It’s not easy keeping the momentum of a show going when the research and development week is 6 months before rehearsals start. I am so looking forward to working with the fabulous In Water I’m Weightless company again but it’s a challenge to find a way to keep us connected, especially when everyone is so busy working on other projects.  But as my role as assistant director will involve keeping interested community members up to date with the development of the piece, I thought I would begin now.

I had been lucky enough to have been involved with Kaite O'Reilly's 'd' monologues since 2009, as a performer. I now had to re-look at them through the director's eyes and at the start of the research and development week found this extremely challenging. I felt that a couple of the monologues were very much mine and was completely taken by surprise at how painful the letting go of them was. However, by the middle of the week the actors had begun to very much make the pieces their own, so I was able to enjoy the new interpretations and get properly immersed in the process.

Back in November John set the actors a list of questions about the work that Kaite (www.kaiteoreilly.wordpress.com) had already created, questions such as, what is the one passage that seems to be in your voice?; is there a passage you think you would never get cast to play, but would really love to? And is there a passage that you hope you aren't asked to perform, and if so why?

Disabled actors are no different to any other performers, they all have different experiences, may or may not be political, and may not have worked within a company of disabled actors before. Therefore the answers to John's questions have been fascinating and thought provoking. For example, being allowed to perform a piece that was written for someone with a different disability to your own, is very liberating. It is this exploration of the text that is so exciting, and challenging, and the area that I am particularly looking forward to when we come to rehearsals.