Tuesday 15th June - Progress

by Chantelle Francois

Today I saw where the actors and crew will spend the next six months of their lives. The theatre has almost been completed, well not exactly, but the seats are in and it actually looks like an auditorium now.

I started work here four weeks ago and I was honestly scared about the amount of work that needed to be done. As I said before, the space was empty and it looked like something from the disaster movie I Am Legend. Simply put, it was an abandoned ghost town. There were still signs of the stations Eurostar history, with the remains of stalls and bars still visible. But now there has been a definite shift.

Don’t get me wrong, there is still so much to do and it all seems a long way off right now. But today I got all excited again as I saw the progress of the stage. A couple of us assistants took the long walk from the office to the stage (wearing rather fetching high vis jackets might I add) to see the progress on the platform. And the sight which greeted us was incredible.

The last time I was up there was two weeks ago, on the day Bernard Cribbins and Marshall Lancaster did their thing in front of the cameras. That was also the day the train arrived. Back then (it really does feel like a lifetime ago) the platform was just like any other you see across the country.

But today, what I saw was nothing like a train station. There are now 1000 seats, 500 on both platform 1 and 2. Around the seats, a roof has been erected with black curtains all around bringing darkness to the arena. It looks incredibly cosy and intimate for such a big space.

Having seen what it was before, it really is a sight to behold. It is a million miles away from where it began. I can now imagine a theatre production taking place here. It immediately gives you a sense of excitement and anticipation as you step in from the harsh light of the station to the darkened auditorium.

Lighting rigs are going up as I speak to bring to life what is sure to be a beautiful arena to watch an adaptation of one of the greatest tales of all time.