Born to Blog - not!!

I guess blogging is a calling. And I don't seem to have been called. Three months between blogs and there's been a lot to talk about. Thursday was the opening of my first show in a legitimate Czech theatre. And not just any theatre. Divadlo Na Zabradli (Theatre on the Balistrade) is highly respected in the Czech theatre scene due to a history of innovative and ground breaking productions. This production is ground breaking in that it's their first English language production with Czech surtitles
Working in a true state funded Czech theatre was a very different experience to being involved in self funded expat productions. Or even funded productions in Australia. With it's own costume department making and altering costumes, a makeup and wig department where for the first time in my life I had a wig fitting, a printing section that does all its own publicity printing, a cafe and even rooms at the top of the building where visiting actors can stay, it's a sweet little company. With about 150 seats. I find it amazing that in Melbourne with its population of around 4 mill, there would be a couple of theatre companies that would come close to having these facilities, whereas in Prague, with its population of around 1.5 mill, there are approximately 20!!
The whole place is very homely in the Czech style. Dogs running around the office and into the dressing room area, an occasional crew member having the first beer at 9.30am in the kavarna, and a fire bucket just outside the stage area for people to put their cigarette butts into. Rehearsal is from 10 to 2, allowing actors time to work in tv and film outside those hours, and there is a lunch break in there too.

Opening night customs were a little different to what I was used to. With the same reluctance to say 'good luck' the ritual here is to turn you around and give you a soft knee to the bum and say 'toy toy', which is a stylised way of spitting on you. Good thing it's stylised because I would have been drenched in spit otherwise as everyone from the office, all the cast, and a few crew came by with well wishes and little gifts.
We played to a packed house, despite fears that not enough work had gone into telling the expat community about the show. We needn't have worried, the Czechs were obviously well informed and were keen to see how this new concept worked. Also to see how Jiri Madl performed in his first stage performance. Jiri is 24, and with about 10 movies under his belt in the last 3 or 4 years, is the kind of celebrity that turns heads wherever he goes. And a great guy. Not a hint of self importance about him.

At the end of the show there was the customary Czech round of endless curtain calls (surely a good sign) and then we were all (men included) presented with flowers onstage.

Now to wait for the reviews.