|
|
| |
|
|
| |
This is where you stick random tidbits of information about yourself.
Age 23, living in sin in Twickenham with Cheesy
Likes
Movies
Books
Writing
Theatre
Hugs
Kittens
Chess
Scrabble (mostly beating Cheesy's butt)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Dislikes
Vegetables
Arguments
Cleaning
Trashy TV
Pretensions
Public Transport
Pets
Rabbits-Bambi, Fern, Sooty, Pippa-all deceased
Dog-Sammy-deceased :(
Fish-CatFlap-recently (and finally!) deceased
Cat-Tiggy-still scratching
|
|
|
|
Technically Rachel
|
|
| |
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Just a quickie before I'm off to Chorley - Soho Slam went really well. Will provide more details later, but my stuff went down really well, so am a happy bunny.
Enjoy the bank holiday!
7:42 am
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Right, so - plan for the week. Best fill ya in, cause it may be a while before I'm actively internetted again.
Soho Slam on Friday night (Tickets 0870 429 6883, or www.sohotheatre.com/book for you last minuters), which should be fun. Drinkies and then making sure the Momo and Popo are tucked up in bed at a reasonable hour. Then we're driving up north on Saturday, and the most of that day shall probably be relaxing time I would reckon. Sunday at 11am I join the BronTOne for auditions. Oops... now have I mentioned this? Hmmm - just in case. Me and BronTOne are teaming up again for a show in July at CADOS, following the storming (;)) success of Technically Speaking last year. We're doing two one-act plays, one being Waking (as at Edinburgh last year), the other being a newbie called Birthday Greetings. The latter will let the older members of CADOS have a go too, and I'm quite looking forward to see how that one turns out (though I think Popo may end up suing me for blatant plagarism of some of his jokes/anecdotes). Anyway, we're auditioning Waking this Sunday at Chorley Little Theatre, and then Birthday Greetings next Sunday. So, good fun all round as per.
This Sunday evening I'm mooching over to Manchester to toast a drink to the 30th birthday of Mr Greg, so any of you in the area of Kro2 that evening should pop in and look for the rowdy people.
After an evening cooing over Tall Boy and his girls, I shall be pootling back down south on Bank Holiday (swell). Then (breath) Tuesday I go and pick up the Cheesy one and from there it's all a bit of a mystery. We may well go over the map to Somerset etc, and then come back up north later - but it's all a bit unplanned. Basically we have two weeks off, and we wanna use them well. Lots of toing and froing from London. Though the holiday idea seems to have been snuffed now - doesn't matter how cheap the deals are, something always bumps up the cost, and we just can't afford it at the mo. I reckon we'll probably save up and go somewhere at Xmas time. Who knows!
So, busy times ahead. Woohoo!
1:57 pm
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Just got back from the rehearsal. First impressions are that I left feeling good about it all rather than sinking with dread. The actors are both really great - the guy looks familiar but I can't place him, and the girl I know I've seen in stuff at Soho. Mr Director pants aswell definitely seems to get what the piece is about, and is working with them really well. But it looks as if one rehearsal is all the pieces get - and that the show will be performed scripts-in-hand. So those of you coming along on Friday, be prepared that it's not an all dancing script free production. That being said, it still looked really good even with the scripts in hand - the actors are pros and make it work.
There were of course "the questions", and I was relieved that I actually knew the background of these characters, as I was asked about this in particular. Managed to give some coherent responses, with minimal (but not non-existant) giggles. If I hadn't had to return 5 minutes after I left cause I'd forgotten my sweater, I might have actually made the impression of a normal human being. Pff!
2:12 pm
My it's quite amongst the blogging community at the moment. Is there a strike I didn't receive a memo about?
Am off shortly to check out the rehearsal for the Soho Slam thing this Friday - as always I am nervous when I meet new people. Especially theatre people - they tend to ask me serious questions like, "What inspired you to write this", "Where do you get your ideas from?", "What are you trying to say". All of which of course, I'm useless at answering. No doubt some idiocy or other will dribble out of my mouth at some point - may as well stick to form.
Momo and Popo are also trudling their way down the motorway tonight - which means tidying of the massive type. Tsk.
12:54 pm
Monday, May 23, 2005
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! The Cheesy one is back for a night.
*Skips off looking smug and giddy*
1:20 pm
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Time for you to meet the family (courtesy once more of the South Park Studio) :
Momo
Popo
and Fat Arse (unfortunately the studio didn't have an arse-widening device ;))
9:23 am
Monday, May 16, 2005
Went to Brighton at the weekend to get my Cheesy top-up. All seems to be going well down there for him - he's running the venue like a pro, and his Venue-Manager-Beard is coming along nicely. It was nice to be around the theatre environment again - Brighton has a way to go before it competes with Edinburgh, but it's making a damn good go of it. Plus, it;s nice to be at a fringe festival where there is actual fringe theatre going on, rather than semi-professionals flouncing about being "arty" or the dreaded influx of standups. I managed to catch two shows whilst down there. The first was Go Fish - which was really excellent. Lesbian drama not normally my thing, but the script for this was so good and it kinda related to everyone - lesbian or not. The acting was also excellent (one exception only), and the staging was great, although "movement theatre" popped up occasionally, but not so much that it left me annoyed with the production as a whole. The other thing I saw was "The Jaundice Table", which was bleedin awful. I think the actors make a damn good go at it (the two girls in it were particularly effective), but the material wasn't convincing - another student making a go at writing about madness. Sigh - when will they learn that nervous twitching, lots of shouting, vague weirdness, swearing and self harm does not the most convincing madman make. If you're not Sarah Kane, don't bother.
Weather was bloody awful on Saturday (is it me, or is Winter creeping it's sneaky ass in behind Spring), but it perked up on Sunday. Me and the Cheesy spent some time trying to find a holiday, but everything's so expensive this time of year - any suggestions for a holiday under £400?
Right, I'm off to wash up. Uck.
6:09 pm
Friday, May 13, 2005
On a continuing writing note, I just got a piece accepted for this:
Soho Slam
So, if you're gonna be in London on the 27th May at 7pm (and if not, why not!), and can afford the measly £5 ticket price, then come and join in the fun.
(Side note - all pieces are 5 minutes long, including mine, so even if mine's shit there's bound to be some good stuff to coo over)
2:39 pm
Today, I seek out the wisdom of you - the blog community. To try and reach a verdict about this:
The Play's The Thing
Good thing or Bad thing?
Amazing opportunity or Humiliating Reality Schlock
See, I really don't know whether to enter this thing or not - does entering this make me a writer so determined they'll do anything to get their work on the West End, or a sad loser who will appear on reality TV and make a tit of themselves.
Here so far, are my pros and cons:
PROS
1. It's the West End - surely any opportunity for writing put on there is worth the risk.
2. A fully fledged professional production of the writing - proper actors/directors/producers
3. Considering the response to most reality TV shows - the winner would at least make a decent wad of cash from the rights
4. It's the same company who did Musicality - one of the more "respectable" reality TV shows to go out last year.
5. Momo and Popo (and all the little Grand Momos and Popos) would go nuts to see me on TV
6. Friends and family would also get to go on TV - which I think they'd all rather like ;)
7. Where else am I likely to get a chance to get a West End production - even IF my writing's good enough, it might never get there through normal channels. Even in the likely event of me not winning, my writing at least will get viewed by some professional eyes.
CONS
1. It's a reality TV show - let's face it, not one of the most credible arenas of talent
2. Imagining that it's possible I get to the first round, this would then mean being on TV - something I feel sick just imagining. Acting on TV, maybe. Me. Nooooo.
3. I have a tendancy to open my mouth and let complete fucking rubbish come out when put in the centre of attention. Can you imagine the spastic nonsense that could stream out of me with a camera pointing in my face? Recorded forever. Seen by millions. Shudder.
4. If I were to get to the first round, but no further, I would have to face rejection on National Television. Everyone watching, and going awwwwwwww. Damnit. What the hell would I do with my face then?
5. These programs always try to make people cry. I have no desire to cry on TV - this is especially worrying cause I am very prone to crying if I'm yelled at.
6. Can you have any credibility as a serious writer if you've won a reality TV show?
7. The one reason I've always loved the idea of fame as a writer, is cause no one really knows what you look like. Sure, any face on the program would be forgotten eventually, but I don't think I'd handle visual notoriety well.
I write all these purely with the arrogant concept I'd get to the first round. Do I have material I think is worthy? I believe I do - ish. I think so. Certainly I have a commercially viable one - which is what they're after. Ack.
What do you think people? Good idea/Bad idea?
12:42 pm
I narrowly missed getting shat on by a pigeon at the train station this morning.
That would have been a crappy start to the day!
9:35 am
Thursday, May 12, 2005
So, Tony Blair's new campaign apparently involves more emphasis on anti-social behaviour and dealing with it effectively.
What's the first thing he backs in accordance with this?
Bluewater shopping centre's ban on youths wearing baseball caps and hoodies.
Genius. Truly. Remove the cap of power and all the problems clearly go away. Finally, our youth will be free of the evil influence of baseball caps, which have been whispering in their ears and plotting society's downfall.
Idiots.
1:33 pm
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
I have just been crying like a great pitiful muppet-type-creature. At a cartoon. Sigh. It could be a combination of racing hormones, and pitiful loneliness, but mostly it's the cartoon. Of the Little Mermaid. Oh, yes. But not the Disney version. (Yes, I am one of those saddoes who does actually like Disney's The Little Mermaid, but I'm not quite so bad that I'd cry at that particular cartoon).
Now - I'm not sure how many people are aware of this, so I hope I'm not insulting peoples' intelligence here - but the Disney version of the Little Mermaid is rather different from the original Hans Christian Anderson version. The cartoon I watched tonight is a rather old anime - I used to watch it as a child and adore it and recently managed (for nostalgic reasons obviously) to obtain a copy. The artwork isn't as fluid as modern stuff, and the script leaves a lot to be desired - but it gets me right in the gut. For those of you who don't know the real version, let me explain.
So, we start with Marina (rather than Ariel) - the youngest princess mermaid of the palace (go awwwww - isn't she pretty - she gets her tits out frequently anyway in this version)
 . She gets up to lots of mischief with her best friend - a little dolphin called Fritz, who also it seems has a bit of a weird crush on her. You probably are familiar with this part - she rescues a prince from drowning and it's all very dramatic
Though he gets a water-logged look at her in the ocean, he doesn't wake up properly by the sunrise, and with people around she has to leave. As a result he thinks this silly tart rescued him:
Of course, Marina falls completely in love with him. Despite her love for her family (everything at home is just spiffingly nice in this version - no arguments, just good family stuff), her love takes over and she decides to go see the Sea-Witch for help.
Unlike Disney's Sea Witch, this one has no hidden agenda - she's just a nasty piece of work who likes to make people suffer. She agrees to grant Marina's wish for legs on three conditions:
1. That she can never be a mermaid again, and thus never see her friends and family again
2. That she MUST win the prince's love. If she fails, the morning the sun rises after his marriage to another, she will die and become foam on the waves
3. As a price, the Sea Witch requests Marina's voice
Nasty old witch. The love-sick mermaid agrees and takes a nasty potion which turns her into a human. Fritz (the dolphin friend) is a bit distraught about this, and even when she leaves the ocean it's a tear jerking moment.
Anyway, princey finds her all nekked on the beach and takes her in. Even though she cannot speak, with time he seems to fall in love with her.
I say seems, because he sits down with her and tells her that the women he really wants is the silly tart who he thinks rescued him, but since he can't find her, he wants to marry Marina. (tut - men!)
But she's overjoyed, so it's all okay. But not quite. Mummy and Daddy aren't so happy with their son marrying some mute girl who washed up on the beach, and want him to be part of a marriage of convenience to a girl from another kingdom. He valiantly resists their attempts, but eventually is tricked into meeting her. And it only turns out to be the silly tart he thinks rescued him!
Floozy!
So, much to Marina's dismay - the happy couple get married, with barely a thought to poor love-sick Marina. Another tear-jerker moment is when Fritz realises what has happened, and swims off distraught, refusing to say goodbye to her forever (for of course she'll die in the morning).
On the wedding boat, Marina stands on the deck at night, awaiting the morning. Only Fritz and her sisters turn up. The sisters gave their hair to the Sea Witch for help saving Marina's life. They bring a knife - if Marina stabs the Prince in the heart, when his blood touches her feet, she will turn back into a mermaid again and be free. They leave her, hopeful for her return to them.
Marina sneaks into the Prince's bedroom and prepares to do the deed
As you can probably guess, she can't go through with it. She loves him, and his happiness is hers. She leaves, resigning herself to her fate, with a willingness to die with her love pure. Though he doesn't love her, she now knows what true love is - and is at peace with that.
The prince wakes up and rushes to the deck, to see Marina jump off the boat.
He finds her hairclip and a scale from her tail and suddenly (Bloody timing!) remembers the moment he saw her in the ocean. He knows who she was. (Waaaaaaa!)
This is all bloody too late - the sun has risen, Marina fades to nothing and becomes foam on the waves. Fritz frantically searches the ocean for her, shouting her name, confused, distraught and bewildered as to why she has not returned. This is the point by which I'm weeping like a baby.
So, the moral is - love sucks ;)
Or maybe it's just that men suck. Heh.
Anyway - I hope you enjoyed that little tail (you see what I did there?) - if you were bored, well tough titty - I needed to share.
x
8:13 pm
Sunday, May 08, 2005
I just went and bought depression food. i.e. Marks & Spencer Triple Chocolate Crunch cereal.
And now I'm off to watch this.
Hmmm, not off to a great start.
5:24 pm
I feel blue today. Drove the Cheesy One to Brighton yesterday and now I am alone and forlorn in my messy and empty flat. Boo. No doubt I shall find ways to entertain myself, and the quiet around the flat means I can write and focus my misery and loneliness into something creative. Right now I just feel unmotivated, down and half a person. Still, all in the greater good. These things must be done.
Maybe I could adopt a cat for the duration? I met the most enormous fluff ball of a cat whilst visiting Small Yappy Type Dog and Rockenspiel last night. The Yappy One has just celebrated her birthday nuptials, and at a pub we met the giant thing. Very docile and literally felt like I was holding a huge stuffed animal. Want one. Yes, I shall go and borrow a cat till my pooka comes home. Here kitty, kitty, kitty.
www.mycathatesyou.com
4:33 pm
Friday, May 06, 2005
Sigh.
I hope we start discovering other inhabitable planets soon. I really feel like moving.
9:16 am
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
And on a mature note, folks - don't vote for bloody Labour. We all know they're gonna win (stop fretting, there's no way Conservatives will do it), but the best way to show how pissed off we are with them is to batter their majority. If you are, or have ever been, a student - you owe it to the ones to come who will get battered by top-up fees.
2:30 pm
Oh dear. I've been bored. As you're all about to see. I've discovered a fantastic website that allows readers of this blog to be more discerning when selecting other blogs from my blog-roll to the left of the screen. Now they can have a mental image of what that blogger may look like. How? See thus below, a little image of me courtesy of The South Park Studio:
It's not great - someone may well be able to do me better.
Anyway, in my extreme boredom, I have created similar piccies for those on my blog-roll, so that those of you who do not know eachother may better be able to understand eachother. That and I just think it's funny.
So, first up
Cheesemongers Anonymous
Is it wrong for me to get turned on by my Cheesy's South Park character? Ah well.
BronTOne
Bron is frequently stressing out - hence her expression on this one
Goulden Moments
In travelling mode. And yes, his hair really does grow that way!
Gregorian Rants
I tried to find something to make him look Irish, but zippo.
Cheeky Minx
Not that he ever posts on his blog anymore...
Clive
The last time I saw Clive properly was at a Halloween party covered in bleeding wounds - hence the ones here
Southern Bird
I've never actually met S.B. in person, so I'm going off random photos and imagination here folks ;)
Rocket Leaf
The bat is for when she beats up her boyfriend i.e. frequently ;)
Wilkommen
Wilkies always tired.
Random Creature has her own on her blog and I'm afraid I haven't a clue what Blah Blah Blah looks like! Maybe she'll make her own.
Other occasional commenters on this site include
TALL BOY
He's much taller and gayer in real life
and SMALL YAPPITY TYPE DOG
This is when she's very very cross
Isn't creativity wonderful?
1:05 pm
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
How ace (and simultaneosly gross) is this! My Weeble character runs off with Cheesy's.
Say awwwwwwwwwwww.
You are Donkey! You don't say much, but you're a
sexy momma. You don't lie, and Weebl loves you
almost as much as pie! Too bad you ran off with
Chris the Ninja Pirate.... you slut.
Which Weebl and Bob character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
2:27 pm
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Sigh. Saw Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy today and left bitterly disappointed. Despite some beautiful production design and excellent casting, the direction and overall quality of this film just plain stank. The new plot elements were boring, and poorly executed - and the characters were mostly gutted to make way for the new clunky plot. Marvin was reduced to occasional one liners - shocking behaviour. Interestingly, the character I found most irritatingly one-dimensional in the books (Trillian) was actually the most interesting one in the film - cred to Zooey Deschanel. The movie has some wonderful little moments, but overall the dry english humour has been waylaid for the flashy stuff, and for a book that was billed mostly as a comedy, I only found myself laughing outloud at one point - the whale/bowl of petunias moment. Quite frankly it would take a momumentally deficient director to cock THAT joke up.
Ah well, never mind. Shall sit and wait patiently for Sin City.
9:39 pm
|
|
| |
|
|
|
