Variax - Gary Mullins - Professional Guitarist

Avenue Q with Berkhamsted Theatre Company

November 10, 2014PermalinkTheate Work60, aer, avenue, berkhamsted, compact, fender, group, guitar, ibanez, line6, nigel, plaskitt, q, theatre, Variax Leave a comment

This week I’ve been playing on Avenue Q in Tring for the Berkhamsted Theatre Company. It’s been a real pleasure to be involved in the show, and a particular privilege because of the calibre of the performances. Reviews have compared this production to a similar if not better level than pro touring shows, so congrats to all involved.

Guitar-wise the part is very interesting. It’s pretty pacey throughout, so you need to be well prepared and have your wits about you, and it’s well written with lots of interesting voicings of chords to get your fingers around.

It also has a banjo and acoustic requirement alongside the electric guitar, and some of the changes can be a bit tight! To make life a bit easier I’ve used my Variax Acoustic to cover those bases, and my Ibanez RG3120 for the electric stuff. Very trusty!

Apparently the pro show will be touring next year, so be sure to get your tickets!

This is the puppet man himself – Nigel Plaskitt – with the cast. Nigel is the man who makes the puppets and is also the man behind the monkey from the PG Tips commercials amongst many other credits. Amazing!

Sound of Music Dress Rehearsals

Today I have two dress rehearsals for the Sound of Music, and we’re half way through the first act of the first run. It’s pretty interesting as this is the first time I’ve played in a room separate from the pit, and with a headphone mix/video feed. It’s taken a little getting used to, but it’s starting to feel really good. It is a bit odd being in a different place to the rest of the orchestra, and there is a lot of creaking overhead from the performers moving about on stage. It all makes for a very interesting experience, but it does a good job of forcing you to concentrate really hard. One other benefit of being in this room is that there’s quite a lot more space than I’m used to! Real luxury!!