The Story Continues....

After what has seemed like a very long wait, we are all back together, this time in Seoul. The time has come for rehearsals, for three weeks here, before we come to Birmignham, and the play opens at the REP on May 15th.

In the meantime, the script has undergone one re-write, and music has been written, and there has been a good deal of discussion between producers about the tour, and amongthe creative team about the musician, the design, the costumes, the play.... but nothing compares to being in the same place at the same time, and it was great to get to that point.

We are rehearsing in the rehearsal room of the theatre in which the play will open in Korea - the Arko City Theatre. This is a brand new, and absoluitely huge venue, which took us all by surprise.

There are a few crucial additions to the team at this stage. Hye Jin is our Korean stage manager, who will come to Birmingham, and then run the show in Korea and Japan. Jakyoung is our Japanese-Korean translator here, and Ayako is the new member of the cast, our musician. She arrived later today, after a big concert in Tokyo, and will start work with us tomorrow. Also here, by happy chance is Milorad - the Production Manager who is here as a bonus, with the REP's production of The Snowman, which we all went to yesterday, and enjoyed very much.

Another surprise but very welcome guest today has been Yerang, our Birmingham-based translator, who is in Seoul for a family visit, but who joined by tralslating our production meeting today.

Today we read through the play, and learned the company rules - Hye Jin will run a tight ship. We had a gentle day of sorting things out, really, and remembering why we like each others creative company. The play sounded good at the read-through, and the actors were funny even in that context. Every day we will have lunch at a little reestaurant in DaeHagno [the theatre district] and today we started that tradition, which promises to be a strong element of our time here. This evening the company is mostly out experiencing Seoul, while those ultra=hard-working few are writing blogs before a late meeting about designing a fence...but more of that later.

The main thing is.....WE ARE OFF! The final crucial laps of the project are underway.