Maggie Rawlinson

On leaving Arts Educational School, Maggie Rawlinson worked as a professional dancer for ten years. Her credits are diverse ranging from Royal Variety Performances, pop videos, to pantomime and cabaret at the Monte Carlo Casino. She still dances every now and again (Tipping The Velvet, De-Lovely, Elizabeth The Virgin Queen) but since 1990 Maggie has concentrated on working as a choreographer. Her experience is wide and varied; film, TV, theatre, trade and fashion show and variety. She is valued for her patience, particularly when working with actors and opera singers.

Maggie, you have just choreographed Cinderella for the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, which received fantastic reviews. This has been the 4th Rock ‘n’ Roll pantomime you have worked on for director Peter Rowe. Do give some insight into the working relationship and your role in devising and rehearsing the cast. Does engaging with a Christmas pantomime production differ from the work you do all year around?

I have worked on many different types of panto, but the Christmas shows for Pete Rowe require an exceptional cast. Ten multi-talented actor/musicians not only perform but also play and sing all the songs. The shows have traditional panto stories but with twenty or so rock and soul songs seamlessly woven into each script.

It is an intense rehearsal period for all concerned; there is only three and a half weeks from the first read-through to the first public performance. It is a huge body of work for the cast to master and accomplish in such a short time.I receive the script and music usually by September, so I have lots of time to familiarise myself with the music. It is usually the case that I will know the vast majority of songs already.

Once the performers have been cast, I then meet with Pete and the MD to discuss in detail who is playing what instrument on each song. This is hugely important as this will impact on my choreography. I will learn who can move freely about the stage, i.e. those playing brass instruments and those who cannot move about as they are playing a drum kit or are on keys.
At some point in advance of rehearsals, I will have received pictures of the set. This year, in act 1, there is a well downstage in the middle of the town square. This has turned out to be a fabulous piece of set for me. Props (or people!) can appear and disappear down the well, it can be sat upon, it can also be ‘plugged’ to make a solid platform for a performer to stand and dance on; all of which allowed me to use the space in a variety of different ways. During the transformation scene to take us into the ballroom for the 2nd act, the well flipped 180 degrees to create a flat surface, which changed the space altogether and allowed the downstage area to open up. Alongside this, there were treads and a revolve, so I had lots to play with.

I have usually worked out the opening number in advance of rehearsals. It tends to be one of the most complicated routines in the show. This is possible as no one is established as his or her character yet and everyone tends to be part of an ensemble of towns people. The first few days of rehearsals is taken up with blocking the show and the cast learning to play the songs. This allows me time to watch the actors getting to grips with their characters. My movement and choreography is always character led and so even if I have had ideas ahead of rehearsals these could change as a result of watching an actor developing their role with the director. I will however, have clearly worked out what I intend to set before I rehearse the cast. Of course things are tweaked and change but there simply is not the time to create and explore possibilities without having a clear structure in your head in advance. 

Having said that, it is essential to find the movement that suits the actor and his portrayal of the character; this can vary hugely depending on how physically flexible a performer is and how much dance training they have had. I tend to push actors beyond their comfort zones and often, many find they are quite capable of more than what they think they are!

By the end of the second week the MD and I will be working in the same room together. Up until this point, with such a limited time frame, the pressure has been on to learn all the songs and the movement within them. During the third week I will work closely with the cast and the MD to really nail all the numbers. Of course there is also a huge amount of movement that can be quite technical in the scenes too. Pantomime is all about rhythm; the timing of a line, a look to the audience, a prat fall simply fails to work if the timing is wrong. Once the choreography is blocked in all the songs, I am able to support the director in developing this movement in the scenes.

It is not the fact that it is a Christmas pantomime that makes the work differ from other productions I do during the year but that it is an actor/musician show. The choreography has to incorporate the fact that someone is playing a tenor sax or maybe a trumpet. The characters that are singing will have hand held microphones (wireless thank goodness!) This obviously places very clear restrictions on what you can and can’t do. I personally find it a hugely enjoyable challenge and hope to work on other actor/musician shows in the future at any time of the year.

2008 has seen you working with the Welsh National Opera on Hansel and Gretel and with on the UK tour of Cyrano and Me, A Giant. You regularly work in theatre across the UK, what do you enjoy most when choreographing for live performances on stage?

It has to be the rehearsal process, working with the performers and the director. It is a joy seeing actors define and develop their roles to the point where the movement that I have devised for them becomes their own and a complete, full rounded performance emerges.
There is also a real buzz watching something I have helped create and seeing an audience captivated by it. The feedback is instantaneous, which is very different to film or TV.

When working as a choreographer on a film/TV set, in your opinion, would and in which way would your role; your pre-production preparation and devising process differ from an engagement in opera and theatre?

There is a long list of people who make up a film or TV crew. My role is often a very small cog in a huge machine. My involvement can be very brief; it varies greatly from job to job. But, whereas a small amount of choreography in theatre will almost certainly amount to at least a couple of sessions in a rehearsal room, as well as time during the Tech and Dress, in TV your services may be required for one day only. A rehearsal may (and has) consist of working with two actors in the corner of a set for twenty minutes before the scene is shot. On other occasions I have had a couple of sessions with the cast in advance of filming with a brief recap on the day.

The devising process can either be very straight forward or quite intense, as a director may have an idea on the day of the shoot and you will be given very little time to deliver! So the pressure feels more extreme than working in theatre. I think the oddest thing I have ever had to do is to create a dance when the music was to be added to the scene afterwards. I was asked to provide something suitable. This is far from ideal. The piece I chose was in keeping with the mood of the scene and the strangest compliment was to be congratulated by the director on my choice of music. A massive difference to theatre is to not know what your work is going to look like until you see the finished product on TV along with everyone else. What you devised for the shoot may end up looking quite different!

My experience working on film is as an assistant choreographer to Francesca Jaynes. In all three feature films I worked on, much more time was given to preparation than anything I had done on TV. To be fair, a lot more dance was required. This meant the rehearsal process was similar to theatre but just like TV, once on set, you are aware of the intense time pressure to get the shot and move on.

Looking ahead to 2009 Maggie, do you have any work lined up already? Is there a wish list for the coming months you’d like to share?

I have the opportunity to work with Theatr na n’Og later on this year on a new musical called The Bankrupt Bride. My diary is by no means full! I am lucky to have built up some good working relationships with a number of theatre directors. I guess my wish list has to include extending that number, so I can fill the gaps in that diary! Also, to work with creative, talented actors and singers is always a delight, so long may it continue. Oh, and if I could win the lottery as well, since that could prove rather useful!

Thank you Maggie!

For further information, please go to Maggie Rawlinson on the UK Choreographers Directory or contact Sally at Dance UK  sally@danceuk.org or 020 7713 0730.