More Than Turning Up
In my last blog, I talked about storytelling and why it's the most important thing I look for in a performer. This time, I want to talk about commitment, because if storytelling is the heart of great theatre, commitment is what allows it to happen. One thing I've learned over the years is that commitment means far more than simply turning up. In fact, turning up is the minimum requirement. For me, commitment starts before the rehearsal has even begun; it's arriving ready to work; ready to contribute; ready to support the people around you; ready to help create the environment you want to work in.
The best rehearsal rooms I've worked in have all had something in common. People want to be there, they arrive with energy, they engage with the company around them, they help create a positive atmosphere before a single scene has even been rehearsed. If somebody nails a difficult scene, learns a challenging harmony, or finally cracks a moment they've been working on for weeks, people celebrate it- even if it's a role they would have loved to play themselves, because the goal isn't individual success, the goal is creating the best production possible. And that's where I think people sometimes misunderstand rehearsals.
Occasionally I hear the idea that because somebody knows their lines, their harmonies or their choreography, missing a rehearsal isn't a problem. Whilst learning material is incredibly important, rehearsals aren't simply about learning material. In fact, I'd argue that the rehearsal room isn't the place to memorise your lines, music or choreography. That's the work we do at home. Rehearsals are about creating something together. It's where relationships are built, characters are explored, moments are discovered and stories begin to take shape. It's where performers learn to trust each other, respond to each other and create something that couldn't exist without the people in the room. Rehearsals aren't about memorising a show. They're about creating one. They're about creating something together. You can learn a script at home. You can practise a song at home. You cannot build relationships, chemistry, trust and storytelling on your own.
When somebody is missing, the impact is much bigger than a single scene or song. Their scene partners have nobody to work with. Moments can't be explored properly. Relationships can't develop. Discoveries don't happen and perhaps most importantly, the room loses an opportunity to create something together. As a director, I plan extensively, but some of my favourite moments happen when the room takes us somewhere unexpected; a performer makes a choice nobody anticipated; a scene suddenly comes alive; a conversation leads to a completely new approach. Sometimes we finish a rehearsal with something entirely different to what I originally planned. That's one of the things I love most about theatre- it's collaborative.
Those moments can only happen if people are there. They can't always be written up in rehearsal notes. They can't always be explained afterwards. Sometimes you simply have to be in the room. I think this is why I value commitment so highly. Not because I expect perfection. Not because I expect people to put theatre before every other aspect of their lives. Life happens. Work happens. Family happens. Emergencies happen. We're all human. But when somebody commits to a production, I want them to commit fully. To be present, to be engaged, to support the people around them, to contribute to the process.
Every single person in a cast matters. No role is more important than another. No performer is more important than another. I don't care how talented somebody is, if they believe they're above the company, above the process, or above working as part of a team, then we're probably not the right fit for each other. The strongest company members aren't always the loudest, or the most experienced, or the people playing the lead roles. They're the people who support those around them, the people who collaborate, the people who care, the people who are excited to create something special together, those are the people who build great productions.
These are the people I want to keep making theatre with.
