The title of this entry is a quote from the Gilbert and Sullivan show 'Patience' and sums up perfectly my evening. Due to Little Brother being affiliated once more with Hull University Gilbert and Sullivan Society, I came to be invited back this year to Stage Manage their show. It has been three years since I left HUGSS, and two since I saw a show of theirs, but seems much longer. It was cathartic to see how the Society has changed.
I joined HUGSS in 2006 as a fresher, met some amazing people, played my first female G&S role, and immensely enjoyed being both a committee member and the resident alto. We went through Pinafore, Iolanthe and Pirates before being cast out into the real world. In 2010, we all returned after a year absence to HUGSS 'Ruddigore' starring Little Brother as Sir Roderick. The show was a success, and we were all proud to have our legacy upheld. In 2011 I could not make it to The Sorcerer; second-hand reports about the show that year were not so favourable and I feared that HUGSS had dropped the ball. Little Brother re-joined the cast this year as the moustachioed Colonel, and subsequently my involvement grew from nothing to wielding curtains and controlling The Cans Of Power.
The first thing I was struck by tonight was the youth of the cast - was I ever that young?!? Don't get me wrong, I am under no delusions that I was ever that small, but it is bizarre to me to be able to tangibly feel the difference in age. I don't mean this in a negative way, far from it, only it felt rather bizarre. Perhaps the mind is playing tricks and I do not look so wildly older as I think, or they so young, but its fair to say I wasn't expecting it.
I usually enjoy the perk of joining in with a little singing from the wings, but today marked the first time I felt unable to. For a start the cans prevent one from hearing oneself, but also I felt very self-aware that my heavy mezzo would tamper with the sweet and clear balance of the girls. I very much enjoyed listening to them; HUGSS have been blessed this year with a very nice collection of voices, none of which stick out sorely and - for possibly the first time in my G&S career - the alto line was more than catered for. It was refreshing to know that sometimes that happens!
Likewise, I was impressed by the talent in the cast. We were never short of talent ourselves, but there are usually a few odd casting choices. Biased as always with favouritism for Little Brother, who is nothing short of excellent, I was pleased to see the other lead men (five, out of seven men all together!) easily keeping pace with him. HUGSS also enjoy wealth of promising young female voices; the show must have been difficult to cast.
I was most struck by the venue. The Middleton Hall, pride of Hull Uni Music Department, is a large venue seating around 300-350, with a good stage and more than adequate tech facility. When performing as an Undergraduate, the stage seemed absolutely enormous and excitingly terrifying, but today it seemed almost quaint. The venue also previously enjoyed the lighting box tyranny of 'Bob' but the atmosphere is now gloriously lifted by the rule of straight talking Tony. The sprawling orchestra arrangement seemed much bigger than I remember, and I know not a single person sitting there. Unsure of if I have simply forgotten the reality or blurred the memory of Middleton Hall, I like that the stage seems small, I feel some pleasure in thinking I may have outgrown it. Saying that, it did also feel delightfully comfortable and familiar, and slightly thrilling to occupy the Stage Manager area.
Review to follow post-show. Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts.
