There is nothing better for an actor than to finish one job only to start another one straight away.
Actually that's a lie. There's one thing better.
'Double Bubble'.
What deadly words! Let me explain for all those who don't speak showbiz, 'Double Bubble' refers to when you start rehearsing for a new show before your current one finishes. Thanks to the fact that acting in theatre is mostly a night job and rehearsals are during the day this is very feasible. And while it means you're working 12 hour days quite a lot and you're well knackered it does have its benefits, serious lack of the jitter being one and also the feeling of being a REALLY hard working actor does wonders for the auld confidence. Best of all, however, is the fact that seeing as you're doing two different jobs, you also get two sets of wages. The infamous 'Double Bubble'! Lovely stuff. So while you're bolloxed tired you're earning loads of money and you're so busy you barely have time to spend it so you have a lovely load when the second show opens. It's happened to me twice so far in me career. The first time was when I was at Regent's Park in 2003 and in the last 4 weeks of that season I was rehearsing another play during the day and that opened three days after I finished at the Park. Very tight indeed. That was knackering but the second time was worse; In the last two weeks of the Wizard of Oz in Birmingham I was rehearsing for Calico in the London. Jesus! I had to head back to London after every show, and it wasn't like I had an easy gig in Wizard, I played feckin Cowardly Lion sure! I wasn't complaining though. The 'Double Bubble' was lovely. Mmmmmm 'Double Bubble' eases the (financial) pain.
Now to be honest with that happening twice in one year I thought I had used up me jammy luck for another few years so I wasn't expecting it to happen again any time soon. But suddenly the possibilty reared its beautiful head when the hotline to the agent rang once more;
'They've just called from the Park and they need to know soon whether you're doing Wind in the Willows again or not.'
Wind in the Willows, that vocal chord shattering hit I was in last year, was being revived and they wanted me back to give me Toad again. I knew this was on the cards since last year. I was well delighted that they wanted me back and of course I would oblige them only I already had a job for the summer, I was to be singing for me supper in Much Ado About Nothing for Sir Peter Hall boy. Hang on though, maybe it might work out. If Willows opened after Much Ado closed that would mean that it was just the rehearsals that crossed over and sure that wouldn't be too bad, I'd done Toad before and Much Ado isn't on every night so this was looking very doable indeed. The pound sterling signs were in me eyes at this stage, the lads were getting on to me saying I was greedy but feck that! Too right I'm greedy. This was the longest I'd been out of work in a long time and I was going ever so slightly mad. I was still sore from turning down the Fantasticks and there really seemed to be zero hope of getting anything before Much ado opened and while the hanging around wasn't suicidally bad because I had something coming up I would definitely regain the will to live if I had two shows to look forward to. And 'Double Bubble' too of course. It all just depended on the dates. So I checked em. Much Ado closes on the 6th of August and Willows opens on the.....2nd of August.
Shite.
Not a sign, I knew I couldn't be that lucky. So I told the agent to say no. Now that was a sickener. To have to turn down another job when all I was doing was ringing people about Pledge dusters was gutting. This time though there was nothing I could do about it, it was just bad timing. Sure something else will turn up I told meself. Something turned up alright but it wasn't something else; the hotline was hot once more;
'I rang to tell them no and he asked me what your schedule is. He thinks that you might be able to work around it as Willows is only on during the day.'
The 'he' she was referring to was the erstwhile artistic director of the Open Air Theatre. This, as I've said before, is the man that gave me me first job in the London and had always been hugely supportive of me over the years and fair play to him but this time he was going beyond the call of duty. If it was to work out like he suggested I would finish a show at the Park just before 5pm and have to be in Bath for the half hour call at 6.55. Was it possible? Slightly. The train to Bath takes and hour and a half but of course that's barring any delays or problems. Its mad Jim.....but it might just work!!! This scenario would only happen twice that week on the Wednesday and the Thursday. I must've been off me head to even consider it but sure feck it you only live once. The pound sterling signs were back, there was even a smile on me face at the call centre. The only thing that could scupper it was the Saturday, if I had a matinee in Bath that day I was fucked because the Saturday show of Willows was at 11am. Finish at 1pm and have to be in Bath by 1.55? Only if they got me a helicopter boy and I don't think they wanted me that much! So it all hinged on this one day. Me hopes were up though, could it be 'Double Bubble' time?
There was a matinee that Saturday in Bath.
Ah for fecksake!!!! It all seemed so close and was then swept away by a visit to the Theatre Royal Bath Website. Damn the fecking internet! Me agent told me to hang on until they rang her from bath and confirmed it. I knew that the website wouldn't be wrong but I still waited for the phone to ring. Ring it did....with the bad news I knew was coming. Well if it's not to be, sure its not to be and anyway I couldn't really complain, I had a job coming up. Maybe I was being too greedy. The agent rang to tell me she had done the awful deed of saying a final and definite no to the Park. She was gutted, I was gutted and when I rang the Park the Artistic Director was gutted as well. But sure all the guttedness in the world wouldn't change the Saturday matinee and sure only Jesus can be in two places at once and I don't have so much of a God complex to think I could do that!!
Ah well. Sweet cider always eases the pain and Paddy's day was on us once again, so, along with fellow Déise thesp Keithus Dunphyus, I got nationalistically shit faced and drank all thoughts of Willows out of me mind. I staggered through the door of me flat at half nine the following morning and proceeded to eat the best sausage roll in the world ever. And the phone goes. Tis the agent. Early for her, must be important so. Jesus it is;
'They've just called from the Park. They've sorted it all out. You're going to be able to do Willows!'
Whatchu talkin' about Willis? Did they get a helicopter sorted?
'They're going to put an understudy on for the show you can't do.'
Pinch me now because I must still be drunk.
'One of the actors who was in the show with you last year will cover you.'
Aw legendary!!! This was some unreal. They never have understudies for the Kid's show so I never imagined that it was a possibility, but there it was for the taking. Now you would think that the first thing I said was YES! But of course its never as easy as that. When you sign a contract you really are at the mercy of your employers and if you get work that overlaps you need to get permission because that show is your first priority. More feckin waiting so. The agent got on to the producers at Bath and put forward the situation and asked for permission.
They said no.
Now you might think that after all the twists and turns that had happened so far, I would be at the end of me tether by now. I wasn't worried at all boy. You see when someone says no to my agent she shifts up a gear and proves why I should be paying her more than I do. I didn't blame Bath for saying no, they have to look after their interests and if I missed a show because of travelling to London there would be serious hassle. The agent sorted out their worries about the Wednesday and Thursday of the last week of Much Ado where the timing is stupidly tight;
'I told them your understudy can do them.'
He'll be delighted. Then they had a problem about me going up and down to London while rehearsing for Willows. The argument was that they didn't want the actors leaving Bath all the time. But of course we were only doing 4 shows a week so the agent was well on that one. No argument there so. She's working hard but not a bother to her:
'Well if nothing happens at least they'll know you're in demand.'
That's my girl. For every question they had she had an answer. And through all this I was sitting waiting for the phone to buzz in me pocket, but quietly confident that she'd win the day. In the end they couldn't see any reason not to let me do it. That's it so? I feckin' wish! Despite them not minding, Sir Peter had to be asked, and like the man from Del Monte he had to say yes. Then the wait became agonizing. There was nothing I could do about this and as usual I had to wait over the weekend. I don't know what it is but anytime I'm waiting for an answer on something its always over the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday every possible scenario goes through your head until you finally convince yourself its not going to happen, so if you get a 'Yes' on Monday its a deadly surprise and if its a 'No' ....... well it doesn't matter a shit, you're still like a dog and you're depressed because you were right. It never gets any easier.
On me way to shitty work on Monday and just before I get on the tube I notice that there's a voice message on me mobile. Funny I didn't hear it ring. The Agent has left a message that is short....
'He said yes.'
....and very very sweet.
You never know what's around the corner in this the actor's life for me but as much as that's a curse it can be some blessing as well. I hadn't worked in two months and suddenly I'm up to me tits for the summer. 5 weeks rehearsals for much ado in London then off to Bath for three weeks to open the show and the week after we open I start rehearsals for Willows and lovely lovely 'Double Bubble' for 4 weeks. Not much sleep though. But really what I was most excited about was doing Toad again, the part in Much Ado being so small it'll be deadly to play the lead in something again. Also I really couldn't believe the lengths they went to to have me back in Willows. Like I said above and beyond the call. Fair play that man.
Well its always nice to feel appreciated.
And the money helps too.
