Winnie the Witch

For the past four days I have been in Oxford rehearsing a stage adaptation of the Winnie the Witch books with Pegasus Theatre. It's been a lovely week so far rehearsing with the team, Emma Boor - Writer and Performer, Hannah Rhodes - Composer and Performer, Jesse Eaton - Performer and Euton Daley - Director. 

It's been really great working on another project which someone else has written the songs and music for. Hannah's catchy tunes have been filling the rehearsal rooms at Pegasus for the week and it's been interesting coming up with harmonies and instrumental parts for the songs. So far we are using accordion, piano, mandolin and electric guitar between the two of us.

We also play other roles in the show, dance and do quite a bit of puppetry so it's been a bit of a learning curve in many way. Today our dance instructor Alan gave me and Emma a crash course in the waltz. I'm not sure I'm any better but at least I know how to push someone around the stage in an up and down kind of way. The other roles I'm playing include a pirate, a french jellyfish with a crush on Winnie, a dragon and a space rabbit. So basically just the normal roles.

Anyway, we are having a lot of fun in the show and I'm enjoying the peace and quiet of this small city. The Creative Producer, Emily, has very graciously lent me her house for the two weeks that I'm here and I'm loving the fact that I get to come home and just relax. It's about a half hour walk from the theatre.

The show is nearly sold out and it's quite a change from thinking about Argentinian torture, then when I get back to London I'm finishing up the music for a new CBeebies radio show before beginning work on the songs for Icon Theatre's Christmas show. Then the next year brings Raven Boy, Zachary Briddling and These Trees Are Made of Blood. As well as the new E.P from Columbus Giant.