Tuesday, May 13, 2008

So. The Kiss.

I have been mildly concerned about the Great Kiss Scene in DL since the time that I first read the script. My anxiety was only stoked when it emerged that it was not just a kiss which was required but more demandingly yet, a kiss delivered with tension, then passion, then regret. A tall order.

The last time I stage-kissed must have been a good ten years ago. An alarming thought in itself. The 'opportunity' arose in a production of Moliere's The Sisterhood, charmingly translated from the French by Ranjit Bolt. (I couldn't possibly tell you what the original French title was but Brian or Siobhan would be able to scornfully translate it in the blink of an eye.)

The object of my affection in this instance was a fellow called Dewi Wynne-Jones. Is that right, Siobhan? I think that was how his name was spelt. I had never been kissed (on stage) before, limiting myself til that point, to a quick fumble under a blanket. Also directed by Brian. But Dewi was the very model of a gentleman about it. And I was young so I didn't really worry.

But is it a penalty of ageing that the worrying sets in? I was confident that we shouldn't have to engage in physical contact in the early rehearsals for DL. And after it was blocked and any excuse for not kissing was removed, I bought packets of polos and sucked like a maniac throughout rehearsals. Just in case. But weeks went by and we didn't so I got blase. Curries galore and not a mint in sight.

And just when I'd almost forgotten about it altogether, it snuck up on me on Sunday. I was un-mintily fresh but as I'm more concerned about remembering the right quarter turns in the right places at the moment, this seemed like an insignificant issue.

And of course it was rather easier than anticipated. I'd somehow imagined that a stage kiss would be much more complicated than a real-life kiss but (easy for unable-to-still-my-shuffling-dancing-feet-me to say) of course a kiss is a kiss. Just (warning!) without tongues. And with tension, passion and regret.

From my own point of view, the expression of this tension, passion, regret (TPR) needs a bit more work. I was more worried about where to place my hands on Sunday. But we have all of 3 weeks before the night before the dress rehearsal. Plenty time for TPR.

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