Tues 21st – Picking Up A Bolt Twice In 5.5hrs In Arctic Winds.

(Once again - unable to upload photos! Also,will try & post as much as I can now (currently Thurs 7th Dec) as Net has been a no show for nigh on 2 weeks, here goes...!)

Well, today was pretty quiet. People’s sleep patterns are all completely out of whack. For some it’s due to beer consumption, some it’s the overnighters and for some it’s just because it’s so stop start. Take me for instance – my standard bed time is around 0300 – 0330 at the mo’ & yes, it has been later when there’s been an ale on but as we don’t usually get out of rehearsals until 1130, we’re not usually home until midnight – sometimes it’s even 0100 & as we’re all theatre nerds, we’re used to having a couple of hours after curtain down to unwind and just relax. Hence the 0300 bedtime. I’ve started getting up by 1000, just so it’s not work, sleep, work! That’s why there’s been beer involved – to add a nice distraction form the pattern!

Tonight’s rehearsal was a joke! We rehearsed ‘Protocol 1 & 2’ which covers all the ‘Admin; stuff – speeches, important people, flag raising etc. which is fine but pretty much ALL of it happens on the Eastern stage and as Kev & I are on the Eastern Arch, we can’t see, let alone get a shot that maybe of some use! The only part we’re used for is when the Emir (Top Guy of Qatar for those not in the know) makes his entrance, in a pretty cool way on the Western stage – which is opposite us and we can reach! Stoopid thing is – when we do the pick up at the microphone, I have this huge bolt/shackle in my line of sight that supports all the wires that hold up the flying set pieces of the show. The spot caller didn’t seem to understand what I was on about, that there was no way I could sight up on the Emir and after a few “Is this him..?” trial & errors, I’ve discovered that the Emir looks like the top of a REALLY thick bolt! Once I’ve picked up the bolt I can duck down and see where he is & what he actually looks like! For those of you who have been paying attention to the other Little Lessons Of Doha I’ve been sneaking into my ramblings, the Emir’s name is Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani – the Emir of the State Of Qatar! He refurbished the Stadium and then renamed it after himself (Khalifa), as would I, I guess!

In the 5.5hrs we were up at our spots, I picked up a bolt twice! Each time for approx 30-40 secs and it was FREEZING up there tonight. I think I’ve already posted a photo of me all wrapped up for winter – I’m in the desert for farks sake! Definitely going shopping for a jacket tomorrow. They’ve told us that we’ll need to buy our own and after much negation and near beatings, we’ve argued quite effectively to the point that Mr. Atkins should pay for said jacket if they can’t provide us with either wet or cold weather gear – especially as they said we HAD to go up, regardless of weather & they’ve agreed to pay the cost of us buying a jacket! Ah, Ward Ware has taught me well when it comes to bartering over necessities & ‘must haves’ in Work Fashion – thanks Frankie! GOLD!

The only other real thing to report – I do always try and keep these things short but I’m sure you’ve all had conversations with me in the past! I hope so or who the hell are you and how did you get this number…? Anyhoo, the kids were on deck tonight! Hilarity ensued! All the stories we’d heard came into 3D. From my birds eye view the kids are roughly as big as….(he says as he looks around his room for something to compare to)… a button on your mobile (nice comparison!) and they bring on all this material and make up a Persian Rug that covers the entire Field Of Play. It’s hysterical as they do seem to just run everywhere and it’s at full tilt! They seem to have more order when they enter as they have material to place but on the exit, they just exit and you can imagine approx 2,500 kids all running for a space which is about the size of 4 car park spaces at once! Very funny – especially watching the Stage Managers (& there’s dozens – they’ve upgraded some who were only here for Closing to assist on Opening) try and keep some kind of order on the field. They’re dashing here & there! If you speeded up the footage and added any number of musical interludes it would make you laugh but also very dizzy! I don’t envy them at all.

The adults aren’t as bad – there’s around 3,500 of them but they all get on and line up in there lines and then break rank to go have a smoke or go to the toilet. People have tried to tell them that they can’t do it on the night but it reverts back to that headspace of having no idea what it is they’re actually doing. They are having a ball & it’s not like they’re being difficult, they just don’t understand the style of discipline involved. I’m sure it will be fine on the night, I think…!