There are, give or take, four weeks to go until The Uncanny Things Trilogy opens at COLAB Tower, just of Southwark Bridge, and this blog is a thinly-veiled attempt to persuade you to come to it by sharing some behind-the-scenes tidbits.
However, this blog has historically documented process honestly, including the challenges. Which is not, traditionally, a good way to promote work.
Except in the ever-popular vein of somewhat performative vulnerability and sharing. Which has been a popular internet genre since the days the web was new.
So, dear reader, let us attempt honestly document the process that has been, and what is yet to come.
Creative
Done: Over the past few months, I have finished writing the three parts of the Trilogy. I have last week made the little tweaks inevitably needed after talking to the rest of a team.
To Do: During rehearsal, more changes will be needed to perfect the shows an experience. But right now it’s time for many, many design decisions. What is the aesthetic of the Uncanny King’s court? Tudor? Woodland? Chrome? What does the Vigilante wear? And can we afford it?
Then it’s the hard part of directing one’s own work: taking a step back to understand what it is we’re doing without all the assumptions that exist in my head. Might write about that more anon.
Production
Done: Booked a venue, auditioned and cast the show, built a marketing plan, started contacting potential guests and partners.
To Do: All the production schedules to make this process as efficient as possible, rehearsing in the day and building the set in the evening, turning around between shows each day.
Financial
Done: The crowdfunder gave us the money we need to get going. To pay for set and costume, a bit of marketing, that sort of thing. We’ve sold about 10% of the tickets already, which is good.
To Do: That last bit is the terrifying part. We’ve earnt some money. We need more, but post-pandemic people buy last-minute, no matter what early bird offers you give. Our price is low for what we’re selling, but still enough to think twice about.
So every day, it’s taking a look at those sales, it’s thinking about marketing, while still trying to leave enough space in the brain for creative tasks to happen freely, without the bank account haunting those decisions.
Help
Done: get a great team together, and some solid supporters.
To Do: sort a photographer, people who’ll do word-of-mouth promotion, press coverage, any way to lighten the load. These shows are only half the length of a Ring Cycle, and a third of The Key of Dreams, but it’s still a fair chunk of work to produce.
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