Bath's theatre society/family. We run fun weekly informal workshops, put on many performances throughout the year (including at Bath Fringe Festival), and have plenty of funky socials.
The Rehearsal Process
Firstly, if you want to be in a show, you must purchase BUST membership. This will mean you are covered by insurance if anything were to happen. Overall, we pride ourselves on creating a friendly and relaxed environment and rehearsals are no different. In this section we will break down the different elements of the rehearsal process to give you an idea of what we do.
Rehearsal Schedule
Your directors, with the help of the producer, create the rehearsal schedule which will be released a couple of weeks before you begin rehearsing the play. The full schedule will last around 6 weeks but will vary depending on when in the year the show is and how big the show is. This tends to be released several weeks at a time throughout the process to allow for adjustment relative to progress and avoid any clashes. Rehearsals take place 4-5 days a week, in 2-3 hours blocks however, you will only need to show up for the sessions you have been written down for.You are still welcome to attend rehearsals you are not needed for if you want to!
Download Sample Rehearsal Schedule
The Read Through
The first rehearsal will always be a read through. Everybody involved in the show comes together to sit around a large table, giving a chance to introduce yourself and read through the script as a group for the first time.
How it typically goes:
Every Director is different so this process will vary from show to show.
Directors usually arrive to the room a little bit before its scheduled to start
Once everyone arrives, it’s time to warm up. There’s a huge variety of games that we play to get warmed up and get out of course mode. Some of our favourites are: Splategories, Samurai, Ninja and Giddy Up.
Blocking a scene
The first step after a read-through is blocking the scene. This is when directors will tell you what their aims for each scene are, while you read through and act it out. Blocking is never perfect, but it is important as it shows the structure of the scene, where you should be standing or moving and where you need to exit and enter the stage.
Run through
After blocking has been completed, the scene will be run through, usually more than once. The director won’t stop you (unless they really need to), so you get the first chance to see how a scene plays out. That is why blocking is so important, because it makes the run through smoother.
Breaking a scene down
Some scenes are more complex and require more than just simple blocking. In this case the scene is broken down more carefully to ensure that the actors know what they need to do.
Feedback
Feedback is one of the most important aspects of rehearsals. Here the director will go through their notes of what went well and what needs to change. It can be specific to one character or a general comment to everyone. This helps everyone improve and do the best they can.
Cast Socials
While rehearsals are a lot of fun, there isn’t always time to get chatting about things unrelated to the play. So, dotted throughout the rehearsal period will be a bunch of socials, cast and PT only, organised by your directors. These range from club nights out and themed challenge nights to chilled out times at a board game café. This way you really get to bond with the cast and have a great time.