Yesterday: The stage. Tomorrow: The sky!

We performed last night and it went really well :) I'm really pleased, it was tiring and a lot of hard work and concentration in those last few days but totally worth it and a great bunch of people to work with. I am now shattered!  :-p Here is as promised a little glimpse into The Viaduct theatre:

Now it's time for something different as I'm going on a bit of an adventure! I'm going to be visiting a few different places on this beautiful crazy earth. Some places I've never been to before, but first off, I'm going to Thailand again - believe it or not! A different part this time, Sam Phran, to visit a very amazing friend. Very excited :) I fly tomorrow so after show yesterday I have lots to get done today! This time tomorrow I will be in the air somewhere probably!! Eee!

Gi60 2013 rehearsals

This picture has nothing whatsoever to do with
 Gi60, but it will become more relevant as you
read further down the blog :-p

So currently part way through the rehearsal process for Gi60 (rehearsing and performing at Dean Clough). For those who haven't heard of the festival before, you will find some info here from this time last year when I first got involved. Last year we performed in the Cross Keys Gallery due to rain, but all being well this year we will be performing in the Viaduct Theatre. I am very excited to do this as it's such a cool space, but I also know there will be a lot of challenges attached to this! Firstly it is a large space with lots of concrete and will therefore involve some serious vocal control and projection! It is also at time quite damp and a bit nippy. Hehe, I might be making it sound grim but it's such an interesting theatre, I think it's really ace. I will try and take some pictures to share with you on here.

As I mentioned in my blog from last year, Gi60 uses work submitted from writers from different places across the world, with more entries often coming from the U.K. and U.S. This makes for an interesting and varied range of scripts. Some from established writers, others from people who may have never shared their writing before. Currently on the Gi60 blog various profiles of the UK Gi60 2013 playwrights are being put up each day. So have a look at that if you're interested.

As for rehearsals themselves, they are a lot of fun and I really like the team and how the rehearsal process if each day and so on...but it is a lot of work ;-) This is because you have got to keep your mind constantly focused and ready to jump from rehearsing one scene to the next. Each with it's own mood, genre, writing style, characters, set, props etc. There are a lot of things to remember - words, movements, and also set movements as the whole cast is involved in moving the set (made up of blocks) to create the scene. They are very fun though as the people are fun - as are many of the scripts - and I have a great deal of enjoyment being 'in the rehearsal process' again. :) Plus on Friday we spent some of the rehearsal period out in the sunshine learning to do Poi, and throwing glasses of water over one of the cast members (if you wanna know what that's about you'll have to come see it!) so that was a lot of fun! ;D

The cast and director Steve Ansell (centre)

Another thing about the Dean Clough that might be of interest is that it currently holds a Lego scale model of Dean Clough itself - still in the process of being built - which I got to have a peek at last week. Check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-17120836 and have a look for yourself! In March this year I went to visit the Lego Land Discovery Centre (not affiliated with the Dean Clough model) in Manchester and there saw models of Blackpool, London and other places. :) (Hence the random picture of Gareth playing with Lego at the top of this post!). Fascinating at Dean Clough though to see a model done so faithfully to the scale of the building. Many hours have been put into that!

Lego version of Dean Clough

Blackpool Tower at the
Lego Land Discovery Centre.

For now lots of line learning to do! We perform this Saturday. I'd better get on with it! ;)

Time to say "Goodbye"

It's June. Gosh, already. I remember thinking this time last year it had gone quickly. But this year has gone even quicker, I'm sure of it. Which is a little scary.

Around this time last year I was involved with the Surviving Actors conference, and I was involved with it this year too. Again a really enjoyable experience, definitely a useful tool for actors. Didn't get to hear the seminars this year as I was in the exhibitors room, but that was good as I got to see that side of it, which I didn't see so much of last time. They have a range of exhibitors there such as agencys, companies which run acting classes, Spotlight, Star Now and many more. I definitely recommend visiting one of their conferences if you can.

It's been quite a busy week or so - the day after Surviving Actors in Manchester I headed to Hull to watch Leave Hitler To Me Lad by Duck Egg Theatre. Really enjoyed the production, a very moving and unique musical. Go to the website to find out more but whilst you're here watch this to get a bit of a feel of the performance :



Then I headed back to Blackpool for work, which was to be my last week at the dungeons. Yes it's time to say - at least for now - goodbye to the seaside and scaring people. I will hugely miss the amazing people I have met there, and have learned new skills and had a lot of fun. I am also excited though for new adventures.

As you know earlier this year I'd been learning sign language, and before leaving the dungeon I had the opportunity to use these new skills at work. I'd already used a bit of sign language at work to communicate with a deaf audience member to advise them before using the ride. Whilst attending sign language classes Gareth and I figured out how to translate one of the 'court cases' in the dungeon into sign language (very roughly!), and during the last week or so of work, a BSL user did come into the dungeon. I tried out signing the case and it seemed to go well! The audience member understood what I was saying and answered my questions and found it funny. Might sound strange to mention but this was a hugely exciting thing for me! Made me very happy to have this opportunity :)

It was a busy time, finishing work and organising myself for moving away from Blackpool, but somehow everything got done and I had a lovely last week or so in the Pool that is Black. It has a little place in my heart (I wonder if the place in my heart is black?...getting weird, sorry).

Picture taken on my last day.

So what now?

Well first up Gi60.
Around this time last year I was also involved with Gone In 60 Seconds the One Minute Play Festival. I am to be involved with this again this year and so am currently in the rehearsal process. May talk about this a bit more later, but for now just to say it's going well and I'm enjoying it :) Also enjoying being back amongst the Yorkshire countryside ;) Exciting things in store. :)