‘And there were a couple of much more experienced actors up for the role,’ Sive said. ‘So he should be proud of himself. Why? I hope Sam doesn’t think that?’
‘No.’ Jonathan shook his head. ‘Not at all. I don’t think it would have occurred to him.’
‘Well, you should have more faith in your brother,’ Sive said. ‘He’s really good.’
‘Sorry. I just wanted to be sure. I mean, we don’t want to be accused of nepotism.’
‘It wouldn’t be nepotism anyway,’ Mimi pointed out, ‘since we’re not related to Sam.’
‘Favouritism, then,’ Jonathan said. ‘You know what I mean.’
‘It’s just how small theatres like ours tend to work,’ Mimi said with a shrug. ‘I mean, at least one of the three of us have been in all our productions so far.’
‘And we had to audition like everyone else,’ Sive said.
‘That’s different, though. You’re all actors. Sam’s not.’
‘But he will be after this. I’d never acted professionally beforeThree Sisters,’ Aoife reminded him. ‘If we could ever be accused of nepotism, it was then.’
‘Exactly,’ Mimi said. ‘Everyone has to start somewhere.’
Sive was pleased Mimi was defending Sam’s right to be in the show. It had taken her the longest time of all of them to warm to him and forgive him for his part in their almost losing Halfpenny Lane. But his unswerving devotion to the theatre and his cheery workhorse mentality had won her over eventually, and onceMimi had decided she was on your side, you couldn’t hope for a stauncher ally.
‘There’s certainly nothing dodgy about it,’ Mimi said. ‘Sam’s there because he deserves to be.’
‘Good to know,’ Jonathan said, ‘because I haven’t seen him this excited sincePokémon Gocame out.’ He took a sip of coffee. ‘What about understudies?’
‘Shay, who’s playing Fezziwig, will understudy for Scrooge,’ Mimi told him. ‘Otherwise, swings can come from the ensemble.’ The show would use a group of actors playing the minor roles who would also act as a sort of Greek chorus, narrating parts of the play and singing carols.
‘Sorry, swings?’
‘They’re members of the company who understudy for several roles,’ Aoife explained to him.
‘Okay, great. So now we can get down to the nitty-gritty. We’ll get a cast announcement out.’
‘I’m on it,’ Sive said, making a note on her pad. She managed most of the theatre’s social media.
‘And I’ll do the press release,’ Aoife said.
‘When do rehearsals start?’
‘Tomorrow week,’ Aoife told him.
‘And we still have – what – a week ofPrivate Livesto run?’
‘Two weeks,’ Mimi said. ‘Fourteen performances. Not that I’m counting.’
Jonathan frowned. ‘So you’ll be starting rehearsals while you’re still doingPrivate Lives. How will that work?’
‘Rehearsals will happen during the day. And we only have a matinee on Saturdays, so there’ll be no clash with the show.’
‘Yes, I know that but … When will you sleep?’
‘When I’m dead,’ Mimi said with a carefree laugh.
‘It’s perfectly normal to be rehearsing one show while you’re performing in another,’ Sive said.
‘If you’re lucky,’ Mimi said, and Aoife and Sive nodded in agreement. It was a nice problem to have as an actor.
