"It was a shock"

Tuesday afternoon came and went and the idea suddenly hit me- 'It's time the playwright sees a rehearsal!'

I have a strict agreement with the playwright that he should not come to rehearsals until things are well on their way. The time had come and it was sink or swim for me... Jefferson was invited to review and, hopefully, enjoy watching his play take shape.

At 6pm (1800 hours) Jefferson arrived at The Crescent Theatre, pen and paper in hand and ready to see what we had created. My nerves were on edge but I tried my best not to let the actors notice it. The run-through started and I could sense an added energy and drive in both John and Brian as they delved headfirst into their dialogue, and into the moment.

An hour later and we waited, with baited breath, for Jefferson's thoughts. To our relief, they were all very positive. As a director, true relief was felt when he confirmed that we were on the right track. It was now Brian and John's turn to speak. They relished the opportunity to ask the playwright character-based questions.

All in all, it wasn't as shocking as I had feared...no scars were left and it seemed a productive rehearsal for all involved.