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The end is in sight, as we finally reach the final scenes of the second half of our production.ÌýBy the end of the week the intention is to have done at least some work on each of the 63 scenes that make up the two halves of the show.Ìý

Sometimes this has been sketchy, sometimes detailed, but at least we all have a sense now of what the show is going to look and feel like, and where the key challenges are in the weeks ahead.

The end of the play is a downbeat one, with Shakespeare subverting many of the conventions you might expect.ÌýThe climactic battle is offstage, there is no duel between the the main protagonists, Henry is dispatched brutally and quickly in a grubby little murder by Richard.Ìý

There is no heroism here, only a messy and cruel tying up of loose ends that leaves the Yorkists in charge and the Lancastrians dead or routed.ÌýEven George patches things up with his brothers, although his temporary change of sides is to have drastic consequences for both his and Edward's future health, as those who have seen or read Richard III will know.

The harshest treatment is left for the old survivor Margaret of Anjou.ÌýHer son is gutted in front of her by the three sons of York, her allies taken off and executed, yet she is left begging for the end only to be denied her own death.ÌýIn dying she perceives release and honour, but Edward banishes her instead.Ìý

Rehearsing a scene like this is difficult at this stage though.Ìý It won't work until everyone hits the emotional highs required, yet that can't happen whilst scripts are still in hand are we are figuring out staging decisions, so at the moment it feels a bit mechanical to all concerned.Ìý But you can see it will be great in a few weeks time.

The greatest peril of community theatre is that the show must accommodate people's alternative careers, and so it is that we have said goodbye to three members of the company in the last few weeks for various personal and professional reasons - Alistair Carr, Tanya Pizl and Sophie Storr.Ìý

All contributed to the rehearsals they attended and it is a loss to the production that they are no longer able to take part.ÌýThere is some room in the ensemble though for some people to double up on more parts, so I can fill their parts from within the company, and I round off the week by looking again at the Jack Cade rebellion, with a new Jack Cade (Brian Sharp) in place.Ìý

This is a big set piece of the second half, and includes a full scale riot involving a lot of people so it is a bit of a logistical nightmare.ÌýThe recasting has a knock on effect where everyone is suddenly doing something slightly different from before in the scene, and it leads to a long, difficult evening.Ìý

Brian is brilliant in the role of Cade though, taking to the power-crazed, jumped up wannabe dictator with ease (hmmm!).ÌýThese couple of scenes are so energetic, and there is a lovely group dynamic at work.ÌýThere is a lot of heckling and shouting, and it all gets very loud and slightly scary.

And agonisingly, for the first time we dropped behind schedule this week so there is still one short scene we haven't done, and its the last scene of the play!

Mark