Callum Thompson

This month, August 2024, I’m MDing First Date at the wonderful Old Joint Stock in Birmingham, my current residing theatre. With the first week of this show in the bank, I thought I’d reflect on a few other ‘firsts’ this production represents for me.

1. First time leading a ‘remote’ band, i.e. we’re upstairs in the band room / storage loft / kitchen vent, while the show takes place about 40 metres away in the theatre itself. We have a nice little video link to watch the proceedings, and obviously full audio feedback, but conversely the actors do not have a camera feed of me. So I guess it’s also my first show conducting in the blind.

2. First show working with — I simply must mention — the spectacular drummer Spencer Hedges, on loan from ‘And Finally’, Britain’s finest Phil Collins tribute show. The work he’s doing in his little booth is blisteringly good, alongside my Left Hand Guitar Man and longtime housemate Gilbert Price.

3. It’s also my first ever 3-week run of a show, making it the longest-running show I’ve ever worked on. I realise it’s hardly Les Mis, but it does top a 2-week Spring Awakening at the Fringe last year, and all the usual Tuesday-to-Saturday Am Dram runs.

4. Lastly, this is my first ever blog post on my first real website (if you don’t count the raw-HTML abominations I pieced together as a pre-teen web hooligan back in circa 2007).

Anyway, this is really little more than a test post, a pre-intro, so best end it here for now.

~callumtho