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Break a leg! Cast of hit musical falling apart
AS Jimmy Cliff’s trademark song goes, “the harder they come, the harder they fall”, and with a string of broken legs, one bout of food poisoning and a slipped disc, falling is exactly what is happening to the cast of the hit West End musical by the same name.
In the last month, one man dubbed “batman” by crew members in The Harder They Come, got the call all actors dread, to fill the boots of the star at the last minute – not once but three times – just hours before the curtain was due to be raised.
On one occasion Colin Roy was eating his dinner and had to learn the script on the train with less than an hour-and-a half to showtime.
The seasoned actor got the first call-up two weeks ago after one of the lead actor’s called in with food poisoning. As a bit-part before the show transferred to the Playhouse Theatre, Mr Roy was familiar with the part, but wouldn’t have had any knowledge of the lines let alone expected the call out of the blue.
Last week the only understudy took the old actors’ saying “break a leg” too literally and fractured his leg in the warm-up.
Replacing the understudy, Roy had just 80 minutes to learn the lines for another starring role on the train from his home in South Norwood. He even managed to fit in a quick costume fitting before stepping into the breach just five minutes behind schedule.
As we go to press Mr Roy may have to summon up similar heroics after receiving word that yet another actor had been crocked with a slipped disk.
He said: “They should be wrapping me up in bubble wrap otherwise the show really won’t go on.” |
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