Only on one side

The stage manager's nightmare!  Weeks of work finally completed. Opening night and someone's missed a bit of paintwork - which luckily only the s.m. can see. Having worked in theatre for a long time it took me years after I'd come out of it, to be able to watch a show and enjoy it for what it was, rather than studying the lighting equipment, noticing every lighting cue that was late or every sound cue that wasn't smooth. Still do it occasionally.

We were driving yesterday from Chinon to Leclerc supermarket, which is just outside the town centre. They have a 24/7 petrol station which we always use. 'Only on one side' came up twice as we drove along and reminded me of a production of Alladin's Cave we went to, by a small amateur dramatic company in their local church hall. All had gone along entertainingly until we got to the bat sequence outside the cave. The bats were 'flown' in along two diagonal pieces of rope. Each one was fixed from an upstage corner to its diagonally opposite downstage corner, and were loaded on to the ropes so that they slid down in formation. At least that was the theory. One bat however got stuck. Someone off- stage started yanking on the rope to try and move the bat along. A bouncing bat as you'd expect caused a degree of giggling. Then an arm came out, grabbed all the bats reloaded them and off we went again. Except this time, they 'flew' down the rope so fast they crashed into each other and flipped over. Unfortunately, only one side of each bat had been painted and we were now presented with a brown lashed-up hardboard bat with nails. The effect on the audience was somewhat predictable as 'the arm' appeared yet again. It should have got a programme credit.

At the moment there are autumn festivals on all over the place - film, food, autumn fayres, concerts. So there's a lot of publicity about and in particular promotional banners. If the information is only going to be on one side, then a banner railing is great. Yesterday, rigged over the key road in and out of Chinon were two banners for two separate events, carrying essential information, but only on one side. The other side was completely blank. From Chinon to Leclerc we could read everything clearly,  but not if you were coming from Leclerc to Chinon. It was quite odd, because the position and rigging of banners at these points is a regular occurrence throughout the year, and viewed as essential promotion. Why someone didn't advise the organisers properly I just don't know. But anyhow, these things happen. Can feel a return visit to the maroon door coming on.