Director’s Note. Tango - Text - Tea

After 3 weeks of initial Tango training rehearsals and classes, we moved this week into the the Clapham Community Project to start full time rehearsals. It was an exciting moment to be able to take over a space and start exploring the text in the space. On Monday evening, the cast went to Tufnell Park to the Practica at the Dome, Zero Hour, and had their first proper Social Dance.

Starting to dance socially is probably the hardest thing for any dancer, and considering that it had been just about 3 weeks of training, the cast looked comfortable and enjoyed it tremendously. If you should like to dance with the cast, get your dancing shoes and join us there on the next two Mondays.

The text rehearsals are always one of the most exciting and also rewarding parts of the process. It is here that the actor and the director can through dialogue and exploration find a common vision. I believe the verse and text technique must be worked on, the same as the musicians technique to play Jazz. It is this process where the Actor can make the text and the character their own and with the ensemble tell the story successfully, and excitingly. 

The Challenge of this project was not only to enable the ensemble to find their voice in this story within a brief rehearsal process, but also finding a new physical language which none had ever worked with before; Argentine Tango. It has been this process of developing of a common language within the foundations of both Tango and Acting that we are placing the production on. A difficult, yet most wonderful goal.

During an exciting project, one always wishes for more time, that one week to make it ‘better’. Of course it is the case here and as I write this, the date of performance seems tangibly near. I do however also think that with that pressure as an ensemble, we would not be where we are now with just over two weeks to go. The  infectious excitement in the rehearsal room is thrilling and encompasses people who do not know us very well at all and are willing to help, without which, we could not progress. So that this point an early thank you.

If you wish to know more about the project, help or just have a tea and biscuit with us during break to hear the stories about it all. drop us an email: hello@harbingercompany.org

Lukas