"A Night Less Ordinary" is a scheme run by Arts Council England which funds free theatre tickets for those under the age of 26. A group of young people from the St Austell area got a night even LESS ordinary last night when, in addition to receiving funded tickets they were given a post-show tour of The 39 Steps stage by Company Manager Justin Savage. The tour lifted the lid on this very complex production which is incredibly fast-paced and puts the cast of four through numerous costume changes and, on occasion, involves the rapid application of a carving knife to the back! Justin explained to the group how the stage was marked out and how each prop and piece of costume has its place backstage. They saw how the set of 39 Steps is constructed and inserted into Hall for Cornwall's stage which is in fact quite a bit larger than the area visible to the audience.
A few of the tour "Highlights" included Mr Memory's Moustache, Nessie, the knife that kills "Miss Schmidt" and the corpse. Justin also talked them through the process by which lighting and sound cues are followed during the production - a process he described as akin to "Driving for 2 hours on the motorway in thick fog". It requires absolute focus and concentration.
The group were very interested in the process involved in constructing the set - which is something of a technical marvel involving a lot of hard work! The set will be taken down the night of the last show then driven to its next tour destination over 300 miles away and immediately reconstructed.
A Night Less Ordinary is an ongoing scheme that Hall for Cornwall feels offers a great way for young people to access live theatre who might not otherwise be able to. If you are under 26 and would like to enquire about A Night Less Ordinary tickets (Wednesday performances only) please contact Box Office on 01872 262466.Our thanks to Justin and the Company of The 39 Steps for taking the time to arrange and conduct the tour. Last night's event was arranged as part of "A Week Less Ordinary" which is a national week-long celebration of the "A Night Less Ordinary" scheme.
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