Are you a Twirly or a Turn?

Well, are you? Quite a few people whom I know are. A Twirly or a Turn is actor-speak for a dancer or an actor (actually, it's luvvie-speak - I don't hear ordinary actors use the expression much!)

I am, of course, neither Twirly nor Turn, though I do work for an actors' agency. I also do some freelance work helping to train doctors and other medical practitioners and at the moment I've been cast in a short play for a medical conference.

Everyone else in the play is a Proper Actor and I have only a small role: I think I've been cast because of my experience in improvisation, which will happen later on in the day. This piece, however, is scripted - and it's a good script, too.

We performed a run-through for the client today. She was amazed to see the Proper Actors, whom she had met out of role a week ago at the read-through, transform themselves into different characters and lift the script off the page into something watchable, believable and entertaining.

And, as I only have a small role in it, I was able to watch them do it too. We take it for granted that actors can do that in films, with the help of make-up and costume: but people are always amazed that they can do it in a bare rehearsal-room with no make-up and costume at all.

I find it fascinating to watch, and I never tire of it.