It is the day before our first performance of The Odyssey. We arrived at Carlow Town Hall with a bus stuffed full of set and props. Our director was first to see the venue 'it is interesting. Let's just say it is a little unloved'. And it really was. A beautiful room with high ceilings and great acoustics - it even has blacked out windows. It amazes me how such a great room is left to house a few archive boxes of 'dead files'.
So we mopped and swept and hoovered and even cleaned toilets, and by the time the set was in and the lights were up, it was a different room.
Next job was to try and drum up an audience. As far as we know, there has been no publicity for the play at all. We each picked up a pile of leaflets and hit the streets. Most people we talked to seemed interested and a few said they'd come along, but how many of those were being polite... I guess we'll find out tomorrow night.
See below for before and after photos.
Before:
After: