Sunshine and Rainbows at Waterloo

By Ollie Lee

When I was little, the answer to the question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” was always the same, “A bird!” Yes, perhaps I was a little confused by the more limited life choices ahead, but I knew one thing, I never wanted to work in an office. Well here I am, in an office, and I love it?

While we do complain about the size of the windowless rooms the old EuroStar offers, we don’t have it too bad. Working on a new production, in a new venue, in my opinion, is one of the most exciting things a person could ever do, there is a huge team working here, and most of the time* they are all smiling as if on some crazy antidepressant.

With first show nerves out the way, and wonderful feedback from audiences after every performance there is certainly a spring in trcwaterloo’s step. My only words of advice for the crew are borrowed from a hero of mine, the one and only Miss Doris Day, “Let’s keep smilin’, let’s keep laughin’, let’s be happy, ho ho ho ha”
Just a few shows down and The Railway Children Waterloo is definitely picking up steam, (ba dum bum) bring on Press Night!

*Everyone has put the hearts into their work here, so are forgiven when they are looking a little stressed.

Final Dress 03/07/10

By Ollie Lee

Having arrived home from a long day of work I jumped in the shower, (this anecdote has a point I promise) half way through washing my face I became aware of an overly fruity smell, only to realise that it was coming from the shampoo I was using. After realising I just washed my face with shampoo, I grabbed the face wash and promptly starting washing my hair with it. This gives you some idea of how tired and distracted everyone is right now from getting this show up and running.

Opening a brand new show in a space never used before, a space until very recently was a disused railway station, is no small ask. In the last couple of hours we have seen two bars appear out of nowhere, a shop suddenly filled with merchandise, as well as the arrival of a popcorn stand, sweet stand, VIP area, platform benches and a whole load of potted agriculture.

Most excitingly, today we see the arrival of our first real audience!

We have skimmed over it lots already but I really feel it needs to be reiterated just what a massive job this is. We are not working in a theatre, we are providing a theatre. We are working in a train station which means we have to comply with reams of rules and guidelines on how we use the space, and you haven’t seen health and safety till you have worked in a station like Waterloo. As well as the staging and real steam train to contend with, we have a whole experience laid up before you even get to your seats, and everything is brand new. This has never been done before!

But all that is left to say at this stage I suppose - is break a leg!

The Dreaded Stage Door - Part 2

By Ollie Lee

In Harry Potter there is the room of requirement, the magical room has a door that can only be found by those who know how to find it. Well here at The Railway Children we have the Stage Door.

Previously the stage door had been down a little hidden road round at the back of Waterloo Station. That is where I headed to on the first day of work after a brief soirée in the Channel Islands, only to find an abandoned loaf of bread and a crumpled Metro rolling past but no entrance.

Confusion instantly set in, followed by panic, as I was dangerously close to being late for work (something I hate). So I resigned myself to wander up and down the road searching for a way in. Eventually I found it with thirty seconds to go. I staggered into the office, sweaty and exasperated, but thankfully greeted by lots of smiley faces welcoming me back.

“The stage door has moved,” I managed through my obviously unfit breathing.

“Oh yeah,” was the response. “How was your holiday?”

So that was that, we had a new entrance, ha! What a fool to think it could be that simple.

Construction has moved forward enough now that we are able to use the old Eurostar entrance to get into the building, the entrance that the audience will soon be using, but we can only use it between certain hours.

“Great” I thought “tomorrow is going to be so much easier to get into work.”

But oh no, that would be way too simple for the mysterious stage door. This morning I took my time in the station, having very little distance to walk. I picked up a new book and waited in the long line for coffee.

With five minutes to spare I arrived at the new stage door - five minutes to spare I arrived at a bolted gate! So once again I ended up rushing round the back streets of Waterloo Station for a way in, and once again I ended up at the office hot and sweaty. I never even liked the film Groundhog Day so I really don’t want to be living it.

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.

The Waterloo Tunnels

by Chantelle Francois

Waterloo Station. One of Britain’s busiest stations. As producer Jenny King excitably told me, 14 million people pass through Waterloo Station every month. Idly going about their business, trying to get to their final destination with minimal fuss and praying their train won’t be the one delayed.

All of these people are blissfully unaware of what is directly beneath their feet. There is another world down here. It’s like Narnia only without the White Witch and Aslan. You open the door at Platform 19 and descend into this new world. I was one of those people who never knew this existed until I started working here. Of course I knew there was something down here, but not to this extent.

On our first day, when we had the grand tour, we were told where we were and where we were definitely not allowed to go. And there were two very good reasons for that speech. One – for safety and two – so that we didn’t get lost.

We were told in no uncertain terms that you will get lost and possibly locked in somewhere if you go wondering down the many corridors. And with phone signal lacking in certain areas, the chances are you will be trapped there for some time!

Matthew Gale then proceeded to tell us of the time he and a colleague did exactly that. They went wondering through some doors which quickly locked behind them leaving them stranded and with no phone reception. I’m not sure how long they were there but they simply had to wait until a passerby saw them.

This story put ‘the fear’ in all of us assistants because if it could happen to the boss, it could happen to any of us. In the early days, there were very few people wondering around the vast corridors so who knows how long it would take for you to be found. So there was to be no exploring done by me!

Having worked here for three weeks, I thought I had seen all that Waterloo had to offer. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. Yesterday a couple of us were shown where the dressing rooms will be. It was down some more stairs I didn’t know existed and as we went down, we were introduced to another new world.

The area was big and full of potential. There were many rooms and a couple of toilets. The room which used to be the contemplation/prayer room for the workers, was now to be wardrobe space. After a splash of paint and a clean up this space will be dressing rooms for the actors, the children and some crew.

And come opening night, it will no longer be neglected underground space, but a place buzzing with nerves and excitement.

The Railway Diva

by Ollie Lee

Mariah Carey expects that her hotel suite be fitted with gold faucets. She will only bathe herself AND her dog in French mineral water, and there will be tears before bed time if her own bed sheets aren’t delivered and fitted pre her arrival.

Jennifer Lopez’s hotel suite must be painted and furnished completely in white; it must then be decorated with white lilies and white roses. She also requests white candles be placed, preferably with Paris perfume, ‘Diptyque.’ And finally the room temperature set at exactly 25.5 degrees Celsius, it seems you have to give ‘em hell to get your heaven.

In comparison the Railway Children’s shining star, Stirling Single, is reasonably low key. it simply requires its own railway track to reside on and a purpose build theatre. Oh and the Gentleman’s Saloon Carriage used in the original film.

Having been taken to the railway museum in York at about age 8, I vaguely remember a feeling of boredom and hunger while I was dragged around to see all the different train engines. So it came as a surprise to me just how excited I got when I first saw the Stirling Single resting quietly at the abandoned EuroStar platform. The 66 tonne Queen of the stage (or should that be platform) is just like any other diva, backstage the stress in tangible in the lead up to her show, but you know that none of that is going to matter, and there will only be whistles of excitement once she appears to her public.

Stats

Name: Sterling Single

Also known as; Great Northern Railway G Class Stirling 4-2-2

Born: 1870

Creator: Patrick Stiring

Past Work: Express Passenger Train – London to York

Inspired the character of Emily in Thomas and Friends

Star of The Railway Children