This week I have mostly spent with my am dram fam as Aldridge Musical Comedy Society (AMCS) have been performing Musicals that Rock at The Prince Of Wales theatre in Cannock.

I was on a 2 show break, having done everyone since joining the society in 2014, but having been blown away by the performance of Sister Act and then seeing the set list for Musicals That Rock, containing epic Green Day and Meatloaf numbers along with my favourite Celine Dion song the name of which currently escapes me, oh hang on It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, I decided to end the break early and return.

Six months hard work learning songs and dances leads to show week. Said week begins on Sunday with band call. This started at 10am. I was late. The main part of Walsall Bus Station was closed for repairs, although this appeared to be just one man scraping away at a stanchion. Not sure why this required the whole section to be closed but this stanchion was in a bad way. All the others are resplendent red while this one looked like it had been raised after spending a decade at the bottom of the North Sea, and I always gave it a wide berth whilst passing.

Anyway a bus didn’t turn up then the next one went on a crazy diversion to avoid Lichfield Road. Think walking from McDonalds on Park Street to the Black Country Arms but going past the Arboretum boathouse and you have the gist of it.

Band call went smoothly and finished just before 3pm and we then had a 3 hour gap until rehearsal on the evening. I needed margarine for my sandwiches for work the next day, it’s not all glamour this stage lark, so I dashed off to Mozza’s. I grabbed said marge and then noticed the cafe was still open, and until 4pm. Ideal. I perused the menu for a good 4 minutes and headed to the counter. “Sausage egg chips and beans please.” “Oh, we stop taking orders at 3.30”. I checked my phone. It was 3.32. What a load of old shit. I decamped to The Crown, which to be fair had been plan A. Some of the cast were in there and I caused a kerfuffle as they left their cosy booth to join me at a normal table.

The rehearsal on the night went well and I finally got the start position for Bohemian Rhapsody correct at the millionth time of asking, which was a big relief for me, the people I was meant to be walking on with, and more so the ones that I wasn’t.

Monday was our last rehearsal at our normal base in Aldridge. I got a bit excited and shouted out at the wrong point in a song, then I tripped over a box. We Will Rock You is the opening number to act 2 and during this our Musical Director beckoned at us to sing louder. I couldn’t comply at this juncture as my mouth was full of birthday cake.

On Tuesday I was a couple of minutes late leaving work but I knew this would make a difference with catching the train to Cannock. I had to run down Station Street. Thankfully it was dark as nobody wants to see that. I pulled into the station at the same time as the train. Big relief.

In Cannock I headed to Mozza’s for food. Again I would be disappoiinted. Appreciate that it was after 6 but there was only 2 sandwiches left, both containing brie. I’ve never had that and didn’t fancy it now, so I just grabbed lots of shit instead.

I got to The Prince Of Wales Theatre and headed round the back as we have to enter that way. I gave the lift at the top of the ramp a nervous glance. I always fear outside lifts. Maybe I spent too long playing Double Dragon as a kid but outside lifts always make me think the doors will open and people carrying whips and baseball bats will emerge. Thankfully this didn’t happen and I made it into the theatre without a beating.

First night in the theatre is always unsettling as you have to adjust to the change of dynamic. Beng correct side of the stage to walk on, in the wings at the right time etc as you can’t just walk across the floor as in the normal rehearsal room. Naturally I had to mess around a bit and when on top of the scaffolding for American Idiot, I instructed everyone on stage below to look at me, which they all did. It’s a good job I hate being the centre of attention or I’d have lapped that up.

The rehearsal went smoothly although I had one concern. Right at the end of the show everyone has to walk backwards, but where I was there was also a massive speaker on a tripod which I could see me tripping over, pulling the thing down with me and taking out half the cast in a move that would have had the directors of Final Destination pondering “why didn’t we think of that?”

Afterwards I went for my first piss in the theatre and declaring that this meant that show week was now definitely underway.

On Wednesday I was out of work an hour early which was nice. This time Mozza’s had goodies available so I grabbed hot chicken and a sandwich, yeah I’m a greedy sod but those dance moves require energy. Whilst there I used the facilities and they absolutely stunk. If only there was somewhere nearby that sold air freshener.

I got to the dressing room and was demolishing the chicken until I chocked on it. Will and Matthew were concerned and that was without me being extra dramatic as I usually am in these situations. I manged to dislodge the piece so there was no need for the Heimlich Manouevre which would have been interesting for anyone walking in during its performance.

This rehearsal went well with just two snags. During Radio Gaga I now had to get up on a box during the last part. Others had been doing this for months but this was a new instruction for me and Sarah and it went wrong. I couldn’t just step up onto it and had to kind of clamber aboard it and missed most of the moves in that section. During the break Sarah had me practice getting up on it, which was easier with using the scaffolding to lever myself up. God I hate being a short arse. The other issue was I’d had to run for my train at the end of the night before so missed a bit of resetting of the final song, so I was in the wrong place during this. Will had to drag me into position and I trod on our fabulous choreographer Sarah’s foot during this. Sorry Sarah.

Actually there was a 3rd snag. I totally messed up the instructions for American Idiot and Wake Me Up When September Ends. We were up on the scaffolding for these and I thought I was meant to just lean against the barrier looking cool and angsty for the first one then totally rock out for the second one. Which I did. Except I was on my own for the second one and I felt a bit of a nob. Turned out it was rock out during the first one and disappear for the second. Oh well, at least I made the second song all about me and I got mentions during the end of night debrief so all worth it. Plus the big speaker and tripod had been moved so I was now confident of not injuring other cast members. Other than foot treading.

Thursdays snags were standing on Gaynor’s foot due to being in the wrong place and trying to put it right. Sorry Gaynor. But the biggies was still being in the dressing room, fannying around on Facebook when American Idiot started. Becky who was passing through was like “er Mikee, it’s American Idiot”. I had to run out the dressing room, down the stairs, past dancers, onto the scaffolding past fellow performers and across the top to my spot. Talk about an English Idiot during American Idiot.

Friday was opening night of Musicals That Rock. The show was the idea of directors Ashley and Gaynor and they picked all the songs. Delayed by Covid it was great to finally bring it to life.

I was off work on the Friday and as per normal I was a bit peckish. I headed to McDonalds. A quick glance at the boards revealed no special offers. The Black Friday bollocks clearly wasn’t happening in this franchise. I ordered my food and patiently awaited my number (34) to be called out. Which it soon was. And a lady marched up to the counter and grabbed the bag. I approached and gave her a quizzical look. Her friend said “isn’t your number 38?” and the bag was put down on the counter (after she’d inspected the contents).

I got my food, ran for the train and upon sitting down on it I discovered an extra portion of fries in there. Black Friday you are forgiven.

The Friday night performance went well. One small error, I stayed in the middle as opposed to moving to the right during I’d Do Any Thing For Love but the audience wouldn’t have known that and the Saturday performance I got bang on. At the end I doubled back onto stage and gave the audience an extra bow. I like to be last off stage.

It’s always sad when a show ends. The week is long and tiring but we get each other through it. There is always lurgy going around but the cast are great and we get on well but the live shows are over so quickly but it’s so worth it.

I’m not from a theatre background so most shows I don’t know any of the songs beforehand and they take some learning but discovering new ones to sing is always good. The final number of act 1 was a medley of songs from a show called Come From Away which I’d never heard of and the first time we did this in rehearsal I thought “what is this load of bollocks?” but by show week I absolutely loved it and had the biggest smile on my face while performing it.

Anyway it was a tough show to bring to life but we did it and I hope we did Ashley, Gaynor and Musical Director Mark and Choreographer Sarah proud. We nailed the show and all the songs were performed well and the audiences loved them which is good. Tough as it was I bloody loved it though. Thanks to everyone involved. I don’t know when I’ll be on stage again but I have memories and show gifts to look back on in the meantime. To my AMCS buddies I love you all, the laughs and support you provide are invaluable.

Thanks to Tony, Keith and Alan for lifts home this week. With a train strike on the Saturday I was panicking about having to get a taxi back from Cannock. I mean I’d do anything for AMCS, but I won’t do that (if possible).