under another sun

Up early, after Lorraine left, working on poems this morning, and have a new buddy Charlotte, who gave me some speedy and perceptive feedback. Invaluable to have such an excellent poet as Charlotte reading your work. She cast her eye on two poems I have been trying to finalise. And came up with some comments which confirmed things I was thinking, saving me loads of time. A brief stroll about this afternoon in between the rain, and a chat with Mum, getting ready for the flight to see Toby and Romy tomorrow. A chat with Jerry too about some agency stuff. I am using this week to get my head sorted. With no work pressure on me, no play to write, I am experiencing a free-floating anxiety. Typically I am using a time free of pressure to vent my twitchy stuff so I am doing exercise and meditating to keep it under control. However this afternoon's meditative session was interrupted four times each after the first few minutes, until I simply gave up and focussed on being tetchy instead....

I was able to spend most of the day thinking about and writing the play, which is a real luxury, not to mention a necessity as the thing is being staged in 12 weeks. Beth and I made off to Neighbourhood this evening and did a couple of auditions, and we now have chosen our two actors. We saw Kitty for the second time -- both Beth and I liked her when we saw her the other week, and she comes across as a live wire, with natural comedy talent. Finding the right male actor was difficult, but we have selected a lovely young actor called Dylan, who Beth already knew but auditioned really well. Who has a warmth and natural likability. Beth and I had a conversation about it alone, before letting Dylan know. Kitty had already gone, but Beth called her. Both of them really happy to be involved, which is excellent. Dylan had a quick beer with us, and Beth and I stayed there to consume had a cheap Tuesday night burger and another beer to celebrate. Although Beth slightly 'bum-clenchy' (h...

Woke up feeling hot and weird in the night but went back to sleep. Once up, and finding myself in between bits of work,  I strolled into town. Lovely warm morning, dropped off a prescription at the quack's office, where the nice nurse called Lorraine told me I was looking well, and chatted about Chad, as we'd had a good laugh about my various neuroses about it before I'd gone there. Off to buy some files, then started to feel a bit rough. Home and slept heavily, then up and paracetamoled and met Betty on St James street where we auditioned some actors. Getting to read part of the script, and do some improvising with Beth. Interesting to meet them, sitting in the moody basement of a place called Neighbourhood. We found at least one cracking actor who was fully prepared, really energetic and on it. But a few were no shows. I can't understand people simply not turning up. Sometimes people don't have the gumption to take an opportunity that's under their nose. I...