Moving forward

We have a cast list! Four auditions were held, we saw eight people, and had five characters to cast.
It wasn't easy - having two co-directors can be tricky if you have different ideas. For Abi and I, it was the opposite. We'd not fully discussed the atmosphere that we wanted yet, and so each had a different gut feeling during the auditions.
The character of Jimmy was particularly difficult, as the play rests on him and his attitudes throughout the story. One auditionee was cold, calculating, and inherently bitter. The other had a lot of physical presence, a playful yet cruel approach, and was very outwardly angry. They'd produce very different atmospheres on stage, one being a lot darker than the other. At times like this, there is always the risk of disagreements and problems surrounding creative differences. Luckily, Abi and I work very differently but in a wholly complimentary way, and thus following a (45minute) discussion, we were able to come to an agreement. It was about which actor could provide the most accurate depiction of our Jimmy, closely looking at character descriptions, and the reactions of the other characters on stage.
Eventually, we managed to get through all my notes (of which I had made any, Abi preferring to just watch and absorb), and we have a cast. Five very strong actors, and those who didn't get a place have asked to join our production team which has gone from one to four in a matter of hours.
This has also made the entire process far more real. It's bizarre to think that on Tuesday we're having our first readthrough, and all of a sudden I'm directing a play. Not just an extract - the full play, set to take just over an hour, to be performed in just under three months.
Bring it on.