Blog: Caaamden

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I headed off to CAMDEN yesterday, to have a Proper Rehearsal of Dinosaur Planet. After having a couple of practices CHEZ MOI we thought it might be an idea to try doing it in a Proper Rehearsal Room, so that a) we could have a go with microphones [i] as we'll be using them in the show [ii] so that we could hear Steve's singing over my BELLOWING b) it'd make us Practice Properly - there's something about being in a Proper Rehearsal Room that makes things feel more OFFICAL, and you're more likely to GET ON WITH IT when there isn't a KETTLE or GRUB mere feet away.

I've never had need of a rehearsal room in That London before, so we canvassed opinion on which ones were nice - a couple were RULED OUT by Steve's Comedy Friends (NB friends from the world of Comedy, not... well, you see what I mean) as being "covered in graffiti and smelling of men". I thought ALL practice rooms HAD to be like that, by LAW, but apparently not. We eventually ended up booking one in the aforesaid CAMDEN, HENCE that is where i was wending my way just before 5pm yesterday.

CRIKEY. It is a LONG LONG TIME since I have had call to be in CAMDEN during daylight hours, and either I had FORGOTTEN what it was like or it has become MUCH MUCH worse. Everywhere you looked: WANKERS. Wankers dressed as Comedy Punks trying to sell tatoos. Wankers dressed as Pete Doherty, walking into each other. Wankers dolled up as Cartoon Goths, POSING near the many MANY cheap tat shops. Wankers of all shapes, sizes, colourse, genders and POSES. It was like DISNEY had decided to create a THEME PARK based on one drunken afternoon in 1998.

The rehearsal studio itself was FINE. I was, I must admit, a bit NERVOUS about being there with all these Trendy Young Things and had to be shown where the microphones were (in the microphone stands) as I was WHITTLING about it. We soon got sorted though and had a GRATE practice, a RIGHT PROPER one. We rang through MOST of the songs, practicing the intros, working out how to say the lines, changing bits around, and then doing it all over again until it was RIGHT. I've been worrying about whether we're going to be READY in time, but if we carry on like this I think it's going to be FINE, I was reassured immensely by our PROFESSIONALISM.

And also by the show itself - it actually appears to be FUNNY! There's something about the two of us doing the songs, rather than just me, which seems to highlight the GAGS, and even CREATE ones which I'd never noticed before. Nearly all the songs are now chopped up with lines spread between us, and blow me if it doesn't REALLY WORK. HOORAH!

Full of the joys of SHOWBUSINESS we went down to the rosd for a Celebratory Pint in the nearest PUB, which turned out to be The Hawley Arms, NOTORIOUS as the sort of pub that Famous Camden Types go to. It wasn't full of anyone famous, but there were a LOT of Types in there - EVERYONE seemed to think they were in a hugely over-written STAGE PLAY about Characters In Camden. No conversation could be simply had, EVERYTHING had to be a display of Krazy Character. Doors could not be opened without "witty" "interplay" about opening doors, nor could ordering drinks, sliding past someone, or EVEN GOING TO THE TOILET.

Yes, I know, I sound like a grumpy old sod, but BLIMEY. One WRY REMARK from a bearded behatted 22 year old is a DELIGHT. After about half an hour of EVERYONE doing it it gets a bit annoying!

ANYWAY, apart from that it was a GRATE success all round, and we're going to try and book us some MORE Proper Rehearsals, in order to make the show GRATE. But if you see either of us start to look longingly at TRILBYS then please, INTERVENE.

posted 15/4/2010 by MJ Hibbett

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