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.