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We worked with the spanish character Hernando Histangua today.

First, an improvisation of the scene in which Histangua tries to get insurance from Chandebise, but language troubles get the better of them and Histangua gets furious because he refuses to allow his wife to do a urine test.

"Always the spanish is nervous, but funny."

I tried Chandebise with Duncan as Histangua, but I was falling into the spanish rhythm. I need to play slow and cool, and Histangua, crazy and fast. But we didn't get it rolling.

Neither did anyone else! So Philippe changed the exercise to be a Spanish audition. Five people at a time, dancing to music, and when the music goes down whoever wants to have a scene goes. I went round the back and quickly put a little costume on - long blonde hair, cowboy hat, aviator glasses and a long wooden pole. I looked stupid, but it was fun. My performance was pushed and I couldn’t find a good voice (I don’t know a spanish accent! Aaron Cortési would have been great!) but I gave some spirit at least!

“If you have a good fun with your voice you give a good humour to your character.”

At the end of class Ben asked whether there are people that we can and can’t play with and what to do if your stuck with them (e.g. in a professional production).

“There are people you can’t play with.”

For the Director: “When you do the casting it’s to know if these two people can play together.”

For the Actor: “Your role is to be loved by the audience. I have to be loved by the audience, there’s no other choice.”

End of week one. It’s gone slow and fast. This weekend I’m going to find a good costume finally (with French classes and apartment set-up every morning I haven’t had enough time), read La Puce à L’oreille and learn my lines to continue to work on the Chandebise/Finache scene with Ben. Olé!