From rehearsal room to the spotlight: getting ready for Beauty and the Beast

Show business, like sport, is often seen as glamorous, with stars in flashy costumes singing and dancing under the spotlight in beautiful theatres, backed by top-class sound crews and elaborate set designs. To be successful, many believe you must have the ‘gift’ of acting - and if you don’t, you should find another hobby.

However, much like sport, little thought is given to what happens behind the scenes and away from the spotlight.

Speaking from personal experience, I can say that the amount of hard work and effort that goes into a show, on both an individual and group level, is simply astounding. The time and toil put into The Inish Theatre Group’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast has been incredible.

My own involvement in the production dates back to 28 October last year when, having auditioned a week earlier, I was offered the role of Lefou by the show’s director, Maureen Tolley. Since then, the past four months of singing, dancing and acting have flown by and I have taken to it like a fish to water.

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On Thursday 4 November, rehearsals officially began and all my worries about not being able to gel with my co-stars instantly melted away. It soon became clear that this new adventure was not the big step out of my comfort zone I had imagined.

Seeing members of the cast such as Shannon Doherty, who plays Belle, Patrick Gill, who plays Gaston, and Ultan Henderson, who plays Lumiere - none of whom are much older than me - put so much energy into their roles really set the standard and helped me settle in. From that moment, rehearsals went swimmingly, aside from a few head colds and the odd absence that could be described as insubordination towards my parents!

Now, in the days leading up to the show, the sense of anticipation has swelled - not only among the cast and the town as a whole, but also among our families and even sports coaches.

Mammies and daddies - my own in particular - are praying they won’t have to chauffeur their aspiring actors all over the place on Thursday nights. Sports coaches are wondering when they’ll get their players back on the training field after a fortnight or more of being MIA. Other family members are travelling to see the show, including my own brother, who is flying back from Germany just to watch it - or so I tell myself.

Rehearsals have recently moved to St Mary’s Hall. The hard work the production team, led by Sean Tolley, has been putting into props, costumes, lighting and especially set design has to be seen to be believed. (Did I mention some tickets are still on sale?)

The crew has put in a huge effort, not only installing a large screen at the back of the stage but also extending the front of the stage and constructing one of the castle towers in which much of the story takes place.

It’s not just the production crew working tirelessly. The cast have been fine-tuning their scenes and ironing out any wrinkles. From what I have seen, the more magical characters in the show have really pulled together to make their scenes captivating and a pleasure to watch.

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But like anything else, performing in St Mary’s takes a bit of getting used to. In my previous experience of school musicals, shows have taken place in the 1,000-seat Millennium Forum, with plenty of space on and off stage. In comparison, St Mary’s Hall is smaller, with less room to move around.

That’s not a negative. In fact, I feel there is a much more intimate connection with the audience. In all honesty, that intimacy is scarier than the large amphitheatre-style playhouse, as I’ll be able to see every face wincing at my suspect singing, rather than relying on the comforting sea of darkness the Millennium Forum so kindly provides.

Whether I’m genuinely excited for the show or just doing my best to keep the nerves at bay remains to be seen.

What I can say for certain is that I have loved every minute of rehearsals and cast nights out with the new mentors and friends I have met along the way.

Beauty and the Beast, presented by the Inish Theatre Group, runs in St Mary's Hall, Buncrana, from Sunday 1 March to Saturday 7 March at 7.30 nightly, no show on Monday. Matinee on Sunday from 3pm. Tickets are available on ticketsource.com