A Four-Alarm Performance

We officially opened our production of Dry Streak at the Grand last night to a full house (800 people), including the playwright, Leeann Minogue. She's a lovely woman who seemed very pleased with the positive response we've been getting. The show went by without a hitch, and the audience laughed in all the right places, not acting at all like the typical polite-and-quiet Friday night audience.

After the show, we were enjoying some drinks and food in the lobby when a gentle and continuous "ding" started sounding. It reminded me of the warning bell you hear when intermission is coming to a close and it's time to chug your coffee and shove that Haagen Dazs bar down your throat.

I ignored it until one of the staff members alerted us all to the fact that it was actually the fire alarm and we had to evacuate the building! We all made our way down the stairs to the main entrance where we huddled outside in the drizzle as four (FOUR!) fire trucks came screaming towards the theatre and a bunch of firefighters piled through the front doors.

I was spending half my time laughing at the situation with my stage managers, and the other half wondering, "Did I leave my curling iron on or something?" At one point I smelled the cigarette someone had lit nearby and thought, "Oh no, it is a real fire!"

After 20 minutes the firefighters were on their way and we were allowed back into the theatre. False alarm. I'm not sure what set it off, but I'm glad it waited until after the show. That'd be one sure-fire way to kill the momentum of a performance. Get it? Sure-fire? I didn't even mean to do that.

Well, we've started off the run with a bang and I'm sure the show will just get better as we go. Earlier this week we had some people from the press at rehearsal who were taking photos and some video. Here's a link to a video clip of the show, if you're one of those people who doesn't mind seeing a sneak-preview. And if you still need tickets, just check out the Grand Theatre website. I hope to see you in London soon.