Oh, the innocence of “just” being an actor. Showing up on day one of rehearsals, script in hand, ready to roll around on the floor, ignorant of the hard work the director and producers have put in to shelter us from the “business” side of things so we can play like children.
Les filles aux mains jaunes.
I am not new to production, but when it comes to theatre, I am. How much money do we have for costumes? Are we going to have to cut this idea because the lighting isn’t going to allow it? Did that journalist RSVP?
All this is a learning opportunity I am most grateful for. In just over a month, I will be starring in and co-producing “Les filles aux mains jaunes”, a French-language play by Michel Bellier and put on at the Drayton Arms Theatre in London. The story revolves around four women from very different backgrounds working in an armament factory during World War I. I have been asking for an opportunity to play in French for a while, and this has been a perfect way in, as the text is rich and my role is juicy.
We are four actresses, Aurélie Couet, Aurore Martin, Léonore Saintville and myself, and are all co-producing. Our director is Julien Balajas, a French actor turned director. Each of us have taken on various responsibilities, from costumes and props to press relations, flyering and sales coordination. What we are executing makes me feel like we are standing on the shoulders of those traveling circuses who honed their skills so they would put bums on seats as they moved from town to town. We want to spread the word, put on a great show and leave a good impression for when we come back next time.
Time is flying, but I promise to summarise how it all came together once the show has passed. And now… back to business! Which, today, means breaking down my character’s childhood.
As my character Louise, a suffragist fighting for the quality of working conditions in her factory, often writes in her diary:
« En pensées comme en actes, In thought and in action, 12 février 2023 ».
Sophie
FIND TICKETS HERE: Les Filles Aux Mains Jaunes at Drayton Arms Theatre event tickets from TicketSource
Please ask me for a summary in English if you don’t understand French and are attending.