under another sun

Last day before work drags Lorraine and I off in different directions. So we spent it together zooming about in the teeming rain. We were on a mission to look at wardrobes and a chest of drawers. We went to dozens of places, some far out of town. One place attached to a cattery, which was very bizarre. A small raised pond with enormous koi in it, which momentarily transfixed me. Driving over the downs home, through enormous puddles and the hilltops lost in mist. Went to one new store, which had rather nice furniture. Here we met Dylan's mum Sophie, and had a good chat with her. Young Dylan doing well, and I was very pleased to hear that. Lorraine and I lurking so long in the shop that we were brought coffee. Later, however, we bought a sturdy and newish chest of drawers from a charity shop, and then drove to someone's house on the edge of town and paid a deposit on a lovely wardrobe we will collect on Friday. Wondering if the wardrobe people were Narnian fauns, but I was di...

A good day's work, plus a visit to the gym. Off in the evening to Eastbourne to see Beth in her rehearsal of Vagabond Skies . This is a musical based on Vincent Van Gough's life. The writer has been working on it for 20 years. The music was pretty good and the performances were jolly good. Beth leaping about in the chorus, being everything from a nun to a prostitute, and an art critic. Beth's pal and agent Sarah Dormandy is directing. And Dylan was in the chorus too. Good to get a bear hug from him. They are taking this show up have a London theatre showcase, to see if they can find backers and so on. I'm not a huge fan of musicals, but one about Vincent's life seems a pretty good idea, as he is such an archetype of the tortured artist. I sincerely hope it does well. Then off to the Crown and Anchor for a cheeky pint with Betty, and chatting to Susie, and I spoke to Natalia Farran, who was more usually a jazz singer, but had been drafted in. She was full of compli...

Less nervy today, although naturally nerves started at around 5pm. A taxi with James and Lorraine to The Marlborough, which was packed and had people conducting some kind of a Christmas Gift auction downstairs. More people tonight, and the room felt very full.  Catherine and Tanya and Steve Cartwright, Rosie and Innis were all there. A big day for Beth as Gary was there with Sophie, having been unable to see her during the Festival.  Emily and Eliza, two of her university besties came too. John came tonight too. The show went excellently. Less nervy than yesterday, and always fascinating to see how different audiences react to the same play. They really tuned into the dark side for the final section of A Glass of Nothing . Beth really on point tonight. Spectacular. Very proud of her and Dylan, Kitty and James. I couldn't have asked more of them, and they consistently did better than I imagined they could. Sad that we were done after just two nights. I have to get my thinki...

A bit of a limbo during the day. I slept this afternoon for an hour, and otherwise pottered about not doing too much of anything, other than wasting time humble bragging on Facebook, in an attempt to get more people through the door tonight. Lovely Lorraine arrived home early and she, James and I cabbed down to The Marly for six. Dylan, Beth and Kitty already there. Lurked in the green room a bit, and then as soon as we could get into the theatre, boshed in and set up rapidly. Bloody great white flats left in the room, and we had to dissemble them with the help of Marly folks before the seats could be done. A bit of nervous hanging around beforehand. Went to sit in the bar, nursing a half-pint. I met Ptolemy who Beth has taught, and had brought a posse of his drama A level class with him, having seen A Glass of Nothing earlier in the year. He congratulated me on the writing, and Beth says he can recite bits of the play. A very promising 16 year old I think, who clearly has marvellou...

Bit of a free floating day today. To the gym this morning to dispel tension, which worked but made me sleepy in the afternoon. And spoke to Mum, who said Mas was feeling a bit more himself, and they are talking about moving him from intensive care again soon. Otherwise a bit of tinkering with things to do with the play. Beth in bed most of the day. When James came we set off for the Marly in a cab. Nice Pakistani cab driver who I ended up discussing Pakistani politics with. He is optimistic about the future, which is good to hear. Did the tech rehearsal tonight, suddenly lots more real once the stage lights and sounds were sorted. A solid tech, Jessica, who new her stuff, which helped. Being on a lit stage really brought out the energy in Dylan particularly. He is such a natural. Beth conserving her voice. Lorraine came tonight too, and her presence was really welcome. Touching how much strength Beth derives from her being there. Lorraine thought We Three Kings was good too, and ...

Up early and doing few bits in a somewhat unfocused fashion. Then the afternoon spent in our last rehearsal in the Duke of Welly, before walking across town carrying a hatstand, (kindly lent us by the folks in the Duke of Wellington) down to the Marlborough. A supper of sorts in Starbucks, because it was near and we needed food, then a first dress rehearsal in the Marlborough. Spoke briefly to David and Tariq who were both there. First time I'd been in the theatre there for some time. The stage has been enlarged, and the old sticky carpet taken up and it's come up trumps. A good rehearsal, and we finished up at 9:45, and had a quick drink downstairs in the Marlborough's bar with Beth and James, having a wee in the urinal of the gender-free toilet. The Marlborough is mainly a lesbian pub serving vegan food, and has a good atmosphere, but I can't help feeling a bit of an interloper there sometimes, but I must remember this is the third time I have written stuff which ...

Lorraine and I had a late breakfast, with Beth and James arriving in time for toast. Phoned Mum who said Mason had been taken back into Intensive care, which was somewhat concerning. When I called her in the evening, however, she said that he was noticeably better than he had been. A cab into town, and Lorraine and I did a smidge of shopping, before I joined the others at The Duke of Welly, where I had to collect my computer and simply come home again, to transfer the show playlists onto the laptop, and then return. Had good day's rehearsing, and it was generally quite fun, if a little gruelling. Kitty had been filming all night, so was a bit shattered, but did well nevertheless. Everyone else firing well. We Three Kings feeling much better now. Ended after six and had a quick drink under an electric bar fire in the beer garden, watching the James and Beth smoke. Nice chat with the owner, and I thanked him again for his kindness in letting us use the rehearsal room. Turned out ...

Up early, and my brain not at its sharpest, and feeling generally tired. Bits of writing, and did a smidge for my French clients. The work I was expecting from my pals in Chiswick did not materialise, but I am happy with that.  Spoke to Mum before she went off to see Mason. Worked doing lists and stuff with Beth and the Tech script for We Three Kings . in the afternoon.  James collected us in his car and we spent the evening rehearsing with James and Dylan their scenes in W3K in the room upstairs of The Duke of Welly. Dylan making big strides today. James's comic timing very good I think. Maybe because he's a musician too. Very cold tonight for Brighton. Luckily James gave us a lift home too. Home to Lorraine at 9:30, chatted with my lovely wife before we shuffled off to bed.

Up for toast and lots of coffee, and hung about with Mum, who was taking calls and did a couple of emails. I did a spot of hoovering before we went off again to the hospital. Somewhat to my surprise we found Mason much more alert today, his voice stronger and able to speak in sentences. He's far from out of the woods yet, but it was good to see him a lot brighter. The sister talked to us before we went into the ward, saying he'd been saying strange things about California, and the pacific ocean and so on, and they wondered if this was normal. We assured them it was. I left Mum and Mas in the ward, and went to meet Betty on the platform at Farringdon Station. She'd been up to Mill Hill to have photos taken at an extras agency. Slow train to Brighton, then once in the home of the seagulls, we bought some Japanese style takeaway, then rehearsed A Glass of Nothing with Dylan and Kitty till 9:30pm in the Duke of Welly. Everyone a bit low energy, and it was hard work. Managed t...

Coughing through the night, chest infection still annoying, though I felt a bit perkier today. I love this time of year, and lots of interesting stuff is happening. To have the wind taken out of my sails by a stupid chest infection is a bore. Beth hacking too. And worse, Lorraine starting to cough too. The day interspersed with bits of freelance to do with homelessness. Wrote a bit about Gilgamesh on my other blog, and tidied up something for Lorraine for the parish magazine. My great get the bloody poems out initiative, is still going well. I got my second response from my salvo, from Jeremy at Frogmore. It helped sitting next to him at the Poetry Book Fair, and him telling me he liked shorter poems. I sent him some short ones, joking about my cunning, and I'm pleased to say he took  Touchstone , a poem about Moulin Huet for his spring issue. Two from two so far. Better not start crowing yet though. At half four, I walked down to The Duke of Wellington for rehearsals of A Glas...

Lorraine up at six and I made up to have breakfast with her downstairs before she went. Quite handy as I had to send some stuff off on the job I was doing for my Chiswick pals just after seven. Lots of work first thing, and then a steady stream till mid-afternoon. Finding the prospect of everything else in the world frequently more enticing than sitting at my desk. Walked down to the Duke of Wellington town this evening, to rehearse We Three Kings this evening, met Claudius who happened to be downstairs in the pub, and has returned from the US looking fit and well. The rehearsal focused on the last section of when everyone's on stage, and Beth and the others sorting it all out and beginning to get it blocked. Though a bit tired this evening, it was energising to be with the gang again. Saw a bit of James being Balthazara the cross dressing King, and this will work nicely I think. The next few weeks look dense with rehearsals. After a quick wetting of the whistle, James drove...

Working hard early this morning to complete the first draft of We Three Kings. Felt good to have got there. I'm pleased with it, and I think I have left lots of room in it for the actors to expand and add their own flavours. We Three Kings the carol was written in 1857 by the Rev. John Henry Hopkins. Here's the verse about Frankincense: Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume  Breaths a life of gathering gloom;  Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying,  Sealed in the stone cold tomb. Cheery eh? Also a smidge of French work, with Val phoning my from Bamako in Senegal, for reasons unknown. In the afternoon Innis called round, and took lots of photographs of me. I have been to a fair few shoots in my time, but being the thing being shot is different. In the rare times I'm called on to supply a photo of myself, I always look a bit of a chump in them, so I thought it would be good to have Innis do me a proper shot. Luckily, Innis, who I'm liking more and more as I get to kno...

A cup of tea from my lovely Lorraine, and once up I was hard at work today on sorting out a few play bits first thing, then working on the French brief all day which was quite interesting and enjoyable. Bit of honest concept work guv'nor. Butterflies an' that. After this malarkey, slouched down the hill with Betty to The Duke of Wellington where we met up with Dylan, Kitty and James, and slunk up into the room upstairs. Read through the start of We Three Kings . Felt a bit exposed as I like to have things complete before I show people usually. But it was a useful exercise in pinning down what's working and what's not. Then they biffed through A Glass of Nothing , and they surprised themselves at how well they had remembered it. All quite buzzy afterwards which was good to see. A cheeky beer outside in the beer garden afterwards with James, Dylan and Betty. It was Kitty's boyf's birthday, so she had to go. I enjoyed talking to James lots. An interesting man. ...

Another quiet day of working on things I wanted to work on. So a very happy day for me. Up as Lorraine was leaving. Spent to day working on various projects, including tweaking another poem as well as cutting bits out of A Glass of Nothing and looking at We Three Kings. Ate the last of my bean jar today. It really was the most successful bean jar I'd made in ages, with beef too. Again wandered down to the Plenty cafe, for a pot of tea, and to get another perspective. Something about dislocating yourself that lets you see things afresh. In the evening Beth and I cooked a pasta bake. Then Lorraine came home,  and Kitty, James and Dylan came around to do a read through on the cuts I'd been making, plus doing some more tweaks. Nice to be with them, and I like James too. I took this snap of them around the dinner table. Dylan, Beth, Kitty and James.

Yay! My first day off in seven days of various kinds of slogging, and mercifully not having to travel by train anywhere. Anton swung by in his BMW convertible with the roof down and drove Lorraine and I off to Steyning to collect Dawn. Nice to be cruising around like this, but sitting in the back on the motorway buffeted my head, and worried at 'The area of concern', aka my bald bit. We went for a short walk in the woods at the bottom of Chanctonbury Ring, which I enjoyed, despite still feeling the after effects of the ghastly throat and cough business  and laboured going uphill. I also have a slightly lurchy ear thing going on, which doesn't help. Among other bits of personal gossip, Anton and I had a long discussion about Tolkien, he's contemplating doing a degree on it.  I recommended he download the The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao , and he had just started to listen to it. It is larded with Tolkien references, and is set in Dominica and New York. Back to ...

Final night tonight. Woke up early, wondering if I had to go to the radio station with Dylan, which I didn't because they just wanted a chat with him. The interviewer, talking about his hair and beard and how he looked older than 18 and so on. Dylan mentioned the play and us by name, so this all good. He did a good job. The day with less going on, so I could go about the important business of keeping calm, taking a much needed doze in the afternoon. I chatted to Mum and Janet too.  Then Beth came home with Olivia who is staying for a while.  Olivia telling us about a gecko (dubbed Gordon) she had brought back home with her after living in Spain for months. It had been in her suitcase and she found it in her bathroom. Then off to do the last show. Everyone in an upbeat mood pre-show. I was a little nervous because we changed the opening, as I made a little speech dedicating this last show to the memory of Ronnie Corbett, seeing as Dylan's grandmother Anne was there, along w...

So blimey... Show day. Occasional flares of nerves in the morning. Found it difficult to concentrate on anything very much. So went to the gym early and did a workout which helped me calm down. Also great were Maureen and Pat coming in the afternoon. Chatting with them passed the time relaxingly till Beth and Lorraine got home. Then nerves for a while. Beth looked pale and could barely eat before we went out. Into the theatre, with only half an hour to get the set and everything ready. Fortunately this was managed fairly quickly. Beth, Kitty and Dylan pacing the stage whispering lines to themselves, then taking their places. Beth set on stage at the beginning. I felt writing it so she had to do this while people filed in was a bit sadistic in retrospect. I did a reasonable impression of someone who was calm, despite not being calm. A full house, the audience rapidly filling up the place. Lorraine sitting next to me, having helped at every stage. And boom, we're on. The play revol...

Up early to rather concerning news from a friend. But have to focus. Lorraine drove Beth and I down to the Warren for our Tech rehearsal in the Theatre Box. Sam the sound and lights guy helping us get our ducks in a row with lighting and sound effects. We then did a rehearsal of the show in which everyone had their lines and we slipped through it almost faultlessly. In manufacturing, they call this Just In Time production, but it certainly left me feeling relieved and for my nerves it would have been better to arrive a week or so earlier. Lorraine contributing and suggesting this morning too, not to mention bringing in coffee and a couple of bacon rolls. She is excellent at all this, and it is very useful to have a fresh pair of eyes on things. But then, having Beth has given her years of practice.  L and I briefly fantasised about all of us being able to make a living in theatre like this, Beth performing, me writing and Lorraine effortlessly smoothing everything. Such as going ...

Saturday, but Lorraine and I up fairly early, after I'd brought my lovely wife up breakfast in bed. Phone call from Maureen this morning, reading out a bit from the Daily Mail, talking about Dylan , his grandfather and grandma who will be coming to  A Glass of Nothing , her first outing since becoming a widow to support Dylan. Things to be done, and Dawn came around to our house and we went for a quick mooch around in the Open Houses. Biffing into quite a few. Although I most love paintings, it is the crafty bits and ceramics that tend to appeal more to me in the Open Houses. Having said that, if money was no object I'd come away with armfuls. Then Lorraine drove me down to the school where we rehearse. I took a firm and positive line today,  and we worked at the three or four spots in the play where there were line glitches. Dylan has a difficult bit where he is doing a similar thing and saying similar lines three times in the play, but we managed to get this sorted throu...

Struggling for focus. Breakfast with Lorraine, then I did my duo-lingo French course, which I am doing every day now. But I'm feeling generally nervy. Down to The Warren to pick up some tickets. Currently the final night is already sold out, and the two others are selling well. Went to the gym again, and had a decent go in there, but decided that I would take tomorrow off to allow the Temple of the Kenny body repair itself. Home and a few bits and pieces done before Beth returned in Laura's new Mini Cooper, which we loaded up with theatrical things before Laura drove us to The Copperdollar Studios. A really good rehearsal today, perhaps something to do with Lorraine coming, hugging everyone and casting a fresh pair of eyes on it. Upstairs was a dance class and there was a faint background of dragging and sliding which I quite liked. Everyone much better today, and I got a shiver as it was unfolding that only comes from watching proper theatre. All three of them did well, Dyla...