Back in the thick of it

If you've been with me since the start of Tales of Timler, you'll remember me mentioning that I had recently rejoined a theatre company I was briefly a part of when I was in my early teens (if your memory isn't that good, you can read the post here).

Well, I can now happily say that following my first few weeks, I've been offered a part in their our upcoming performance of Thoroughly Modern Millie. And, rather than gently dipping my toe back into the acting pool, it seems I have quite a challenge on my hands.You see, the part I auditioned for is that of Ching Ho, one half of the comedic Chinese double act shipping unsuspecting young moderns off to Asia for less-than-respectable deeds - I'm assured there's comedy in it... What's more, the entire dialogue and lib is in Cantonese and Mandorin. I should probably mention at this point that I also went for a more conventional, English-speaking character but didn't get the part.

Thoroughly Modern Millie is a new show to me and learning lines is hard enough, let alone when you have to do it in two languages and ensure you get the laughs along the way. However, as much as it's a massive challenge, I'm looking forward to giving it my best crack. While it's nice to play romantic leads, I generally do better in character roles and, given the workshop audition, I think it's something I can pull off - even if I do have a massive ginger quiff to disguise.

Fortunately, it's not intended to be the most PC of performances but I'm convinced there's a lot of fun to be had a long the way and, hey, the audience might just enjoy it come opening night.