Tonbridge shower

The rain came down and the wind swept through Tonbridge this weekend, not boding well for a new outdoor show playing for a conservative crowd. The trouble with directing and producing your own work is when you get spooked there is no-one else to carry the can. Intrepid explorer turns nervous nellie.

Bookings were bad at the start of production week, the opening weekend of the Tonbridge Arts Festival had not gone well, weather was inclement and so just when I ought to have concentrated on a final push, I lost my nerve. Worried the show wouldn't come together I waited until the preview to see and as a result produced a show that I was proud of, that performers really shined in and that hardly anyone saw. The EM Forster Theatre at Tonbridge School were managing box office and after seeing the show on the Thursday preview, sent this email to their mailing list.

 'It is often hard to know exactly how a devised piece of community theatre is going to work out especially when the performance starts at one end of Tonbridge High Street in not your average theatre venue (Bubble Laundrette).  Yesterday’s preview performance of BiDiNG TiME proved that it is worth the leap of faith. We can highly recommend this unique piece of Theatre which has its premiere performance tonight in Tonbridge – just be prepared for an unusual stroll up the High Street (audience participation not required!) and bring your wet weather clothes…' 

I want to thank all the performers including Beth Tomlinson, Lisa MacFarlane, Mark Richards, Gaby Moleta, Poppy Alice, Lubna Ariel and the wonderful girls from Cascade Dance choreographed by Sam and Ricia. We struggled in the wind and rain but made a lovely little show that shed a new light on Tonbridge, pity the potential audience have been left in the dark.