Our blogger Adam Pearce, aka Love Never Dies‘ tattooed strong man Squelch, spends an hour a day in the makeup chair in his dressing room at London’s Adelphi Theatre – that’s a long time to sit still, so we’ve speeded up the process slightly in our latest video, which shows how makeup artist Danny transforms Adam into Squelch each night. Danny and Adam also explain how the process works in a voiceover… and Adam reveals some of the early reactions to his new look!
Apologies for the lack of blogs recently – it’s been a busy few weeks since opening night! Unbelievably, it’s now over a month since Love Never Dies premiered, and we have got some exciting video clips coming up for you.
Here our bloggers Adam Pearce (Squelch) and Niamh Perry (Fleck) tell us what’s been going on in the past few weeks, and introduce their very special upcoming video blog feature…
Adam Pearce (aka Squelch)’s latest blog…
Hey bloggers, sorry it’s been a while. Rehearsals have been busy busy busy!! We had our final run of the show, infront of the Lord, last week and thankfully got his seal of approval!
So, I am pleased to say that we are now in the theatre that is the Adelphi! Our home for the next year!! In the auditorium, there’s hardly anywhere to sit, it’s taken up with tables, wires, props and quite a few people. It’s only now I realise how many people are involved with this production!! I’d say, there are around 7 giant tables that have been placed in the stalls with at least 6 people round them, and that’s just the heads of departments. Lighting, creatives, stage managment, costume, design, orchestral, LX, etc. So those 40-odd people have all got teams who are also running round the theatre, as well as over 30 cast members!! Craziness!!
As some of you know, I am very lucky to be making my hat-trick at the Adelphi after appearing in Evita from 2006-2007 and Joseph from 2007 until 2009. To my surprise and delight the management at Really Useful have renamed my dressing room as The Adam Pearce Suite!! How amazing is that!! Well chuffed!!
And also with Pip Jordan, who is also making her hat-trick after appearing in the same shows! So a big thank you to all those at RUG!
So me and Jami are sharing dressing room 7, which is great, he doesn’t know it yet, but I’m a very messy bugger!! We have also met our dresser Gary, now he is going to be looking after just Jami and I through out our time in Love Never Dies!! Gary has worked on tons of shows, so we are in good hands!! Off to a sound check now with full cast and orchestra!! Can’t wait!!!!
Speak soon, Squelch
Adam Pearce's dressing room
I know we have talked about the electricity surrounding the show… but the scale of the buzz increased ten fold as the cast said farewell to their temporary rehearsal space and gathered at the Adelphi at the end of last week for the first time. This marks a major landmark in the build up to first preview and the rehearsals gather momentum as the cast start to work through the show on the actual stage.
The auditorium was filled with technical, production, crew and make up personnel, pouring over dozens of computer screens at makeshift desks as everyone arrived and the intake of breath was audible.
Our regular bloggers Niamh Perry (Fleck) and Adam Pearce (Squelch), together with the third member of their trio, Jamie Reid-Quarrell (Gangle) fill us in on the initial reaction. We also collared other members of the cast who are rendered almost speechless by the surroundings…and Head of Wigs and Make Up Sandra (aka Biddie) who talks about getting the Phantom into make up for the first time!
It’s a wee bit late this week, but we slipped down to the rehearsal space on Friday to find out what has been going on down there…
As the cast prepare to move into the theatre for the next stage in the rehearsal process it is a very busy time for everyone concerned but during a very quick two minute tea break we cornered Ramin (The Phantom) and Sierra (Christine), witnessed a very brief appearance by Summer (Meg), got fed by Jo (Raoul), were surrounded by very vocal Gustaves and asked Adam (Squelch) about his new look.
07.30 – jump in the shower, shave, dressed, brekkie and some telly to wake up my eyes!
08.01 – received a text saying my car was on its way! (never had a private car waiting for me before, very excited!!)
0815 – car arrives (with blacked out windows, ooo get me!) and on my way
08.50 – arrive at the workshop where today’s fitting is taking place
I am having a full head plaster cast today which I am really looking forward too!! The reason for this fitting is for the complex design for my character Squelch.
So, I am chatting with Leigh and his wife who are going to be ‘plastering me up’, they talk me through the procedure and cover me in plastic bin bags neck to knee as I sit down. They place a bald cap on my head and get to work. They soak plaster strips (the same strips hospitals would use when you break a bone in your leg or arm) and start placing and moulding the strips to the back of my head. Once the back is done, they leave it for around 5 minutes and it starts to get warm; this is part of the setting process!!
Now comes the part I have been excited/frightened about, my actual face!! Gulp…!!! I place a large bowl on my lap filled with wet plaster, my eyelids and eyebrows are covered in moisturiser and the plaster starts to get slapped on. Now, I am trying my hardest not to move and not to make any facial expressions and for anyone who knows me, this is so hard!!
The final part is placing the plaster strips over the wet plaster to really make set. Once it is set they start to pull off the mould, starting with the back then the front. It’s the most bizarre thing, my eyes have only been in darkness for 20mins, but as soon as the lights hit me it’s so hard to open my eyes, they are so sensitive!!
After 5 minutes everything is back to normal, all washed up and ready to head back to rehearsals. Its 10am, my car arrives and off I go.
10.30 – get into rehearsals.
13.15 – lunch!! Today on the menu, paella!!!!
14.30 – the cast head back up to studio 7, but me and Miss Fleck aren’t called till 1530, hhoorraahh, so we sit down and have a little tea and biscuits!
15.25 – head up to the studio to join the others
17.30 – rehearsal over, great work today. On our way to an Equity meeting, Equity is the UK Actor’s Union. As we are a new show, they come in and just make sure we are ok and everything is going well!
18.30 – making my way home. Must look through the score tonight and learn the harmonies!
For now bloggers, take care
Squelch
Adam Pearce's plaster cast
Ever mindful of your insatiable appetite for all things Love Never Dies, we popped down to the rehearsal studios on Friday with our trusty Flip camera.
It was a very significant day for a certain US choreographer who has reached the end of a very memorable week!
Aside from a chat with the birthday boy himself, we also managed to catch up with Pip Jordan (Dance captain), our “chubby funster” blogger Adam Pearce, who is reunited with his former Joseph colleague Jonathan Stewart, Ramin Karimloo (The Phantom), and rounded the clip off with a few succinct words from our director Jack O’Brien.
