It seems a long time ago that I stood in an audition room in October, trembling and doing my utmost to stay in something vaguely resembling a tune – and that was before I was asked to move my arms and legs in time with a dance track which seemed blisteringly fast at the time! But five months of intensive rehearsals later, I’ve learned songs, dances and scenes aplenty – some parts better than others (I have two left feet!) maybe, but hopefully they’re all there!
And after spending many hours of practice in rehearsal rooms, corridors and lecture theatres (and in my case, the shower– for which I’m very sorry, housemates!), I’m confident that we’ve got a production to be proud of, having made some great new friendships and formed lifelong memories amongst SUSU’S Showstoppers (musical theatre) society along the way.
The show’s large cast, band, crew and production team are on the home straight, and we’re looking forward to showing you all what we’ve managed to achieve – hopefully something remarkable!
Parade is a show of epic proportions, as you’d probably expect with a cast of 36! Based on an astonishing true story, it revolves around the eponymous annual parade which takes place to celebrate Confederate Memorial Day in 1913 Atlanta, Georgia, commemorating the defeat of the Confederate States of America in battle.
But when a tragic murder occurs at a local factory, resulting post-war xenophobia leads citizens to accuse outsider Leo Frank (the brilliant Freddy Bowen), working there on the day of the crime. In a catastrophic whirlwind of events, Leo soon finds himself fighting to clear his name against an amassing tidal wave of suspicion, hysteria and false testimony. All the while, he is attempting to reconcile his ailing marriage with his supportive but doubting wife, Lucille (the show-stealing Emma Bryant), possibly the only person capable of saving him from a terrible and unjust fate.
It’s a show which certainly packs a punch emotionally – by the end of our first rehearsal, the traditional show read-through, plenty of us were in tears! But Parade also features some fantastic musical variety, celebrations, dance numbers and a healthy degree of humour, lending it a great deal of appeal to audiences of all ages. It should be one heck of a show, and it’s a privilege to be a part of.
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| The read-through emphatically demonstrated the magnitude of the cast – and the show! Photo credit: @JoeHart |
As I play a member of the ensemble, I get to feature in roles such as a reporter, a prison guard, a businessman and the foreman of a jury all in the space of one show – talk about an identity crisis! But it’s all part of the fun of contributing to a story which is a culmination of a huge number of actors’ and actresses’ backstories, characters and efforts. It allows the majority of us to remain involved with songs interspersed throughout the entire show, be they anthems, protests or even ballroom dances (during which I spend most of my time trying not to step on my partner’s feet!).
So with evening rehearsals now on a daily basis, the onus falls on the cast to wind down to Easter by doing our best to promote (with show-based clothing on the way and flyers already being handed out around the Students’ Union) and practice for the show, while also making sure that none of the above interferes with what we’re here for: our degree programmes. It’s not an uncommon occurrence to spy a book being perused, a paragraph being referenced or an essay typed up in between costume changes backstage as deadlines are met and pieces of work polished, sometimes by hook or by crook!
But this is typical of the graft that the student body perpetually displays at university, with many people juggling time-consuming commitments with challenging academic demands, somehow making sure that, one way or another, their efforts towards both achieve outstanding results. It’s not always easy to do, and there may be the occasional late night work session or early morning visit to the library in there, but as always, excellence abounds on campus.
So while most of the student body are counting down the days and plotting their holiday exploits and looking forward to a well-deserved rest (and maybe a spot of revision too!), I feel that, with life busier than ever, it’s time to knuckle down; hopefully, by the end of the term, I’ll have produced solid coursework and played my part in a tremendous show, taking great pride in both.
No chances of winding down the term for me, then!
SUSU Showstopper’s “Parade” runs every night at the Nuffield Theatre, Highfield Campus, between Wednesday 13th and Saturday 16th March, with all performances beginning at 7.30pm; there is also an additional matinée performance at 2.30pm on Saturday 16h March. Tickets are £16 for Adults, £10 for Students and Concessions, and £9 for Performing Arts Members, and can be purchased via the Nuffield Theatre Box Office or online at www.nuffieldtheatre.co.uk.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Robin
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