Old men and Hare-baiting
Too Much the Sun is not an easy play. While I've always been confident that it will deliver the goods: a fresh story that is emotionally compelling and coherent, it's the little things that trip you up - for example: why the hell did I write an old man into it? We auditioned many wonderful university actors for the part but unfortunately their cherub-like faces weren't going carry the day.
So right away the rehearsal schedule became quite delayed by our inability to finish casting - until a first-year walked through our door and simply became this strange, elderly character. It reminded me how little skinny Greg Hicks was going to play Coriolanus for the RSC and then realized that he was a bit smaller and a bit thinner than your typical "great warrior", and that weight training wasn't going to amend these shortcomings. So he simply decided to become a great warrior on stage - with spectacular result. To see that kind of willed and effective transformation from a student was extraordinary.
As I said, it's a difficult play, short and precise - which is not necessarily a good thing: if the audience snoozes for even a minute or two, there's a strong chance they miss something important that's given away. I've never gone for the David Hare method of writing "Did he really say that?" "Yes he did" "Really?" and on and on until you puke. But on the other side of the fence things have to be entertaining enough to keep people engaged, while also making certain things clear that become important to the story. Status quo for any play, but I think this one pushes that dynamic into quite a condensed form. We'll get there.
And it will be entertaining - give it a look.
13th Feb 2003