Before the Curtain Rises

Attending a polished theatrical production is an experience of singular pleasure. The performance appears seamless and fluid, yet this surface elegance frequently (17) .......... the sheer volume of labour that has preceded it. At the Palace Theatre, the average span between the opening (18) .......... and the première is a mere four weeks of relentless preparation. All members of the creative and production teams are expected to attend the first read-through, making it a uniquely illuminating occasion — a genuine opportunity to gain (19) .......... into the process by which a production first takes shape. I presented myself at the theatre on a particularly (20) .......... October morning to witness the read-through of the company's forthcoming production: the British première of John B Keane's celebrated drama Sive. The play offers a searching portrait of rural Irish life, rendered with warmth and populated by richly (21) .......... characters, performed by an Irish cast selected partly for linguistic (22) .......... . 'It is vital that everyone develops a sense of shared purpose and (23) .......... ,' observed director Ben Barnes. 'The play has been in pre-production since the summer, but today marks the first reading — and it will be (24) .......... of how the ensemble functions as a whole. It matters as much to the theatre's staff as to the cast themselves.'