Sunday morning is a mixture of giddiness and nausea. I pack as much as I can into a coolbox and I am just about to defrost another packet of rolls for even more sandwiches when the doorbell rings; Sue H is on the doorstep for a lift to the recording. I decide we must surely have enough to eat and pack the car with boxes of food, bottles of water, milk, tea and coffee, nearly forgetting my script in the process. I have a sudden worry and on the way to pick up Helen stop at the local shop to buy a couple of packets of mini pork pies. We chat in the car about the missing cats in the village, Helen’s lovely white cat, Spike, has gone missing and there have been upsetting rumours about what might be happening to them. In between our conversation I debate internally on the merits of cutting the pork pies in half (would that look mean)? or leave them whole (are they too big?). Am I going to have enough food and are they’re all vegetarian?
I arrive at the studio in a state of hyperanxiety about cats and pork pies and realise I’d better get my mind around my script PDQ as people are going to look to me for some kind of direction and leadership. We stagger up the steps and across the wooden platform into Core Music with all the grub and refreshments just as Dave staggers in with his recording gear . I arrange the ‘green room’ chairs as everyone else arrives then we settle for a read through with biscuits and coffee whilst Dave sets up the equipment. Ross Parker arrives to take photographs for my showcase and I arrange a bowl of fruit artistically in the middle of the table . Ross snaps randomly, mostly of me chatting with the actors around the table and generally giving the impression that I know what I’m doing.
We move upstairs to the studio where Ross takes further photos of staged readings by actors around the microphone and of Dave and I looking at lots of wavy lines on a computer screen as if we are editing. It’s now 12 noon and I desperately feel we should get the real recording underway as as we have a long haul ahead. I say goodbye to Ross and we do all of Andrew and Rosie’s scenes first even though they are out of sequence, because they are only in a few and can go home after lunch. Rosie reads like an angel and Andrew, despite only having a few lines with not much lead in, delivers a superbly aggressive character (he’s nice bloke really). Lunch is a very genial and relaxed affair and I seem to have brought along the right amount except there are lots of pork pies left over. I blame my Yorkshire upbringing: my Mum would consider it a slur on the family name if she allowed any unexpected visitor to leave without having well and truly clogged up their arteries with a double helping of cholesterol on a plate.
Now down to serious business. For the afternoon we set up a new rest area a couple of doors from the recording room so that we can change over actors quickly and efficiently between scenes. I worry whether everyone has got enough drinks and biscuits but Sue tells me not to worry – she’ll sort it out. We grab a couple of music stands so that we can spread several pages of script out in front of the microphone to prevent the rustle of the pages which can so easily be picked up on recording. The actors are straight into character and very convincing. It isn’t an easy script, but there isn’t too much re-recording. When they’re in full flow I don’t want to interrupt them, so I let them finish that section before I stop them to redo a phrase if necessary.
The tension is now building. Helen is in every scene and by the middle of the script we both find it a bit draining: domestic abuse is not the lightest of subjects. Dave is tremendously patient as he records but it’s going to be a long day. The windowless studio has become oppressive so I call a 5 minute break. We take a very necessary breath of fresh air before reconvening to head for the climax. Every actor puts in 110%; I am humbled by their commitment to my drama. Sue H, the empathetic counsellor, John with the skill and voices to play two opposing characters, Robin and Sue N to hit just the right level of emotion with protagonist Helen. Several scenes move me to tears, the actors also. Now for the big fight: a tussle between Helen and John, played out physically to get the vocals and emotions in time to the action. It needs several takes – each time Helen becoming more and more bruised but she’s determined to get it right. At last we are there, just the denouement and that’s it, Dave’s happy with the recording. Everyone’s relief is palpable, it’s thanks and hugs all round before we go. Sue H has been a gem – everything tidied with food packed up ready to go. I return home totally exhausted and it’s pork pies for tea.
