The idea is simple – announce you’re doing a musical and then bring the curtain up on the production 24 hours later.
The clock will start ticking on Friday night when Harlequin Productions’ cast and crew find out which show they’ll perform the next day to raise funds for charity.
“Nobody from the team and nobody from the audience will know what it’s going to be,” said the amateur theatre company’s director Stuart Mearns.
“So we’ll spend 24 hours preparing the musical – it’ll be curtain up on a version of a full stage musical at 7.30pm on Saturday (January 28).”
Since they can’t rehearse song and dance numbers or source costumes, is there anything the team can do to prepare for the unexpected?
“You can surround yourself with people that you trust – people you’ve done shows with before – so you can build a good team who can help you through the whole process,” said Stuart, who staged Harlequin Productions’ first 24-Hour Musical in 2019.
24-Hour Musical to thrill Aberdeen theatre fans
But this year, in addition to seasoned actors, there will also be two complete beginners on the Tivoli stage – Steve Johnson, board trustee and non-executive director at Mental Health Aberdeen, and Annah Cargill, cancer support specialist at Maggie’s Centre.
Eager to raise funds for the two north-east charities, Stuart also suggested that the organisations nominate representatives to take part in the “quirky show”. And he was delighted when both charities “really embraced the idea”.
“They’re both looking forward to being part of it,” said Stuart.
“Well, they’re probably not too keen on not getting no sleep for 24 hours, but they’re delighted to be involved in the show,” he added, laughing.
Supporting local charities
We wondered whether there was a reason why Stuart and his team decided to raise vital funds for Mental Health Aberdeen and Maggie’s Centre.
He said: “During lockdown I called upon Mental Health Aberdeen myself. I went through a bit of a bad time – same as thousands of others. They helped me and I know I’m not the only one. The volunteers they’ve got are incredible. So personally, I really wanted to support that charity.
“And for (cancer support charity) Maggie’s Centre… they helped another member of the cast. So both charities are very close to our hearts.”
Providing everything goes well on Saturday night, it may not be the last time we’ll see the two charity representatives on a north-east stage.
“When Annah was auditioning, she said it was like dusting off a cobweb – she was in shows when she was in school,” said Stuart.
“She said being part of this gave her the bug for doing it again.”
All proceeds from the show will be donated and split equally between the two charities.
School Of Rock
Once Harlequin Productions wrap up the 24-Hour Musical, the amateur theatre company will start getting ready to stick it to the man – with their take on School Of Rock.
Stuart was over the moon when he managed to secure the rights for Harlequin Productions to stage the famous Andrew Lloyd Webber’s show in the north-east.
Big fan of both stage and film versions, Stuart had another reason why he really wanted to work on the much-loved production and that was to provide acting opportunities for local children.
“Aberdeen kids would never get an opportunity to do this. Unless they’re moving or studying down in London, they wouldn’t have the chance to do this. Harlequin Productions like to incorporate school kids.
“This will be a really fun thing to do for kids – they’ll even get to play instruments live on stage.”
Don’t miss Harlequin Productions’ 24-Hour Musical at Aberdeen’s Tivoli Theatre on Saturday January 28. Tickets can be purchased here.
The amateur theatre company will return to The Tivoli with their take on School Of Rock from November 22 to 25. Tickets can be booked here.
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