Singin' In The Rain!

What an eventful and yet relaxing two days we have had!

Friday morning dawned before the dawn - many of us were up and out well before 5, as our luggage had to be downstairs and loaded on a truck for shipping to Edinburgh!  Breakfast with the entire contingent at about 5:30 -  and then coaches (you Yanks call them buses) pulled up to shuttle us the short way to Kings Cross Station (too bad we didn't depart from Platform 9 3/4!  We missed that landmark, unfortunately).

A family of Kibbes awaits the late arrive of the bus

It was another in  regular series of unexpected traveling challenges, as our coach was last to arrive, and we were assured we'd still get on the train!  Finally the bus did show at about 7 and we were whisked off to Kings Cross.We caught up with the entire contingent from two lodgings at Kings Cross - imagine a sea of theatre kids ready to head off on the ultimate adventure!

Is Vidya Camera Shy or Just Sleeping?

These guys are ready to go!

Mrs. Gallagher takes good care of everyone.

  The AHSTF Express train was soon ready to depart, and we loaded up (We were Carraige C) and were on our way!

Mrs. Gallagher gets the window seat

Carolyn shares her compartment with Hilary Clinton, along with Tommy and Fiona Albright (evidently they escaped Brigadoon)

The train cars had seats in groupings of 4, and we shared the space with students from a couple of other schools from California.  The excited chatter soon gave way to the blissful quiet of sleep as the breakneck pace of the last few days caught up with folks, and most enjoyed some welcome nap time. Toad may look funny in a bathing suit, but nothing beats the sight of a sleeping train rider!

Those who stayed awake were treated to a lovely view of the outskirts of London giving way to gentle countryside dotted with sheep - and then to more remote landscape hugging the coastline.  It wasn't long before we were amongst the famous heather on the hill (or in this case by the trackbed)!

The total journey took about 8 hours, at a pace that ranged from 100mph to 0 - at regular intervals the train would stop and wait, some times for 10-15 minutes - for another train to pass.  As a charter train, we were sharing the tracks with other regularly scheduled routes, and we were obliged to step aside when called upon to do so!

We entered Scotland about an hour before departing the train at a station to the east of Edinburgh.  At the station we were met by many members of the AHSTF staff who waved signs  and welcomed us warmly - there was even a bagpiper there to serenade us off the train and on to a waiting bus!

We shared our motorcoach with a group from Ohio,  and again were shepherded by an excellent local guide who pointed out landmarks along the way.  We entered Edinburgh from the east and fially approached the medieval city, and you could almost hear the collective gasp when we climbed the hill by the Castle and finally came upon the controlled chaos that is the Royal Mile at Festival time! We had about 45 minutes to get off the bus and get a feel of the place - the Fringe Festival opened yesterday, so the place was teeming with artists, performers and just plain folks milling around taking it all in!

Actually in the real, honest-to-goodness Edinburgh!

Of course bagpipers are everywhere

...as are performance artists

taking a break on the steps of St. Giles Church

The mini-stages that we perform on at the Mile

Being a guide is hard work - especially on the right arm

Edinburgh traffic is notoriously bad during the  Fringe, so it took quite a while for our bus to finally drop us at Pollackk Halls of Residence at the University of Edinburgh.  It's a very attractive complex of buildings that houses students during the school year but is used for conference and hotel space during the summer.

Taken last year but cool nonetheless - the castle on the grounds of the residence halls

Our dorms are comfy and the rooms are pretty spacious!

We had some time to find our luggage and our rooms (single-person rooms in 5-story buildings - the girls are at Ewing House and the boys are at Grant House), and then we finally had a chance to relax in the very busy cafeteria and enjoy a good, plentiful meal.

A typical room - in this case, mine!

The AHST Office is on the bottom floor of the girls' dorm. It is staffed from 8am to midnight with festival personnel and guides who are there to help answer every question and help out with problems.

Some of the helpful AHSTF staff

The office wall is plastered with AHSTF show posters - there may be one you recognize

At 8 Mr,. Schneider and I attended the required director's meeting and had a chance to talk through our show with the tech personnel - we'll have at least three staff working with us at the theatre.  While we did that the kids had time to explore the small complex of buildigs in advance of a group meeting When we got spring from our meeting at about 9:30 (still plenty of light in the sky) we met the company to explain the procedure for Sunday's tech-in.  Everyone disbursed back to their rooms to get all the props set pieces - we laid them all out on the sidewalk by the dining hall and re-assigned them to specific suitcases tor travel to the theatre - Sarah was a great manager here, making sure everything got checked on and placed in the proper area!

The props repack!

When that was all done it was clear everyone was beat - I imagine some had to be woken up for their midnight bed check!

BTW there is a guard posted at the door to each dorm (only one way in!) and students and chaperones must sign in there each night.  Everyone will be accounted for before lights out!  The guard stays until deep into the night and patrols the hallways.

Night time check in

This morning everyone had some time to sleep in.  We awoke to the glorious feeling of a typical Scottish morning - cool, misty, with a fog hanging low over Arthur's Seat!  Sleep reports were good - especially about the showers, which were bliss compared to the cramped and weak showers in London!

Arthur's Seat is shrouded in fog

After visiting the Mile yesterday, a group was chomping at the bit to get to the Mile and hand out show flyers and be a part of it all!  The rain did not deter them - when I caught up to them, they were traipsing down the mile, passing out cards and singing "I'm the snail with the mail, I'll deliver without fail, through the rain and sleet and snow"!  I only wish I'd correctly captured the moment on video (in other words, I bungled the technology).

Have a postcard about our show!  Sorry it's dripping wet!

Relaxing at a Coffee House to get warm

High on the Mile, things get very narrow

The Tattoo Parade grounds with the Edinburgh Castle in the background

Mr. Schneider and I visited the store to get our prop rakes (very expensive) and Stina has booked rehearsal time in one of the rooms for the boys to practice with them.


Several groups got out to see some regular Fringe shows today- everything from wacky comedy to more classical fare.  Transportation generally went well - a few wrong turns on the bus lines, which will decrease as they get used to the routes.    Others stayed behind to rehearse or just enjoy each other's company.

Relaxing in one of the allowable common spaces - sometimes hard to come by!

Tomorrow's schedule:

10:30a-12p Baby Wants Candy Workshop in Ewing Large

12:00-2:30p Lunch at Pollock Halls Dining Hall

2:30p High Street Performance- Lower Stage

4:30-7:30p International Collegiate Theatre Festival College Fair in Ewing Large- Learn About Workshop Opportunities-- Free Pizza!

5:30p Bus departs Pollock Halls for Church Hill Main Stage

6:00-8:00p Technical Rehearsal

8:00p Bus departs Church Hill Main Stage for Pollock Halls

That's all for now - time to get some sleep for the busy day tomorrow - especially excited about our Royal Mile Performance!  Hoping for nice weather!