The technical rehearsal is a key moment for the acting company as they move out of the rehearsal rooms and into the vast open spaces of the Olivier stage. For the first time in costume they will try out the blocking and choreography of stage moves, and the way they deal with props, and of course, daemons.
For Patricia Hodge (Mrs. Coulter) the necessity of getting the complex staging right has meant that the acting has had to take second place. She sees rehearsal as a
process of discovery. She welcomes the opportunity to get stuck into rehearsing her part onstage with Ben Wright who plays her daemon, the Golden Monkey. He in turn has had one or two anxious moments inside the Drum Revolve, the huge mechanism for raising and lowering the stage, seen here rising up to reveal the
Bolvangar Canteen. Russell Tovey (Roger) has also learned to take care when making his entrances from the
wings. Despite carrying the responsibility of a leading role, Dominic Cooper (Will) takes comfort from the support of company and crew. Like Patricia Hodge he feels that before this
acting came second but from this moment on he can really begin to focus on his character and his performance.
And the preparations and changes aren’t over yet. For playwright Nicholas Wright the technical rehearsal is a respite, but during the
previews between now and the press night, when the plays are finally unveiled before the critics, he may still find himself making changes and adjustments.