The Secret Panto...Ssshhhh Part deux

As promised (threatened) here are a few more pictures of the set during the dress rehearsal, which was well before first night so a lot of evolution occurred between times, masking of truck wheels, more painting etc.

I guess I should say "Spoilers below" but unlikely anyone looking at this is planning to see the show, so enjoy.

First the original wall awaiting the elusive bench and cherry tree...

Palace wall without the bench and tree (see end of previous entry)

Twankey's Laundry

Washing machine - note the door is double glazed perspex and during the show has water (with Oilatum to show under lights) in the gap to about a third of the way up, it also rotates back and forth (on a wash cycle!) masking the stick on the head, and then the "shrunk" policemen exits front.

The magic bush - addition is a Monty Python finger above it at the appropriate line.

And the bush parts... to reveal a hidden cave entrance...

Bush parted, stone "rolled" to one side and cave entrance beckons

More Laundry mayhem, leading to Flat Washey...

Working rollers draw in the red blanket that Wishey Washey has been told to "NOT let go of..." suffice to say he gets pulled through the rollers after the blanket - sorry no photo of that bit doh!

A short while later following a neatly folded blanket out pops...

Flat Wishey Washey! Sent to the steam room to "fluff up..." oohh errr...

How not to aim a confetti cannon at the front of house LX bars... Now fired from back over the cast and works better with less clean up!

The Secret Panto... ssshhhhh

Just a quick update on what has been going on here.
Have become involved with a society called the Secret Panto Society here in France, they perform around seven shows in January each year of a traditional English Pantomime.
They have turned out to be a great bunch of people, and very welcoming, I first got involved late last year in the set building, Twankey's house, giant mangle, giant washing machine and counter all had to be built before getting into the theatre.

The actual get in at the Theatre took place about 4 weeks before the first performance! Over the Christmas holidays those that were still here - by choice or by weather in the UK! - got to work assembling and painting the main set elements. When I got back from the UK the main pieces were ready and it was more building and painting that was required.

I was "awarded"(?) the job of constructing a cave entrance with moving stone, covered by a magically opening bush - and yes that has provided no end of innuendo laden comments over the last month, unfortunately that got worse once we also added the "big finger" for the bush ala Monty Python!!!

Original image of a Chinese dragon head for reference

Already we have had three shows, although the evening shows starting at 20.30 makes for a late night! All went well and a few minor running repairs have kept the show going with no major issues.

Illustrator version of the dragon head hand drawn using Pen tablet

Full houses and audiences of mixed French and English speakers have been hugely responsive, on the whole in the right places and with the right words...

Photoshop coloured version for reference, also printed a version out with a grid overlay to aid copying full size onto set

The archway with full size head in place, some minor colour changes but essentially the same as my original design - now about one metre square with a pyro silver sparkle thing that fires from the mouth.

I will post a few pictures with some basic descriptions of what each one is, and point out the practical elements of the various pieces, so if you are interested please read on...


Below some of the finshed set elements and how they look onstage - not lighting not accurate for the scenes and converted jpg shows a lot of noise but they are okay for reference...

The rather impressive - and rather large statues being assembled

Some detailing added to the block colour of Twankey's exterior... ohh err!

Glueing, sewing and general finishing off on the go

Statue with Junior getting under foot...

"A bench and a tree is what is needed" - DH Director - Hope that this fitted the bill, was done the night before opening so may have been better given more time. Think I just about got the "3D" effect there...

More to follow in part two as I haven't even shown you my bush with the secret hidden cave behind it...

Flights - Non; Fun - Lots; Christmas and photo play

Well what a palaver getting back to the UK turned out to be, having to be on a web meeting between France and the USA until 8.30 on the Friday evening meant I had a flight booked for the Saturday before Christmas. The "plan" was to return to London and attend the works party in Langley, then stay the night there, Sunday in Chesham and then Monday through to Friday in Wales with the parents.
That was the plan... a lovely text from BA at 3.00AM on the Saturday informing me the flight was cancelled - I thought the snow looked a bit heavy on the news the evening before, and having had Skype and Face book updates on the ongoing weather in and around the Chilterns things were not looking good. It was all the harder to understand as here we were having a very mild spell with temperatures around 15degC.

So an eventful week ensued with trying to rearrange flights - third time lucky and five days later in the end, but I at least had a warm house, bed, food and drink to tide me over those few days, unlike some of the poor people in the airports.

Having exhausted all manor of possibilities for driving, flying via Germany and into various parts of the UK, the last flight on Thursday the 23rd was going to be the last chance before having to knuckle down and go and shop for a Christmas dinner! Luckily other than a one hour delay I got back to the UK on the 23rd and was collected by my very good friends Al and Sal in their 4x4 - although we saw plenty of snow as we were on approach, Heathrow seemed to be totally clear!!!

Anyway there ensued a fantastic week of relaxing, leisure time and meet-------- NO hang on there followed a week of COOKING and hunting for LIMES that had entered some parallel universe!!!

Pantomime and a Curry on Christmas eve started the week off in the customary(?) fashion.

Actually it was brilliant to be able to cook again, not something you tend to do properly for just yourself and luckily my compadre in our (!) kitchen and I worked amazingly well together, around each other and generally had a great laugh. Catering for Christmas day, whilst some people played golf on the Wii and raced there old man down the slopes at Aspen or somewhere!
Mince pies, Local fresh Turkey, Sprouts, Cranberry sauce, Cumberland sauce, baked glazed ham, parsnips roasted, loads of roast potatoes, bread sauce, gravy, Frankfurter sausage rolls with mustard dip, sausage meat sausage rolls, (still no LIMES), chestnut stuffing, 18th century stuffing (style not when it was made!), Sage and sausage meat stuffing and every trimming and goodies that you really do need to ensure you don't let the calorie uptake slip!

Boxing day friends, including of course my very dear friend Shaun (hee, hee) and Mr Hopalong himself of the Men of Harlech and sheep are worried country... Also great to see lots of other fantastic friends, and without divulging too many details I think these words say it all...

Salivating Army and I've dropped one...

Sales were partaken of and a few quid spent and loads of new clothes bought at London Colney, we then hit the kitchen again to make a rather fantastic spread for the Pantomime cast and crew who all came up on whatever day it was at that point!!!

There was also a great walk through the snow that harked back to evening exercise walks from a few years back - before someone moved to "Upper Chesham" and the road with no surface...

A truly fantastic Christmas and a very, very enjoyable week, despite so much of it being in the kitchen (that is not a complaint!)
Below are some pictures taken on the walk, and I played with photoshop for some just to have a play.

Stitched image of 4 or 5 (can't remember) separate pictures

Olde worlde?

The road from Ashridge

Nasty telephone lines

et Voila - and then some playing with levels and stuff...

Sally's secret passage...

OH and the LIMES... they were found in the shed, behind the strimmer of course!!!!