Actiontrack blog day 3

Michael Kemp continues his series 'in 3-D'. Pictured: a grainy obscure photo of what looks suspiciously like a bunch of boys with blackened faces 'dying' in our swimming pool at 10.45pm last night. Keep tuned...

Here's Part 3: in 3D

Yesterday I mentioned that today things would really start to set sail (again - necessary nautical pun) but we've not only set sail but are now hitting 40 knots and ramping tides. After a quick run-through of all the songs, our parts were given out - casting has revealed a quirky but fair-to-say-ingenious selection. I won’t reveal a who's who yet, but I can honestly admit to be thrilled with my part and as is everyone else.

The main event today was the chaotic multi-tasking involved in assembling our show. While rehearsals are happening in the BSR, the assembling of our movable sets and decor continues outside, while in the Cadogan, sound-scaping and stop motion film-making trundles on; there are even some lads running around trying to record the perfect sound for a shark biting off someone's leg.

Meanwhile as the production rumbles headlong, our best efforts are demanded to pick up some wind. The responsibility is on us now to learn our lines, lyrics, dance steps and to piece together a lively period costume from whatever bit of old thread we can find.

This evening we were introduced to our sprunky choreography, seemingly fabricated to embracing the best (well really the worst) of 80s dance trends - there's plenty of stomp 'n clap, a bit of Greased Lightning finger-pointing-wave-pumping, even a Hairspray tail feather wiggle; it's a almost a pity there's no room in JAWS for a run through of the Time Warp*.

Even tonight some of the guys are going out at 11 o'clock and using the school pool to film a vignette to tell the story of the USS Indianapolis, not the best of associations for the pool but you can recognise the dedication of our year to Actiontrack when Max sacrifices time to get in a pool and thrash about when he could be sleeping**

*If you do not know what the Time Warp is, you are dead to me, in fact simply typing that has made me YouTube it straight away - it's like a little goblin that's stuck in your head that constantly makes you smile; the thought of people not being aware of the Time Warp seemingly too saddening to imagine (they might not have it in Venezuela - would Rocky Horror fly over there? Nah it might, but would they bother to dub it or would it even have an audience?)
*No offence intended to Max, but come on man - you spent 18 hours sleeping last Saturday, no joke.