Merry Christmas 2006

Merry Christmas. I can't sleep. I've recently discovered a thing called facebook which has helped me catch up with some old friends. I ordered Loz's present yesterday (several reasons why I was late doing so) and I wrapped my pound present, although while I was doing it I thought of something that would have been cleverer. My plan at the moment is to stay on here til my battery runs out. Went and saw some people in the village yesterday. Went for a run with Loz, went and saw Mr Bird and had a chat with him. Then saw dad's parents, then walked the dog. Then saw Jenny and Andrew with Holly. Hope Holly likes her christmas present, got her a muse apron.

Christmas and Cafe Cappella

Has been ages since I updated. I think weve got to the stage in life now where we can longer be bothered to type things let alone write them. At the moment I am sat in the study chair at home and loz is shredding something. I am earning some money this evening which is a bonus, as I have managed to resume my part time job at the restaurant. Apparantly he might not need me for new years eve though because it might not be as busy. Read the Woman in Black Today as it has been over a year now since I saw it at the west end and I miss it. Just finished reading The Prestige which was an amazing book Nic bought me for christmas. Its a brilliant film as well expertly directed by chris Nolan but no where near as good as the book. So Rape Of The Fair Country went very well. We finally got it together when we were examined. I should have really updated this site when it was all fresh in my head but anyways. The review we got was quite extraordinary: "The most beautiful and powerful play I have yet to see, RAPE OF THE FAIR COUNTRY TFTV Dept., UWA, Emily Davies Studio, Parry-Williams Building, UWA November 12, 2006 Very, very rarely, as a critic, you come across a production for which mere words will never be enough in summation of its beauty, its power and its sheer, dizzying greatness. One might expect to find such a play in the halls of the National Theatre or the RSC, but for me, it was a cold November night in a black, concrete studio in the drama department of Aberystwyth University when a company of twenty-nine students, under the direction of Richard Cheshire and the management of Crystal Mendoza showed me what passion, anguish, joy and raw, biting humanity meant when they staged their production of Manon Eames’ adaptation of the Alexander Cordell story ‘Rape of the Fair Country’, in a run that continues until Saturday, November 12th. Set in the heart of industrial South Wales in the 1830s and following the story of young Iestyn Mortymer, his people and their neighbours through carefree youth, tempered by the fires of the forges, through to the Chartist Rebellions and the violence that met them, Cheshire guided his young company through every conceivable human emotion, and the harrowing tale of a slice of Welsh history sadly all but forgotten. The action took place on Trudi Molloy’s beautifully economical set. Broken ladders, harsh steel spiral staircases and vaulting scaffolding swept into the playing-space (its floor a mottled mess of reddish paint on black, like cooling molten metal) to emphasise the towering importance of industry in the lives of the folk portrayed, while gauzes slung from the metal balcony which runs round all four walls of the studio were utilised to tremendous effect to create mystery and a sense of voyeurism into lives one can only hope never have to be lived in their bittersweet horror again. The set was lit superbly by Helen Taylor, whose lighting design was more than a match for her last work with the department, in March’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in the Arts Centre. Cold steel blues were met with fiery, oppressive oranges, startling whites and warming straw hues at just the right moments to capture the mood of any given time. It was not a subtle lighting design, but this was not a subtle story, and the balance was struck perfectly. Add to this the breathtaking soundtrack designed by Charlie Carter (which ranged from lively folk music to grating industrial sounds, explosions and melancholy strains) and the live vocals of the cast and you have an environment rich with potential and dramatic fertility, expertly stage managed by Lewis Gwyther and his team, and beautifully portrayed in very evocative costumes overseen by Cat Winton. Though I would love to be able to take the time and space to do so, it would take too long to mention all the actors seen in the play, most of whom rose to the challenge of learning an unfamiliar Welsh accent, but it would be deeply remiss of me not to mention a few of the outstanding performances, and certainly those of the central characters. The role of Iestyn, whose story is told through the play, was taken on with great fervour by Graham Hill. His portrayal of Iestyn’s growing-up was, simply put, perfect. His journey from wide-eyed eight-year-old through to married man, from fist-fighting youngster to fearsomely protective head of his family was a joy to behold and utterly believable from start to finish. He kept a firm hold of the sense of intensely likeable naivety with which he started and created a character whose intentions were always pure and noble, even when he occasionally failed, and proved himself a talent worthy of note and one to watch for future work. Henry Pickett as Dada (Hywel) Mortymer was never anything less than galvanising. His towering presence and beautifully cadenced voice carried with them presence, honour, gravity and dignity, even in the moments of his greatest peril. And he was matched in this bravery and dignity by Kelly Williams as Mam Mortymer, who gave a fearsome, soaring and deeply human performance. Her angered speech to the striking miners towards the close of the play is one to remember – her power and poise throughout would put a lot of professional orators to shame. Sam Turner, who played both the youngest Mortymer – Jethro – and the tenderly childlike Willie Gwallter, also turned in a fine showing worthy of high praise. The two Mortymer girls – Edwina and Morfydd – were beautifully if necessarily very differently played by Patricia Graham and Sarah-Mair Gates. Though Graham’s Welsh accent was not very strong, this was negated by the simple power of her embodiment of the deeply religious younger daughter whose story is heart-warming and heart-breaking all at once. Gates proved a singularly dominant woman throughout, her portrayal of the agnostic, free-thinking, deeply driven Morfydd an absolute, unqualified tour-de-force. Her set-piece speeches were compelling in their clear, heartfelt delivery and her tragic story was told with dignified economy of movement and speech. This flower of Wales did not have to be hectic to grow wild and free. Special mention should also be made of the mighty presence of Alan Mehdizadeh, particularly in his role as Tomos Traherne, the preacher, whose voice was every bit as imposing as his physicality. Also the richly comic and darkly disturbing Tim Newns as Iolo Milk and Billy Handy and Kate Edwards who embodied every shade of femininity in her roles as Mrs. Gwallter, Sara Roberts and especially as Polly Morgan and Mari Dirion. Steven Humpherson was a deliciously menacing presence as Dai Probert while Kris Darby – always an engaging actor to watch – turned in tremendous and interestingly nuanced performances as Dafydd Phillips and Mr. Gwallter, the former bouncing off a delightfully prudish Mrs. Phillips played with verve and waspish style by Jennifer Woodhouse. Indeed, the entire cast (and I apologise to those who went unmentioned) gelled so completely, so beautifully in so deeply, gut-wrenchingly human a fashion that an entire community was created and every audience member was immediately drawn in to full, if silent membership of a neighbourhood bound by joy and terror, exhilaration and desperation. The live singing, under the musical direction of Elinor Powell, captured the best of Welsh close harmony, further underscored the shared bonds of the characters and offered the audience the chance to bind themselves to them. The story of the harsh life of industrial workers moved seamlessly from chapter to chapter. Major set-piece scenes were not obviously so until after their completion. One event naturally followed another and a beautifully-wrought journey was created for the company and the audience to go on, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand. This chapter of Welsh history, with its sickening violence in the workplace which spills into politics, working-class wrangling and sanctioned torture, rape and murder is one which, to our shame, we often know nothing about. It is testament to the power of how this story was told by a group so young but so talented that by the end of the show, a man such as myself, confirmed and religious in my pacifism, was ready to join their fight. And more than that – as one who is notoriously difficult to impress, I openly wept and the only thing stopping my offering a standing ovation to this, the most beautiful and powerful play I have yet to see, is the fact that I was shaking so much that I couldn’t physically stand. This show put forward some harsh questions. How dare we forget these crushing chapters of our history? How dare we forsake the lives and spirits of these honest folk? Richard Cheshire and his company, though they took our innocence and ignorance, stripped them bare and raped them like the fair country they showed us, gave the audience the gift of knowledge and showed us the meaning of dignity. Men, women and children in Wales who lie dead in their graves this night will thank them heartily one day. One fine, glorious day. Reviewed by: Paddy Cooper" Cheers Paddy! Richard read it to us the day after our 3rd night (Probably our best performance). It pretty much hyped us up for the rest of the week. Part of acting in something like that means that you are never fully aware of the justification for such a reaction because you are not watching it as a member of the audience. However, I think I would have liked the play because of its professionalism and the fact that it was the finest cast I had ever performed with. All of them owned the roles and I felt quite humbled to be on stage with them. The play does have its flaws however, as I don't think it is a particulary good play and the actors have to work hard to achieve a sense of characterisation as the play consists of brief snippets of action. The other productions at that time were very impressive. I enjoyed Dream Play(directed by Dave Blumfield (Amadeus)) because it took me to a place that I hadn't visited in a long time in theatre. I was thoroughly engaged by Three Sisters (Directed by Vladimir Bouchler who I did a course with a year ago) because of the characterisation and the superb acting. At the moment, I am working on a devised piece called 'Cafe Cappella' due to be performed next month. To start off with I was very apprehensive about the whole thing because I was not very confident in devising and frustrated by the lack of a text to cling on to. However, gradually, I started to ease into it and my confidence in my writing has grown. The director Joan has created a character for me to act and write for and I am coming up with ideas every day for him.It has all paid off for me and is challenging me in new ways of performance.

Rape Of The Fair Country First Night: Robocop in the Kitchen and the missing gun

Last Night was interesting. Yesterday our situation was that we hadn't finished our tech and had only ran act one. Bugger. From experience with the nomads I knew that tech runs can be hasty things so I still had confidence. A few days ago it suddenly hit me of what a mammoth undertaking this is. Its such a huge project and is the most ambitious thing I've ever done. I have 12 costume changes, several characters and 7 entrances into the space. The performance itself went rather well considering some of the costume I'd only got on the morning and was still getting used to. Minor cockups occurred with the cueing when during an intimate kitchen scene the sound of a furnace explosion was heard. This was my cue to come on for the next scene, which resulted in me entering the space and coughing. Also at the end of the play, I couldnt find my gun and had to use an axe handle instead. We got a good applause though at the end which was nice. I've got to go back in a bit as there are some wrinkles that need ironing out.

Gregynog (Again)

Currently sat in Seminar 3 at Gregynog. And I think we have the wrong room. Got to go, what a waste of an entry. Made loads of development with my character though and have discovered the wonders of the eccles cake.

I've tried to get to sleep for the last 2 hours. My head is so mixed up at the moment. I cannot think straight or focus on anything. I feel like I'm really slacking in this play. I don't get it. My back is painful at the moment. I just don't feel right at all. I need to sleep but I can't.

North Walian Accent

Been a while since I've posted anything. Been very busy working on the stage adaptation of 'Rape Of The Fair Country'. Have set up a myspace for the page in which I've been putting photos of every rehearsal on to. I have luckily been cast as my favourite character; Daffyd Phillips. Its been a really fun experience so far as weve had lessons in singing the welsh hymns, accent training and stage combat. The set itself has gone through a few changes but it is going to be quite something. Got a trip to Gregynog again next week which should be a lot of fun. Today, we ran up to page 26 of Act 2 I think, and worked the scene where I get flogged (It happens to me twice in the play). Tomorrow, we have to be off books which means that I am learning my lines at the moment aswell as trying to understand the emotional nature of my character and his progress throughout the scenes. Tis fun. Saw 'A Scanner Darkly' yesterday. Quite an intersting film, although the rotoscoping made me feel a bit ill. Anyways early night for me methinks, Thing I've nabbed the North Walian accent now.

Rape of the Fair Country or how quavers cure hangovers

Currently sat in my room with an aching stomach. Its been an interesting week. Started work on Rape of The Fair Country last Thursday. Although we do not know who we are playing yet (we find out tomorrow) weve worked on trying to perfect the accent, singing of welsh hymns and stage combat. We also went on a trip on saturday to Blaenavon. I gave Pete, Kelly and Sam a lift. As Kelly is from the area in question, it was easy to get there. The iron works itself was incredible and we spent time walking around the reconstructed houses. The guy talking to us was interesting aswell, with a sense of humour that was lost on all of us. After getting some chips we went to The Big Pit mine on the other side of the town. This was a fantastic experience as we managed to go down the pit and have a tour around the mine. Last night I made a prat of myself. This sort of thing happens. Its a metaphor for my life; normal with some stupid parts. I basically drank about 1/2 a bottle of whiskey in a bout 1/2 an hour (typing this now is making me feel quite sick). Nicola, had about 3 hours sleep because of my childish behaviour. I woke up this morning still drunk and went to rehearsals straight into a singing session. I managed to sober up by about 1 O'Clock this afternoon. What really saved me was a packet of Quavers which helped a lot with the hangover. Not drinking for a long time. Have to perform two speeches tomorrow. Am taking a bit of a gamble with one of them but hopefully will pay off. I don't care who I play as long as its not Iestyn.

Amadeus Revived - Second Night

We finished it. I really put my all into it tonight and I'm shattered. The first act got a great response from the audience and the second act was the best I've ever done it. I really went for it today. My big speech was incredible to perform, I really felt connected to the audience. The interval was nice as it was David Kendel's birthday and Lizzie and Rachel had baked him a calorific chocolate cake. I had a slice and felt quite ill (because I hadn't eaten - I'm cooking something now though)which helped for the second act when I'm meant to have stomach pains. It was quite funny for Julie (Greybig) because she got really bad hiccups and couldnt go on for one of the opera scenes. It was nice to see the reactions from the first years as well. There a lovely bunch and their great to talk to. Today I drove into town with Nicki, Emily and Tom. Twas nice to spend time with Nicki and it helped me take my mind off the show. So now I have 2 days off now in which to prepare for my next play: Rape Of The Fair Country

Amadeus - Revived

Last night went very well. I had a lot of pressure on me for several reasons; we were being reviewed, we were being filmed, we were being watched by first and third years who were having to study the play and the production. The first act was brilliant as I put a lot of energy into it. The second however lost alot of energy but still went well. We had a full auditorium aswell this time which gave me a proper full house to perform to. This is the review courtesy of theatre in Wales: "Bold design and barnstorming performances Amadeus Aberystwyth Community Theatre Aberystwyth Arts Centre September 26, 2006 The Aberystwyth Community Theatre Group, under the direction of Richard Cheshire, resurrect some potent ghosts from our musical history this week as they stage their revival run of June’s production of Peter Shaffer’s tour-de-force Amadeus. Bold design and barnstorming performances meld in this traditional but strikingly innovative run to give a theatrical experience audiences will remember for a long time. The action takes place in Vienna of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, as Antonio Salieri, lately court composer to Emperor Joseph II of Austria, reflects in his potential last hours, on his plan to overthrow the talent of Mozart, whom he sees as God’s chosen musical conduit. This is achieved through a mixture of theatrical flashback and ‘present’ time depiction. This all takes place on Stu Art James’s breathtaking set – a faux-marquetry effect flooring with central Masonic device, while the court of the Emperor appears from within an imposing stage-high, flown, picture frame which, through use of curtaining, is its own free-standing and glorious motif. This environment is supplemented by Jac Gough and Cynyr Rhyc’s sumptuous lighting design, which at all points perfectly reflects the play’s emotional tenor, from soaring, golden heights, to cold, gloomy lows on the part of the central characters, and James Ellington’s sympathetic and expertly executed sound design, bringing Mozart’s music crashing, sweeping and whispering into the world h inhabits. Salieri, played by a top-form David Blumfield, was given a highly emotive portrayal. Seamlessly ageing from a man in his dying days to a young, vital musical force and back again, Blumfield gave a galvanising performance which carried the audience at all times and allowed sympathy to be poured onto Salieri’s internal brutality, by deftly exposing his inner turmoil. In an onstage world where frustration and passion grow and dissolve exponentially, Blumfield has the stamina and nous to keep pace without breaking an actorly sweat. The Mozart family, too, were a delight to the eye and ear. Kristofor Darby’s Mozart ever the ‘obscene child’ and, though physically overactive to the point of distraction in the first half, was always vocally engaging and settled well into Mozart’s descent into destitution, illness and paranoia in a performance that marks him out as a new talent to take note of. Similarly, Lizzie Bowen, who played a beautiful, delicate, frustrated Constanze Mozart, gave a performance of such poise and professionalism as to be constantly watchable, with hardly a flicker of doubt in her voice and face. Supporting performances such as those by David Kendell as Emperor Joseph and Colin Adams-Toomey as Count Orsini-Rosenberg added immeasurably to the high drama and occasionally comedy of court life, and were expert foils to the principals, with a wide variety of physical and vocal talents, not least of which being the voice of Roy Leett, who portrayed Baron von Swieten – a voice which rang deep and melodious, giving a stern gravity to many outlandish scenes at court. The play was impeccably directed by Richard Cheshire, who, though not always accounting for sightlines – many effects and stage pictures were geared towards the centre stalls and were almost lost on those at the sides – produced an exquisite and intensely memorable performance of one of the great British plays of the late 20th Century. This was a production which more than did justice to its director, its participants, its author and its subjects, and those of us lucky enough to have witnessed it will not soon forget its gentle subtleties and its powerful forcefulness. A credit to all involved, and to the spirit of solid community theatre. Reviewed by: Paddy Cooper" That was a nice little mention for me. The last play I was in that had been reviewed was 'Twelfth Night' way back in the first year. So anyway I'm in my PJM house at the moment. Its a very nice 6 roomed house with a big kitchen. My room is right nextdoor to craigs which is pretty cool. The most bizarre coincidence is that our house is right nextdoor to Nicki and Emily's. Right I better start getting ready now. At 7.30 tonight I will perform my last production of Amadeus.

Its been a while...

At the moment I am sat in Al’s living room. Theyre are workmen fixing the doors and al and amy are asleep on the sofa. This has been the longest delay for me when updating my journal. Basically its because I’ve been so busy. Gregynog was amazing! It’s a beautiful country manor just outside of Newtown and is full of interesting rooms and wildlife. As soon as we got there, the actors had about an hour to find the space in which they were to perform their monologues. The Little Monk’s speech – Caucasian Chalk Circle – Bertolt Brecht My speech talks of me studying “the phases of Venus” which I initially assumed meant that I would be looking through a telescope at night. However, the fact that my monologue was probably going to be performed during the day meant that I had to find a more logical place. I finally settled on a corridor outside the library which had one of those wonderful slidey ladders like in bedknobs and broomsticks. After we have found our locations we then fill out a form stating our name, piece and its location. Dave Kendall took these and formed a rota in which the examiners can follow to cover the shortest distance possible. Mine was set for 3.15 that day I think. Beforehand I removed some science books from the shelves and took a little black book and pencil and actually started to write about the phases of Venus. Unfortunately, I only had room for a small audience, and when they entered, I walked in and sat down with them. It went really well and I got really good feedback from it. Joan (who marked the monologues) especially liked the way I listened and looked at the people outside the window as I talked. Katurian the Writer – Pillowman – Martin McDonahough For this piece Maria chose a dank, grotty storage room behind the kitchen of one of the seminar rooms. Yet again we had a limited audience, but the performance itself went really well (it was one of the pieces I was really confident in). Unfortunately, we ran longer than our allotted 8 minutes, and were stopped. This was the first time it had happened to me ever in a drama exam and the frustrating thing was that we only had 2 lines left to go. We got very good feedback though. Max the Yellow star – Bent – Martin Sherman Pretty much straight after performing Pillowman I had to leg it round to the main lawn to do Bent. Unfortunately, beforehand we realised there were really no rocks in the area, so we pinched some bricks from outside from one of the rooms. The piece itself went really well and was called courageous and moving. Bonus. Directing Project - Equus – Peter Shaffer In the evening we had my directing piece with Aidan and Buckeridge. I initially panicked because I could not find the right room to set the piece. Instead we opted for the corner of the lounge, framing it with chairs. Bad timing meant that we had only 5 minutes to set up with Buckeridge’s directing piece taking place in the lounge as well. However, it was during this piece that both me and Aidan had a brain wave. Throughout Buckeridge’s piece we both heard the consistent ticking of the Grandfather clock in the corner of the room. We decided to quickly use it in Equus for when Dysart hypnotises Alan. Therefore when Aidan stopped tapping his pen in the performance, the clock carried on the rhythm for him. Think we got bonus points for that. I was so proud of the performances from both Aidan and Jon. It was probably one of the most moving pieces of theatre I had ever seen. What made me realise how good they were, was the fact that I forgot that I had directed it. I was very lucky with the actors I got. They made the process of directing the piece so much simpler for me. People did seem to like it and wanted to know what happened afterwards. One of the best decisions I made was to mention to the audience before the extract what exactly Alan had done. This was because the act itself was never mentioned in the extract, and I wanted to frame it with a series of preconceptions for the audience. I got very good feedback and they said it was a very mature piece. Aufidius – Coriolanus – William Shakespeare One of my favourite parts of the Gregynog experience was the Shakespeare duologues. Me and Aidan having only had 4 rehearsals were still confident that we could pull it out of the bag… except that Gregynog no longer had a snooker table. Bugger. We tried different things, darts, Cluedo, Guess Who?, Space Invaders. However, the best decision we made the whole weekend was in using a chessboard. We both used it effectively to highlight Aufidius’ answers to Coriolanus. We blacked out the windows using the blankets from the bedrooms and held them up with the skewers from the desserts from dinner. We had two armchairs facing each other with the chess-board in the centre. We even used the gun that I accidentally acquired when filming Silence with Owain. We were the only ones doing Coriolanus and we had excellent feedback. Highlights of the trip included, Pete’s innovative monologue, Sam’s creepy monologue, Kev and Kate’s piece, Frost’s directing piece, Amie’s directing piece, Tom’s monologue, Aidan’s monologue. Played bowls on the green (And Lee Clotworthy is a pro at it), Frisbee with Keir’s star disc, giant jenga in the bar, and football (where after 5 seconds of arriving on the pitch I crippled my toe and Kevin’s leg – who was on my team. On the last night we had a massive sing song with lots of drink. Twas one of the highlights of my university life, but it took a lot out of me. It takes a while for everything to slip out of your head, but some of it doesn’t leave. I thought then that I could therefore look forward to a rest as my next role in Amadeus was not going to be too difficult. How wrong I was, it had been a year since I stepped in at the last moment to play Sir Robert Chiltern in An Ideal Husband and fate it seems wanted the same thing to happen this year. I got a call on my phone from Richard and taxied it up to the parry-williams. When I left, 20 minutes later, I was now playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Bugger. So much for a rest. What then followed were rehearsals everyday till production, where I saw very little of anyone except the cast I was performing with. Everyday, I would walk up/ get a lift with Buckeridge up to the Parry-Williams to rehearse with Dave (First year practical teacher) and Lizzy (Twelfth Night). Colin (Twelfth Night) joined the cast later playing Rosenberg and had to wear a fat suit to make him look more toad-like. Al (Curtain Call) took over my previous role of Venticello 2 and made the part his own. Initially, I did not take well to the character of Mozart as I saw him as vulgar and obscene. However, underneath this (like the soppiness of Sir Robert Chiltern) there were redeeming qualities that are brought out in his big speech in Act 2. The thing about this character that I liked was that I did not consciously have to become him. All his character traits manifested themselves by accident as I became more comfortable with the role. In 2 and a half weeks I learnt all my lines and I had many a headache because of them. About a week before production I went to Richard’s costume store to try out different costumes. I tried on several flamboyant types which were altered for me. I then wore the shoes to every rehearsal, which helped me significantly because it helped me lean how to walk as Mozart does. I read some books on Mozart in order to fully get to grips with playing a character from history. One of the highlights for me however, was listening to the music itself. It was such beautiful music that, I then knew that I had to make this character far more flamboyant, vulgar and passionate. Comedy is a collocation of different things, and there is nothing more different or comedic when trying to associate this man with his music. The fact that I had to mime the playing of the harpsichord on stage emphasises this. When the final production week came, we moved into the arts centre. It was an amazing experience. This was the first time that I had actually performed in a proper theatre. I had a dressing room with my name on the door (which I pinched after). One of the saving graces for me about having long hair was that I didn’t need a wig fitted. These didn’t look too fun, especially if I was to run about all over the place. At the first dress rehearsal, I had a bout 6 costumes which were a bugger to change into in quick speed. However, afterwards, Richard split it down to 2 changes with 3 costumes. Rachel (Twelfth Night) was the costumer and made sure that everyone’s changes were sorted in the wings. At the first performance I was incredibly nervous as this was the first time I had performed in a theatre before and I was one of the leads. I nearly blanked in the second scene with the Emperor because I added a laugh because I thought it would look good rather than feel good. This highlighted a reason for my nervousness, as I sometimes try to hard to rationalise everything. A minor hiccup in tech resulted in the menu screen for powerpoint being displayed. The second night was more unnerving for me as Nicki, Emily, Mum, Dad, and Dave would be there watching. This was however, the best night and I got a really good response from people afterwards. The last night was just as good and even better in certain scenes, as all the cast let go and ran with the text. That to me is the hardest part about acting, letting yourself fall and knowing that the text will catch you. Nicki, Nan and Grandad saw me that night along with some students from the year. So much has happened since I last updated which means I’ve got to condense a lot. Summer was mixed for me really. I went and spent a week at Nicki’s which was great as it was nice to see her in Chobham again. Spent a week in Wales with the family which was also good. Did a fair bit of walking which is something I really enjoy. Got a bit ill which wasn’t very nice. Worked a few shifts at the pub, and it was nice to see everyone again. Trying to get back into my fitness routine and have bee doing a lot of running. Managed to get up to 14 miles. Hoping to do some in Aber, but I’ve forgotten my trainers. Both my sister and my brother did fantastic in their exams and my sister is at the moment at uni in Edinburgh and my brother is at college. Did a mammoth of a walk with Cumella called The West Highland way, Diary transcript as follows: “Thursday 31st August 2006 12 Miles So far 11.14 am Me and Cumella are at the moment on the train to Glasgow. The weather is a bit overcast outside, and we are currently travelling through the Lake District and the views are very pretty. We’ve attempted a crossword, played a few games of cards and read (I’m reading ‘The Name of the Rose’ a medieval whodunnit). Everyone on the train seems to be reading. It is a long journey though (duh). 9.54 pm Am now sat in the ‘wigwam’ after 12 miles of hiking today. Twas a bit difficult to start of with as the rucksacks are quite heavy (I took way too much stuff with me). Eventually we found a good pace and made it to the farm for about 5.30. The wigwam itself is not that of the traditional type. What it actually is, is a huge tetrahedron made from wood. Its huge, big enough for 4 people, and me and Cumella have got it to ourselves. I feel quite guilty as it is pissing it down outside, which makes it pretty wet for the people camping. After settling in, me and Cumella walked to the nearest village (Drymen) to have a pub dinner. The pub we were in was the oldest in Scotland (Fact not just an observation), and it looked it. To top it off we had locals outside playing bagpipes. I’m incredibly tired and am going to sleep very well. Friday 1st September 2006 26 Miles so far 9.48pm Currently lying in a tent with the wonderful sound of water outside. We are in a wild camp site in Rowardennan. Today started off pretty wet but ended up being very hot and sunny. The 7 mile trek to Balmaha was pretty gruelling and involved walking up conic hill. It was my turn to carry the tent today which added an extra 3.8kg to my current bag weight. The views were stunning and the air is fantastic. After a very nice pub lunch we did another 7 miles. I had to stop off at a shop though to buy some blister stuff. Even though it was shut the lady still let us in. Everyone is so friendly here. We bumped into a dutch chap who stayed at the same site as us. He’s about 6 miles behind us at the moment though (He’s not used to the hills). We walked by the side of Loch Lomond and most of the walk takes us along it. Me and Cumella bought ‘dinner’ from Balmaha (2 rolls, cheese, banana for a £1) because there are no facilities here. Tomorrow is going to be the toughest day yet, but at least I don’t have to carry the tent. Sunday 3rd September 2006 47 Miles So Far 8.04 am Currently lying in a bed in the B&B in Crianlarich. Yesterday was probably the most tiring day of my life. As there was no facitilies on our ‘camp site’ me and Cumella retraced our steps half a mile to Rowardennan visitor’s centre. It was great as they had hot water and musical taps. After taking down the tent we walked to Inversnaid (7 miles) and ate at the hotel there. It was a lovely place with tartan carpets. We met a Scottish group of 4 who we had met in Rowardennan hotel yesterday and 2 men who are walking from Lands End to John O’Groats. After filling up our water bottles we walked another 7 miles along Loch Lomond to Inverarnan. It was here that we bought stuff from there camp site’s shop. I stocked up on chocolate and we both filled up our water bottles. We then began the last 7 miles to Crianlarich. This was incredibly tough. You get to a point where it is so painful that your mind detaches itself from your body. We reached the B&B at about 9.45 and collapsed in our room. I made tea and we cleaned out their supply of biscuits. 21 miles! 11 hours! I’ve had one of the worst sleeps ever. My ankles have been in agony all night. Got breakfast to look forward to. 10.00pm 61 Miles So Far This time yesterday we had just arrived at the B&B! Currently lying in a tent by Orkney Bridge on another wild camp site. Done 14 miles today. It got bad for me to start of with but I managed to persevere. We had lunch at an amazing place called ‘The Real Food Café’ in Tynbridge. Went to the bar of the hotel on the other side of the river where we me the two blokes we had met previously. They are currently walking from Lands End to John O’Groats. Bloody hell. Me and Cumella ate with them and just had a starter each (Twas expensive there). Also managed to arrange for the hotel to give us a pack lunch for tomorrow which will be nice! The B&B by the way was fantastic with a great breakfast and hot showers. Only 13 ½ miles tomorrow and I wont be carrying the tent. Walked past a rainbow today (random). Monday 4th September 2006 74 ½ Miles So Far 4.05pm Currently lying down in a tent at Kingshouse. Theres not a lot here (just the hotel on the other side of the river). Today we did about 13 ½ miles and we bombed it. This is because of two reasons: 1) we have gotten used to this walking malarkey and 2) Because everytime we stopped we were attacked by midges. So much that we were practically inhaling them. I found it easier today as I didn’t have to carry the tent which really helped. We’ve made good time though today and only have to do 8 ½ miles tomorrow. Tuesday 5th September 2006 83 Miles So Far 8.53pm Currently lying in a bunk bed in a cabin. Last night Cumella and I went to the climber’s lounge at the Kingshouse hotel for something to eat/do. We had a very nice baguette and chips and played cards for a bit. A good source of amusement is the hotel’s resident dog Keeley who is a big fluffy, bear-like black dog. All it did was to watch people eat their food in hope that they might drop some. The bar itself although quiet, has lots of interesting things on the walls. In a cabinet there is a selection of rocks from some high peaks and a jar full of midges. Justin and Dan (2 blokes doing the big walk) came in and had some food and it was nice to see them again. After leaving the midging hour began. I slept all right in the tent, but was disconcerted/deeply pissed off to here rain this morning. In addition to this, when I poked my head out of the tent I was greeted by a swarm of midges. Although ‘walker friendly’ the hotel does not allow campers to use their toilets in the morning. This meant that me and Cumella had to trudge through wide open midge infested bog to find a good spot. By the way did I mention it was still raining? It hasn’t stopped all day. Taking the tent down was a giggle as well. We ended up having to move it on to the road to avoid the midges. Our only breakfast had been a nutrigrain elevenses bar (very nice by the way) so we were quite hungry. Although we only did 8 ½ miles today, they were not fun. The rain did not let up at all. This was worsened by me having to carry the tent, my waterproof trousers slowly falling down and the lack of shelter the entrie walk. The route itself was quite pleasant except for the horizontal rain. I found the walking quite easy, including Devil’s staircase, which is supposed to be the hardest bit of the entire walk (Although steeper than cardiac hill). Finally on reaching Kinloclevan I saw Justin and Dan at a camp site, and darted for shelter there, as all my clothes were soaked now. We chatted for a bit while it carried on pissing it down outside. Me and Cumella then trudged the 500m to the camp site we were due to stay at. My back was really hurting at this point. However, we managed to get this cabin at quite a reasonable cost. Theres plenty of storage space here, and we have been able to tumbledry most of our stuff. This place also has a heater mounted on the wall, and I have managed balance stuff on chairs and make a mini washing line. We have both eaten at the pub and paid for a cooked breakfast tomorrow. 14.5 miles left. One more push and it will be finished. Wednesday 6th August 2006 97 Miles So Far 9.08pm We did it. Currently sat in the lounge of the hostel as there is someone asleep in the room. Woke up this morning to find that most of my stuff was near enough dry. My boots had made a nearly full recovery which was an encouraging start to the day. The Highland breakfast was great as well, as I managed to have a bowl of grapefruit (Not had one since the London trip baby) and an extra helping of toast. The walk itself had spectacular views that were made even better by the weather which was pretty clear all day. The views of Ben Nevis were incredible. After 15 tough miles we made it to Fort William. The ending was a bit of an anticlimax: A big sign by a roundabout. We managed to get our photos taken with the 4 Scottish people who we hadn’t seen since Inversnaid who finished after us. We then walked to the hostel which was a bit of a trek up the hill. It’s a really nice, fun, welcoming place. My bed is called ‘The Old Man of Stoor’ (Place in the Isle of Skye I have been to). It is on the top of a bunk and has no ladder. After dumping our stuff we went to get something to eat. After ambling through Fort William, we reached a pub called ‘The Ben Nevis’ (By the way, nearly everything is Nevis something here). The meal was amazing and we had a really nice waitress. We then walked back to the hostel. On the way we checked our bank balances (both quite low by now), discovered Morrisons was closed, before making a scenic route back. We nearly got lost at one point, but a kid who was playing gaelic football in the street pointed us in the right direction. Thursday 7th September 2006 11.58pm Well last night was a good laugh. Met some more people in the hostel. Played Uno with an Australian guy called Craig, a German girl called Stephanie, a South African called Ewan, another Australian, Dan and an Englishman named Cumella. After several games of uno we moved on to Taboo, although the language barrier made it a bit of a problem. After that, we played a round of trivial pursuit which again was limited because there wasn’t enough pieces, the board had faded so you couldn’t read the colours and nobody could remember how to play. We quickly finished that game and moved instead on to quite a violent game of snap. Craig kindly let me share his cheap whiskey with him, which was a bit abrasive but I had a few glasses of it. We were all up till about 2 in the morning. Conversation topics included the heroism of the late Steve Irwin (Craig reckons Australia will probably have a national holiday in his honour), Australian phrases and the rules of shit head (hostel card game). The hostel was really a great place and has encouraged me to take an interest in backpacking. Both me and Cumella have said that if we were to do Ben Nevis we would stay there. Its just a nice friendly atmosphere, plus if you do 2 hours of cleaning you get a free night there. I myself spent the morning with a free cup of tea and a 50p homemade scone, and just wandered round the place. The lounge has a log fire which was really warm last night and a bookshelf where you can trade books. After packing our stuff me and Cumella walked to Morrisons where we shopped for lunch before sitting in the café reading the paper. We also bumped into the 3 German ladies we met on the West Highland Way. Well we are now on the train to Glasgow. This should hopefully take us past some of the places we walked.” Had the anuual river trip which was good fun. Check out http://www.freewebs.com/therivertrip Found out that Amadeus is being revived so have had to come back a week early and am now kipping on Al and Amie’s sofa till I’m allowed into halls. Had my first rehearsal yesterday and twas quite difficult because I just wasn’t ready for it all. It’s the first time I’ve done a revived piece and it feels weird. Afterwards, drove out to a place with some of Al’s mates and burnt a sofa which was quite interesting to start my 3rd year. Got another rehearsal today. Might go for a swim beforehand though. Hopefully will keep this updated more throughout.

Easter and John's Funny Feeling

I’m back in Worcester now. Did fine in all my extracts. For Pillowman, I need to convey my right age and in Bent I need to look more closely at the character relationships. Had my first rehearsal for Amadeus and it went well. Twas just a readthrough but I think it will be quite fun to perform it on stage. Cooked for Nicki on Wednesday, and she was brave enough to try sea food. We also ate a Chocolate Brownie from Somerfield, which was one of the best things I have ever eaten. Today I did some housework, walked the dog and watched ‘Young Sherlock Holmes’ on DVD. Also, the mothers day present I ordered arrived today: a book entitled ‘I never knew that about Ireland’. Sorted out Craig’s new present for his birthday. All I have to do now is sort out this powerpoint thing for mum. Nicki has given me Gizmo to borrow which is cool, and I will hopefully take him to Ireland with me.

Second Year Drama updates.

Second day of filming for Silence went well. Lovely weather. The climax of the days filming was me dressing in Owain's subway uniform and shouting Nooooooooooo!!!!!! on the castle. Got a few looks. Have a rehearsal for Amadeus on Tuesday. Got to organise a rehearsal for my Equus group tomorrow (performing at 20.00. This is how my groups are going at the moment: Equus: My actors are understanding the characters and have almost got the lines. Had some more ideas for the performance. Corialanus: Me and Aidan are thinking of setting it around Gregenog's snooker table and have experimented with different ideas with acting with it. Know the lines. Pillowman: Got further with this than any other group. Did a rehearsal outside in the castle and it was brilliant! Gets better each time we do it. Takes alot out of you though. Know the lines. Bent: Know the characters but need to make sure I fully know the lines. Life of Galileo: Know the lines. Playing around with character ideas. Currently experimenting with different character ideas using music. Went and watched the School Shakespeare's production of Midsummer Nights Dream and it was brilliant!!! I knew a lot of the cast anyway because I did Twelfth Night with them last January. Showed Nicki 'Spirited Away' last night and she seemed to like it. Going home next Thursday, and then Ireland bound!

Yellow Car

Have just made a chicken salad. Soon after last updating it snowed. It wasn't just a light dusting which didnt settle. It was a blizzard. As soon as it happened I ran outside and made a (rather crap) snow angel on the pavement. It wasn't long before we had a go at making a snowman. We made the body and we needed a big enough torso. Luckily some guys in the street were also making a snowman, and we teamed up with them to create one. Having been taught how to make a proper snowman by Nicola on 'Animal Crossing' I felt pretty confident. It was one of the best ones ever! We gave it a nose made from a cucumber, eyes of oranges and a mouth made from a bannana. So he was pretty health concious. We then dragged it into the middle of the road and left it to have a snowball fight. There was many casualties. I got caught in the crossfire of one on the way to Nicki's. She didn't know it was snowing so I dragged her outside to see. The next day was amazing except that someone had driven through our snowman. The whole of Aber looked like a ski resort. Holly came to visit for the day which was cool considering I hadnt seen her since Christmas. I took her to the bakery and then to Spartacus' before eating lunch on the beach. Here Holly played Grandma's footsteps with a seagull. We then went back to the house and watched Batman Begins. Craig's birthday was great for all. I made him a card that included all the stuff that made him laugh including a list of things that wouldn't have happened if he had gone to America. These include, we wouldn't flinch if we saw a yellow car or that we wouldn't have known that there was a dog next-door. The theme for the day was yellow cars. This is a game that is played by Bugsy and John and simply involves punching someone whenever you see a yellow car. We all went to Bar E and went for a meal before playing table football (champion) and beating Delta Force at pool. Afterwards we went back to the house and had chocolate tart (with a yellow car in the centre). Recently his present arrived (A Chelsea hoody) and I've got to send it back as it is too big (He'll grow into it). Just finished the edited teaser poster for Godspell. Found out that I have got a part in Amadeus, and me and John are playing the two Venticello's who are the town's gossips in the play. At last I have something to do before the summer! Also just finished first day's filming for Owain's (Twelfth Night, The Other Side, Human Being) new film for Film Soc's 48 hour film competition. I'm playing the lead which is pretty cool and I'm depressed and suicidal. The film is really comical with wonderful visual humour. It was a wonderful way to spend the day; pretending to hang myself in the bathroom, helping create fake brain guts out of tomato sauce, baked beans and porridge, eating at weatherspoons, shaking a box. I'm looking forward to tommorrow where I get to see Dan (Twelfth Night, 24, Other Side) as a towny and me getting wacked in the face with a frisbee. http://www.freewebs.com/kingoftheducks

Its been ages

Apoligies to anyone for lateness. Have fallen foul to a number of problems over the last 2 months: 1) Although my timetable is comparitively empty to that of preceding semesters, I have managed to plug the gaps with other things. 2) My computer had a 4 week hissy fit that resulted in me formating the computer. As so much has happened the best thing to first would be to start talking about my modules for this year (Got 74 for my Production Environment Essay). I got my results back yesterday for 1st semester and they were way better than I could have hoped. So Happy! Especially with Acting One and Theatre and Society. Acting Two Managed to pass acting one which meant that I am currently now being taught by Joan and Chesh. Joan Mills (Flight) classes have been interesting as she has tonnes of energy. We are currently working on Shakespeare sonnets. Mine is this (which I have learnt) That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. In me thou see'st the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west; Which by and by black night doth take away, Death's second self, that seals up all in rest. In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire, That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, As the death-bed, whereon it must expire, Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by. This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong, To love thee well, for thou will leave ere long. Picked it at random. As well as this we are currently learning a Georgian chant (Mara-val-jam-i-eh) which is pretty cool. Have chosen my monologue aswell now which is another Brecht one. It is The Little Monk's speech from 'Life of Galileo'. Thinking of initially basing him on a character from Babylon 5 called Lenir. With Chesh (Merchant of Venice), we are working on Shakesperian duologues. I am working with Aidan who I know from the Vladimir course. Aidan works at one of the bakeries in town (which is amazing!) which I lost twice when trying to show it to Em. After every practical we go down there and buy something (I recommend the Apple Turnover or Jam Square). Theres a thing called a Rheidol surprise which you have to try when there. Directing Very interesting. Hopefully the gamble may pay off as I was originally going to do Theatre in Education. I have to direct two people in an extract of my choice.By a stroke of luck, I am directing John (Vladimir, Journey's End) and Aidan (Vladimir, Coriolanus) so I know I can trust these guys. Have just told them which parts they are playing and hope to have a run through soon. After trying to find an extract (mum and dad brought my box of plays)I finally returned to Equus by Peter Shaffer in a hope to see it afresh from a director's point of view. As well as directing an extract I also have to act in another 2. I am working with: Maria (Vladimir, Acting two) who is directing me and Graham (Acting One, Acting Two) in Pillowman which is an amazing play. Dewie who is directing me and Tim (Vladimir, Directing) in Bent which is going to be an interesting one to do. American Voices As well as the practical, I also have a nice theoretical module as well. This was another gamble (I no nothing of American Theatre) and seems to have paid off. I am really enjoying the module and have recently handed in an essay on stereotyping. Read an interesting play called 'Topdog/Underdog'. Only 3 modules, but they are busy ones. Got confirmation of accomodation in PJM which I am happy about. Auditioned for 'A day in the Death of Joe Egg' and got down to the final audition but unfortunately didnt get the part (oh well). Tried desperately to find something to fill the time after Second Year since I am annoyingly unable to do Baz's thing in Cardiff (Twas a tough decision but a good one as it meant that I had two days spare to revise). Therefore Nicki convinced me to audition for Amadeus by Peter Shaffer (Equus) which Cheshire is directing for the Arts Centre. I auditioned and managed to drag my mate John up aswell. Alot of people were there and me and John ended up getting a call back. I was lucky enough to audition with Lizzie who I had worked with on 'Twelfh Night' a year ago. On the subject of John, him and Bugsy (Vladimir, Journey's End) have taught me and others something called 'The Game'. The rules are simple: If you think of the game then you lose. When you lose you have to admit it outloud. Its bloody annoying. And typing it now, means that I have lost repeatedly. Parents visiting this weekend, will bring me MS Office to install. Nicki has introduced me to several wonderful Tv series. My favourite is Millenium (which we are about to start on the 3rd Season) and my new interest is that of Babylon 5 (just started the second season). We both agreed that for Valentine's day we would not get each other anything but both of us still did. For me, she developed all the photos of us together (some of which I have on my wall). I made her a card and bought her an eore toy that she liked. She has also bought me recently a Batman graphic novel which I need to read soon. On the subject of Batman, I have really gone to town with my craze. Have bought the entire animated series on DVD and it is amazing! Currently working through my DVD collection at the moment (on The Usual Suspects). Had the Curtain Call gala last weekend. This meant that I spent the week avidly trying to do the marketing for it. It turned out really cool in the end and the gala was a great success. I was selling tickets for it on the door. Have also been introduced to the Wonderful thing that is 'The Ricky Gervais Show'. Now I am not a big fan of Ricky Gervais, but he himself isnt the star of the show. That role goes to his friend, Karl Pilkington who is a leg-end. To Do list: Direct 1 Extract Act in 2 Extracts Act in 1 Sonnet Act in 1 Monologue Act in 1 Duologue Pay for Gregenog Pay for London Pay for Electricity Hoping to watch Serenity soon with the house (Nicki introduced me to Firefly). Went for a walk with Grae (An Ideal husband, Who Bumped off the Baggage?) and we covered a fair distance in a short amount of time, visiting the cannon, llanbadarn and constitution hill. Did Mike's soap opera 'Shoreline' which was hilarious.

6 is an unusual number

Just handed my production Environment Essay.Now I have time to do this sort of thing. I chose to compare the productions Macbeth which I saw last year with that of The Woman in Black (which was amazing!). Have fengshued my room now which means I have my bed next to my radiator which should be warmer. Christmas was a good laugh with my brother and me finding a variety of different ways to wrap dad's presents. Got a lot of Batman stuff aswell as V for Vendetta and 1602. Worked at the pub for new years eve again which was good as I hardly left the house all christmas. Spent New Years day walking around Pensax Joined Mr Chivers, Gary and Harty on an expedition up the Malvern Hills. Oh the last week of term was manic. Had 3 essays to hand in in about 10 days! Did it though and went on a trip to London and saw some plays at the westend. Woman in Black: Amazing, bought the text and a poster for it off ebay. Love the play and read alot of Victorian ghost stories over christmas. The History Boys: Was quite funny but seemed a bit overbugeted The Producers: Hilarious. Springtime for Hitler was brilliant Journeys End: Not as good as Craig said it was, but this was a repeated production King Kong: Saw it in Leicester Square where I found that my old school friend Kempy works. Twas amazing though! Came back here on Saturday and Nicki cooked me a really nice meal. This will probably be the healthiest thing I have all semester. Going to chill for a bit now and watch the Family Guy Movie with Emily. The only people in the flat are me, craig and cat.