had a coffee break in the 'lounge'. ('Ooh', said Alan.) We didn't have the ususal repeated questions about coffee and sugar in Dom's today though (which tends to be a highlight of get in for me) because Paolo served us, not his Dad, but he still made good coffee. Quick fag outside and a warning from a passer by about the psychotic litter warden that's lurking in Treorchy and then the boat building started.
It all went pretty much to plan really, but I did fall rather crazily not off a ladder, but with a ladder. It was propped up against the stage (not opened up) and the bottom just slipped on the carpet and down I went with it. It was great, I managed to stay on my feet, but the ladder made a really spectacular crashing sound. Very impressive.
Tall Tom and Adrian put the handrails on the wrong way on SR, but I should confess now that I had okayed it, and I was wrong. Sam was a star and saved me from a falling flat, saved most people from a large falling rostra top and stopped us from smashing a light to pieces with the main treads. 'Bravo, Sam', not 'Oh Sam' for today. Graham managed to hurt his back carrying in a set of treads and has managed to stink out the Park and Dare by asking me to spray him with Deep Heat. Yuk. (He's still not better by the way - I hope he'll be ok by tomorrow.) Alison was top tea bitch and set up the new Starbucks in the SR dressing room before going to get her hair done. We tried telling her that she didn't need to get her hair done for tech rehearsal, but she wouldn't listen! Ken was looking very sporty in his tight T-shirt and spent most of the day running around all over the set bolting and screwing. Tom spent most of the day on the top deck screwing handrails in place and if anyone complains about a wobble tomorrow, he's sure to kill them. Greg was a general star, especially because he gave me cigarettes, but watching him, Ken and Graham carrying things together, as the 'older' members of the crew, shall we say, was a bit like watching the three stoogees. Matt was all over the place (in a good way) screwing in light bulbs and has put the campest bunting that I have ever seen, all over the place.
I hope to God that I haven't forgotten anyone. Oh yes, I know, I've forgotten Rhys. Rhys was great (and was right about many a thing!) and I really wish him the best of Welsh for tomorrow - he's going to need it. Graham and I will be there though to help him as much as we possibly can.
It was a great day. We had coffee, coke, sweets, biscuits and fags - all the things that you need for a picnic day of boat building. We had a lot of laughs about the nuts in Adrian's pocket and discovered that you cannot carry things when you're laughing. There should be a health and safety warning about that.
Here's to a good one tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who came today, it's just a shame that there weren't more of us. Cheers though. You were all stars.
