At the very beginning of it all, from the dress rehearsal to the real show, I thought Peter Pan was going to be an absolute downfall. I thought that Ben, once more, was just going to tell me that I’d better know which side of the stage I was on, and that way, I was not to know which side I should be on in the real thing. I also believed that I wouldn’t be able to do any of the Pirate songs that Mummy so wanted to see me perform, and that if I did, I wouldn’t be able to change quick enough to Tinkerbell again, let alone knowing who was going to help me do it, and where. I was nervous from whence Mummy let the door of the car shut, to the very beginning act on the stage, but once I knew I was on stage now, and the audience weren’t to think badly of a little nine-year-old girl with only a faint idea what the wotsit she was doing, I found myself safe again. That was the first time my nervousness vanished.
I started in my little Tinkerbell costume; white tights, a yellow leotard, a beautiful yellow net tutu thing with flowers sewn into it, a flower headband, and some golden wings with glow lights woven round the skirt. I usually came off from the window, a little set-up play window with steps going up and down from either side of its borders. According to Mummy (and Nanny, who came to watch), everybody kept saying I was great, with loads of good expressions! That was great news for me, because I was scared I hadn’t done it well. Peter Pan came on shortly after or before me. On my first scene, I had to be on stage all by myself, with only Wendy, John and Michael pretending to be asleep in their beds! I was on for a good few minutes looking underneath the bedframes and pretending to open drawers and cupboard and shelves and fiddle through books, so I might as well have been on properly by myself. Peter Pan came on afterwards, and then I went off and on and off and on once more.
It all went really quite well, and I hope it does tonight too – for I have another performance again soon!
***The next performance was great (update)! ***
Tilly and Mummy came to watch this time. It went really well, and luckily I wasn’t in the other room when I was meant to be on stage, which I kinda was in the first performance…but ANYWAY, let’s forget about that. Let’s. The actual show was brilliant, but on Rose Tinted Eye-Patch I think the chorus (including me, I’m not criticising!) could’ve known the words a little better. Wendy and Peter and Mrs Darling were great, Mr Darling – er – umm er – urr – rubbish, but still he remembered his words at least. That was my first performance properly as a main character on stage and it seems to be my talent!