The Highland Summer Festival begins its summer run with Goodbye Girl. It’s a witty and funny show, with a great cast. Some of you may have seen the movie version of the play. Inside the play is the Shakespearean theatrical production of Richard III. After insisting that I didn’t have time this year to do summer theatre, I was convinced (coerced) to take on a small walk-on part with three lines of dialogue. It’s toward the end of the first act, and then I’m done.
To the delight of my family, I lose my head. The challenge is create a chopped-off head without really going all the way. You can tell my level of commitment by not allowing a beheading. The director, far pragmatic, said it wouldn’t do to have only one performance.
A young man from Stratford (a former student of our director) came up to do the deed. Here I am being dunked with liquid rubber .. during which you have to hold your face still and then sit (with no sight, no hearing) until it cures. Then the plaster goes on and you sit until it cures. After about an hour and half of being encased you start to get just a little claustrophobic.
Getting my hair out of the rubber was a very nasty experience, and I know for a fact I left too much in the rubber. This, despite the fact that I had been well greased before we started.
I don’t know what the finished product looks like, but as soon as I get a peek, I’ll give you a look. Pretty scary I would think. All this to get beheaded and have your head presented in a 3 second scene. Aaaah the theatre!
Mike Jaycock 