Programme Notes  For this Chameleon Players presentation, we offered our actors a slightly different challenge - the opportunity to perform a full-length monologue! However, this also presented a difficulty in terms of maximising the number of the group who could participate. The solution was something new for us all, including the audience! We chose to put on the same three monologues on each performance but played by a different actor each night. 

Director's Commentary  "Co-directing Talking Heads was like brain surgery."
"What?? What do you mean?
"Somebody needed to knock us out – that was the nine actors – they were knock outs!"
"I’m not following you at all here, explain it to me."
"That last bit that I said…. No, wait a minute, let’s go back…..I think the important thing is to take risks."
"What??"
"We must remember to thank the actors, the crew, and Mr Bennett for his fabulous lines."
"Ok, so how are we going to write this piece for the website then? Where do we start?"
"I think there are some words we need to include, such as risk, trust, hard work the creative process that we went through…."
"Yes, I agree, but how do we put that into a cohesive piece?"
"Ok, well, the risk was the set, keeping it the same was the creative risk that we took. We trusted the actors not only to learn their lines, but also to breathe life into them, and the hard work that everyone put in really paid off."
"Part of the creative process for me was being able to have a good row and it not affect our friendship or the working relationship we’d built up."
"Let’s not forget the music, some of Maurice’s best, I think."
"You’re absolutely right."
"So, just like brain surgery!!!" Irwin & Ailsa
(Yes, they need locking up for their own good!)

Quote, Unquote  Quite a challenge, this one. Just you. By yourself. On a great, big stage trying to keep the audience entertained. For 30+ minutes. Nervous? Moi? Still, there's nothing quite like the buzz you get from knowing that you (and you alone) have got that audience in the palm of your hand. I want to do it again! Miranda
I suppose the first thing to say is that I felt the pressure on this production more than on any other occasion. I was actually sick with nerves just before going on, but after I'd come offstage I pogoed around the dressing room in elation. It was such a rewarding experience that I didn't want to do it a second time, because I'd be worried that it would spoil the fantastic memories I already had. Strange, but there you are.
I was also really glad to see everyone else's performances. Everyone excelled themselves, but I should say welcome aboard to Hannah, and I hope that John can do another show with us at some point because for a first time performer, he was astonishingly good. One last thing. On Friday night, Val managed to make me laugh before she'd uttered a word. Some feat, Val! Andy
I had an amazing time playing Lesley, "I was so interesting and a pleasure working with all the cast, stage crew and directors. I'm sure the whole experience will make us all quite famous, even though we'll be acquiring other skills instead of waiting for that all important phone call! So glad I had this opportunity to give to so many people through the medium of acting. Take care, ciao!" Hannah
This was a really good play to work on. The performances were outstanding by all the cast members and the audience really did get a treat. It was a pleasure to watch and to listen to from back stage .....and the prop list was so small, which was very good for us back stage groupies!!! Mandy
Quite a daunting experience to start with but once we got into it I really enjoyed it. I think Irwin and Ailsa did a great job of organising us all into a team that put on a good performance on all three nights. It was interesting to see the different ways that myself, Andy and John portrayed Graham Brian
Scary - that was my comment when Irwin and Ailsa wanted to cast me in this production - thirty  minutes with just you on the stage, learning all those lines and keeping it interesting! I had my doubts. However, it proved quite a happy experience. Irwin and Ailsa created a very supportive structure for rehearsals and everyone really buckled down with the lines. It still remained a bit scary to the end though -  sat on stage by myself, but the audience were fantastic. I didn't feel that alone and I have never had to pause for so long before in a production for laughter - wow! Sharon

It's Bigger On The Inside  We were up on a proper stage again as, a few weeks before we went on, Northern removed their temporary stage and put in extra seating, nearly doubling the capacity. Which was just as well or we'd have been turning people away each night.

The Critics Rave  "All nine monologues were simply stunning and it was great to see so many people in the audience", commented the Hull Daily Mail, succinctly.