Actor’s Diary: Sam O’Sullivan, THE NORMAN CONQUESTS
Hello again!
It’s been a few weeks since my last diary entry and in that time we have managed to bump in, tech and preview all three plays of THE NORMAN CONQUESTS. We rolled the shows out over three weeks, previewing them for the first time on three consecutive Fridays. TABLE MANNERS was the first so that has had the most runs in front of an audience so far, followed by LIVING TOGETHER and then ROUND AND ROUND THE GARDEN, which at this stage has had only two shows.
It’s an incredibly satisfying feeling having all the plays in full swing in the lead up to our opening night(s). Audience responses have been very warm, so much so that we are reminding ourselves on a daily basis that the world we are creating is that of a drama, NOT a comedy. When laughs start to come from the audience, it’s extremely tempting for an actor to play up to them, in the hopes of milking a moment for all it’s worth. But THE NORMAN CONQUESTS don’t work like that. If the actors play for laughs, the laughs will inevitably disappear. It’s an interesting paradox that you’ll have to come see for yourself.
Everyone in the cast and crew is very happy to have their days back with the shows running in the evenings. The Ensemble took extremely good care of us over the longest tech I’ve ever experienced. It’s been a huge team effort to get to this point and we were helped along by a lot good humour, plenty of company dinners and a fair bit of refined sugar. Tomorrow is our first official opening with TABLE MANNERS up first, followed by our first three-show day on the weekend. Can’t wait!
– Sam O’Sullivan