by Anna Carey
Of course, I did not join the musical to just stand there while Vanessa strutted about the stage like she was at her stupid birthday party, so after a while I did start to feel a bit annoyed. But then Cathy reminded us chorus people that we weren’t just a little choir, we were actors too, so we had to remember this when we were on stage. In some scenes we had to be other nannies; in others we’d be at the races and in others we’d be dressed as servants. Then she took the lead actors aside and us lowly chorus folk started to run through some songs with Ms Byrne.
Ms Byrne said she hoped we’d been listening to our soundtrack CDs over the weekend (I had, as you know). Then she told us she was going to change some of the songs that are just sung by one or two characters in the film. Mary Poppins is not a musical with big chorus numbers − most of the songs are just sung by one character. But now the chorus are going to join in for parts of those songs (I tried not to think that this means that basically we will be Vanessa’s backing singers).
We started going through the chorus of ‘Feed the Birds’ and after a while it actually sounded quite good. And to make it even better, Alice and I started acting out the words to each other very enthusiastically. Ms Byrne noticed and told us to ‘stop messing’, which is very unfair because Cathy had just told us we were meant to acting when we were singing. How can you get into trouble for doing what you’re told? Truly this world is very unfair. Alice said this very politely and Ms Byrne said that for the moment she just wanted us to learn the songs and ‘not think about acting until you can actually sing’ which wasn’t very nice. I think she should be trying harder to encourage our creativity.
But still, it was all much more fun than what I’d normally have been doing on a Monday afternoon, ie trying to avoid my mother giving me some sort of lecture, which is basically how I spend my time at home. It all went on longer than we expected, so when it was over Alice had to rush off to get her lift and she didn’t get to say anything to Bike Boy. He did give her a cheerful wave when she was leaving, though, which was good, I think. I was looking for Cass when Karen smirked at me.
‘I hope you’re ready to watch everything I do,’ she said. ‘Seeing as you’re my understudy. If anything happens to me, you’re going to have to be able to recreate my performance. Perfectly.’
I tried to think of something clever to say to that but I couldn’t. So I just said, ‘Well, I bet that won’t be hard.’
Karen gave this ridiculous affected laugh. So much for her getting a bit better since the Battle of the Bands. It looks like this musical, combined with her fairytale prince Bernard, has gone to her head. Which is all I need.
‘It’s okay if you’re jealous,’ she said. ‘I know it’s hard for you to be out of the spotlight, after your wonderful show at the Battle of the Bands.’
‘It’s fine, actually,’ I said.
Karen ignored me. ‘If you need any advice on acting or singing, I’d be glad to help,’ she said. ‘Bernard – that’s my boyfriend, by the way, he goes to the Mary Ann Norland Drama School – says he thinks I’m a natural actress.’
‘Maybe he was practising his own acting when he said it,’ said Cass, who had emerged from the backstage group. ‘Come on, Bex.’
And off we went.
‘God, I can’t believe I have to be her understudy,’ I said. ‘It’s like Ms Byrne is just tormenting me.’
‘Well, she doesn’t know how awful Karen is,’ said Cass, which is true, I suppose. ‘So,’ Cass went on, ‘how was the rehearsal? Apart from Karen, obviously.’
So I told her, and asked what they’d been up to backstage. She said it was brilliant. They all sat in a circle and came up with set and prop ideas. Everyone was really into it. Cass was a bit disappointed because Ms Doyle said some of her ideas were ‘a bit ambitious’ (apparently they can’t move the whole set up and down to make it look like Mary Poppins is flying, which was Cass’s favourite idea), but she liked some of the others so they’re all going to start doing sketches soon. Ellie was disappointed because the famous Mrs Limond wasn’t there. Instead, she just had to make lists of all the cast members with Ms Doyle and figure out how many different costumes were needed for all the different scenes.
‘But she says it all feels very, y’know, theatrical,’ said Cass.
And I know what she means. Even during the slightly boring bits, there’s something exciting about it all, knowing we’re all coming together to put on a giant spectacular show. It must really be my theatrical blood coming out at last. Maybe this is all the beginning of a glamorous career and in twenty years I’ll be on the Late Late Show saying, ‘Yes, it all began when I was in the chorus of Mary Poppins. One of the leading actors became terribly ill on the opening night and I, as the understudy, had to take over while she was being very, very sick backstage. My performance as Michael was hailed by the critics as one of the greatest stage debuts of all time.’
It could happen, anyway.
TUESDAY
The class has gone musical mad. I am starting to feel a bit bad for Emma because we were all talking about the rehearsal at lunch and she’s the only one of our gang who isn’t in it. Not that she seems to mind, hugely. She’s started doing these new after-school computer classes and by the time the musical’s over she wants to have created some sort of artificial intelligence.
‘It’s only a matter of time before computers can think for themselves,’ she said, which sounds a bit scary to me, but Emma seems quite excited about it.
Anyway, everyone who’s taking part is all giddy about the musical. I think some of the teachers are getting annoyed because we’re so distracted. Miss Kelly said that musicals were all very well, but how much energy would the whole thing consume, and would Mary Poppins seem important in a few years when we were all fighting over water and batteries in the streets? Mrs Harrington, on the other hand, was very enthusiastic, which somehow was even more annoying. She asked who was playing what, and when she found out Vanessa and Karen had big parts she was thrilled. She loves Karen because when she kept going on about my mum’s book last term, Karen egged her on (just to annoy me, of course).
Then she turned to me.
‘And what about you, Rebecca?’ she said. ‘If your mammy’s wonderful book told me anything, it’s that you know all about showbiz!’
And just when I thought she’d given up on that nonsense!
‘Um,’ I said. ‘I’m in the chorus.’
Mrs Harrington’s smile faltered for a moment.
‘Well, that’s very good too!’ she said brightly. ‘I’m sure your mammy is very proud!’
I didn’t say anything. I just glowered. Mrs Harrington obviously gave up on me then because she went back to talking about some boring poem or other.
But despite all this, Jessie, Ellie, Cass, Alice and I are full of excitement about the musical (and Emma seems a little bit excited on our behalf, though admittedly not as excited as she seems to be about computers developing minds of their own and taking over the world). Alice is especially full of excitement about Bike Boy, but she doesn’t really want to talk about it to anyone apart from me and Cass. So it wasn’t until school was over and we were getting our coats that she had a chance to say anything about it.
‘He seemed quite friendly,’ she said. ‘Didn’t he?’
‘Definitely,’ said Cass. ‘He came over to us, remember?’
‘And he waved to you at the end, even though you were rushing out,’ I said.
‘Oh God,’ said Alice. ‘I hope he doesn’t think I was avoiding him. Do you think it might have looked like I was, y’know, running away?’
We assured her it didn’t, but she didn’t seem convinced. I don’t think she’ll be able to relax until she sees him again tomorrow and is able to show him that she doesn’t want to, like, flee the room whenever he’s around. I had forgotten how neurotic being in love can make someone. I bet I was never like this with Paperboy. I haven’t mentioned him to anyone all week. But I have thought about him a bit.
Actually, now I come to think of it, I haven’t thought about him half as much as I was doing a week or so ago. The musical really is a good distraction. Maybe I will not be a hollow shell of a girl forever after all?
WEDNESDAY
Rehearsal day! I think we are getting quite good at our musical songs already. Alice and I are altos, which mean we sing slightly lower than the squeaky little sopranos. Because we are officially doing the low parts sometimes I keep singing in a sort of fake-booming voice for a laugh which does not amuse Ms Byrne and will not bode well for me once she figures out where exactly in the chorus it’s coming from. I don’t know what it is about these rehearsals; they are bringing out my high spirits. Which is a good thing, I think, after all these months of terrible misery.
Anyway, we are coming along quite well, even though it’s only the second rehearsal. Of course, the only downside is having to endure Karen Rodgers and Vanessa prancing about the place. They were doing more of that stagecraft business and something called ‘blocking’, which means figuring out who is meant to be where on stage, and we had to be a chorus behind them. For ‘Feed the Birds’, we’re meant to be people just walking about the streets, and when Mary Poppins starts singing about this old lady selling bird seed we all stop what we’re doing and join in. Today we didn’t actually do any singing; we just practised parading about and stopping at the right time.
It would have been quite fun really – it felt like proper putting-on-a-show stuff – if the people standing in front of us hadn’t included Karen and Vanessa. I can’t tell which of them’s worse. They keep asking Cathy ridiculous questions really seriously like they’re proper actors and she’s Steven Spielberg or someone. For some freakish reason she doesn’t seem to mind; in fact she seems to like it! I have to admit, I am losing all respect for her. They even STAND in an annoying way. I didn’t even think that was possible, but it turns out it is.
Alice didn’t mind all this of course because she was gazing at Bike Boy. I don’t think she was the only one, but I didn’t tell her that. Lots of people were gawping at him and his mysterious friend John Kowalski as they are the only boys with proper parts (there is another boy called Sam playing Uncle Albert but he’s only in it for one scene and he spends most of his time helping out the backstage boys who are learning about sets and lights with Cass and co). It’s not really surprising that we were distracted by their presence − after all, we do go to an all-girls school. I have to admit I looked at them a bit myself. But I think it’s because I’m trying to figure out whether John Kowalski is good-looking or not. It’s weirdly hard to tell. Quite the opposite of Paperboy. Not that I want to think about him, as he still hasn’t mailed me.
Anyway, Alice is much happier now because when the boys were walking out at the end of the rehearsal Bike Boy stopped and asked how she was getting on in the chorus. Alice barely had time to say, ‘It’s fun, thanks’ when one of the boys – I think it was that sulky John – called, ‘Come on, Ritch,’ and Bike Boy said, ‘Sorry, I’d better go – see you on Friday.’ Which, as I said to Alice, shows that he does not think she is a crazy person and he doesn’t want to avoid her. So she is in a very good mood.
FRIDAY
School is even more boring than usual now we have the rehearsals to look forward to. It’s like time goes by even more slowly when we’re dying to get to the next rehearsal. Which was great fun this afternoon. To be honest, if I’d known this musical would be such a laugh, I’d have signed up anyway, even if I hadn’t wanted to bond with Cass and Alice again and if Alice hadn’t hurt her wrist.
And, luckily, we didn’t have anything to do with the main actors today so I didn’t have to endure watching Vanessa and Karen parading about like they’re Kate Winslet and Gwyneth Paltrow. We were just singing our chorus songs AND Ms Byrne said it was okay for us to do a bit of singing-acting so Alice and I got to make excellent sad faces when we sang about the poor old bird woman in ‘Feed The Birds’. Alice’s was very good, you’d really think she was feeling miserable, which she definitely isn’t.
Also, because I am a very noble friend now, I am genuinely thrilled for Alice about the magical return of Bike Boy. It adds a bit of extra drama to the whole thing. Because he was doing the lead actor practice today and we were at the other end of the hall singing around a piano, we didn’t come into contact with him that often during the actual rehearsal, but when it was over Alice and I had put our coats on and were drinking cartons of juice while we waited for Cass (we need to keep our energy up, all that singing is very tiring) when Bike Boy came over with the mysterious John Kowalski.
‘Hey,’ said Bike Boy, smiling at us (but mostly, I think, at Alice). ‘This is John.’
John Kowalski nodded towards us and said, ‘Hello.’
‘So,’ said Bike Boy, or Richard as I should really call him. ‘How was your rehearsal?’
I was going to say something, but then I realised that if I want to be a good friend I should let Alice talk. So I did. John Kowalski didn’t say anything either; he just stood there looking all amused and aloof, as usual. I have to admit he’s quite intriguing. In fact, I was so busy wondering what he was thinking I didn’t really listen to Alice and Bike Boy until Bike Boy said, ‘So, are you heading out now?’
Alice was starting to say ‘Actually, we’re waiting for …’ when Cass emerged from behind the scenes (or rather all the ropes and curtains and old props at the side of the stage) with her coat on and headed over to join us. So Alice said, ‘Oh, here she is! Yes, we’re going now.’
Richard and John Kowalski had their backs to both me and Cass as she approached us, so she was able to make a ‘Oooh, look at this!’ face at me and I was able to make one back at her. When she reached us Richard introduced her to John, who just said, ‘Hi,’ in his lofty way, and we all walked out of the school together. Cass and I let Richard and Alice do most of the talking. I felt a bit awkward about John Kowalski, but he didn’t seem to care about talking to us. It wasn’t like he was ignoring us. He just seemed … self-contained. Just strolling along.
Richard collected his famous bike (which was chained to a lamp post on the school drive), and when we got to the gate we all stood there not saying anything. John Kowalski clearly doesn’t do small talk.
‘See you tomorrow, Richard?’ he said.
‘Yeah, see you then,’ said Bike Boy.
John Kowalski turned to me, Cass and Alice.
‘Ladies,’ he said. Then he smiled properly for the first time, which completely changed his face and made him look much nicer, raised his right hand to his brow in a sort of joking salute, and turned on his heel and strode off down Griffith Avenue, his big khaki wool overcoat whirling behind him.
Heavens.
Anyway, Cass and I said we’d better go too (so Alice could have a few moments alone with her true love) so we said bye to her and Bike Boy and went down the road in the same direction as John Kowalski. We crossed to the other side in case there was an awkward catching-up moment, but actually he walks so fast that he was way too far ahead of us to catch. He is a mysterious fellow.
Anyway, Cass and I had a good chat on the way down the road. She asked if I’d heard from Paperboy, and I had to say I hadn’t, and she said not to worry because he was probably just overwhelmed by the wild landscape of Canada.
‘Maybe he’s got lost in a forest, or something?’ she said.
I knew she was trying to cheer me so I didn’t remind her that I do know he’s in Vancouver and is unlikely to have got lost in any wilderness (unless that school trip went horribly wrong. Surely not).
SATURDAY
I didn’t even bother trying to have a lie-in today. I knew my mother would come in and drag me out of bed so I just got up early. Of course, when I came downstairs at an ungodly hour (half nine) my parents stared at me and pretended to be shocked.
‘Look, Rosie, she’s awake!’ said my dad. He is so not funny even though he thinks he’s hilarious.
&nb
sp; Anyway, it was quite a good thing that I was up early because Jane sent me a text asking about Alice and saying she’d be in town later if we happened to be around. As it happened, Cass and I had been talking about the possibility of going in to try on make-up testers (Rachel says this is a bad idea because all those tester products are full of germs but we’ve never caught anything off them. Yet.) so we decided to meet up in the Pepperpot Café, which sells the most beautiful hot chocolate in the world (it is not cheap, though, so sometimes Cass and I just share one).
‘So,’ said Jane. ‘Has Vanessa changed her ways?’
Cass and I just looked at each other.
‘No,’ I said. ‘In fact, she’s almost worse than ever.’
Jane sighed. ‘I was afraid this might happen,’ she said. ‘Her mum was in our house the other day and said that they were really impressed by how hard she was working at the musical and they think she’s really learned a lesson from the party. So they’ve been lavishing her with praise to encourage her.’
‘Oh my God, like she needs any encouragement,’ said Cass, gloomily.
