‘Ah, my future boss,’ Mitch said, joining them. A tall, rangy man in his mid-thirties, Mitch had been a member of the company at Halfpenny Lane since day one. He was a wonderfully versatile actor, with an uncanny ability to transform his appearance and disappear into any role, equally convincing as a good-natured innocent or a twisted villain. InA Christmas Carol, he was cast as the hapless Bob Cratchit.
‘And my young apprentice.’ Shay, the actor playing Mr Fezziwig greeted Sam with a clap on the shoulder.
‘In more senses than one,’ Sam said.
Shay raised an eyebrow queryingly.
‘I mean, not just in the play,’ Sam said. ‘I’m also your real-life acting apprentice. Yours too,’ he said to Mitch.
Mitch’s expressive face broke into a wide smile. ‘Nonsense! You’re no such thing. You’re one of us now. Brothers in arms. Tell him, Shay.’
‘He’s right. There’s no hierarchy here. Eh, Sive?’
‘Absolutely,’ Sive said, smiling, loving them for supporting Sam so wholeheartedly.
Alan arrived, accompanied by Cara and they settled themselves at the centre of the circle. When the actors had taken their places, everyone introduced themselves with their name and role, starting with Donal Ryan, a well-known veteran of the Dublin stage, who would be playing Scrooge. Many of the actors had worked together before and knew each other well, so there was already an air of comradeship around the table that was effortlessly extended to include the newcomers.
Because of the rules around children working, the part of Tiny Tim would be shared by three boys in rotation, but they were all here today for the read-through along with their chaperones, who were required to accompany them to every rehearsal and performance. They were seated along the wall at the back of the room by the refreshments table.
As was customary, the read-through began with Alan speaking a few words to welcome everyone and outline his vision for the show and the themes that he wanted to draw out in the story. Sive felt a shiver of excitement as the reading began, and she exchanged a smile with Sam seated across from her.
Half an hour later she was thoroughly enjoying herself. Everyone was on top form, making each other laugh and already getting into character. Mimi was brilliant as ever as the Ghost of Christmas Present. She was such a wonderful character actor and Sive felt incredibly proud of her clever, talented sister. Sam seemed to have relaxed and was holding his own, already off-book and hitting exactly the right notes as young Scrooge. She felt a little frisson when they read their scenes together and he spoke his lines directly to her, lifting his head from the script and making eye contact with her across the table.
The table read ended with everyone on a high, and there was a lot of lively chatter as they packed bags and pulled on jackets, the air of Christmas cheer and goodwill they’d created still with them. Sive went to introduce herself to the Tiny Tims’ chaperones, who were chatting among themselves as they waited for their charges.
‘Pleasure to meet you,’ the oldest of the three said, putting away her knitting. ‘I’m Irene – James’s granny.’ She gestured towards the blond child across the room. A stocky woman with closely cropped grey hair, she had a brisk, energetic air about her.
‘I hope it wasn’t too dull for you, sitting through that.’
‘No, not at all! It was lovely. We thoroughly enjoyed it, didn’t we?’ She looked to the other two women, who nodded in agreement.
‘Though whether we’ll feel the same after the twentieth rehearsal is another matter. I’m Maria, Alex’s mother.’ Maria exuded an air of sophistication and elegance, with obviously expensive clothes, perfectly manicured nails and subtly highlighted hair. ‘But it makes a nice change from the pantomime.’
‘So you must be with Jack,’ Sive said, addressing the last woman.
She nodded. ‘For my sins. I’m Ciara,’ she said as she shook Sive’s hand. She had a pretty face, with dimples when she smiled and was dressed casually in jeans and a soft oversized jumper. Jack was the most experienced of the child actors, already a seasoned performer and fledgling star, having played the Artful Dodger in a TV adaptation ofOliver Twist.
‘We’re all heading to the pub now, if you’d like to join us,’ Sive told them.
‘Oh, that would be lovely,’ Ciara said, smiling. ‘Do you want to go to the pub for your tea?’ she asked Jack as all three children joined them.
‘Yes!’ He grinned, widening his eyes dramatically. ‘Can I have chicken nuggets? And chips?’
Sive was surprised Jack still had a strong Cockney accent, even when not reciting his lines. It was totally different to Ciara’s soft south Dublin one.
‘We’ve got homework to do, haven’t we?’ Maria said to her son, who had immediately perked up at the mention of chips.
‘Awww! It’s not fair,’ Alex protested. ‘Everyone else is going.’
‘Well, just this once, okay? But it’s a treat because today is a special occasion. We’re not going to make a habit of it.’
Alex vigorously nodded his agreement.
‘We’ll come too,’ Irene chimed in. ‘Thank you.’
When everyone had gathered their things, most of the company trooped off to a nearby pub. Mimi was meeting Rocco for something to eat before tonight’s show, and Sive and Sam said goodbye to her at the corner of Halfpenny Lane.
Chloe was locking up her bakery as they waved Mimi off, and they stopped to say hello.
