Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Acting (But Were Afraid To Ask, Dear) by West End Producer Page A

audience – which means that it should never be fully performed before opening night. This can be something of a problem during dress rehearsals – when it is vital to do a full run. The way superstitious directors get around this is by not allowing the actors to say the final two lines of the show (which are traditionally rhyming couplets) until the opening night. This is fine if those two lines are easy, but a bloody nightmare if they’re not.
     
     
There is also the belief that the ‘good’ characters (Fairy Godmother/Genie) should only enter stage-right, and the ‘bad’characters (Abanazar/King Rat) should enter stage-left. This is because in old theatres the baddie would make their first entrance rising from a trapdoor that was always on the left side of the stage. Also, in folklore, the ‘good’ side is always the right side – which explains why Ant is always on the left, and Dec is on the right, dear.
    The Dress Rehearsal
     
     
There is a silly superstition that if you have a bad dress rehearsal you will have an excellent opening night. I understand the idea – that if the dress is a complete failure then nerves, energy and a desire to make it work will empower you to have a marvellous first show. Personally, though, I much prefer it if the dress rehearsal is a success. For one thing there is usually a photographer present, taking photos for front-of-house and marketing purposes – and we don’t want bad photos going front-of-house, otherwise what will the boxoffice staff think? And secondly, I often invite industry friends to see the dress rehearsal – or ‘open dress’ as it is known – alongside colleagues, friends and theatre staff. It is a marvellous way of getting a true audience reaction – which is invaluable for the actors. It also provides the perfect opportunity for me to show off in front of all my friends, dear.
     
     
‘Break a Leg’
    The term ‘break a leg’ is said to actors so that people can avoid saying ‘good luck’ (which is considered bad luck).
    The term itself refers to bowing, because when you bow you bend at the knees and ‘break’ the line of your leg. Hence ‘break a leg’ means ‘take a bow’.
    It also refers to when audience members used to throw money onto the stage during the curtain call – causing actors to break the line of their leg by kneeling to pick up the money. I always think it such a shame that this tradition no longer happens – as most actors I know love getting on their knees for money.
     
     
It is also bad luck for actors to bow if they feel they haven’t performed well and don’t ‘deserve’ it. However, if this rule was followed properly there would be a lot of actors out there who would never bow at all. You know who you are…
     
     
   
     

 

    Please remember – the interval is not the intercourse, dear.

     
    And here we are, at the interval.
    The interval is a marvellous time. A time when ice cream is consumed, bladders are emptied and alcohol is funnelled into welcoming livers. It is a time when couples argue about whether they remembered to record Corrie , and drama students take bets on which of the dancers they will snog in the pub afterwards.
    It is also the time when eager, excitable, and educated folk enjoy perusing the theatre programme. Generally, theatre programmes offer a little bit of interesting information about the show, interspersed with lots of adverts and pointless information that has nothing to do with anything whatsoever. However, they always include little photos of the actors so that you can spend the rest of the evening figuring out who is playing which part.
    If you are unable to read you have the option of spending approximately £10 on a souvenir brochure. These large folders of fun contain lots of big, colourful photos of the actors and creative team acting, rehearsing and laughing at the fact that people pay so