I'm back.

It's funny how I spend an awful lot of time on here lamenting the lack of creative opportunities coming my way, but when work does pop up I immediately go off the radar. I haven't written since August and I apologise for that fact (regardless of whether anyone out there has actually been missing my nattering!). I apologise because it's inconsistent and therefore pretty much directly opposes what I wish to do on here which is to build up an interested readership who await my next move. With baited breath. I mean, that would be ideal. If you just stumbled across this and are reading through on the off chance I'll get to some kind of point that's also very kind of you. So I'll do exactly that. I'll get to the point. 

Yes, work has picked up a little bit lately. Nothing earth shattering admittedly but trying to keep your confidence and enthusiasm from waning in the writing/acting/creative endeavours' industry can be tough when rejection, or a complete dearth of opportunities,  repeatedly come your way. So you tend to be superbly grateful when something works in your favour. The reason August is the month I stopped writing is that when I returned from reviewing shows at the Edinburgh Fringe this year I felt buoyed up by all the awesome work I'd seen but fairly downcast by the fact I wasn't involved in any of it. I was getting fed up of writing about cool stuff other people were doing and wanted some time dashing about in their, superior, shoes. So, fed up with myself floundering about without any real sense of direction, I got to work on making that happen. 

A friend remarked last year that I'd always seemed very proactive but that recently, whilst others were forging ahead, I seemed to have lost my way and my zest for the work a little bit. He was right. The reasoning behind this is that I always knew what I wanted to be - and that was an actress. Although I'd never been the kind to push myself forward, to perform at the drop of a hat or to take the lead in the school plays I always sort of figured these issues would slip away silently once I entered the 'acting industry', that I'd come out of my shell and thrust myself forth to wow audiences on stages around the world. This, I don't need to point out, didn't happen. I hadn't applied for drama schools, I didn't have an agent, I wasn't putting myself forward for a great many auditions and, when opportunities arose to spontaneously show people what I could do, I wasn't rising to the occasion but rather stepping back nervously and letting others take the stage. Little by little my confidence in my acting ability, my opportunities to exercise it and my vision of myself as an actress was being eroded. Once that was gone I wasn't sure who I was or ever would be. Although I'd dabbled in and had great interests in numerous other aspects of theatre (directing, producing, writing) I'd never really considered myself as anything or anyone but an actress at heart despite the fact I was behaving less and less like one. 

Because I suppose I do, to a point, define myself through my work I was - despite the above situation - working on other projects. Since 2010 I'd been co-running a comedy club in Canterbury. This year the opportunity to become the sole Director of the company arose and, taking it, I created a new show called Stand Up & Slam! with a poet (Daniel Simpson) and booked a three month run for it at a London venue. Although I was excited about it I was also incredibly nervous and refusing to pin a great deal of expectation on the concept. Still defining myself as a slightly lost actress I was looking at this as a sort of side project. So when the first event turned out to be an awesome show which attracted a large audience, a fantastic response and some kick ass reviews it was a huge (and hugely welcome) surprise to me. Since then we've run five shows at the same venue (The Comedy Cafe in Shoreditch), one at the Canterbury Festival, booked a second season in London and gigs in cities around the UK. It's still a relatively new project and still needs a bit of polishing. Who knows what will happen with it in the future but, for now, it's given me the lease of creative life I needed. To have an idea and to see it come to fruition on a stage, with an audience enjoying it, is wonderful. I used to think that the only work I'd create would be as a vehicle for myself as an actress. To have liberated myself from the equation has given me the freedom to look at a project less for what it can do for me and to focus much more on the important things like, you know, what the audience will want! Oh and what performers, music and more will serve the show best. 

I'm still a bit lost. I probably will be for a while. I haven't quite found my way, my USP if you will, yet. At 26, I can't help feeling I'm falling behind and that I've failed a little bit in terms of what I had planned for myself. But I am aware this is a tough industry and, while we all enter it bright eyed and bushy tailed, it's no wonder so many people fall by the wayside. Finances are tight, opportunities are tough to come by and I often feel like I have to fight for every single (seemingly simple) thing to happen. I'm still not sure where I'm going, things are very changeable and I do feel panic about all this on a daily basis. But you work with talented, enthusiastic, passionate people every day and, for me, that's like spending every day with your childhood heroes. 

Announcing STAND UP & SLAM! in London

So, I'm pretty excited to be announcing the launch of a show I've been developing with Dan Simpson (Canterbury Poet Laureate). We'd noticed that the audiences for, and preconceptions about, performance poetry and comedy were massively different despite the fact the two spoken word art forms have loads of similarities and have actually been successfully combined in the case of some higher profile performers such as Tim Key and Phill Jupitus. 

So we decided to bring the two art forms together is a fun, creative way and STAND UP & SLAM! was born! Featuring our two captains - Paul Sweeney (Comedy Captain) and Dan Simpson (Poetry Captain) - it's a hilarious, ridiculous verbal battle to the (sort of) death. The winners? Whoever the audience choose on the night. 

We've been running gigs since December 2012 to workshop the show and we're now excited to announce our first full season at the Comedy Cafe, Rivington Street, London from September 17th 2013. More info re: line ups and more to come! 

Dispatch from the Fringe Number 3 - The final reviews.

More reviews Ladies and Gentlemen! 

COMEDY 
Brett Goldstein: Contains Scenes of an Adult Nature

THEATRE
Cape Wrath
Ballad of the Burning Star
Fleabag
Stuart: A Life Backwards
Don't Disturb the Driver

That's all for reviews folks. Articles coming soon. 

Dispatch from the Fringe Number 2 - More reviews!

Here are some more reviews from the Edinburgh Fringe 2013 that I've written for various magazines and theatre sites. 

COMEDY 

James Acaster: Lawnmower

THEATRE

Outside on the Street

Anoesis

That Is All You Need to Know

Solomon & Marion

More to come!

Dispatch from the Fringe Number 1 - Today I'm an Edinburgh Reviewer

I'm up in Edinburgh at the Fringe and I'm working as a reviewer and features writer for WhatsOnStage, The Public Reviews and Stage & Screen Insider. 

Here are the links to my first few reviews:

COMEDY
David Morgan - Pretty 
Neil Hickey - Escape Artist 
Bo Burnham: What

THEATRE
Shakespeare for Breakfast
Banksy - The Room in the Elephant

More to come!

Why I'm not 'Family Guy's' target audience

Last year I wrote an article on the whole Seth MacFarlane at the Oscars furore*. It was, if it had to be said to ultimately swing a certain way, fairly supportive of MacFarlane's performance. It wasn't that I enjoyed it particularly, just that nothing about it was particularly surprising or unexpected and, for that reason, I found the hyped up public backlash following it completely ridiculous. 

The truth is I hardly knew anything about MacFarlane before the Oscars. I didn't know what he looked like or what his style was bar the one piece of his work I'd seen (and not really liked) Ted. I suppose I'd seen odd moments of Family Guy through friends and flatmates being fans but I'd never really being pulled in by the programme in any way. So I educated myself a little and started watching American Dad and Family Guy. The former I warmed to quite quickly. I didn't find it laugh out loud funny or particularly scintillating viewing but I enjoyed the characters, the story lines, Roger the alien's many disguises and the absurdity of the arguments and beliefs of the super patriotic Stan Smith. I 'got' the point of the series and Patrick Stuart was a bonus. 

Family Guy felt like the same programme but with less of a clear point and a lot more crassness, crudeness and unnecessary smashing of taboos. I saw the same 'jokes' being played out over and over again. I saw the humour getting lazier and lazier with the writers resorting to jews, homosexuals or trans people being, not only part of the joke, but the punchline itself. The joke always seemed to be on a minority group, someone with a disability or considered 'freaky'. The point at which a flashback was so shocking I switched the TV off immediately I realised I'm not Family Guy's target audience (Lois tells Peter she doesn't want him to babysit incase it ends up like the last time she left him alone with the kids. There's a flashback to the two of them standing by a graveside crying while Peter bemoans the fact that he shook, and killed, his son.). 

This is okay. We can't all be fans of every TV show. I appreciate that, for many, the pure shock factor is enough for this show to be hilarious. I also know that a lot of people believe the show is intelligent satire, a commentary on the negative aspects of our world rather than becoming a contributor to them. No, despite the fact that, for me it's tacky and upsetting, I wouldn't dream of judging whether or not Family Guy is 'funny' or 'should be broadcast'. These things are subjective and it's the fact that we're all so different that has resulted in such a rich variety of entertainment shows being created. 

Still, I was bothered about what it was I found so troublesome about this programme. I've probably watched the entire series now and, although I've rarely laughed out loud, I've found moments I find amusing, entertaining or clever. I certainly think, though not all that easily shockable to begin with, I've become inured to much of what bothered me in the first place (not that I'm sure I'm pleased about this). Keeping this in mind, realising that it's pretty easy to watch and becoming familiar with the characters and aspects of the show I do like, I couldn't work out what was still bothering me about the show, what was leaving me with a bitter feeling after each viewing. Then I read this paragraph in the novel Beautiful Ruins** (about a musical comedian doing his first show at the Edinburgh Fringe) and it put its finger on exactly what I felt about Family Guy. I don't think this revelation will bother Seth MacFarlane much, nor do I think that it should be applied to everything in order to discover its 'worth'. I don't think that everything has to be 'beautiful', but I do want art and entertainment to, in some way, elevate itself from pure crassness. 

At the other end of the bridge, Pat came across a little quartet - cello, two violins, electric piano - kids playing Bach over the Thames for change. He sat and listened, trying to catch his breath but awestruck by their casual proficiency, by their simple brilliance. Christ, if street musicians could do that? What was he doing here? He'd always felt insecure about his own musicianship; he could chunk along with anyone on the guitar and be dynamic onstage, but Benny was the real musician. They'd written hundreds of songs together, but standing on the street, listening to these four kids matter-of-factly play the canon, Pat suddenly saw his best songs as ironic trifles, smart-ass commentaries on real music, mere jokes. Jesus, had pat ever made anything...beautiful? The music these kids played was like a centuries-old cathedral; Pat's lifework had all the lasting power and grace of a trailer. 

*http://tinydanser-mytheatreblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/seth-macfarlane-at-oscars-sexist.html
**Beautiful Ruins, Walters, Jess, Harper Perennial, p. 159

Chatback Comedy Club: Endings and Beginnings

So we've come to the end of another season for Chatback Comedy Club. 

'Running a comedy club'. It's such a strange thing to say I do. I suppose it's strange not only because I never really envisioned doing such a thing but also because it's difficult to know where it became something I did as a main venture rather than a sideline. When do you decide a hobby becomes a job? As a business advisor pointed out during a reading of our first attempt at a business plan, when you're talking about beer money rather than substantial profit margins you're really partaking in a time consuming hobby. I assume he thought that there was an iota of promise there though because he awarded us a £2000 grant. Sure enough we're gradually expanding, dealing with bigger acts, larger venues, increased sums of money. So while it's certainly not a 'full time job' as of yet I suppose it's now officially something I 'do' rather than something I 'do in my spare time'. 

There have been two outstandingly exciting times in the running of the club. One was at the very beginning when we realised we weren't just running a local open mic night but rather an official, regular gig with a large, loyal audience. Beyond anything we'd ever dreamed this was, quite frankly, the reason the company exists at all today. I can't imagine that, without this early injection of success, we'd have had the confidence or staying power to attempt to run a 'club' rather than a 'night'. The second is right now. Due to the nature of this profession Sam and I have always had to juggle our work for the company with other jobs. With me disappearing off to London on a regular basis and Sam completing a PGCE it's been quite a struggle and finally we had to make a decision. Split or call it quits altogether. 

The first plan was to do the latter. The company was our baby, we've had a good run and we thought we'd do a final season, go out with a bang and that'd be that. We took a six month hiatus to prepare the final shows and, coming back from it, Sam, myself, the production team, the designers and our regular audience all had one resounding plea. 'Give it one more go!' 

So, officially the original terrible twosome - Sam Gardner & myself - who started the nights together have had to split. Amicably...don't worry. Although madly proud and thrilled by being part of Chatback, Sam finally had to call it quits when he got his first official job as a teacher (Herne Bay High School - Drama & English!) but has given me his blessing to carry on. Joining me as Production Manager is an existing member of the tech team Faith Austin. 

Since we were having a fresh start we figured it was a good time to take the time to sit down and think about how we wanted to go forward as a company, what we wanted to do, to be and how to become a business rather than a society. Hopefully we'll have plenty to announce in the upcoming weeks and months and, more to the point,  we make a success of it all. ALL OF IT HEAR ME!?

It's been a lovely start and, to keep you in the loop, here's what we've been up to over the last few months. 

Monthly gigs at The Parrot pub in Canterbury. 

(Pictured above clockwise from top left: Jessica Fostekew, Anil Desai, Bec Hill & Thom Tuck) 

Chatback Comedy Kids' Hour at intu Lakeside Shopping Centre

(Pictured above clockwise from top left: Nish Kumar chats to a young fan, Meeting the giant ShakeAway milkshake, Paul Sweeney & the front row texters, Paul Sweeney creates the 'I don't know' song live on stage with his kids' chorus!)

Chatback Comedy at Lounge on the Farm

(Pictured above left to right from top left: Dan Simpson and Paul Sweeney launch Stand Up & Slam!, Phil Nichol, Little Lounge, poets meet comics in round one of Stand Up & Slam!, the sign at Little Lounge for Tiernan Douieb's show, Team Comedy at SU&S!, Tiernan Douieb does Chatback Kids' Hour, Play It By Ear's Breakfast Improv show, Paul Sweeney steals blankets from children.)

LOTS OF LOVE, 

Lucy Danser (Company Director) & Faith Austin (Production Manager) 

www.chatbackcomedy.com 

Why my thespian heart belongs to England

When I was younger I knew in my heart that I'd fly this nest. That I'd leave the wet and windy British weather behind, that I'd go somewhere with clean air, frequent sunshine and exotic accents. My lifestyle would be healthier, property would be affordable and I'd cook delightful meals daily from local ingredients. I'd still work in theatre. Of course. Or, failing that, writing. I wasn't planning on going crazy. We're talking California here rather than Cuba. South Africa rather than the Solomon Islands. Yup I'm unstoppable. Last week I went to North Wales for three days and began mentally planning my future there. My Dad always told me that you should take the opportunity to travel, to see the world, when you're young and it's still an option. You know, before you get bogged down with all this mortgage, job, children business. I've done a fair bit of that travelling malarky. I love it. I also lived in Indiana for a year. It was incredible but of course the time then came to return.

I honestly thought I'd be living elsewhere now. But I'm 26. And I'm still, very much, here. More significantly, I've started a business here. Okay so it's small, minute even, and should I decide to leave then I imagine it might not, at this point, have a major effect on me. But that's not the point. The point is that I have chosen not to look further afield but to stay right here and put down roots. Maybe it's just the way things turned out. Perhaps I'm jumping the gun and my time to move has yet to come? Or is it possible that I'm here because my three true loves are here? 

My family, the theatre and comedy.

The former is ultimately a private concern but suffice to say that I imagine there's a possibility I would follow my family around the globe if it came to that. I don't mind short term separation, travelling and so on but I do not wish to envision a future without tangible access to my family and nor, I believe, do they.

But theatre? And comedy? Well these are slightly less obvious choices for an individual to make when determining where to base their lives, although obviously pertinent when you wish to work in the self same fields of course. But does England still lead the pack? Yes, England has great theatre and we're within spitting distance of the biggest arts festival in the world but plenty of other countries have thriving arts scenes nowadays. Including those which are potentially easier to break into than the over subscribed world here. Chicago and New York both play host to incredible theatre and actors while Cape Town and Johannesburg companies are producing some beautiful work. Australia's cities feature some of the biggest theatre and comedy festivals in the world and European theatre has long been admired for it's grace and beauty.

However the truth is that I've still never found anywhere that quite compares to here. To our history, our people, our plays. To the companies that choose to come here with their wares and to the deep respect people have for our industry. I'm not always, rarely ever actually, in the 'in crowd' of British theatre but I still delight in so many of the opportunities available and possibilities still out there. There are so many problems, not least with funding, payment and lack of work, but right now I'm hopelessly in love with the world that theatre always has, and still does, represent for me.

I love the fact that since January I've seen West End musicals, fringe plays, stand-up comedy, works in progress, South African productions, Joanna Lumley performing in late night Pinter shorts and an incredible adaptation of an award-winning novel. I love that in eight months my friend's debut play has been performed above a pub, at a festival and in a West End theatre. I love that Sir Ian McKellen went to see my grandmother's amateur dramatic's society production of Waiting for Godot and stayed for tea afterwards. I love that although it often feels like a hopeless struggle for those of us in the profession there are scattered moments when opportunities are tangible and everything, albeit briefly, falls into place.

For me they're both addictions. Comedy and theatre. Watching and creating. And I haven't yet found a better place to be than here. 

In Praise of Stage Managers

Now. It's not that I don't know how important stage managers are. Actually I think I'm particularly aware of this due perhaps to my lack of prowess in that field myself. In fact my personality and skills are so much the antithesis of what makes a good, nay passable, stage manager that my recent announcement to friends that I spent part of my gap year working as a paid stage manager was met with disbelieving sniggers that went on for far longer than should be considered polite. So while there have been trials and tribulations along the way and not every project has always run smoothly I'm unbelievably grateful, and in awe, of all those (including my dear mother) who work in stage management on any show I'm in or working on. 

However - it wasn't until a night out at the theatre recently that I got an insight into a whole different style of stage management in existence. The play was performed by an amateur dramatics company. I mention this not because I have any snooty beliefs about all am-dram being a cacophony of clumsy acting, sub-par direction and cliquey nonsense, quite the opposite in fact (particularly in light of Lyn Gardner's recent piece on this topic*), but in this case I think it might be both fair and important to point out that I am talking about someone learning the art of stage management and doing so as a hobby rather than a job. 

As it happened, it wasn't the strongest production I've seen from this company. I've worked with them in the past and seen years worth of their shows, many of which have blown me away, but this wasn't one of them. It was simply an okay show with some confident but not overwhelmingly good performances. It was just a nice evening out with the chance for old friends to catch up. 

For this reason the sound heard coming from the auditorium was, for a while, as expected. Silence, interrupted by the usual sniffles, coughs and shuffles, whilst listening to the more serious scenes. Light titters and a few bigger laughs. But it would have been the scene changes that mystified a company member standing outside. Easily the worst part of the show, they were painfully long and clunky with an unnecessary number of items switched around between scenes (presumably to cover the time needed for the actors' costume changes). So why did these elicit giant guffawing from the back rows of the theatre? 

The reason for this was that each of these scene changes was undertaken by between 1-3 stage hands who, despite being dressed in blacks, ignored the whole concept of stage managers being like theatre ninjas - getting the job done and slipping almost undetected through the darkness - instead entering a dimly lit stage with an actor's poise, stopping briefly to 'take in' the stage and then strolling leisurely around it, moving beer mats a quarter of an inch, turning through pages on a desk to withdraw the appropriate piece to place on the top of the pile, recrossing the stage to redo something forgotten...there's nothing else for it than to say it was a performance in itself. The first time it happened we all thought that perhaps something might happen a la the ensemble singing scene changes in the Royal Court's Posh, but no - it was just a series of very, very painstakingly slow and over complicated pottering about the stage. Nothing was clumsy, they were actually very dainty with their movements but there was none of that efficiency stage managers are, rightly, famed for. 

I feel a little bad delighting in quite how bizarre this was but I don't think there's another response when the main topic of conversation when the audience leave the theatre is the scene changes. It was a totally unique experience for me and, whilst amusing, not one I'm in a hurry to repeat. So may I please just take this opportunity to thank each and every stage manager out there who adds and upholds the grace, pace and beauty of all the theatre out there. Because sometimes we forget quite how integral you guys are. 

* (Amateur Theatre should be celebrated, not derided Lyn Gardner ) 

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2013/jun/17/amateur-theatre-celebrated-not-derided

Chatback Thanks...

I left Canterbury, and university, in 2010 and, with it, the comedy club my housemate Sam and I set up while studying. We were heartbroken and vowed to keep it going but I think we both secretly believed it'd peter out within the year. More than two years on and the club is still going strong. It's a lot of hard work and, like all show business ventures, can be quite up and down in the level of success it's achieving at any one point in time. Regardless, it's nothing short of a miracle that, whilst living in separate cities and holding down other jobs, our Canterbury presence has flourished. We've been able to produce monthly comedy shows at our residence The Parrot, a season of larger scale shows for students at The Attic on the UKC campus, a couple of seasons at the Horsebridge Arts Centre in Whitstable, a programme for Lounge on the Farm festival and gigs at the Gulbenkian Theatre and the Canterbury Festival. It's been bloody brilliant and, to top it off, we've been shortlisted for a Canterbury Culture Award this year in the category of 'Destination Canterbury'! It looks like we actually have a shot, fingers crossed, at creating something lasting. 

Although this is, to some extent, due to impressive and/or foolish devotion to the company on the part of Sam and I, it's also - in a massive way - down to the incredible people around us. Ive always yearned to be surrounded by talented people eager to create something with me. I've often been quietly envious in the past when I've met others who seem to do so effortlessly and wondered if I'd ever find people willing to take a bet on me, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that I'd end up with what I have. Which is a bunch of awesome, fun people who are passionate about live comedy and full of enthusiasm and the drive necessary for doing all the hard work needed to make our gigs happen, and our club continue to exist, both when we have the money to pay them and when we don't. I hope that I manage to show my gratitude whenever possible and that these wonderful individuals know how much I appreciate them and that they themselves have been enthused and fulfilled by the experiences they've had with Chatback. 

I'm making a point of doing so right now specifically because quite a few of our most precious team members are leaving Canterbury to run off into the real world. Though we'll miss 'em plenty we know it's time for them to fly free and spread their talents around the UK's arts and entertainment industry. It's not fair to keep them all to ourselves. We know this. Their talent must be shared. So, without further ado, these are the talented Canterbury folk who've really helped make us what we are today (If there is a single person who's been missed out please write and tell me off immediately. It's midnight.): 

From day one our designer DAN TOLLADY has been an essential part of the creation of the company with his handiwork seen everywhere from our first logo to our most recent poster and flyer designs. He's always willing to try something new and is awfully patient in dealing with my incredible lack of sense of colour co-ordination. 

Our first show was photographed by the talented RICHARD GREBBY (check his stuff out!) and compered by the ever supportive and super talented DR OLIVER DOUBLE who is now the head of Theatre & Drama at UKC and the author of two (definitely at least two) books on comedy and vaudeville. Later on in our first season the multi-talented Mr OWEN EVANS also lent his photographic skills. 

Our technical team has been manned over the years by two lovely gentlemen. The splendiferous CJ BELFIELD was our first and, over the last couple of years, we've been blessed with the calm, committed and loveable presence of JAMES WAYNE. Thanks also to the musical accompaniment from time to time of ANDY JEFFS.

Our feisty Production and Stage Manager FAITH AUSTIN started off as a volunteer and is now a real life member of staff. Seh's been an incredible force in the company, always working, always on the ball for new comedians and committed to achieving perfection in each and every aspect of her role. 

Our sassy FOH lady is GRACE IRVINE. She's super-organised and has massively improved the audience's experience of a night at Chatback with everything from her swift box office management to her team of lovely lady usherettes who are...

The talented comedy buff that is SOPH THOMSON and the most lovely DAPHNE NANCY SEALE.  

So...I'm all done. For now. I just wanted to say thank you. There are too many people to name who have helped in important little ways here and there (plus the brand new team who've just started!) but I just wanted to pay homage to those who've really thrown themselves in and become part of the team. All that remains to be said really is that if you're an employer in the creative industries I promise that you won't go wrong with any of the splendiferious individuals above.

-------

• http://www.richardgrebby.co.uk/
• http://www.owenjamesevansdesign.com/
• http://www.oliverdouble.com/

First gig of our new Chatback Comedy season at The Parrot

We took a month away from Chatback gigs in Canterbury to pop up to London and have some meetings, see some comedy, see what was shaking so we could compile a kick ass season of shows for our loyal Canterburians. The newspapers were kind enough to announce our return which, by the way, was a marvellous, exciting, sold out success. 

Ex-Canterbury boy Tiernan Douieb was our headliner with support from the Musical Comedy Awards Winner 2013 Rob Carter, Chatback favourite (recently given the monikerMr Chatback) Paul Sweeney and brilliant newcomer Matt Rees. The local act for the month was UKC Stand-Up Comedy student Liam Brennan. 

Always lovely to be back at The Parrot. 

Here's to many more!

The Canterbury Times 10.05.2013

Ed Harris' 'The Cow Play'

I just thought I'd write a little piece on the play I'm producing for Smoke & Oakum Theatre which opens this weekend at the Brighton Fringe. It's a three hander written by Ed Harris and it's called The Cow Play. It tells the story of a couple, Owen and Holly, and how their relationship is affected by Holly's depression. Owen is slowly turning into Holly's carer while his best friend Thom is the voice of reason, trying to remind Owen to live for himself and his prior ambitions rather than his shell of a girlfriend. We see this not as an 'issues' play per se but certainly one about the ethics of saving those you love versus protecting your own needs. Though it uses the imagery of Holly turning into a cow to express the alienation and transformation of her person this is really a play that was written as a response to the playwright caring for a depressive ex-girlfriend. He said recently in an interview that 'I couldn't handle the fact that I couldn't help or save this woman I loved...and that the single-mindedness of her depression meant I sometimes wanted to kill her'. At the time he believed that was a sign of his inadequacy as a person but now knows is a recognised issue known as compassion fatigue.

So, that's the play. My involvement is, in part, due to the enthusiasm of the director Ross Drury who turned up to meet me with the passionate announcement that this might be the best script he'd ever read.  It's very different to other plays I have worked on and that was a conscious decision I made. To work on something with a different aim, feel and process to what I'd done so far. Although, ultimately, I think we should probably all, at this early stage of our careers, really be working on developing our own voices and styles of theatre, I also think there's plenty to learn from seeing how other productions and people work. 

It's an interesting team to be working with as well. Everyone is interlinked in some way and many have worked together before, in different roles and on different projects. So I feel we have quite a unique dynamic. Most excitingly however is the young, eager, proactive vibe we've got. Everything about the production from the source of the play's inspiration, to the playwright, the cast and crew is new, youthful, hard working and hopeful of being an important part of the next generation of theatre makers. It feels like we're all developing all the time at the moment - Ross and my Brighton shows last year were both successful and pointed out as 'ones to watch', the actors have been auditioning and creating other projects at the same time and Ed won a Gold Sony Award last week! Our trailer was made by and up-and-coming filmmaker, our set and lighting designers are working on multiple projects simultaneously and our Stage Managers are the most organised and in demand people I've met! 

I say proactive because there was no external force or construct that pulled us all together - this show was sown from the seed of our actress Holly being proactive and approaching Ed for permission to do the show. From there everyone else has got involved in the same hands on manner and we've been able to workshop and develop the script with Ed all the way down the line. 

All that remains to be seen is if all this hard work and dedication translates to the stage. Having seen the technical rehearsal I'd say it does but it's the audience who decides! Hope to see you there!

Watch our trailer: http://vimeo.com/65265589

THE WARREN

FRINGE VENUE 58 

25th - 27th May 

17:45 

£11/£9.50 

Tickets: http://bit.ly/cowplay 

Where're all the Blogs!?

A couple of years ago I wrote a series of blogs for WhatsOnStage following the experience of working at the Edinburgh Fringe. I was supposed to update our readers about three times a week. This wouldn't have been a problem if our very expensive rented apartment's wi-fi had actually worked. Once we realised it didn't I found myself in a bit of a pickle. I needed to write about the hectic life of a Fringe participant - but I was starting to find the work schedule a bit too hectic to make it to Fringe Central to use the computers before closing time. I've lost count of the number of times I was gently peeled off the computer station by Fringe Central staff. Finally I owned up to my readers, admitting they weren't quite getting my full attention. It wasn't the actual writing that was proving a problem (that was mostly getting done) it was getting said writing transformed into an online, uploaded, typed format. 

Once again this is proving an issue. 

I've been working my butt off on so many different projects at the moment. I can assure you there's plenty to write about. Which I've mostly already written about. By hand (so old school I know), in my lovely big black leather notebook with the intention of typing it up. But when I'm near a computer I tend to use it to do what's urgent like updating information on our websites, sending and receive emails and social media-ing out our information. 

So I'm here for a couple of reasons. One: To show I've put in the time to blog. Two: To let you know there are more coming. Three: To explain why a couple of months of blog silence is about to be followed by a flurry of blogging. 

Thanks for reading. 

Oh and below is the original WhatsOnStage article I've been harping on about: 

http://www.whatsonstage.com/blog/theatre/edinburgh/E8831313362103/Lucy+Danser+Vs+The+Internet.html

Polari: Taking the Stage

At the end of last year you may remember that I wrote a review* of a night at Polari, Paul Burston's Gay Literary Salon at the Royal Festival Hall on London's Southbank. It's essentially a platform for LGBT authors or works to be read for a friendly and interested audience. At the first Polari I attended this was the basic set up but I noticed that the couple I went to more recently have had a great performance aspect to them with cabaret artistes and singers nestled in amongst the authors. I don't know whether these were anomalies or whether this is the way most nights are conducted. Either way it's a great place for audience members to watch a wide range of performances encapsulating poetry, music, novels, plays and more. Plus it's great for everyone that the opportunity to discuss the works and to offer feedback is there also. Last time my article was from the point of view of an audience member. This month Paul kindly gave me the opportunity to perform from my own writing so I've now experienced Polari from another perspective which I'd like to share here! 

I haven't performed, properly, in a blooming long time. Way too long. Acting was always kinda 'my thing' but in doing the whole getting-out-there-and-making-things-happen-for-myself shebang I veered off course and created projects entirely unsuitable for me to perform at - a comedy club (me!? please, don't make me laugh...excuse the PUN...See!? This is exactly what I mean), a play about a sixty year old woman stuck on the loo (don't even say it) and a play about a fifty year old, 6'2" pre-op transgender lady (...). So it's fair to say that I was terrified. I wanted to do it, because I knew I could, but my head kept filling with memories of jokes falling flat and unsuccessful auditions turning me into a quivering wreck. Although it was sort of the good kind of fear. You know the kind that happens before you do something you know you're probably going to be quite proud of? So the knowledge of that future is already present, mingling with and sweetening the panic. But obviously you're still scared. Taking one look at me Paul commented wryly, "You're nervous? Yes, because we all know what a horrible, judgemental bunch the Polari audiences are!" and suddenly everything was almost okay. 

I loved performing at Polari. As I got up on stage I looked down upon the audience and saw smiling faces looking expectantly but kindly towards me. No one was checking their watch or gazing over at the bar. They were all giving me a chance. There's something about that atmosphere that buoys you up. That's why it's important that people learn the conventions of theatregoing, that comperes know how to create a mood, that shows are correctly and honestly marketed and why drunken comedy nights are always a pain. The joy of live theatre is the same as its downfall. It relies on the interaction between an audience and a performer. Not necessarily anything they say or do to one another but the energy that they offer towards and receive from each other. People come to Polari because they want to hear these works, to find a new author they love or to find out what their favourites are up to. They come because they want all that and they want it in an interactive, warm and theatrical setting.

I read from Rachael's Cafe** which hasn't been performed since last year and by a male actor at that. To have the opportunity to present the work in a different way and to hear what people made not of an entire production but of just the words themselves was enjoyable and also very helpful. The whole event taught me a great deal about reading one's own work, public speaking, preparation and about sharing small amounts of a piece rather than the full play. A highlight for me was meeting actor Bette Bourne whose performance in Resident Alien in Edinburgh a few years ago was absolutely unforgettable. 

So! Moving on from me, me, me! It took me a while to calm down back into audience mode but, once I did, I was rewarded with an array of different performances. Will Davis read his short story about a superhero coming out (which left the audience crying with laughter), Karen Mcleod performed two tales from her blog (one hilarious, one sad but beautifully written) and MrMistress performed her burlesque routine 'The Gay Messiah' (special note must go to what must have been the time consuming and delicate task of exchanging high heels for plastic penises). Let's not forget Barbara Brownskirt who stormed the stage to perform her hilarious poetry. Finally the lovely Steven Appleby took us through a little talk on his career as a cartoonist and finished his performance by turning the audiences' secrets into cartoons live on stage. 

What was particularly nice for me this time around was that, as well as performing, I got to meet everyone involved and to talk to them about what they were up to. It was great to hear what everyone else was working on rather than just seeing them through the one piece they were performing that day. As usual Paul made the whole event fun and silly without losing the focus on being there to listen to each other. Once again I thoroughly recommend Polari and would like to thank them so much for having me! 

*http://tinydanser-mytheatreblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/broadening-my-london-horizons-polari-my.html

** www.littleflytheatre.com

PS. Thank you to Jon C for his blog on Polari! 

http://jon-doloresdelargo.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/midwest-trans-gay-superheroes-messiah.html

Smiling in the Newspaper (Canterbury Times, Jan 2013)

This happened a little while ago but I totally forgot to post it up here. Just in case anyone's interested though this is a feature on Sam Gardner and my comedy club that appeared in January in the Canterbury Times (swish!). It's quite hard to read so I've included a typed up version below. 

The Canterbury Times, January 28th 2013
Leisure Feature, Joe Bill

It has been on the end of both curt criticism and the odd disapproving tut in the past, but University of Kent’s stand-up comedy teaching module is having the last laugh. Two graduates of the drama and theatre studies course are looking to take the comedy world by storm, having bagged an Edinburgh star for their third anniversary special. Sam Gardner, who studied the MA stand-up comedy module, and Lucy Danser, who studied the creative producing for theatre module, run an up-and-coming comedy club out of The Parrot pub in Canterbury.

The pair will celebrate their third year in charge of Chatback Comedy this month after going full circle and securing a performance from Norwegian comedian Daniel Simonsen.The performer, who won the Best Newcomer Award at the 2012 Edinburgh Festival, also happens to be the headliner from the very first Chatback Comedy show back in 2010.
Lucy, 25, said: “Myself and Sam were housemates at university and I’d always loved and been involved with the stand-up comedy scene in London and at the Edinburgh Festival. “Sam was offered the opportunity to hold a one-off comedy night at The Parrot, where he worked, so we decided we’d pool our skills and knowledge and do it together. It was a great success, completely sold out and we even had to turn people away. The Parrot agreed we could hold it as a regular monthly event and we’ve been doing so for three years. The pub has actually changed hands twice in that time, but we’ve stayed.”

The pair were schooled by Kent tutor Dr Oliver Double, himself a former stand-up and a prolific comedy-writer, and it was his course that inspired the pair to create the club. “We opened the club because, despite the fact there was the country’s only stand-up comedy course right here in Canterbury, there was nowhere these acts could go and perform alongside [professional] acts working the circuit, on the next level up from them. They could go to see big names in London and there was their own [student] night Monkeyshine run by Dr Double, but nothing in the middle, so we opened Chatback.”

Lucy and Sam have managed to mix students with professional stand-up comedians at their nights by bringing in a few big names but also allowing open-mic slots for local comics or comedy students to get a five-minute set. “It’s been great for new acts to meet professional comedians, to get tips and feedback on their material and experience performing in a different style of club. We have a very loyal audience and we’ve seen it grow and change over the years. Early on we had a lot more friends and students. Nowadays we have people from all over and from Canterbury, which is wonderful.”
Chatback has attracted the likes of TV regular Milton Jones, Britain’s Got Talent star Kev Orkian and the face of Viva TV, Eric Lampaert. “We’re based on the London-style comedy club. The atmosphere is buzzy, the acts are new, exciting and often on the cusp of becoming more widely known on television shows. The comedians mingle with the audience and there is always a friendly, chatty, happy feel. The Parrot is unique and comedians love to play gigs there because it’s so friendly.”

Lucy, who is also a trained actress, believes the Canterbury comedy scene has improved dramatically since they started on Chatback. “The Parrot is our resident club, but over the years we’ve held gigs in Whitstable, on the UKC campus and further afield. We’ve definitely noticed a big surge in comedy in Canterbury over the past few years. Clubs have popped up, some for a long period of time and some just briefly. Many pubs have begun holding open-mic nights, too, which is great because there are lots more places to try out material for new comics.” Chatback has also gone into the Gulbenkian theatre on the university campus to put on children’s comedy shows and workshops.

Changes are afoot for the young Chatback team, with one half of the duo looking to follow in the footsteps of his famous comedy tutor. “At the end of this current season Sam will be leaving the company to train to become an English and drama teacher,” said Lucy. “We haven’t ruled out him returning after he’s finished and is super-qualified, but for the next couple of years I’ll be running the company along with some of the existing members of the team.”

And the crew have a few ideas of their own. "Our plans are to continue The Parrot gigs and the kids' comedy at the Gulbenkian but to also open a club in London and to tour with our new format show Stand Up & Slam! - a fusion between performance poetry and stand-up comedy. It's awesome! There are a couple more ideas still under wraps, but we have big plans." 

• Visit www.chatbackcomedy.com for information on forthcoming shows. 

Too Many Pies?

I've been a little slack with posting this month - my apologies for that are infinite. I've spent a huge amount of time that I could be writing mulling over what I should be writing about. Or more specifically, what I should be doing with my life which I will later write about. 

This is because every interview with an actor, article about a successful writer or or comedian's memoir seems to say the same thing. It doesn't matter whether they made it overnight or whether it was a thirty year long, hard slog: they all say the same things. Work your arse off, develop your talents and focus. 

It's the last one that gets me. Although I'm a bit sporadic and sometimes undisciplined I do work hard - often eschewing weekends and adequate sleeping patterns to get things done. I attend masterclasses, workshops and more to develop my talents in various creative fields. I'm lined up to take acting classes again (more on that in another blog) so, although I could improve on this, I'm certainly in the game. 

But what does 'focus' mean? I focus on the things I'm doing when I'm doing them. Usually. Yes, I'm being facetious, I know that's not what they mean. They mean "Hey you, if acting's your thing then get a flexible job and spend the rest of your time and money on becoming an actor". They mean "If writing's your thing, set up a writing schedule. Then get a job that fits into this or go wild, get a crazy ass job and write all about it". Successful producers, casting directors and agents have tales packed full of internships, scaling the ladder from entry level PA jobs and spending mornings calling and recalling every company in Contacts. 

So as I sit here in London with a file full of producing notes for an upcoming production in Brighton, email confirmations for acting auditions, plans for a meeting in Canterbury for my comedy club and a deadline to update a radio script I wonder, "Are my fingers in too many pies?"

On a first reading of the previous paragraph I imagine the answer will naturally be yes. And if we're going to subscribe to the concept that it's only by really truly focusing on your one true love that you'll 'make it' in that field then the answer is still yes. How can I possibly be serious about anything if I'm willing to entertain other possibilities? If I want to be an actor why am I dabbling in playwriting. Or vice versa? But is this rock steady devotion to one goal really an option nowadays? 

I appreciate that in the days of repertory theatre or, at least, of fairly regular work it made sense to direct all your energy into one activity. However these days, the majority of UK actors constantly working on refining their art will be doing so by creating the work themselves, attending classes or performing unpaid. The rest of their time will be spent making a living in a way often unassociated with acting: telemarketing, teaching, temping, promotions etc. Ian McKellen recently bemoaned the fact that 'the current generation of actors won't develop into good middle-aged performers because they won't have been able to live from their work'*. It's not quite as bad for all creative professions but it is still pretty difficult to work full time as a writer, freelance producer or dancer. 

Look, I understand that if you're serious about becoming an actor there's a big difference between taking on a job that you're happy to ditch when a good gig comes along and committing yourself to something like writing a play or producing an event. I can see the arguments that, as mind numbing and painful as it might be to hang your life on the line and work and pray for that big opportunity to come along, it has to be done. It's the sacrifice you make for wanting to do something so crazy with your life. 

But then I flip the coin and I realise that, by taking on different roles in theatre and/or film, these individuals are making sure that they are constantly immersed in the industry, that they know exactly what's going on, who's who and understand the business from all angles. In fact aren't they, to some degree, recreating the opportunities that repertory theatre afforded actors? When they'd start off as lowly stage sweepers and rise through the ranks of the company with single line roles right up to starring in each and every production. When they'd be witness to every great actor's performance, every director's quirks and every script's nuances. 

So, should we be maligning or applauding those who are too impatient to put all their eggs in one basket? Is it hurting my chances or increasing them? Or in this crazy world we call show business are there really way less rules than we make out? Is it, at the end of the day, each to his own? I hope so. 

*http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-news/9678384/Sir-Ian-McKellen-there-will-be-no-more-British-acting-greats.html

Seth MacFarlane at the Oscars - Sexist Schmexist.

This is my late addition to the Oscar furore. I've been scribbling thoughts down since the night but I found it hard to pull all the strands together with the cacophony of crazy opinions whirling around out there in the ether. Human beings love a bit of hysteria don't we? Hype, hysteria...for some reason we'll use any excuse to turn into sheep and blindly follow the flock. Or we're extremely vocal in opposing the hype, thereby immediately becoming part of it. Either way, through a combination of facebook, twitter, reddit, blogging, radio, opinion TV shows and more, the Western world is insistent upon asserting our right to free speech at absolutely every turn. 

In fact it's the idea of free speech that seems to cause controversy from all quarters. With half of us clinging onto this right for dear life and the other half getting more and more sensitive to language and opinions expressed in the media it's, frankly, all starting to get a bit silly. This is why, more than anything else, once again the topic most debated after the 85th Academy Awards was not the content of the winning films but the performance of its host Seth MacFarlane. 

I'll say right here that I'm not an advocate of entirely free speech. Or at least not the decision to use it regardless of the consequences. I've written before about how unnecessary it seems to purposely create bad feeling, offence or else solely for it's own sake. I know others believe that it's important to have the option to do that and, while I respect their opinions, for me it's just as horrendous to purposely upset and target others for no real gain as it is to stifle their speech.

Having said this I really think it's time that people stopped laying in wait ready to take offence. I don't think every comment needs to be deconstructed to see whether it's possible to infer a negative intent from it, I don't think that people should be attacked for accidentally or purposely utilising a word that doesn't fit into others' definition of 'acceptable' and I don't think that making the discussion of appropriate language a subject for academic debate really helps change anything at a grassroots of society level. On that note I understand that catching people out early helps to expose and pinpoint potentially harmful ideas before they become lodged in society's subconscious. I just think we need to stop being quite so didactic. 

I think Seth MacFarlane, on the whole, sucked at the Oscars. I don't think he held his own, I thought his humour was crass and juvenile and yes, he talked about women in a pretty ignorant way. But this man is famous for creating Family Guy and the movie Ted. Both can also be described using the adjectives above. What exactly were people expecting? That he was going to suddenly morph into a sycophantically sweet, highbrow, suave Hollywood host? There were so many other options they could have gone with if that's what they wanted. It's too late to feign surprised outrage now. 

As is usual with the web there is already so much out there to try to deal with in this blog so, to directly address a few things in more detail, I'm using one of the many anti-MacFarlane articles that went viral soon after the event. This one is from BuzzFeed*, was viewed by over 700,000 people and I found it on a friend's facebook wall under the title 'horrific'. For me it's a clear example of how our society seems to garner so much of it's information and opinions in the guise of badly informed hype. 

9 Sexist Things That Happened at the Oscars

1. The Boob song happened

Yes, the boob song was crap. It wasn't funny, it wasn't original and yep it seems a bit to weird to talk about boobs rather than the fact that the films were innovative pieces of art with heartrending stories and strong actresses. But, to be fair to MacFarlane, he's a comedian, he's not there to say what everyone else is saying and it was framed as a joke, as a bad decision to perform at the Oscars, in a scene that drew to attention his juvenile humour. Plus, why all the outcry over men objectifying women? Do we not devote hundreds of pages both online and in magazines to photos of Ryan Gosling's naked torso? Do we not flock to the cinemas to see beautifully sculpted males in topless roles? I can assure you that the first time I saw a film with Brad Pitt in it I was shocked he could actually act because all I'd ever seen, heard or read about him in mainstream media focused on his face, torso and lovely little bum. How would we feel if it'd been a song about penises in film? Would it still be sexist? If no then...why not? If yes then relax, it could've just as easily have been penises if a woman was hosting. But we chose a man so, y'know, deal with it. 

2. The Prospect of George Clooney getting with Quvenzhane Wallis was discussed. 

No it wasn't. This is what Seth MacFarlane said, "To give you an idea just how young she is, it'll be 16 years before she'll be old for Clooney". That was it. Now once again YES IT IS A TASTELESS JOKE. But, and I swear this'll be the last time I say this, that's the style that we accept Seth MacFarlane brings to his performances. So on that basis what's the big deal? It's not an actual suggestion that George Clooney has ever, will ever or should ever take a nine year old to bed. I'm sorry to have to say that but that's essentially what everyone freaking out is insinuating. If anything it's a joke on Clooney. Hence why, immediately afterwards, it was him to whom MacFarlane 'apologised'. It was a comment on how his girlfriends are way younger than his age. It was making fun of George Clooney, a Hollywood stalwart, and to infer anything else from it is ridiculous. Seriously. Try to articulate exactly what you think Seth MacFarlane was suggesting. 

3. There was a 'joke' about domestic violence. 

Sigh. He said "Django is a movie where a woman is subjected to violence, or as we call it, a Chris Brown and Rihanna date movie". So everyone is making a big hullaballo about - 'Domestic Violence isn't funny'. Of course it's not funny. MacFarlane wasn't suggesting we laugh at the idea of Rihanna being beaten up. He was drawing attention to how ridiculous it is that Chris Brown, a known abuser, has a successful career and a continued relationship with the same woman. You know what's worse than making a joke about Chris Brown? Perpetuating his career, producing his albums, promoting his performances, selling his songs, publishing interviews with him. If a man can publicly be known as having attacked his girlfriend and maintains a career in a high profile industry where he, like it or not, appears as a role model and has great influence then that's when we should worry. 

4. Jennifer Aniston got called a stripper. 

Jennifer Aniston and Channing Tatum came on stage and MacFarlane said 'Of our next two presenters at least one is honest about being a former exotic dancer'. And Channing Tatum used to be an exotic dancer. Soooo...not sexist. Because Channing's a guy. So rather than calling Aniston a stripper he was simply bringing up the fact that one of them definitely was a stripper. Not really funny either. A bit weird. But not sexist. 

5. Seth MacFarlane made fun of women for dieting. 

So? They do. He said, "For all those women who had the "flu". It paid off. Looking good." I think it was entirely unnecessary but it's not a lie. The scrutiny of women on the red carpet at the Oscars is huge and, for that reason, women do crazy stuff in Hollywood to try and look good. I think men probably do too but it's not as widespread or obvious. But why not make fun of it? In the big wide world it is a little bit silly. 

6. He also said 'Zero Dark Thirty' was evidence that women are difficult. 

He didn't 'say' that. He made a joke about it. That doesn't mean he thinks it's true. It probably means the opposite. The humour in the joke came from the fact that it's a super heavy movie about torture, so to boil it down to that explanation is both ridiculous and amusing. Lots of us laughed. We were all female. It was one of the better jokes actually. Couldn't make that joke about a guy. The lead role is a lady.

7. And then he talked about the Kardashians having facial hair. 

BOMBSHELL! I'm not going to defend him here. That's mean. Not funny. Unnecessary. I can't think of a way not to take that personally either for the Kardashians or for women in general who are selfconcious about possibly having facial hair. Don't perpetuate the idea that something about a woman in unnatural or ugly. And there's not really another way this could have been taken. 

8. There was this questionable joke about Jack Nicholson's house.

They said there was going to be an orgy at Jack Nicholson's house. This was either a completely random joke or it's been suggested that it was an allusion to the fact that Roman Polanski raped a girl at Jack Nicholson's old house. There's not really enough evidence to assume the latter so it seems silly to get offended on the basis that it 'might be'. Also I don't think it's sexist. Rape is pretty bad so I don't think we can assume he was condoning it which, I think, is probably the only way it could be sexist.

9. MacFarlane said it was fine that no one could understand Selma Hayek, because all they want to do is look at her. 

He was calling her beautiful but he was also kind of suggesting that she had no other discernable use or skill so yes I can see that this would have been sexist if it was actually what he said. What he actually said was, "Well we have finally reached the point in the ceremony where either Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz or Selma Hayek come on stage and we have no idea what they're saying but we don't care because they're so attractive. Please welcome Selma Hayek." You know Javier Bardem's a guy right? Right? 

I think it's clear that a lot of MacFarlane's jokes sucked. There was a bit of an unevenly weighted focus on women and their appearances which I'm glad has been flagged up. However in responding so melodramatically to his performance what critics have actually achieved is to create lots of copy and content for magazines and the internet, to draw attention to the Awards ceremony and MacFarlane that's better than any paid for publicity could ever manage and, essentially, hand power over to him to continue to garner attention, unearth his supporters and raise his profile doing exactly what he's doing. 

*http://www.buzzfeed.com/hillaryreinsberg/sexist-things-at-the-oscars

My Crazy Week of Theatre

For someone who yaks on about it day and night I don't normally get to watch a lot of theatre. I mean I still probably watch more than the average person, and I watch a huge amount of comedy, but recently theatre has taken a back bench. Unless you can find a way to beg, borrow or steal tickets it's an extraordinarily expensive past time to fund.

But this is a massive mistake. As much as I love comedy it traps me into a world where everything must be funny, funny, funny. Sometimes I want to switch that off and relax into the exploration of something other than just getting the laughs or one person holding the fort. Sometimes I crave interaction that isn't centered around a comedian attempting to control a drunk, over confident ignoramus in the front row. Plus, how do we learn how to act, to write, to produce theatre without seeing it in action? 

The thing about moaning about time, ticket prices and what not is that when you find yourself with a week off work and being offered seats on the house you have to accept that offer. Duh! Oh, I'm not complaining. I just didn't expect it to happen four times. In one week. That's all. 

THE WEEK OF THEATRE

MONDAY: A Chorus Line, Piccadilly Theatre, West End, London

WEDNESDAY: Nihal, St. James Theatre, London

FRIDAY: Blonde Poison, St. James Theatre, London

SATURDAY: Coalition, Pleasance Theatre, Islington

In case you're wondering, I got the tickets through a combination of writing arts columns for a newspaper and through friends and family papering. These are both good ways for the impoverished artist to see as much theatre as possible. Personally I think it's important to be careful about reviewing, about bandying your opinion about especially if you're planning to work in the industry, but writing articulate, interesting, well researched arts columns, articles and features can be great practice. I was asked to write about different aspects of the productions, creative teams and venues depending on what I was seeing and who for. This forced me to practise both my writing skills and to watch the shows from different perspectives. Plus, I can be a little boring about what I like so it's pretty nifty to have been forced into a week of such different types of theatre. Look! A West End musical, two solo plays one about rights for disabled children and one about the holocaust plus a political satire starring a cast of comedians. Phew! 

'Designer Vagina' the movie!

A week or so ago I wrote a blog here about a comedy short I was in called Designer Vagina, written & directed by Lucy Dwyer (Dobson). Now it's up on the YouTube so I thought I'd share it here also.  We're always told, in this profession, to get out there and do our own stuff so I get excited when people really do go and do that. It's not always easy and there's a great deal of promising and negotiating along the way. It's amazing that anything gets made at all really. But Lucy (not me) knew what she was doing. There were coffee and muffins on arrival...genius. So here it is. Don't worry, there are no actual...you know whats...on display. We're all talk. And popcorn. 

Thespians just love vagina

Not since Eve Ensler's groundbreaking The Vagina Monologues has there been so much mention of, ahem, our lady bits in the Arts as this weekend held. Or my weekend at least. Although I may have undermined the whole 'let us call it what it is' stance by referring to them as 'lady bits'. Sorry. Though, to be fair, I have never denied my prudish tendencies. Which is probably why I'm so tickled by this weekend's double whammy, so to speak. 

On Saturday I played the much coveted role of 'Woman 1' in Lucy Dobson's funny and lovely little comedy short Designer Vaginas. On being told this title my mother stared at me aghast as she tried to work out how best to sensitively ask if I'd, fed up with the acting grind, bitten the bullet and entered the adult entertainment industry. I can assure you, as I did her, that it was as quirky as the title suggests but in no way raunchy or vajazzled. I won't share much more about the filming as I wouldn't want to spoil the joy for you all of watching it (yes I will be posting it here) when it's ready. I will say, however, that I've never ever had a camera man say to me 'That was very good. That's quite an interesting vagina you've got there'. Referring, by the way, to the SCRIPT's content. You know, the words I was saying. Not my...you get the gist. I told him nobody had ever said that to me before. Then I thought for a moment and added, "I kind of hope no one ever does again". 

The next day I went to ITCH, the exciting Sunday afternoon scratch sessions that The Comedian's Theatre Company runs at the Pleasance Theatre. There were bits of plays, comedy sketches and improv (more about this in a later blog) but what stood out for me, for obvious reasons, was musical comedienne Pippa Evan's song My Vagina. Actually I don't know if it had a proper title but this is fitting enough for now since the song can be pretty much epitomised by those two words. Written as a response to feminine deodorising wipe company femfresh's patronising slogans such as 'Woo Hoo for my Fru Fru' it ended with her encouraging the audience to call out 'VAGINA!' in much the same way Ensler revolutionised the word 'cunt'. (By the way, I honestly never thought I'd use that word in a blog). 

Although both the projects listed above are comedy the truth is that femfresh's campaign actually had quite a major backlash from insulted women fed up of being made to feel unclean, unnatural and unfeminine. In their funny, silly, irreverent ways both Pippa Evans and Lucy Dobson are joining those in the Arts who are tackling the way women are infantilised by the media. Since I totally support anyone who manages to both entertain and convey a point I'm thrilled to be involved. Shall we say it!? 

VAGINA!

Have a good day!