Singapore - Technical week

So much for a day off on Monday, as we still had to do school. We do our school work all together in the girl's apartment. We choose what we want to do, so I have done a bit of maths and English each day, like at school, and at least one other subject. We study for three hours each day and you get an awful lot done in that time - probably as much as you would in a school day but without the games lessons. Katie has brought much more work than the rest of us, but she is in year 7. Fran comes round to each of us to see what we are doing and to help us.

I spoke to my mum and sister over the internet for the first time since I arrived. We were going to have a Skype web camera but Pat can't get it working at all in the boy's apartment and Fran can only get the microphone working in the girl's apartment. The rest of the cast arrive today, ready for technical rehearsals on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Tuesday, more schoolwork and a rehearsal with Kevin Kennedy, our new dad. We rehearsed Hushaby Mountain where he tucks us into bed and sings us a lullaby. Katie said that it isn't the same without Craig (McLachlan) who was our dad in Southampton. We saw Dane when we were walking down the road, and we were all really excited to see him, especially the girls.

Katie and I are going to be on Good Morning Singapore on Thursday for a live interview. We are being picked up by limo at 6.40am (how will we wake up that early?) and will have noodles or fried rice in the TV studio before the interview.

Wednesday - Harriet and Harrison are having a day off while Niamh, Sam, Katie and I do technical rehearsal as we are the first two teams on. We are meant to be having an early night so we can get up for the TV interview, but the rehearsal takes a very long time and we don't finish until 10pm and are all really tired. As Harriet and Harrison weren't up late they are going to do the TV interview. Katie and I are a bit disappointed.

Thursday - The TV interview went well for Harriet and Harrison, although the questions were asked in Chinese and they had to wait for it to be translated into English before they could answer.

During today's technical rehearsals the curtain got stuck at the end of the overture, and mage an awful noise. It must have been scary for Sam and Niamh who were waiting behind the slider, ready to step forward for the first scene.

Most rehearsals are done in rehearsal rooms, and it is only on the final days that they have "tech" on stage, to run through everything including the actors, the lighting, the sound systems and most importantly the props. We spent a lot of time doing Toot Sweets because the dogs are not nearly as well trained as the ones in Southampton, and won't go to Lord Scrumptious like they are meant to. On one of the run-throughs of Toot Sweets Kevin Kennedy was standing in the wrong place at the end of the scene as the backdrop for the next scene came in. Leo (Marissa's husband) saw what was about to happen and pushed him out of the way as it could have killed him, and Marissa screamed. Someone hit the emergency button. It was all very scary.

Today's rehearsal went on until 10pm again and we are all getting very tired. Katie got a bunch of flowers from home which really cheered her up.