The Kneeling Wives Act

When I finally do another Sung Blog Sunday, I'm definitely going to add words to this.

 I had more sleep before recording Act Two, which is ironic, or at least relevant, given the number of characters who can't get to sleep in it. Now I think about it, don't the conspirators pretty much pull an allnighter? I'm not sure what the business with Casca pointing out which way's East with his sword is about. It feels like an in-joke. A heroic pose that loses all its glamour as soon as you turn the sound up. And I'd never noticed until playing this scene that Brutus completely reneges on his promise to tell Portia what's going on. He doesn't even not tell her. He just walks out.

"Cool. Which one are you?"

 Watching the edit back, going from Brutus and Portia's scene to Caesar and Calpurnia's I felt an unexpected and overwhelming relief. That might seem odd given the stakes and Calpurnia's dream, but one of the possible advantages of playing every role is that there's very little chance you'll repeat a scene - it's too knackering, for one thing - and so I'd run out of trauma by the time it came to play Calpurnia but I really ike in retrospect how recognisably "married" she and Ceasar appear as a result. It makes sense. Caesar's always been in danger, Calpurnia would be used to this. If they felt any emotional toll she wouldn't be Ceasar's wife. As for my Caeasar, at least two cuddly old men in later plays make references to either being or having played the role and so I decided all three must have been written for the same actor, which is why I've given him a touch of the Wilfrid Hyde-Whites. (Although Gus Brown, who now I think of it played both later roles at University, would also be a great Ceasar.) This same imaginary company member has also turned up as an unnamed Roman in my Titus, and the Pedant in my Shrew. There are other imaginary members of this company. Frankly I can only apologise to my Chiron voice for saddling him once again with the servants.

Fun fact: Two supporting characters swap voices in this act. 
It was bound to happen.