Marie Cooper performing Hilda, the maid with an interesting past, in ‘Someone Waiting’ at Great Hall Theatre. 22 January to 26th January 2019
I managed to tick quite a few things off of my acting bucket list during this production in a small, but challenging and fun role. One of which included slapping one of my fellow actors. It turned out to be surprisingly effective. The audience oooooh’d and gasped when Hilda struck Mr Nedlow across the face. I was very pleased with this as we had practised it a number of times. Hilda’s slap managed to shock the audience, despite my not making any contact with Mr Nedlow’s face at all.
I also had to perform drunk. What I mean is, I acted drunk whilst on stage, I didn’t actually get drunk to perform. I got some nice comments from fellow actors saying that Hilda was nicely drunk and that it wasn’t overly done, which I am very pleased about. Acting drunk is a tricky thing to do convincingly, whilst still trying to enunciate so that the audience can hear.
An in-depth review of the play was written by Rob Fradley-Wilde and published on Facebook and in the Great Hall Theatre Company newsletter.
“the maid Hilda was able to go to her death with style, in Marie Cooper’s vivacious and feisty example of the mid-twentieth-century servant class. “
Andrew Cliffe of Norwich Photo photographed the following images during the dress rehearsal of Someone Waiting.
Cast
Hilda Marie Cooper
Mrs Danecourt Glenda Gardiner
John Nedlow Chris Higgins
Vera Nedlow Samantha Elmhurst
Martin Steven Logsdon
Walter Fenn Kevin Ford
Miss Lennie Rachel Miller
Hilda serving tea to Mr Nedlow and his secretary, Miss Lennie. 
Get Me. Sitting down in this room. 
You’re not unattractive 
Oh, I’ve seen life all right 
A person I was putting up got themselves arrested 
Oh what a strong helping, bad boy. 
My friends in the band at the Blue Parrot 
There’s someone waiting! 
Hilda serving the Nedlows 
Marie Cooper as Hilda, head and shoulders 
Of all the sauce! 
Definitely beyond the pale. 
If I belonged to the servant class, it’d be different 
Baby leaves by the front door 
Like that amazing Toulouse Lautrec 
Oh look! I’m hemmed in 
I’m a lone wolf, you’d be astonished 
If I belonged to the servant class, it’d be different 
Oh, I’ve seen life all right. 
Marie Cooper with the Cast of Someone Waiting 
Marie Cooper with the Cast and Crew of Someone Waiting
The photos below were taken by members of the cast
Women of the Someone Waiting cast 
Becoming Hilda 
Leave a Reply