Shepparton

The road less travelled

Somewhere between Swan Hill and Shep, we realise that the road we want to take is closed. Luke is pretty keen to take this road but in the end we take a long way round following the Melways, the vic roads website and our noses.

At the Shep performing arts centre get greeted with the info that it’s an eight-hundred-and fifty seat theatre and they’ve only sold 90 tix. Damn. It’s the first venue this has happened.

The tech team are young, everyone is under 25 and its fun having a venue managed by them.

Justie! - the 18 year old trainee who operated lights with me.

I am still learning the light plotting job and for the first show there is a light which casts a shadow on Luke’s face for a bunch of the significant moments of the show. It makes me feel bad each time he pops his head up into the shadow. The good thing about doing two shows in the same venue is we have the chance to fix it for the second show. I’ve got a list called ‘things to tech every single time’ and I keep adding to it.

We get some walk ups, and the audience are all ushered in to fill up from the front. They are real sweet and interactive. Making up games to play with Luke each time, joining in with his throat clearing cough, so that the show goes on for an extra 5 minutes because the game is so fun and keeps getting repeated.

Its real fun not to have to bump out, but to come back to the hotel at 3 in the afternoon and have baths and loll around.