Don't Fall Over But I Swear Its An Audition!

North London. 330pm. 16 lines of script to a camera.

It's not glamorous, it's not fun & it generally takes 3 hours to get there & 3 seconds in the studio. And so it was with this one. 3 trains, 3 hours & 3 seconds & as I am such a lucky girl when I got to reception I had another 300 stairs to get to the studio! A beautiful Victorian building with it's brick walls, wood floors, large spacious rooms, tiny little corridors & wonky stairways!! This building at 35 Britania Row belongs to the drumer of Pink Floyd. It was originally their recording studio. Which explains the "Another brick in the Wall" inscription above the door!

So having followed meekly behind the Producer & his Assisstant we finally arrived at the studio. The clue was the camera in the centre of the room with the script sellotaped to the tripod - oh the glamour. I walked into the room feeling ever so slightly pink - not a good look for camera work & in an attempt to reduce my colour I tried delay tactics. So of the 3 minutes in the studio 2.5 of them are me trying to look a normal colouring & 30 seconds was the filming bit & taking direction. What can I say .... I'm not holding my breath, but how cool would it be to get a TV gig........ Watch this space or Sky TV!!

So having thanked them for their time & made some comment about how easy the journey was I left them both with smiles on their faces.

And this is where it all gets exciting. Turning back towards the train station there are suddenly blue flashing lights all over the place. A silver police car screetches to a stand having swung itself sideways across two lanes of traffic. Blue & white tickertape is attached to another police car & a shop whose shutters have been dropped! A "youth" is being dragged to his feet and marched towards a white unmarked van. As I continue to walk past all the "action" with police standing in lines facing the public & away from the action I pass someone/ Joe Public talking animatedly into the phone saying that "someone has just been Tazered by the Police". Well at that point the white van drove past with lights & sirens so he must have been VERY dangerous to warrent that kind of treatment!

All I can say is I hope going to East London tomorrow night is less eventful ......... wish me luck......

.... and so to dating.... and singledom!

Hmmmm

At the risk of sounding like a little like "carrie" from that well known "Sit Com"... as opposed to Sam (ha! chance would be a fine thing!) I started internet dating a few weeks ago.

Rather unexpectedly a number of bold gentlemen (I use the term loosely for I have no evidence either way) thought my profile worthy of further investigation and I can't help wonder if the comment about "ping pong balls" didn't go some way to inspire their interest. Say no more.

My first date was last Sunday... oh joy! He was witty, fun, lively, confident a true gentlemen.... we had an ice cream in Green Park and lay on our backs looking at the sun dabled leaves gentle move in the breeze... it couldn't have been more idyllic. Bliss. He suggested we met up on Friday evening. And so we did.

We laughed, chatted, he got me a contact for the cruise liners, wants to hear me sing, picked up the tab again and insisted on walking me back to the train station, where we held hands and laughed somemore! So why then when we hugged did he give me the impression that I'll never see him again!? I don't know.... but if I knew anything about men... would I still be single... or would I deliberately be choosing a life without internet daing and men in general? Hmmm watch this space... but I don't think you'll be needing to buy a hat!

Hey Ho!

I Couldn't Make It Up!

It was one of those "light bulb" moments. They say this job is not what you know, but who you know and so it was that I found myself in the right place at the right time..... As the esteemed Directors light bulb moment arrived he turned back to me and said... you sing, don't you? It has been known I say. Would you be interested in doing an out door gig... details to be sorted later.. you'll be paid! So with those immortale words ringing in my ears I agreed. Well what "jobbing actress" would do differently.
Many false starts later, council outdoor licensing difficulties and dates agreed and all difficulties smoothed out the date arrived, Saturday. The information was sketchy, but it was a regeneration project and they were "piggy backing" the "Pianos for the People" project to provide out door entertainment to develop and encourage more business and a greater community feel to this area that required...well... regeneration.... I can't think why. But having got there it became clear.
The patch of land that was to be my performance area had perhaps a dozen candy green and white striped tents surrounding it. This market area, containing food, clothes, candy and bric-a-brac had assorted garden furniture in the middle for people to stop and eat and was conveniently situated for the ladies and gentlemens toilets which bordered the space. Said patch of land had once been the home for the down and outs, druggies, knife crime etc..... of that area... I was told this bit of information as I was changing into the brightly coloured long silk dress I had chosen to wear.... ahhhhh... excellent target practise... no one mentioned needing a flack jacket!
And so it was with massive trepidation that I took my place besides the up right "joanna" and started my hour of songs.... how marvelous that 3 people had sat to listen at the start ... thats not including the 4 lovely people involved in the organisation. I needn't have worried.. no one was looking for target pracise, the mic after a few false starts worked and my big mouth carried clean across the police & ambulance sirens that screamed past this corner intersection. Ha!
There was one song that I completely threw myself over.... as I got half way through the song, addressing it to one of the audience, I suddenly realised this totally harmless chap was probably "care in the community"... and directing "You I Like!" and a comedy quip about not liking his tie... was really not going to work now was it.... The only reason I gave this any thought was that the locals were coming up to me mid songs to say how much they liked me and would I come back!! Hysterical! They were very lovely and very welcoming and I have been invited back.. this time I'll take a different set of songs.... !!!