by Katie Ginger
‘Meeting? Now hang on!’ said Gregory and Lottie held up her hand to shush him.
‘Mrs North,’ Lottie began, calmly, ‘I’m afraid your meeting can’t go ahead in here today. We booked the village hall weeks ago for quite a long time while the theatre’s out of action.’
‘I made the booking myself,’ said Sid. ‘And had it confirmed.’
Lottie nodded at him. ‘So you see, Mrs North, the secretary made a mistake telling you that you could have the hall this afternoon. I’m very sorry, but there it is.’
Mrs North stopped lifting chairs and walked to Lottie. Lottie wasn’t tall but Mrs North was so tiny she only came up to her chin. The colour in her cheeks had deepened and her eyes had become narrow slits on her face. ‘But—’
‘Yes?’
‘But I made a booking!’ Mrs North looked like she might need a doctor if she continued to get herself into such a state. Lottie was surprised she didn’t feel intimidated by this small, scary woman, but then Mrs North’s jaw slackened and her mouth fell open, and Lottie had to resist the urge to laugh.
‘I’ve explained there’s been an error, Mrs North,’ Lottie continued, her voice steady but stern, like a schoolteacher. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, we really need to get on.’ She gave Mrs North a kind smile, hoping she would see that the matter was closed.
‘Now listen here,’ said Mrs Andrews, walking towards them as Mrs North was refusing to move.
Lottie turned. ‘Mrs Andrews, everything is under control. Please just go back to your practice. And that goes for all of you,’ she called out to the rest of the players.
Mrs North clearly didn’t agree that the matter was closed as she said, ‘I want to complain.’
‘Here you go,’ Sid replied, handing her his phone. ‘I’ve just dialled the secretary’s number. She’ll tell you it’s a mistake.’ Sid held out his phone for her but Mrs North refused to take it and after harrumphing at Lottie, turned on her heel and stalked off, muttering as she went.
Sid ended the call and he and Lottie silently sat down, then burst into laughter. The players all stopped what they were doing and gave Lottie a round of applause.
‘Well done, Lottie,’ said Sid, between chuckles. ‘She was a bit intense, wasn’t she?’
Lottie’s cheeks hurt from laughing but her body was filled with joy at the confidence she’d just shown, and what’s more, truly felt. ‘She was a complete loon! I’ve never seen her before, have you?’
Sid shook his head. ‘No, but if she’s the new second in command of the WI, there’s no way I’m covering their things on my own from now on. I’m going to need backup.’
‘And crash helmets.’
Sid picked up his cup again. ‘Full on riot gear, more like.’
She turned to him and they stared into each other’s eyes. Suddenly, there it was again – that emotion she couldn’t name. His smile wasn’t just geeky, she realised now. It was actually quite charming, and the brown of his eyes was so rich and dark. Even the shape of his face seemed different to her. She’d never really noticed how plump the apples of his cheeks were or the sweet cleft in his chin.
Just then, Conner came over carrying a clipboard and she tore her gaze away as he said, ‘Sorry to interrupt, Lottie.’
‘That’s okay,’ she replied, quickly taking a mouthful of mocha. ‘Everything okay?’
He shifted nervously. ‘We’ve got a bit of a problem with the running order.’
After her run in with Nutty North this morning, Lottie felt like there was nothing in the world she couldn’t handle. Sid stood up and went to chat to the players, leaving them alone to talk and she patted the chair beside her. ‘Come on then, Conner. Let’s sort this out.’
But for some reason her head lifted to take one last glance at Sid before she concentrated.
Chapter 35
Finally, the October half term came around and the players were getting ready for the showcase, their one chance to regain some credibility. In the theatre, Sarah paced back and forth, wringing her hands. Lee sat with his legs splayed looking confident and handsome. Gregory and Cecil preened each other and fiddled with their hair, while Debbie stood near attempting some sort of vocal warm-up involving grunting. Mrs Andrews had edged away from the group and was gazing into a hand mirror moving her mouth in odd circles. Lottie watched them all, stood backstage beside Sid who, from the smile on his face, was thoroughly enjoying himself. ‘It’s nice to see them taking it so seriously,’ he said to Lottie.
‘I know. This is our chance to show everyone we’re not just a bunch of gibbering idiots. Though I’m glad no one can see them right now.’ She took a quick snap with her camera.
‘Why do you think Debbie’s making that weird noise? It sounds like she has a sinus infection.’
Lottie giggled. ‘I’m not quite sure but hopefully it’ll help with her performance otherwise it’s just weird. My favourite is Mrs Andrews. I don’t think her face as been stretched like that since her last face lift.’ She watched the others and took in a deep breath as nerves bubbled up once more. Her face must have shown her concern as Sid said, ‘I’m sure this time it’ll be fine, Lots. They’ve not stopped rehearsing.’
‘I hope so,’ Lottie replied, taking another photo to distract herself.
After the flood, and the weeks of work, the theatre renovations had, thanks to Jeremy, finished on time. The stage had survived and been re-waxed, the dense curtains had been cleaned and the seats re-upholstered. There was even a new deep crimson carpet. But the walls were stripped bare and there was still a bit of a smell. Lottie had decided that, instead of selling tickets for the showcase there wouldn’t be a charge, but people had to reserve seats and, so far, they had two nearly full nights ahead of them.
Sid checked his watch. ‘Is Jeremy coming?’
Lottie checked her phone. ‘He’s supposed to be. He was going to do the announcements and introduce everyone.’
‘Why him?’ Lottie glanced at him but could tell from Sid’s face that he wasn’t being rude, just curious. ‘Shouldn’t you be doing it, or the mayor?’
‘Jeremy wanted to introduce himself to the town after your article and after everything he’s done, I couldn’t really say no.’
Sid nodded in response. ‘He’s cutting it fine.’
Lottie checked her phone for the thousandth time, and walked to the door. People were starting to arrive but there was still half an hour till curtain up. Half an hour for him to get there. As if in answer, a text message appeared on her screen.
So sorry, Lottie, caught up in London again. Damn builders. Be back as soon as I can.
Lottie’s eyes shot down and disappointment crushed in.
‘Isn’t he coming?’ asked Sid, following behind her.
‘No. He’s not,’ she said, resigning herself to the fact. ‘At least not in time.’ Lottie slid the phone into her back pocket. She was wearing black trousers and a white shirt. She’d wanted to go for a businesswoman look but feared it was more waitress.
‘Sorry.’
‘It’s not your fault.’ Lottie ran her hands through her hair. She’d done it the same way she had for her date with Jeremy. It wasn’t that hard once you got used to it.
Sid rocked on his heels. ‘Could Mayor Cunningham do the announcements? He’s coming, isn’t he?’
‘I’m not sure I trust what he’d say.’
‘Then it’s going to have to be you.’
‘I was just thinking that but, oh God. Pants.’ Lottie groaned and re-tucked her shirt.
‘You can do it, Lots,’ he said cheerfully. ‘It’s just standing up and saying people’s names and what they’re doing.’
‘Jeremy was going to give a speech about how important the theatre is to the town. He had little note cards and everything.’ She really didn’t want to stand in front of everyone. It reminded her of reading out to the class in English. If she got the words wrong people always laughed and jeered. A bolt of nerves shot through from her head to her feet.
‘Listen,’ said Sid, putting his hands on her shoulders and tuning her towards him. ‘When you talk about the theatre your eyes light up and you sound so excited for the town people can’t help but listen. They’d much rather hear from you, someone who’s lived here all her life, whose nan loved this place, than a stranger from London in a suit.’
Lottie’s heart soared. She smiled into Sid’s daft face and saw that his eyes had developed gentle crow’s feet that reached out from the corners. Funny how she’d never noticed them before. She always thought of him as the teenager she’d grown up with but he was a man now and really was quite attractive in his own way. His face had character and when he smiled at her there was something in his expression Lottie was drawn to.
Clearly thinking Lottie was stuck in panic mode and not examining his face, Sid said, ‘If you don’t do it, Adelaide Andrews will.’
She stood back and folded her arms over her chest. ‘Over my dead body.’
Half an hour later the theatre was full. Hopefully people hadn’t come just to laugh at them. Backstage, having tucked her camera away, Lottie took a deep breath and brushed her clothes down. She really didn’t want to go out in front of all those people. She much preferred being here where the madness and chaos was. It was like being in an exclusive little world. The players had assembled in the wings and were ready to come on. They were grinning and excited and Lottie knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. ‘Everyone ready?’
The players nodded.
With a final deep breath, she said, ‘Come on then. Let’s get this show on the road.’
Conner played some introductory music and Lottie walked on to the stage, her legs shaking. Even her feet wobbled. She walked to the centre spot marked with an X and stopped in front of the microphone. As the crowd watched, a cold sweat ran over the back of her neck. She glanced at Sid, standing in the wings and after a reassuring smile from him and one of his cheeky winks, she took a deep breath again and began.
‘Good evening, Greenley.’
No one answered, they just stared and Lottie’s stomach fell to the floor. The audience’s eyes were on her and she tightened her grip on the microphone stand for support.
‘Thank you all for coming. My name’s Lottie Webster and I’m Chairman of Greenley Theatre.’ She’d expected boos but was greeted with more silence. It was difficult to know which was worse. ‘We’re here today to show you the wealth of talent we have in the Greenley Players, our amateur dramatics group.’
From the sidelines, Sid gave a reassuring nod and a thumbs-up.
‘As you know, our first performance wasn’t quite up to scratch.’
There were mumbles in the crowd. A stagehand did something in the lighting box and the spotlights came on illuminating the scenery. Lottie’s nerves were replaced with excitement and she found her mouth lifting into a grin. ‘We’re working hard to get better and today we’d like to show you exactly what everyone can do, because we have such a great team of amazingly talented people and we want to make you all proud. So, without further ado, may I please introduce the first star of the Greenley Players, Deborah McCray.’
A quiet applause circled around the crowd as Lottie left the stage.
‘Oh, my goodness,’ whispered Debbie, as she passed Lottie in the wings. Her face was ashen making her faded red hair appear brighter.
‘You’ll be great,’ said Lottie, patting her arm. ‘You can do this.’
Debbie stepped onto the stage, her flamboyant tie-dye dress wafting behind her. Conner started up her song and she moved back from the microphone. Thanks to Gregory, they’d learned that it didn’t do to be too close with a voice as strong as hers. Under the crowd’s intent gaze Debbie closed her eyes and began to sing.
She’d sensibly chosen something more popular but still operatic and as the words to ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ washed over the crowd, Lottie saw mouths drop open. The audience were seeing what she had seen during the auditions.
As Debbie pronounced each word with meaning, that meaning poured out over those listening. Her arms moved freely and her head swayed. There was no fake emotion or bad acting, just genuine feeling, and when she finished the crowd clapped enthusiastically. Some even whistled.
The first act was a success. Lottie bounced up and down and said a silent, ‘Yes!’
Next up was Gregory. After Much Ado, Lottie worried he would ham it up a bit too much. He’d chosen a piece from Oedipus Rex, which Lottie wasn’t entirely convinced was appropriate, but despite her best efforts she hadn’t been able to dissuade him. It was apparently the piece that got him his big break and, as it meant so much to him, she’d relented. Conner had found some suitable background noises and the sounds of an ancient Greek market played out.
Gregory moved onto the stage wearing a Greek tunic to a mixture of stunned silence and teenage sniggering. Lottie hoped he was wearing something underneath. If he slipped on the newly waxed floor and everyone saw his nether regions it could be the end of the goodwill Debbie had only just garnered. Lottie crossed her fingers behind her back.
‘“I care not for thy counsel or thy praise; For with what eyes could I have e’er beheld My honoured father in the shades below, Or my unhappy mother, both destroyed By me?”’
He paced the stage, his movements exaggerated enough for the crowd to see, but still subtle. His face portrayed the emotion of the words so that even those who might struggle to understand could still feel it.
Lottie allowed herself to uncross her fingers as he exited stage left. They had shown the town they could sing and act.
The remaining acts kept up the good work and Lottie couldn’t have been more proud. Cecil’s rendition of ‘Stepping Out with My Baby’ was a resounding success. He’d found his forte channelling Fred Astaire with hat and cane in hand.
Mrs Andrews’ monologue from Wuthering Heights was well received, though Lottie thought she was a bit too old to play Catherine, but nobody was going to tell Mrs Andrews that.
The next one was a gamble and Lottie felt nerves rise up once more. Lee Carter strode onto the stage exuding a confidence that verged on arrogance but in the end the crowd adored him. His speech from It’s a Wonderful Life, brought some to tears and Lottie felt her lip tremble as he evoked Jimmy Stewart’s heartrending moment of realisation.
The rest of the players performed until, finally, it was Sarah’s turn. Lottie introduced her and waited for her to come on. She didn’t.
To her left, Lottie could see Sid beckoning. The crowd were waiting and their applause died to silence. ‘Sarah Powell, everyone,’ said Lottie and legged it from the stage.
‘Sarah, are you okay?’ she whispered.
Sarah was white and beads of sweat gathered on her forehead. ‘I’ve just been sick.’
Lottie frantically looked around. ‘Oh my God. Where?’
‘In that bin.’
Lottie peered over and recoiled. ‘Can you go on?’
Sarah shook her head. ‘I’m so scared. I don’t think I can.’
‘Of course you can. You’re brilliant.’
‘You can do it, Sarah,’ whispered Gregory. ‘We believe in you.’
‘They’ll laugh at me.’
‘They will not, I promise,’ said Lottie and took Sarah’s hands. ‘I couldn’t believe it when I heard you sing. You were amazing.’
‘They all hate me because of my stupid crush on that idiot, Mayor Cunningham. I was just sad and lonely after mum died and he was strong and—’
Lottie couldn’t believe Sarah had chosen this moment to have a breakdown. She had no idea what to do so gave her a hug and hoped she wouldn’t be sick on her shoulder. ‘I know exactly how you feel,’ Lottie said, releasing her. ‘I’ve felt so lost too. But I know you can do this. Your voice is incredible.’
The crowd were waiting and beginning to chatter. This couldn’t go wrong. Not now. Lottie told Conner to start the music and using a walkie-talkie he spoke to one of the tech guys and Sarah’s song began.
/> Sarah looked at Lottie and shook her head.
‘Come on. You can’t put it off. On you go.’ Lottie guided her forwards and shoved her onto the stage with a final, ‘Just close your eyes and think of Greenley.’
Sarah stumbled on, still visibly shaking as a hushed silence descended. She seemed to be shrinking, getting smaller and smaller in front of the microphone. Sarah closed her eyes and sang the first few lines of ‘Someone Like You’, by Adele.
Heads lifted as soon as they heard her voice, beautiful even with a slight shake. Eyes widened in amazement as she sang with heartfelt emotion and power. Lottie looked to Sid whose smile signalled success and they high fived.
A volcanic eruption of whoops and thunderous applause reverberated around the theatre as Sarah finished.
Success! Lottie clapped too though Sid had to stop her when it got too loud.
All too quickly it was over, and Sarah hurried backstage straight to the bin to be sick again. Gregory ran to her and started rubbing her back. ‘It’s your turn now,’ said Sid, with a mischievous glint in his eye.
Lottie felt a lump in her throat.
‘Speech time!’
‘No, no, no, no, no,’ Lottie whined.
He blocked her way backstage. ‘Do you want me to ask Mrs Andrews?’
She shook her head and sullenly said, ‘No.’
‘Go on then. People are starting to leave.’ He turned her around and sent her out.
Lottie walked onto the stage, panicking. She’d been too busy watching the show to prepare a speech and wiped her sweaty hands down her thighs.
‘Umm, thank you, everybody, for coming tonight to see exactly how talented the Greenley Players are. As you can see, we have dancers, singers, actors, everything really to make us successful.’
Those who had started climbing out of their seats stopped and sat down again. Lottie felt the sweat gathering at her temples and glanced at Sid, who motioned for her to keep going.
‘We just need some more practice and the continued support of this wonderful town. I don’t know if any of you know me, or my nan, Elsie Webster, who was chairman of the theatre before she died, but—’