Val Says Hi

Kilmer that is. He's appearing here in the West End in a production of The Postman Always Rings Twice. I have to say that I only went because they were having a Q and A after the play and I'm all about those type of events as those who know me know. We went to the box office looking abominably scungy in our workshop clothes because we didn't have time to change (we were at least clean) and got excellent center balcony seats. The upper rows weren't crowded so we could stand when we needed to see the bits on the most downstage apron and I could straighten my knee. The technical part of the show was impressive. The female lead was not so much. Kilmer made her look bad, I thought, although she definitely improved in the second half. Lots of violence, quite a bit of sex and some nudity as well, but none of it gratuitous. Very plot driven and well done, I thought. The second act is a bit of a mess, but somehow they save it in the end--and I really don't know how because there is a stretch in there that is just chaotic and weak, I think (the whole trial section if you've seen the show). The second male lead was phenomenal.

The Q and A was fantastic. We were able to sit in the second row for that and the people I was with took lots of photos (those will follow later, I hope) with the actors' permission. Some really good questions (I even asked one) and interesting answers. Then we even did the ultimate cheese and stood 'round by the stage door and got our little show flyers signed by the Kilmer and the other guy (I cannot remember his name for anything right now).

Not a bad way to end a day that began with a backstage tuour on the Globe stage where we were able to go up in the attic and prowl around a bit around the props and then walk around on the stage and feel the costumes, look into the trap doors and experience the space for ourselves a bit. Then we had a session with the master craftsman who was in charge of the construction of The Globe and many other buildings in England and around the world, Peter McCurdy. I had been tempted to skip the session and nap, but I'm so glad I didn't. It would have been a huge mistake. His information was like gold--to hear the process they went through to come up with the plan to build the Globe was something else. We were shown slides of the constuction from every stage along the way. I'm just amazed at the detail that went into it. Hand carved pegs. Can you imagine? Hand. carved. pegs. Every last one of them.

We start our scene rehearsal tomorrow and that is a bit intimadating, but I suppose I'll worry about that tomorrow. Tonight I must sleep.