Overnight, one of the two actresses I had lined up for the main female role has had to pull out. Which makes life easier in that the other girl now gets the part without having to go through the motions, but leaves me one more person short.
I've got another actress, semi professional, that I can ask. This lady is a member of the rainbow, but would act every day if it came to it. She's not on email. I'll pop a note through her door and see if she is interested. Only think is, she is scatty (as she would eb first to admit) and although she always knows her lines by the dress rehearsal, it is frustrating when you say books down and she still doesn't know word one. It isn't easy to make all the less experienced put down their books when an experienced actress is getting away with it.
Our producer has friends in TWODS (Tunbridge Wells Operatic and Dramatic Society.) Used to be Amateur ODS but so many of them are semi professional, they dropped the A. So obviously, I would be thrilled to get them. I might just do so as well. Apparently, the hierarchy there is so competitive, you have to be with them so many years before you're even allowed to audition for a speaking role. You have to do back stage work and Front of House, and then you'll be let into the chorus, and then after that apprenticeship, you audition before the whole company and they vote on whether to let you in. Which probably keeps the dross out but must be very frustrating for those who want to act. And that might work in our favour. If you've got two more years back row of the chorus, not a single line, and we offer you a part with a few lines, you might be interested.
It will be all right. It has to be.
Meanwhile, I have to get to Eastbourne and back today, and my car is in dry dock. My daughter can get me there, but she can't wait for me as her husband has an appointment too. Youngest son WILL pick me up "if he can". What about all these favours I do for them?

It's one thing to write a play. It's quite another to direct and cast it, as I am finding out. When I wrote Ashdown Lee, I was still part of Rainbow Drama and there were forty actors all wanting parts of varying sizes. Everything was rosy. Then the old leader of the group retired, the new leader paid me a visit and told me that they would not be using my plays again (he wanted to change direction completely, apparently). I didn't mind. A new drama group had started by this time, Mark One, and they were very keen to use my work. BUT, being a new group, we are not overrun with actors. This didn't matter for the first two plays as they were small cast. For our panto, many Rainbow members joined us and all was well. We set up to do Ashdown Lee.This play needs a minimum of twenty actors, preferably more. Things started to get a little worrying when the Rainbow members all dropped out. No explanations, just they couldn't do it. They are supposed to be doing a production of their own in January (Ours is in October) and maybe they didn't feel able to do both. Most am-dram actors go from one production to another, but these are people who have been used to doing just one large production every two years. (They have not even chosen a play yet, but I'm sure they will.) Never mind, I thought. Things would be fine. There are 26,000 people in our town. The ten or so that belong to Rainbow can't be the only thespians out there.Twelve people have expressed a definite interest in being in the cast. I have spent the weekend talking to others, and have got interest from one more, with possible interest from three others. I have spoken to people in other drama groups in neighbouring towns, one wished us luck but had trouble with his own casting, one said yes but not for two weeks (after his own auditions - fair enough), and one is going to see what he can do. It's been on radio, and posters are up. I've asked the WI if they'd like parts (they have a group that does revues.) Hopefully some people will come.Yuor good vibes/prayers/thoughts would be appreciated now.