Lockdown viewing?

Hello!  How are you all doing out there, in there…?  I hope this finds you well and relatively centred?  What a time, to say the least.

In the midst of all this, if you happen to be in the market for a bit of video viewing (have you watched enough things yet?) I’ve got a couple of bits for you, if you’re interested…

Firstly, I finally uploaded the preview performance of my show Fabled from waaay back in July 2012:

It feels like a lifetime ago…

My performance was still pretty rough around the edges at this point and not as BEAUTIFULLY HONED as it was after a whole month’s run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but this is the only filmed performance and, actually, I kinda like how shonky it is.

Please note:
-me sweating off most of my mascara as it was SO HOT ON STAGE.
-my bike bell breaking and me having to resort to clanging another prop instead to make a noise.
PLUS: see if you can work out where the soundtrack froze and the backup soundtrack had to be played instead…  I think I managed to hide my genuine panic/confusion…

And: I’ve done some more story reading for Liars’ League – this time as part of a Lockdown Special, from the comfort of my own home.  Here I am reading ‘A Space to Inhabit’ by Lyndsey Croal for their ‘Mystery and Suspense’ event this week:

A strange cloud appears outside a small Scots town… or has it always been there?

You can find the story text and an mp3 of this story reading here, all the other story videos from the night here, and the event podcast here.  It was a good night in 🙂

Other than riding the current wave as best I can, I’m continuing to set myself up for voiceover work and my little makeshift studio is coming along nicely, if slowly.  Photo evidence, at some point…

Until then, Big Love <3

Happy things

Some things that have made me happy over the last 10 weeks:

going to the seaside,

performing onstage as my alter ego Lois of the Lane for the first time in about 3 years with my sister from another mista – Wild Card Kitty,

having cat cuddles in the park,

going on a short break to the countryside,

finding some great graffiti at the end of our street,

receiving a Camembert baking wotsit for my birthday (AND USING IT)

and coming across this poem today in the incredibly helpful and wise book I’m currently reading: True Refuge by Tara Brach

LOVE TO ALL! 😀

Ed Fringe #Day2

Greetings from glorious Edinburgh!

I arrived with an hour to spare via the ever Mega Megabus last night and am well and truly settled in to my new home for the next few weeks.  How lovely is the view 30 seconds from my digs…?!

The plan is that I’ll keep this here news page pretty regularly up to date (more so than usual) with my Fringey goings on…

I had a grand tech run this afternoon at The Bongo Club and got the first glance at the flyers for my show, designed by Paul Garner. I am bouncing about rather excitedly/in a daze.

The promo video is all done and uploaded and you can view its wonder here:

Big thanks to Geoffrey Sautner for doing the biz.

The preview of Fabled at Theatre503 was a resounding success, with me sweating off pretty much all of my make up (stingy eyes owwwwww!) and I’m PUMPED to give it my all for everyone who comes to be Fabled over the next month.

In a moment of madness today, I thought I’d start doing an Edinburgh Fringe video diary. FIRST INSTALLMENT HERE.  Who knows how regular this will be!

In other news, I’m now booked to do Gypsy Hotel on the 15th of September and there’ll be plentiful amounts of cabaret dates throughout this month at the Fringe.  I’ve also gone and put my songs on MySpace.

August, here I come…

Overdue update and new show ‘Fabled’!

Ahoy!  So, here’s my brand spanking new website ready for a fresh leap into creative action this Spring.  It’s been another quiet few months, blog-wise, around these parts but, as ever, stuff’s been going down.  The main thing was trying to find a new place to live and then getting settled in, but thankfully that’s all now done and dusted and I’m most definitely ready TO GET CRACKIN’.

In August I made a brief jaunt up to the Edinburgh Fringe where I made a couple of appearances at the Gorgeous George Cabaret Club, singing some of my songs and doing a bit of Lois of the Lane-ing.  Lovely to see everyone and get my Fringe fix.

September saw me popping up to Birmingham to Lois of the Lane at Barbara Nice‘s Jamboree at A.E. Harris.  A grand evening it was too.  For all of you Brum-based, the next one’s on Friday the 20th of April and you can book tickets now.

Here’s a picture of me doing ‘Alive and Amplified’ that night, picture by Graeme Braidwood:

There was also a great 1st Birthday Village Green in September, theme: Hotel vs Camping, where I performed Chris Issac’s ‘Blue Hotel’ with the lyrics changed to make it about an Hotel painted blue…

October saw another Village Green, this time the theme being Wonkavision and I Lois of the Lane-ed it up good and proper with my ‘Dance Fever’ act.

November saw me hosting a Pac Man vs Pac-a-Mac Village Green then, after the Crimbo hiatus, I was back in the driving seat on Friday the 13th of January at the ‘Bad Luck Cabaret’ at The Space with a BRAND NEW Lois of the Lane act called ‘Somewhere’ which went down a treat.  Here’s me gurning away as normal during the show, photo by Johanna Spiers:

January also saw another Village Green, the theme being Spelling Bee, where I performed Arthur Askey’s ‘The Bee Song’ with the lyrics changed to make it about a Spelling Bee (the reference was mostly lost as only one person in the audience had even heard of the song… ha!).

Aside from all of this, I’ve also been in the very early stages of rehearsal of a brand new play called ‘Kill the President’ by James O’Shea which should be on in London in September, funding dependent… and I’ve also hooked up with Angela Gasparetto who’s going to be helping me develop all aspects of my performance goings on – exciting times!

The BIG big news is that my new solo show is going to be premiering in June.  It’s called ‘Fabled’ and it will be showing, initially, for one night only at the Holloway Arts Festival at 5pm at Platform.  Details and tickets here.  Now I’ve finished my website, the task is to actually finish writing the show and get it all ready – I like a deadline!  More dates for the show following shortly, all being well…

2012 – I’m comin’ atcha!

Braiiiiiiiin…

After many, many hours of website updating – my brain is now more mushy than usual.  Some of it may be dripping out of my right ear.  Who can say…?  Now you can find: production photos from Glitch; a freshly tidied up singing page which now includes my new Zombie song that I recorded this week with my bro + 2 tracks recorded during my interview on Leith FM in August; my latest headshots and some fantastic photos taken during a shoot by Gavin Hill of Mecaniques Photography on the gallery page.  See below for an example of the latter:

PLUS I’ve added some more photos to my MySpace photos page, including some great Lois of the Lane in action shots, one of these being this one, taken by Piglicker:

(It appears I never leave the house without said stripy top on…)

There has been a whole host of other general tidying up/updating bits including the expulsion of a sneaky rogue apostrophe.  (Ha ha!  I tame you, punctuation.)

Soon I can stop looking at a computer screen and all will be well.

In other news – No Suprises went down a storm last Saturday.  It was an overwhelming success and a whole heap of money was raised.  Very glad to have been a part of it.  Enjoyed myself muchly 🙂

This week, on Thursday the 28th, I’m playing at the Village Green Preservation Society‘s monthly night at The Betsey Trotwood again.  Last month’s was great!  This time, the theme is Tricks and Treats so my Last 2 Zombies song is making another appearance, along with another song I’m yet to write.  No idea what’s going to pop out.

For now though, I must switch off.  Night all.  Zzzzzzzzzzz…

Tragic Cabinet Freakshow Twin Application Symposium and Waterloo East Busking!

Another 4 months appears to have zipped past.  They do that don’t they?

Well, in April I was being all tragic in a masked version of The Bacchae for Chris Vervain which was filmed for use in schools.  Helloooooooooooo Thebes!

In May I had another private Lois of the Lane gig and then subsequently found myself hanging out at Paul Zenon‘s cabinet of Curiosities at the Brighton Fringe:

I was generally being a helpful sailor and keeping an eye on Paul Garner‘s freakshow artwork:

June saw me freaking out with the Gawkagogo Freakshow again – this time at the Udderbelly on the Southbank as part of the Time Out Live Friday Night Freakshow.  There was pigging and a bit of Siamese Twin action:

(Lots of black wig wearing going on over the past few months!)

Also finally put in an application to the Arts Council in June, for funding to re-develop and re-vamp Super Situation.  ALL TOES ARE CROSSED.  I’ve just been on a fund raising course too, so NOTHING WILL STOP ME…

Moving on to July, last Thursday I was part of Jennifer Farmer’s 10 minute slot during the Brand writers symposium at the Southbank Centre as part of the London Literature Festival.  She presented 4 small sections of piece she is developing entitled ‘thefadingcity’ which will ultimately be a large scale immersive theatre piece.  I was doing random, absurd, interactive improvised stuff with kitchen implements, imaginary toxic ingredients and song.  Love it 🙂

Coming up…

I’m putting on Super Situation and Glitch at the (almost) newly opened Waterloo East Theatre on Brad Street next week.  Here be map.  Also on the bill is ‘Baby Rice Cakes’ by Michele Hallak; performed by Michele and the Director of Super Situation: Jamie Rocha Allan.  (We have the honour of being the first professional shows on there – whoop!)  Important details below:

Thurs 22nd and Fri 23rd of July

7:30pm – Super Situation
9pm – Baby Rice Cakes followed by Glitch

£8 for one time slot, £10 for both

Box Office: 0207 928 0060

Click here for Facebook event.

It’s part of the Best of Festivals season produced by Theatre6 which is warming up the theatre before it officially opens in September.  Looking forward to cracking on with rehearsals next week 🙂

In August I’m going to be disappearing off to the Edinburgh Fringe to do a bit of busking for just over a week.  As yet, I still have to dust off my guitar and come up with the songs, but, seemingly, I like a challenge!