The Locker Boys

TREVOR WOOLNOUGH, Community Ensemble Participant

Today was quite good fun. We were full on: the chorus had retired and it was one on one or I suppose more one (the director) on 40 of us (community ensemble). One of my highlights is having to manoeuvre a locker onto the stage, which I do quite admirably with 3 other members. One locker each that is. We don’t have to move them far but we do milk it a bit. It is our 10 seconds of fame. Appearing in a major production for the ENO at the Coliseum is an important aspect of ones life. Even though it maybe just for a few seconds or minutes. So we are milking it a bit.

When four chaps get together their potential mischief making is multiplied. They get cheekier and more confident than they would on there own. This can lead to discipline problems in the Theatre. At the moment we have received wry smiles from Deborah (the director) and her staff but I suspect soon we may be pushing it.

We must have debated for about 15 minutes between ourselves, how we wanted to shift these flipping lockers (only about 2 yards), you wouldn’t believe how many different ways we came up with, but then isn’t that what we’re there for? To provide a bit of stimulation and background. 

Talking about background we are a mixed bunch: Jeremy is a Registrar, Keith a Fringe play producer, Martin a Museum director and me a software engineer, “The Locker boys”.  However we sorted it out and worked out a wonderful synchronised routine. But on every try, not quite right. We either got it from the stage manager or choreographer: we were too slow (that milking it I guess). Can we speed it up a bit chaps? Anticipate a bit more? Well of course we could, but by this time we were getting a bit cocky and enjoying the attention. I suspect we will end up having to do this with oiled-up torsos; but I’m not sure a west end audience are ready for that yet.