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or the inception of the TRPBloggers

The Wait

In the tiny space just inside the stage door of the Theatre Royal Plymouth a group of strangers stood waiting. Outside the rain and the presidential election poured miserably, inside a little bubble of anticipation began to grow with each person who came in and said, “Bloggers?”

A while later we were escorted to the Green Room (yes it is green much to my amusement!) where Becca introduced the scheme and we introduced ourselves hoping we would remember at least some of the names.

Big Backstage

We had an impromptu tour of the backstage corridors with fleeting glimpses of star dressing rooms and bustling preparations whilst Becca located the very charming Gary Wilmot who had kindly offered to show us around the set. The tour was fascinating, mix of high & low tech scenery and props and I loved every minute.

Gentleman Gary

For me, however, the most interesting thing was the enthusiasm with which Gary Wilmot talked about how things worked including the massive semi-circular array of interactive screens which are central to the set. It was apparent that in spite of all his experience, he was still enthralled by theatre and the people who work in it. He spoke warmly of how everyone supported and worked with each other, both cast and technical teams, in order to produce the wonderful shows we see. It is a rare and delightful thing in these cynical days to find someone who genuinely enjoys their profession.

Big the Musical

The main event, the show! We Bloggers watched the show together. It is a great show – go and see it! The set is dazzlingly clever and the music memorable. I am a huge dance fan so I particularly enjoyed the choreography. I thought Jay McGuiness and his young alter ego were superb. During the interval the Bloggers chatted easily about the show and about ourselves over drinks, no longer strangers.

Theatre Royal Plymouth Bloggers

I feel a small frisson of excitement when I see that written down. My fellow Bloggers are a great bunch of people and I look forward to getting to know them better. I can’t wait for the next ‘experience’ at the Theatre, I just hope people enjoy reading about it!