We all make mistakes. I’m glad to say I only made one Big Mistake during the run of The King And I, and that was a simple error of omission. I forgot to come on. As Phrak Alack I only had one thing to say and do in one particular scene:
Anna:
I’m sorry His Majesty does not approve
King:
I do not say I do not approve, but I do say…..
Phra Alack:
(Running on and prostrating himself before the KING)
Your Majesty, the English. They are in palace
(This causes immediate confusion among the wives tho huddle in a frightened group. PHRA ALACK backs off)
A wife:
They will eat us, they will eat us!
All the ladies: [RUSH AROUND IN TERROR]
Just one line, but this line involved cutting off the King, and getting a reaction from the rest of the cast. What makes it even more delicious is that I realised while in the dressing room, and consequently swore a little – while miked up. Thankfully, the sound chap heard my broadcast and turned me off before the audience heard my (minor) profanities.
The King did have more ready to say (to take account of my general timing in interrupting him), but ran out of words. Anna wonderfully had the presence of mind to walk nearly off stage and then turn to the King and say “The English are here, in the palace!”. Thanks guys, you covered for me very well! And yes, I do still want a decent part in Guys and Dolls….
What else went wrong?
- One boy made his entrance during the ballet “Small House of Uncle Thomas” too early, and stood lemon-like for five or ten seconds. The poor lad ended up in tears at this mistake and had to be pepped up before returning for the later part of the ballet. Well done to him for getting back on.
- The King dropped words here and there, as well as the occasional line, but he made only two decent-sized mistakes. While Anna and Sir Edward were dancing he just didn’t come on, which led to Anna and Sir Edward swaying on stage (Sir Edward sadly couldn’t dance), wondering what to say. Another time he basically cut a few pages of text (he called for prayers to Buddha way way too early in the scene at the end of Act 1) making people wonder what on earth to do, but it was thankfully covered up pretty well.
- The conductor started a piece of music rather too early, slap across a dialogue (mine!) – he immediately realised what he’d just done, quietened the orchestra to a halt, starting up again once the dialogue had finished.
- At one point the smallest child has to tug on the King’s sleeve. Our smallest child is very wee indeed, and she struggled to get to his sleeve when he was on the dais. On the last performance she instead tugged on his – well, his undercarriage, a folded strip of fabric held by poppers to the front and rear of his trousers. This would have been fine, but it seemed the poppers weren’t enough to cope with a seven-years old’s pull, and the rear portion came detached. This left the King with three feet of fabric dangling loose from the front of his trousers like an errant elephant’s trunk (or worse). Thankfully he was surrounded by children, and while waving them around him he was able to rip it off completely and toss it to one side.
Overall, mistakes were made. Were any of these terrible? Some seemed so at the time (I was mortified by my own), but people manage to cover these things up. The audience on the whole probably just don’t notice and would never realise something was amiss. The good thing? Being surrounded by competent actors who know how to work with what they get.