Words of Wisdom

Youth is wasted on the young.

Wednesday, 3 September 2025

For My Next Trick...It's The School Musical

Once every two years, the secondary musical overtakes our lives. In the past I've been heavily involved in costumes, but as our Home Ec teacher has now found her feet in this area, I've moved on to sets and props.

This year's offering was 'Singing In The Rain'.

I was delighted to hear that the backdrops were all going to be projections which came 'with' the licence, but I still needed to source all the onstage furniture and props. Initially I was encouraged by the fact that one of our lovely amateur musical societies had done the show a couple of years ago so I thought I could get everything I need from them. It wasn't to be. They had dismantled most of the props and sets but were able to offer me a replica '20s movie camera, a sound desk and a 20's microphone.

I got to work creating some of the items on the extensive 'props' list.

First up was 1920s style press cameras.


I started with cardboard boxes and Pringles containers!


The producers desk also required 'Awards'. I checked on faux Oscar statues online but they were all about 20cm tall which would NOT do...so I found some 'craft shapes' for $1.00 a pop, chopped a few up and mounted the @ symbol (for Academy award...obviously!), sprayed them gold and voila! Cheap trophies.

The cameras were progressing.

Next up, we needed a bush for the film crew to hide a microphone in.

'Talk into the bush Lena!"

Hmmm. Artificial bushes were expensive so....I bought a lot of random greenery, some pool noodles, recycled an old plastic pot from my garden and.....


 

Hmmmmmm too thin. Back to ebay for more greenery!

Much better!!

Meanwhile, more cameras.


We also had to source furniture, a large imposing desk for the Producer and a sofa for the infamous 'Good Morning' song. My dear Partner In Crime from Kidzone at church spent a long morning with me, collecting items I had sourced off Marketplace. Two more things ticked off for the princely sun of $90. Win.


 

 

Back at the ranch, I needed a megaphone. I guess I could have asked around but I found this at the cheap shop. 

 

It was a 'hanging' pot of the sort you use on a vertical garden. A pair of pliers and a tin snip and I was on my way. Add some cardboard and black spray paint...voila!

What next? Ah. The dummy. Essential for the 'Make 'Em Laugh' number...here was the source material.


OK. That can't be too hard surely? More pool noodles and a bag of stuffing and......


She's still sitting outside our offices at school, now dressed in a spangly vest and tap shoes!

Meanwhile, I'd contacted the other amateur company who'd assured me they could lend me things, to discover they'd lent the 1920s movie camera to another company!! This is what they'd let go...


Two weeks out and I now had to create this! Of course I was on the phone straight away to Kidzone Partner in Crime who is also a VERY fine carpenter. 'Can you build me something like this tripod?'  I asked, sending him the following source material....


The following morning I received this reply....


"Will this do?"


GASP!!!!! It was perfect! I threw together some cake tins, a cardboard
box, more Pringles containers and a few other oddments to create this....

 

 It was okay.

NEEEEXXXXXTTTTT

Oh yes. The cake!

So in the story, Cathy jumps out of a cake so that Don Lockwood can make fun of her for being so high and mighty about becoming a serious actress. She gets angry and throws a piece of cake at him, which ends up in Lena's face...and so the plot develops.

Me: Are you sure we need a 'cake she can pop out of'? Couldn't we just reuse the normal sized cake from   Freaky Friday?

Director: No she REALLY needs to jump out of it

Me; But there's no room backstage for a full sized cake she can jump out of...

Director: Pleeeeeease.

Thus began the week long attempt to create a cake...

I started with hula hoops and foam, the idea being that she could come on inside the cake and drop it to 'appear' out of the cake. 

Things got very rushed and I ended up hand sewing the fabric over the top to create 'icing'.


This was a laborious task indeed and I only managed to get one photo...of a crew member inside the cake...photographed from the back. Oh well.


It needed another hula hoop at the bottom and some more lining but it was only on stage for less than 30 secs and I'd run out of time. It did the job.

Later, back at school I was describing to my class of Year 8s how difficult it had been making the cake. I explained how I had to cut the hula hoops and rejoin them at different lengths and then hand sew the fabric over the hoops.

"But why didn't you sew the fabric flat and then thread it on to the hoops?  You'd already cut them!" said Mr 13 and a half, chronic work avoider and  thorn in my side.

                 **************crickets ***********crickets **************crickets

Blinking kid will be an engineer. I'm sure of it!

And so we hit the stage. The show was a great success with audiences adoring the slapstick humour and beautiful costumes designed (and pretty much single handedly sewn) by our Home Ec teacher.

 

Here you can see one of the chairs (used in 'Moses Supposes') which the students spun, flipped twirled and stood upon. I had found them on the school building site where the builders were using them for their tea break! They were kind enough to loan them to us. Also seen here is the exceptional ladder, handmade for the purpose by our Design Tech teacher. It was wooden, to suit the period, and light enough to lift easily, but strong enough for students to climb and dance on.

This one is just to show you some of the costumes. Most of these were op shop purchases with braid etc added. She really is a genius!


Here's the classic cake moment. You can see my prop cake slices to the left and the flying shaving foam to the right! The small triangle at Lena's hem is the slice of cake which held the foam.

Here's the dummy and the ladder in action.

The imposing Producer's desk with awards...although I wish I'd included a writing stand or lamp. Mind you...the young man would probably have trodden on them.

 

And here's the whole staff crew. Spot the only backstage member not wearing black trousers!!! #eyeroll.



And so another musical is laid to rest. What next for this intrepid band of creatives? Well it's back to the chalk board and proper teaching. And for me...onwards to another onstage role in 'Footloose'. It's small but includes roller skates. What could possibly go wrong?





Wednesday, 21 May 2025

'La Cage Aux Folles' or How to Avoid Post Show Blues by Doing Another Show.

 

'Billy Elliot' ended, and with it my connection to family and kin in the North East of England. I shelved my pseudo Geordie accent and put away the beautiful harmonies and anthemic call of the Celtic influenced score.

And moved on to La Cage Aux Folles.

 



Deputy Edouard Dindon and Madame Dindon present their daughter Anne.

In a plot uncannily similar to that of The Addams Family musical, Jean-Michel, the son of a night club owner and his partner Albin (who is the star of the drag show), brings his ultra conservative girlfriend's family home to meet 'the parents'. Unfortunately he asks Albin to absent himself as his overtly theatrical ways could not easily be explained away.

As hurt as he is Albin (the star) agrees reluctantly to absent himself on this important occasion. The salacious apartment is cleaned up and turned into an austere cell, worthy of any monk. 

But there are cracks in the veneer, notably in the plates! Madame Dindon spies a strange pattern on the dinner service, resembling young naked boys playing leapfrog! What could it mean??

Before any conclusions can be drawn, 'Mother' arrives!

 

The whole company go out to dinner where 'Mother' sings a wonderful song, enamoring herself to all present. 

 


But, disaster! Hearing the applause, Albin automatically removes his wig as he does at the end of every performance.


The jig is UP! Everyone rushes back to the apartment above the night club, 'La Cage Aux Folles', but they are trapped by the waiting press who have got wind of the presence of the famous moral campaigner Edouard Dindon being seen in the company of one of the most famous drag queens on the Riviera!

How will the Dindons escape the scandal? There is only one way. They must join the show!!!

 Anne is very comfortable in her new role.

 

Marie a little less so, although we did work out how to pin that stole to her shoulder straps after this dress rehearsal, thus preventing the nearly strangled look!


Edouard had a lot of work to do :-D


The family are hidden from the waiting press...

 

 And, after checking that the coast is clear...

....make a run for it!

This show was so much fun. Our Cagelles were spectacular! The dancing was punishing, for them anyway.  :-D  Their costumes were amazing. Have a little look.





 


 





But now it has all come to an end. Back to reality and all that. School has been very dull this week after all the feathers and glitter but we are off to see another show together on Friday night so all is not lost. When will I ever get another chance to grace the stage I wonder? Better get fit again and get to singing lessons. I think my showgirl days are numbered !! :-D :-D













Tuesday, 6 May 2025

The Month of Joy and Hell That Was March/April 2025

I'm checking in to this blog after a long time, to record some family events for dear Northern UK relatives who do not use facebook. It's kind of nice to be back. It's be a while!

Middle Sis and BIL arrived on the 24th of March. I got to see them for one night before their touring schedule whisked them away interstate. Of course the only other nights they were in town I had rehearsals.

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Here we are on their first night, straight off the plane! Well then of course Billy Elliot opened. The BA (my daughter the Baby Angel for those not 'in the know') brought my cousin, her husband and daughter up to see the show. Here they are enjoying a pre-show drink...

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They loved the show. In fact EVERYONE loved the show, despite some dubious Geordie accents. Here's a few highlights....
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Here's the opening number: ' The Stars Look Down (All Out Together)'

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That's a rather tubby me fourth from the right. I blame the fisheye lens....


'Billy'  dancing to 'Electricity'


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Me on the picket line shouting abuse at the 'scabs'
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Anyway, you get the picture.


I took one day off work to spend with Middle Sis and BIL and we had a lovely trip through time visiting our old house and scattering some of Dad's ashes there.


This is our old house. We scattered some of Dad around a new sapling planted on the footpath outside the house.

Here we are in our old church, where Little Sis was baptised and Mum and I sang in the choir.


Here we all are in the garden of the church.


We went to the theatre that night and then I didn't see them for another 6 days. 
They went off to Kangaroo Island for a visit and on their return I drove down to Victor Harbour (scene of many a family holiday) and met them to scatter some more of Dad's ashes on Granite island. Here's the spot we chose....



We then visited our dear friends who came out to Australia with us on the Arcadia in 1962. First Class Friend is sitting next to me in this photo. She was 2 when we arrived together on the boat from England.


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Finally they were off back to the Uk (sob sob sob) but at least I could wind down and start to recover after the hectic three weeks...

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No sooner had I started to catch up on sleep and emotional energy than I was into rehearsals for my next show, 'La Cage Aux Folles'! I play the wife of a conservative politician. Photos to follow :-D

All of the memorabilia from Mum and Dad's place arrived in the second week of the school holidays so I was kept busy unpacking and packing things away. I have three or four artworks from their walls and this interesting chap, known fondly to us all as 'Smiley Man in The Hall'. Here he is installed in my garden, and that is a whole other story. He was HEAVY!!!!


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Middle Sis is worried that he will be damaged by the weather but as I pointed out, none of THEM wanted him in THEIR houses! :-D

So that is it for now! Stay tuned for the next installment when I strut my stuff in 'La Cage Aux Folles'!



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