Task 3: Not While I’m Around

March 2017

I’m so pleased that I was given this to sing as my solo. I know it’s in my range and I am very familiar with the film and the show as I have seen both. However because it is originally a tenor song and is meant to be for a boy it is too high for me to sing if I was to convert it to a soprano key. I took it to Bethany as I was seeing Birgitta later in the week and needed to start working on it sooner. Bethany suggested that I move the key up, so now I will be singing the song in and E flat.

Later this week I also sang this song with Birgitta. I was in tune for the entire song and she thought that this was a great song for me to sing. I’m becoming more confident about it and now I need to find a version of the song that it is in E flat and is instrumental. I will have to pay, but the most it will cost is roughly £2 maximum,

April/May 2017

I recently had a chat with Paul about finding a version. He first suggested that Birgitta or Bethany could play it on the piano and then I could record it, but that wouldn’t sound great as you would only have a piano and no other instruments. He then mentioned that he could create a trade, but that would take 3-4 hours and he doesn’t have that kind of time to waste. However he also mentioned buying a backing track and he helpfully sent me the link. The link unfortunately wasn’t an instrumental, but instead a cover. I have bought and downloaded it anyway to help me practise, I have also bought an instrumental version now as well, but it currently isn’t working. I am giving these to Jordan as he is in charge of music and he might be able to do something to help.

16th May

Me and Faye booked a session in E.o44 today to figure out some choreography for my solo. Here are the lyrics and a break down of what we will be doing.

1. Nothing’s gonna harm you
2. Not while I’m around
3. Nothing’s gonna harm you, no sir
4. Not while I’m around
5. Demon’s are prowling everywhere, nowadays
6. I’ll send them howling I don’t care
7. I’ve got ways
8. No one’s gonna hurt you
9. No ones gonna dare
10. Others can desert you
11. Not to worry whistle I’ll be there
12. Demons will charm you
13. With a smile, for a while
14. But in time
15. Nothing’s gonna harm you
16. Not while I’m around.

From line 1 to line 5 Faye is on the floor and I sing to her on the floor as well.

Then at line 6 which starts “I’ll send them howling…” I help her to get up and we stand together.

When I sing the lyrics on line 8 Faye will turn and walk away but stop downstage left, I then walk over to her and hold her by the shoulders.

From line 10 we embrace and I sing to her as she looks up at me and whilst I sing the line “With a smile…”  I stroke her cheek.

The final three lines which are 14-16 I take my hands down to hers and hold them and then hug again at the end.

24th May

Before the dress run today myself, Faye and Lynn all had a little session to go through some blocking for my solo. My blocking didn’t really give out the kind of loving and supportive message I was trying to sing as it was just a bit too cheesy. So Lynn went through it and gave me some ideas of what to do. We first looked at positioning and we thought that we should be much closer, and because there is an intro we decided that the last line of dialogue should go over that and then Faye would rest her head on my shoulder. After that I just squeezed her hand and then I stroked her face/wipe a tear away, then I held my hands on her shoulders and looked at her whilst singing the second verse. By this point I was near the end and so Lynn the told me to hold her face in my hands so it was just a nice move from her shoulders to her face, then finally I gave her a little peck. Lynn had never suggested it before and throughout this whole blocking she hadn’t mentioned it, but I knew that it would make it more realistic so I was expecting it to happen. However this isn’t my first time playing a lesbian and so I was already experienced in kissing a girl and it was just a peck so it wasn’t too much for Faye either. I actually really like what she has suggested and it’s so much better than what I was thinking and yet it’s so simple but of course effective. I went through it as many times as I wanted to make sure it was all stuck in my head ready for tonight, but thankfully I also had the dress run later to practise it on the stage I will actually be doing it on, which also helped me remember it even more.

There is more explanation of the song in the page called Task 2: Songs. This gives the context and the explains why I have cut it where I have as well. Also me and Faye never did much character work and I think it’s because we are actually quite good friends and so we also agreed that this was going to be just a nice easy relationship. We didn’t need to show our love and passion for each other 24/7, because not all couples are like that. I think also because she came out of an abusive relationship just before she was with me, she probably needed someone that would be there to comfort her and snuggle or cuddle her when she needed it, not necessarily someone that wanted to make out with her in every public place. I think also, because we had such a short scene in terms of dialogue there just wasn’t much to build on, it was two people having a slight tiff about why they had to go out that night but then that very quickly resolved itself, so not much substance to our characters.