Les Miserables (Day One)

What ever happened to carpenters?

7.30am

My alarm goes off. It's one of those alarms when the longer you ignore it the faster and the louder the beeping gets. Basically, one of those alarms that everyone hates, including me. I pull out the clothing I’m supposed to wear, even though I am a little confused about whether to wear blacks or not, I decide on wearing mainly black but not entirely. This is because the SM told me to wear black clothing (which I expected) but I knew we were building today, so I wasn’t sure, I didn’t want to get the black jeans I was going to have to wear in the week covered in paint.

9.00am

It is raining. Almost freezing cold, and I am stuck outside the main entrance of the Sallis Benny Theatre with the ‘Master Joiner’ and a guy called Derrick and a fellow crewmember Martin. They are both telling me about their years in the world of show business, even if it is behind the wings.

Finally, after about 10 minuets, someone from lighting comes to let us in. Telling us in the process that “everyone else is round the back and unloading stuff from the van.” I swiftly walk into the stage area, trying to look like I know what I am doing, and that I am completely confident. This is ruined a few seconds later when I lose my way to a dressing room, and find myself outside, only having to return to the SM to ask for a second set of directions. Turns out HE got stage right and left mixed up.

9.30am

Right in the middle of unloading a nice mixture of wooden planks, flats, music stands, old lighting boxes, old wagon wheels (not the chocolate biscuits ACTUAL wagon wheels) and a few other odd bits and pieces.

I’m being given a little less to carry from the man unloading the truck than any of the other ‘men’ who are to be honest all over 45 except one 31 year old. But still, I’m no weakling! I could have carried about the same as nearly all of the people there. However they were all still very lovely about it “Don’t take more than you can handle my sweetest.”

11.00am

8 flats, all about 12 foot high and 5 foot wide, are now joined together and standing across the back of the stage, to give a backdrop to the set we are about to construct. Only after the SM goes and makes some tea, it’s about time, people have been hollering for it.

1.00pm

Okay, I want to be able to explain how the set looks like, BUT I will not be able to tell it to its true glory (I’m proud of it yes). So, I will post a picture:

Well, by 11 we had about half of the entire structure sound, and the separate parts coming off the sides.

Time for lunch, they all head off for a pint, I have a cheap sandwiches in the park/ old stein, unfair? I think so.

5.00pm

The Barricades are done, as is the set, all that is left is sorting the odd bit and bobs out across the stage. I’m given a large bucket, full of a very assorted mixture of rusty screw, and a few other bits. After about an hour I’ve sorted them all into about 20 different piles and I’m free to go home, happy in the knowledge that I’ve done a hard days work.

6.30pm

Sat down, in front of Doctor Who, with a nice plate of beans on toast. The perfect dinner for a long day.