The Family - The Poster

Just a quickie - here's the teaser poster for The Family. 99% certain that is going to be the title - nothing else could be more appropriate really...

Currently reading 'The Coma' by Alex Garland. 2 quid in Fopp and proving to be very useful study material... It's a very short book and it's taken me an hour to get about a third of the way through so expect some form of review shortly.

Playwriting-wise it's all going very well - currently working on Act 2 Scene 2 at the moment. It's crap at the moment and definitely needs work - but at least I'm able to admit that!

The frustration on his face...

Joined a band recently as their lead singer. The songs are fantastic - all written by our drummer. Just come back from a rehearsal and it's really interesting to see his face while I'm singing. Ultimately I know he wants me to be able to reach the notes he's hitting but, as I'm quite new to this singing malarkey, my voice just isn't flexible enough yet. So when the harmonies don't work out or something isn't right I like to have a quick look at his face to see his opinion. And it got me thinking - how will my face look when the actors don't quite do something as I envisaged it - will it be an expression of annoyance and frustration or of surprise and excitement? Only time will tell I guess...

Giving in to temptation

I've spent the last week taking charge of my life. I'm starting to speak my mind a lot more (not that I was particularly shy or retiring before) but I just feel like it's time to grow up and get on with things.

I've never really seen the point of blogs before. I get the whole personal diary thing, or blogs from public figures and organisations - but never really understood why people would want to read a complete stranger's most intimate thoughts. I've also thought of it all as a bit of an ego-trip - to big yourself up into thinking that anyone would give a shit about what you've got to say.

Earlier this week (Tuesday 20/1/09) I had a chat with Gary from my local theatre group. Last summer I sent him the first draft of the first act of a play I'm writing - and then I just left it. The theatre were keen but for some reason I just pushed it all aside. Then I bumped into gary while choreographing the panto and he seemed sooo enthusiastic about getting a meeting together. So I went to the meeting with a little trepidation - I genuinely didn't know what to expect, would he shoot it down in flames and tell me I couldn't write for toffee? Would he think I was a perverted deviant for the 'adult' nature of the text? Or would he just say that it was good but not what they were after, do I have anything else...?

Well, as it turned out - none of the above. There were a few grammatical things and a few writing tips (personalise this bit here, why say this when you could say more with a look or gesture, that kind of thing) but it was all incredibly encouraging. We talked about potential actors, chatted about deadlines and I left the house buzzing. I've made some changes to the first act and now moved onto the second act (it's a bit similar to that 'Second Album Syndrome' bands get but I'm on track now).

Part of my problem has been that I don't really have an outlet for my ideas and thoughts - I'll go to bed at night and not get to sleep cos I've all these ideas in my head. So what I'm hoping is that this blog will act as an almost 'Making of' for the play, what's influencing my writing, how the writing is going, and for me to have a bit of a rant about my frustrations. I'll probably chuck in one or two reviews of stuff I've watched/read/listened to etc.

And so begins my blogging. 2009 has got potential.

(Temptation-wise, I've also given in and shall shortly be acquiring an iPhone - more on that as and when!)