Last week saw a truly remarkable act at the Savoy Theatre. With the principal actor for Millicent Clyde on holiday and all three understudies unavailable, it seemed that Paddington was going to have to cancel their show on Tuesday night. That is, until Rose Mary O’Reilly hit the scene. O’Reilly is a swing (an understudy that covers multiple roles) in the production, but doesn’t usually cover the Clyde track. However, she stepped up and offered to cover the role. She learned the role with only four hours of rehearsal, prevented the cancellation, and saved over 1000 theatregoers from disappointment.
Being an understudy or swing is a truly challenging feat. Learning the track you perform every night in addition to 3-4 others takes a high level of organization and compartmentalization. Each track has it’s own lines, harmonies, choreography, intricate spacing, set and/or props handling, and more. Not to mention everything that happens backstage- such as costume and wig changes. Swings and understudies learn all of this with a fraction of the rehearsal time the primary actors get.
Before the show, producer Sonia Friedman took to the stage saying, “It’s theatre history. You’re all going to experience something I’ve never seen before which is- first time playing a lead role with 3-4 hours rehearsal.”
Understudies and swings are an absolutely integral part of the theatre world. It’s not uncommon for audience members to feel a sense of disappointment when they learn an understudy will be performing at their show, but please remember exactly how hard they’ve worked. Being cast as an understudy or swing doesn’t mean the performer isn’t “as good” as the principal actor- it just means they have the extra talent of being able to juggle multiple roles, so that’s where they serve the company best.
The team at Theatre Bookings salutes Rose Mary and all hardworking understudies and swings!
