大象传媒

Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd May

My week as a 'supernumerary' or 'super' has been a lot of fun. It鈥檚 felt strange at times, a bit like I鈥檇 crashed through the back of my wardrobe into a strange new world where everyone pretends to be other people (or is that just normal life anyway!). But it IS a place where people aren鈥檛 confined by the 9 to 5 or restrained by a desk. Instead, their working hours are dictated by calls and curtain up and the words on a page, which can be interpreted in their own way.

But even though you do the same thing every day, in its own way, each performance is unique, has its own nuances, and can never be re-created in exactly the same way.

'Supers' on the stage!

Much of this is down to audience reaction and we certainly noticed differences each time. School audiences were lively, while weekends and some evenings were more thoughtful.听But talk to any actor and they鈥檒l tell you that it鈥檚 this sort of thing that keeps their performances fresh, just as productions often change slightly after the first performance. The first time they do it in front of a live audience with an instant reaction and they鈥檒l know what to big up or play down and which reactions are surprising and this process continues throughout the run.

I think that even my 鈥渟tanding still鈥� changed throughout the week, maybe by standing in a slightly different place (about 5cms from the night before!) maybe with a different judgemental look (I have a whole repertoire!) and definitely after discovering my husband played a 鈥渄oor鈥� in a play at primary school which naturally involved an element of stillness 鈥� and his tips were invaluable!

The immense privilege though, of appearing in this production, one which has been brought back time and time again over a period of 17 years, was really brought home to me after the Saturday matinee when my dutiful husband came to watch it.

Firstly I was extremely jealous. At least once a month we will go to Saturday matinee 鈥� I love them because you get the same great theatre, but get home in time for Strictly and Match of the Day. So, after listening to this show in the dressing room all week, I really wanted to see it!

His reaction didn鈥檛 make things any better for me in that sense because he thought that it was likely to be one of the best things he鈥檇 see all year - and I wasn't in the audience with him! And this was just two weeks after seeing Alison Steadman in the highly acclaimed Enjoy! But to hear him say that, a man who is known for his honest opinions on theatre, made me very proud indeed!

It had also suddenly dawned on him that he was watching his wife in a proper professional production and not, and I quote, 鈥渟ome am dram thing鈥� in a local hall! So he said that he was proud too!

It's for you - hoo!

It was indeed an honour to be in such a production and throughout the week, the company seemed please to have us in return. Obviously, it would cost a fortune to tour with so many extras so this is quite an inspired way of doing things. It also forms a connection between the play and the town it is being performed in. If Priestly鈥檚 play deals with how the past affects the present and how the present judges the past, then it is appropriate that representatives of each place that it plays in appear in order to cast judgement as well, in a kind of UK wide trial.

So how has this all affected me? Well, luckily I still seem to remain incognito when out in public! I managed to go to the supermarket on Saturday without huge sunglasses and a baseball cap! And I am pleased to be able to return to early nights and not having to rely on 鈥渃atch-ups鈥� on the PC to keep up with my favourite programmes. No wonder all these actors agree to appear in The Bill and Casualty, they never actually get to see them!

It鈥檚 also been interesting being behind the scenes at the Milton Keynes Theatre instead of sitting out front and seeing how smoothly everything works. In essence, the actual process wasn鈥檛 so different from my am dram days, it鈥檚 just that in this professional world there was a lot less shouting, panic or general diva-esque behaviour!

And our little group of "supers" felt like a kind of family at the end - it was sad to say goodbye.

Would I do it again? For sure, just not every week, or at least not while doing another job as well! But's it's been absolutely 'super'!