Wednesday 24 February 2010

Fresh beginnings

Goodness me, what a cliché... spring really is in the air today, and with the surprising warmth comes a renewed sense of hope and expectation - combined with the formal start of rehearsals for the Strauss, it's the pathetic fallacy in action - life imitating art yet again!

At the Konzeptionsgespräch (initial meeting to explain the concept) I met new colleagues for the first time, listened intently to the director's explanation of his interpretation of the piece (I'm proud to say I understood pretty much all of it, although my brain got a little mushy towards the end and I probably lost a few threads), and saw the set models and costume drawings. Pure vanity, I'm the first to admit, but I can't help holding my breath as the latter are fanned out and shown for the first time - never mind all the deep psychological stuff, do I get a fabulous dress?? Luckily I wasn't disappointed today. The costumes are unfussy and fairly modern, and I loved the shape of my dress and particularly the strong colour, which will help my portrayal of this particular character. Some great ideas, loved the look of the set, and am very much looking forward to working with this director. Hooray!

Wandering back through town, my eye was irresistibly caught by a display of brightly-coloured primulas. Now, I am a little worried about succumbing to the seasonal nature of German decoration; my cynical British nature does its best to resist the tide, but in this case the combination of a little sunshine amidst the rain, jubilant birdsong and irrepressible optimism from the Konzeptionsgespräch meant that I was helpless in the face of the avalanche of spring flowers. I felt compelled to buy a bagful of primulas to plant between the herbs on the balcony; cheerful narcissi in a yellow pot already wave by the side of my monitor; and I even got suckered into a tray of sprouting tulip bulbs, despite having planted my own. Mind you, the latter were mainly because the warning label made me laugh: For planting ONLY!!, it said. Strictly NOT FOR CONSUMPTION!!! What?? thought I, before realising that in a language which doesn't differentiate between bulbs and onions, you probably can't be too careful!

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