Privates on Parade– Week Two

With the novelty of week one fading and the huge number of people in and around the rehearsal room on day one reduced to a streamlined fifteen, the detailed rehearsal work is well underway.

But the cast have a new challenge to master, with the help of some special guests… Sergeant Major James Blair and Sergeant Major Thomas Pal have been called in to drill the slightly nervous looking actors in order to march like genuine soldiers. This is a detail that Michael’s determined to pin down and the authenticity can only be achieved by learning from the real deal.

The marching didn’t exactly come naturally to the cast, but the soldiers treated them as they would any new recruits and eventually got the best out of them. No slacking or moaning was tolerated and soon the results really began to show. For two sessions they worked on marching in straight lines, stopping, turning and the call of arms, all of which was achieved to a very high standard. The soldiers left us to it and promised to return in week five to ensure that nothing had slipped.