The best view in the house…
Our FoH Manager Lizzy Morrisey shares her thoughts on Far Away From Me having seen it thirty something times with thirty something different audiences!
"In my job I am very lucky as I get to watch shows over and over again (though on the odd occasion I have to admit this is not such a good thing if I don’t like it…) and one of the best things is that it changes a little bit each and every time we have new audience.
Normally I have to spend as much time watching the audience to make sure everyone is alright, that everyone can see, that no one needs to get out for any reason so I only ever see the whole show in little bits. With Far Away from Me I was lucky enough to watch the dress rehearsal before the show had any audience at all. This was almost unheard of - in the last ten years this has only happened three times as far as I can remember. First things first, I have to say I am terrified of up - I have a big fear of heights, not just myself being off the ground but also of seeing people off the ground. So when Maria mentioned months ago about the aerialists in this show I was a little nervous. (We had a show here called Grounded a few years ago when the Ark turned thirteen, that had a lot of aerial work in it and I spent a huge amount of time looking at it through my fingers.) Now having watched this show 30+ times I am a little less scared because the whole thing is just so magical. The girls make it look like the most natural thing in the world to be hanging from great heights by their toes, casually draping themselves round a pole eight feet up the air using only their leg muscles to hold them up. Peter looks so normal swinging seemingly effortlessly out over the audience. In fact I’m not sure I would notice at all anymore if it wasn’t from the audience reaction. My favourite audience moment like that was on the very first preview performance when we had a school in and in the silence “Woah Mama” rang out clear as a bell at one of the amazing acrobatic feats.
It is the little things like that that makes the show change each time I see it. Each time someone laughs at a funny line, is amazed by the aerialists or reacts to some of the bits (I was sitting beside a girl on Friday who said “aw he looks like he needs a cuddle, I just want to give him a hug”), the show changes, or at least the feeling in the theatre changes. The more the audience reacts the more excited the actors get and it all just keeps getting better and better, it keeps things fresh. Sometimes an audience is really quiet though and you can’t tell whether they like it or not - this has an energy, (albeit a nervous one) all of its own.
I have also loved reading the feedback after each show. Some people aren’t as chatty as others so the feedback peas have been a great way to find out what they think – and they are just so pretty!
The actors often ask me if I am bored with watching the show yet. I am really not - I still find it fun. There are still bits that I look forward to every time I watch it. As Conchita says it is charming and lovely and smashing and gorgeous and gas. Bring on the final two weekends…."
Lizzy Morrisey has been The Ark's Front of House Manager for more than ten years, keeping everyone happy and organised. She is also an actor and has also performed in many of The Ark's programmes over the years.