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Ceri-Lyn Humphreys Diary - pg. 2

When we arrived at the Paxton Suites where the audition was to be held the small lecture hall was filled with people - with "hello's" and the occasional "I haven't seen you for ages" and "It feels like years" It was very clear that everyone seemed to know each other from the year before and Katie and I felt very intimidated.

We approached a tall man with graying hair and shorts who handed us audition forms. We filled in the forms and handed them in to a lady at the front desk, before escaping to our favorite warm-up venue - the toilets!

Pamela Leighton Bilik

The acoustics in the toilets were brilliant - as they always are in toilets - but no longer had we started vocalizing, then Katie's Mum came to fetch us because apparently you could hear us in the audition room!

It was warm in the audition room, but I felt cold with nerves - I was actually shaking - I just wanted a part so badly! A lady in black high-waist trousers and a green jumper approached the front of the stage and introduced herself as "Pamela Leighton-Bilik" - the director. She welcomed everyone and discussed how the auditions would take place.

Ceri Lyn Humphreys

Guess what? The production team are American! And Pam talks just like my best friend Leslie! Her voice really put me at ease. It was like having Leslie audition me. It's strange to think that such a small thing can make you feel so much better!

The first person was called to audition in front of the room. I didn't envy them - imagine having to go first in front of a room full of people! The person shouted that they just wanted to be in the chorus and therefore they didn't have to sing.

Ceri Lyn Humphreys

The next person to be called was me! ME! The worse thing that could have happened! I was called up first! WHY ME?! WHY ME FIRST?!

As I approached the stage I was a bag of nerves. I tripped over the bottom of my trousers (I wore stupidly long and baggy trousers for the sake of comfort and because I thought they'd make me look thinner) and between my seat and the stage, I managed to freak myself out completely about the fact I really didn't know The Sun Whose Rays all that well!

I gave the accompanist my music and approached the middle of the stage. I concentrated on the back wall and delivered the song.

I had no idea why the character was singing this specific song, I had no idea what had just happened before the song was song, I had no idea what the character was like. The sole feature of interpretation I induced into the performance was the fact I crossed the stage half way through.

Katie and I had lied on the audition form and said that we knew The Mikado really well! I didn't know any of Yum-Yum's songs! I didn't even know the story!

Katie Lowe

I hated the way I'd gone to an audition unprepared. I hated the fact that I'd let nerves get a hold on me so badly that I could have cried half way through the song. Memories of the fact that I'd cried the whole way through my singing the week before, and I wanted to go home.

Then, just when it couldn't get any worse, I was asked to read script!

I didn't know the character, I didn't know the script - it was cold-reading like I'd never done cold-reading before. I was terrible! I talked way too fast! I sounded like a Clanger on drugs!