Facebook my Friend

So, in case you haven't noticed, I am a prolific Facebooker. I login anywhere from 4-12 times a day to check messages, send messages and update my status. Facebook has become as important a part of my daily communications as email and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. So why is Facebook so important to me? Why do I feel the need to broadcast my thoughts and feelings to several hundred 'friends' on a regular basis? Am I an addict, a sad lonely middle-aged has-been, a cyber slut? Well, yes to some of those (cyber slut in particular) but for the rest - no. So what makes me different from the thousands of other sad, pathetic souls who spend countless hours socialising on their computers? Quite a bit I think.

First of all, I am a writer. It's who I am and it's the label I most identify with. It's about as concrete as me being a woman and a mother. Facebook is without question, the most useful broadcasting tool I've had as a writer, performer and artist. I've met some of my best contacts via Facebook, done most of my best marketing via Facebook and have even gotten some pretty sweet freelance contracts via Facebook - no shit!

So for the sake of a good debate, I'm curious to know how much people think is too much when it comes to time spent on a networking site like Facebook. Since I actually put a value on every activity I partake in during a day, including the mundane, it's interesting to me that I feel so immensely comfortable putting a positive value on the time I spend on Facebook. So how much time in concentrated value do I actually spend there? Not nearly as much as one might think. For example, I'm not there now. I am however logged into my email from the moment I wake up in the moring and put a steaming cup of coffee to my lips. My email immediately starts loading up all of the messages and comments I have received from everywhere I belong online- including myspace, youtube, Facebook and this (my blog). And then I start responding. Some people might think this is a waste of time, but to me, it is work and I assure you that each and every time I post something on my Facebook status, I have put something of myself into it. It's like a mental exercise. Or, a series of mental exercises. Think about the person who writes in a journal (I do this too), only these are journal entries you share. And why not? I love reading other people's statuses. And, I like to think I'm in a slightly more interesting position than the pregnant ladies who talk about their cervixes and the people playing Bejewelled Blitz or Mafia Wars. Slightly. I don't participate in online chats or msn because I find these too distracting and I am actually working. I know this is a concept which is hard to accept, but just think of me as the salesman who has to take a client out to dinner and then calls it work. I am taking you all out to dinner!

But seriously, prolific use of anything to the point where it is labelled an addiction is a dangerous thing. And like most other subjects, I actually know quite a bit about addiction. So do I think I am addicted to Facebook? No, absolutely not - Cherry Blossoms maybe, but Facebook? Nope. And here's why. Aside from me considering my status updates to be actual work and all (snicker if you must), I have an average day which looks something like this:

I wake up at 6.30am and go to bed somewhere around 11.00pm. In between those two times, I have managed to look after my child, get her off to school fed, clothed and smiling, made at least two meals for the 9 people who live in my house, do my work, run any errands and socialise. I never leave my house wearing pajamas or looking like a heroin junkie. I dress well, look after myself and I think it shows. I'm a speed reader (no joke) and plow through anywhere from 10 -20 books a week. That doesn't include the newspapers, periodicals and magazines I like to sift through as well. I can hold a conversation without a hitch and have been told my company is very entertaining. If you haven't seen me perform on stage, you should. I work really hard not to let you down. I hate wasting time. I am confident, but not vain. And while I do enjoy the company of others, I often prefer my own. Did I mention I live in a house of 9 people? Anyway, I feel like I am making justification for something which doesn't require it, but there you have it. I make no apologies, read my statuses or don't, it's entirely up to you. I love a good debate, it's good for the brain. And this is a subject I could talk about all day long......

P.S. - It's true about the book, I am writing one, it's a fictional account of a lady's year of status updates, a bit like Bridget Jone's diary but for the web geek. And remember it's fiction, so if it ever does get published and you ever do read it and you see something which remarkably resembles something you wrote many moons ago on Facebook as a comment or a status, I made it all up. And you can speak with my lawyer.

Some interesting ads I found on Kijiji....

I'm online alot, in case you haven't noticed. I work here, look for stuff and sometimes I even find things I like. Here are some of my favourite ads found on the Halifax Kijiji site:

1. Naked Group (also by the same poster - Naked Friends): Just naked people hanging out together doing all kinds of regular stuf naked - naked baseball, naked barbeques, naked swims, naked PTA meetings, all naked, all the time. In theory, I don't have a problem with this, from what little I know about people who like to live naked, this practice is apparently non-sexual in nature. Unfortunately, it's also usually really ugly people who participate. And I'm not sure if I want to know whether my daughter's teacher has a birthmark under her left tit or my lawyer's bum looks like cottage cheese and don't even get me started on the weiners. You see, in my sexist mind, men's equipment is always visualised rigid and spear like and followed by loud grumbles of "I am Thor God of War!!" I don't want to see flaccid winkies when I'm reading the paper or making dinner. To be fair, I actually feel the same way about women's bits. I like that my bra prevents my breasts from looking like dying balloons and unless I'm in the Med, I don't want to see Grandma's baby feeders flopping about while she simulates a Bo Derek beach jog. So please, please say no to the Naked Group for the sake of all that is decent (and mysterious).

2. Build a Terrarium Workshop: There are people who will pay proper money to sit with someone (an 'expert') for hours while they learn to build a garden in a jar with moss, dirt, twigs and plastic fairies. Are you willing to pay $40.00 to stuff random crap in a recycled jar and call it a garden? Then this ad's for you. We're still stuck in the days of scrapbooking and rughooking. Do we actually need another boring hobby?

3. Pretty Lady Needs Money: No, I did not post that ad. This pretty 25 year old is in need of 'fast cash' and all offers and suggestions are welcome. Honey, you don't need suggestions, just clients.

4. Questions to Your Answers. Do you believe that what you believe is really real?: Pardon me? Well actually, yes. I do believe that what I believe is really real. So obviously this group is not for me. It's for the people who don't believe in the things they believe in or who wonder if the things they believe in are really things or can be believed. Confused? Me too.

5. I Am Looking For Unwanted Items: Great. I have a neon sock (left foot) with a hole near the big toe area, a half used box of Q-tips (they hurt when you don't use them right) and a bag of Quality Street wrappers I was going to make a collage out of but frankly can't be arsed. Sounds like a win/win situation to me.

6. Do You Want to Learn the Chinese Peacock Dance?: Actually, yes.

7. Have You Had an Unusually Sinful Summer? We're Not Here to Judge.: While I kind of believe that Josie May and Billy Sue might not judge my especially sinful summer if I promise to repent, I'm a bit more supicious of the angry guy upstairs. I still have the scars from my lightening burn. Is there a time limit on this offer?

8. Wanted - Skookum Pully: Huh?

9. Personals: Bad. All of them. I was only there for research. Really. If you want to skip the dating process altogether and even the foreplay, there are apparently enough horny people in Halifax willing to give you their hotel room number, a meeting time and only ask that you bring the lube. Nice.

Two Hands are not enough....

I just realized that I haven't written any blog updates for a while - like a month! So, in order to keep things fresh, I am here to update and enlighten. Lately, most of my blogging happens on Facebook. I have a secure audience of 300 and something friends who I can bombard regularly with my happenings. There is nowhere for them to hide and the only escape is to remove me from their friend list. This is something which terrifies me more than I should probably admit as I would see it as the ultimate rejection, being a self-depracating adn vain person. However, the flip side of that statement is that truthfully, you should only want to keep the friends who are interested in what you have to say, no matter how annoying or insane - right? I am a prolific Facebooker, I virtually live there and obsessively check everyone's status's regularly to see who posts the most interesting or controversial ones. I know of at least three other people who regularly post more exciting, humourous and stimulating statuses than my own, but I'm reluctant to tell you their names in case you stop reading mine. Did I mention that I am vain?

I've not been Twittering as much as I should. I recently read that many stand-up comics are using Twitter to post new jokes and one-liners as it's a great way for them to try out new work. Truthfully, I'm trying out new work on my Facebook friends all the time and taking notes and making graphs and charts and hiring nerds to qualify the data. It's like a full time job and I'm hoping it will pay in dividends eventually....hopefully before Facebook is replaced by an even more addictive social networking site and then I will have to start all over again.

I'm still looking for work, preferably some freelance work....writing as it would allow me to work from home on my wizzy little laptop which I refer to as 'my third eye'. I'm kind of an anti-social recluse which I know goes against the vain, exibitionist persona I put out to the public on a daily basis, but truthfully I enjoy my own company more than I fear is healthy. This is most likely the main reason why I am still single. I can't find anyone I like better than myself, or even close. A hypothetical conversation might look something like this:

Me: Hey, I just got asked out on a date while at the supermarket...some hot beefy guy named Biff.

Me: Hmmmm. Are you sure you want to go out on a date with a guy named Biff?

Me: Well, why not? The name's not important, I mean he's a Man, a real Man with legs and everything and more importantly, he asked me out!

Me: Yeah, but does he have a wizzy little laptop and endless supply of Cherry Blossoms? You know that you'll have to dress in something sexy, you won't be able to wear your stretchy pants on a date with Biff and he might want you to jog or spot him at the gym. If you go to a restaurant and he's paying, you'll have to sit with him no matter how bad it gets, listening to him drivvle on about how buff he is and how lucky you are that he had the spare time to ask you out because he is one hot commodity. And if he has kids, you'll become an instant Stepmother which I realize is kinda like splitting hairs because you've got a kid, but do you really want to go there. And what if he smells bad, you know you're really not very good at hiding your disgust at things like bad smells and funky teeth and pigeon toes and well, the list goes on and on....

Me: Alright, I get your point!! Maybe this dating thing isn't for me. So, what are your plans tonight?

Me: Well, I thought you and I could snuggle on the couch, watch some reality TV and you can play on that wizzy laptop.

Me: Wow, you really know how to sweet talk a girl.

Me: I know. Cherry Blossom?

So there you have it. Everything you need to know about me in a few lines. Now please don't remove me from your Facebook friends list. It's all I have.

Setting the Pace

Well, it's been a bit of a crazy month in Halifax. I'm still searching for that elusive provider of security, money and hopefully some happiness known as the 'job'. It seems a lot has changed since I last lived in Halifax and that my imaginings of walking into a great job and into the waiting arms of my future employer who was going to kiss me gently on the forehead and thank me for joining their team were slightly outside of the scope of reality. Reality is much more like this:

I search for jobs for which I am qualified and have ample experience and solid references. I tailor cover letters and applications for said jobs. I apply for jobs. I hear nothing back. I make enquiries - by phone, by email. People don't respond. I search for auditions for acting jobs for which I am qualified and have ample experience and solid references. I go to auditions. I hear nothing back. I get enquiries about my interest in attending future auditions. I respond. I hear nothing back. These are the types of scenarios for which the 'bitchslap' was invented.

It royally sucks that there is a wall of indifference from potential employers about responding to correspondence and phone calls. It is unprofessional. If you ask me to call you and I do or email you and I do and then I never hear from you, you are an idiot. Simple. And, in my experience this scenario didn't happen to the same degree in England. Progression, not regression people! There, rant over. I feel better, and can resume telling you about the good things that have happened..

I did audition for Neptune Theatre's company. I was happy with the audition, although I can't say I understand the ethos behind open auditions for no show in particular, where you prepare a classical and comtemporary monologue. I would much rather audition for a particular show. I'm not about to do Hamlet anytime soon. Actually my monologue was from Electra, but I'm not about to do that show either. I would rather audition something of my own. But there you have it. No call, assuming I'm not what they wanted. Not belonging to ACTRA, another pain in my ass. I may write something about it yet. I'm still hoping to audition for one or both of the dinner theatres as that is much more my area - live comedy, anxious audience.

I recently performed at Harmony Bazaar in Lockeport (Sat. July 25). This festival of women and song is four years running and I decided to take a stab at storytelling for children using a number of stories and rhyming children's verse I wrote years ago. It was great, so wonderful to be in front of an audience again and great to do something on my own.

Things are progressing rapidly on the Sam and Dave front back in England. Although jobless, I'm determined to get back in November for what is likely to be about 12 shows now. Aside from the Exeter Autumn Festival, the sketch show is now scheduled to be performed during the Hull Comedy Festival at the beginning of November alongside some big name acts including Al Murray. I'm thrilled, but will have to start raising funds soon!

Now I just need to get things moving from this end. I've made some enquiries about doing comedy work with new people but I'm not used to being laid back or allowing things to move in slow motion. I may just have to go it alone! What a frightening thought.

I'm planning to continue with open mike performances and have found some regular events being held at local libraries and a group called Word iz Bond which regularly host poetry slam nights.

I'm still writing regularly and have one young adult book which will be finished in final draft by the end of August called The Queen of Cumberdone Bligh. This was ten years in the making (on and off) so the relief will be grand. Next step - find a publisher!

Welcome Home Eh!

OK, well I made it to Canada safely. It's taken me a bit of time to get my Atlantic legs back and I'm only just starting to feel settled. My intention was to write an update before leaving England, but it was too hectic, so to recap...

The Temple of Nothing's preview of Women are Revolting was held at the Exeter Phoenix Bar on 18th June. It was fabulous. This was the first time I had performed any of my own poetry and I had the opportunity to do two from my larger body of work called the Book of You: Chapter 2 (Define Definition) and Chapter 3 (I am Eve). The event was recorded and the wonderful Belinda, Belinda, Belinda of Big Brother 9 fame and one of the founding members of the Temple of Nothing has edited some wonderful snippets of performances from the night which are making their way across youtube and facebook. Great stuff!

I was able to do some filming with Sam and Dave for their new mockumentary: The Making of the Sam and Dave Show which will be premiered during their live show at the Exeter Autumn Festival. This is going to be a great show. The more time I spend with them, the better the work is and they are at the top of their game now. It's fabulous.

I'm trying to do as much early networking in Halifax as possible, laying the groundwork for future work, writing, performances and meeting some fabulous people in the local arts scene. I also have an audition with Neptune Theatre for their company on Monday and will be scrambling in a blind panic to learn my two monologues by then. But, if I want it, I've got to show them the goods. Let's hope the goods are good enough!!

I will try to make my entries more frequent now that I'm settling in and having more news to report. Let's hope the sun comes out soon, this is more like English weather!

Shifting Gears...

Long time, no blog! Lots to report though...

I've been trying to perform as much as possible before moving back to Canada. On the 20th May, Sam and Dave and Barefaced Cheek performed with the Untitled Theatre at the Havana Club, Exeter. We had a great night with lots of other wonderful comedy performers. Paul Jackson, the ex Head of Comedy at ITV and producer of TV legends such as Red Dwarf was in the audience and seemed to be enjoying himself very much. I do regret not having an opportunity to ask him whether he enjoyed our sketches, but seeing him laugh is probably credit enough. There were stand-up acts, sketches, film and the fabulous comedy singer Will Page who I am trying to convince to bring his unique, original and hilarious act to Halifax. We will see....

I've also been performing at Open Mike sessions in Exeter, most recently the Open Mike at the Bamboo Gardens with Sam Morgan (1/2 of Sam and Dave). There wasn't much of a crowd, but we gave them the two Pet Corner sketches and they seemed rather grateful, if not a little amused! As is sometimes the case after Pet Corner, I found myself faced with an amorous admirer. This reaction only ever comes from those two sketches and it's sometimes rather frightening! It's an act people, I'm not actually a perverted pet show host who likes to molest herself!

Sam and Dave's radio show has been on almost every week, rotating on Soundart, Phonic FM and The Source. The show is picking up quite a cult following and in my opinion it gets better and better. The next one is this Saturday 7pm on Soundart, Totnes.

I submitted my short play In Other Words to the Big Read at the Exeter Northcott, a programme which encouraged original play submissions with a selection being chosen for rehearsed readings at the theatre. There were 75 entries and 6 were chosen for performance. Although mine wasn't one of the chosen few, I did receive some very helpful feedback from the selection panel which will help me to restructure and further develop my play, I hope. I thought this was a wonderful opportunity and I certainly hope the Northcott continues to foster local writers through other programmes in the future. I know two of the selected playwrights and although I missed the readings, I'm sure we'll be seeing great things from both of them in the future. Congratulations to Robert Garnham, Jim Sadler and the other selected writers.

Next week I will be performing my poem I Am Eve along with the Temple of Nothing's preview performance of Women Are Revolting at the Exeter Phoenix Bar (18th June). I'm also working on two audio/film elements but not certain they will be ready for next week!

My last performance in the UK will be on Saturday, 20th June in Plymouth for a charity event being run by a friend of Sam Morgan's. We will be performing some sketches and helping them to raise money for a worthwhile African charity and sponsored climb up Mount Kilimanjaro.

I have further plans to return in November to perform with Sam and Dave in a live version of their comedy sketch show (with audio and filmed sketches as well). There will be 4 shows and they will be taking place at the Exeter Phoenix during the Exeter Autumn Festival. Following that, I am hoping to raise enough money to bring the Sam and Dave Show to Halifax for the Atlantic Fringe Festival in 2010. If I can convince Will Page to join the production, I think Halifax will be in store for a real English treat.

I'm hoping to post another blog entry before leaving England for my homeland. Bye for now! x

Sam and Dave, Barefaced Cheek and the Temple...

Lately, a significant portion of my 'spare' time has been spent working on the publicity and web presence for the fabulously talented Sam and Dave. Their comedy sketch show has been sweeping across the UK airwaves and shows no signs of slowing down. I do quite a bit of acting with them and they are just wonderful boys to work with. Performing with them has been one of the best experiences I've had in England and I hope it continues.

The Sam and Dave Show now has a myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/samanddaveshow. You can listen to a selection of their audio sketches and they'll be rotating and uploading more sketches over the coming months. You can also find out when and where their show is being broadcast and tune in on your little portable radio, or listen online. They've been getting some great feedback from other professionals in the industry and if I was a betting gal, I'd put my money on them any day of the week! They're also now on Facebook as well. Isn't everyone??!

The Sam and Dave Show is primarily Sam Morgan and Dave Rees with anyone else being part of the supporting cast/crew. Not to say we're not important, but we know the pecking order and it's well deserved! They are also planning a 4 show tour during the Exeter Autumn Festival in November 09 for which I'm flying back to this side of the pond to perform with them. I haven't even gone to Canada yet and already I can't wait to come back and perform with the boys.

Speaking of boys, my other boys (Barefaced Cheek) and I are in the midst of planning the recording of a number of our own sketches for distribution/broadcast. We'll also be performing live on Wednesday 20th May (along with Sam and Dave and other UK comedy acts) as part of a show called The Untitled Theatre which is taking place at the Havana Bar on the Quay, Exeter. The show starts at 8.00pm. Also, over the next few weeks, we'll be performing at various Exeter venues, including the Open Mike at the Bamboo Gardens (Wednesdays 9.00pm). If you're in the mood for a bit of Cheek, come and check us out!

The Temple of Nothing is going to be promoting its upcoming show - Women Are Revolting (July) by hosting a preview night at the Exeter Phoenix (bar) on 18th June. I'll be performing with them - my performance poem title I Am Eve along with an audio/visual element I've put together. If you're dying to see a dozen or so primal tribal fierce intelligent women dressed in white performing their hearts out, then I guess you'll want to put it in your diary. :)

Short Report

I've been working very hard for several weeks now, recording audio sketches for Sam and Dave's Show which seems to be cropping up on stations all over the South West lately. It's a credit to their perseverence and dedication...and let's not forget talent! They are doing some fabulous work, so if you have a chance, check them out on Phonic FM or SoundArt (with more stations on the way).

It's hard to wind down when there seems to be so much happening and I'm conscious of how much I am leaving undone in the UK. There are just too many loose ends to tie up!

This weekend I'll be concentrating on recording audio sketches from the Barefaced Cheek body of work. We are planning on combining the best sketches into an hour long podcast which will be available online, with single sketches posted on youtube. This will also coincide with the filming of our most popular sketches, again with plans to make them available to the wider community online.

And if you haven't heard of the Temple of Nothing and their glorious female genius, it's worth checking out their website at www.templeofnothing.com. I've been involved with the group since the early days and the first show is scheduled for 18th July at the Exeter Phoenix. Sadly, this is after I leave England so I won't be involved in that show, but there are plans for a preview to be held in the Phoenix bar next month and I'm likely to perform a piece I've written - dressed all in white of course!

Poetry in Motion

The first day of May - and as I look out of the window, the sun is bright and surrounded by blue. It's a gorgeous day!

I've been writing poetry again recently. I am always reading poetry, but over the years I have discovered that I am only interested in writing poetry when there is pain or love or melancholy in my life. A recent poem to share with you:

In the absence of you
There is only hope
And dreams
Of life
Better
Of life
Sweeter
Held at the seams.

In the absence of you
There are whispers
Longing
Fibrous
Nimble
Softly speaking
Felt not heard
Whispers of song.

In the absence of you
There are too many pieces
Ragged and broken
Moments
Edges
Closing in
Words forgotten
Remain unspoken.

In the absence of you
There is nothing
Pale tones
Breath in
No marks to hold
No heart tick
In the absence of you
It is done.

Very cathartic, writing poetry. Of all of the writing I do, this is the writing which feeds my soul and makes me feel complete.

I've also been recording sketches for radio recently. My friends Sam Morgan and Dave Rees have been successfully flogging their brilliant comedy sketch show The Sam and Dave Show to radio stations throughout the UK. They have been working with a number of talented writers and I'm excited about the prospect of 'performing' for a different audience. I will continue to work with them until I leave for Canada. If you'd like to listen to the shows, check out the current line-up on Phonic FM (www.phonic.fm 106.8fm Exeter) and Sound Art (www.soundartradio.org.uk 102.5fm Totnes). More stations to be announced soon.....

Barefaced Cheek will be filming an number of sketches from the live show to post online and will also be recording sketches for audio use in the future.

I'm desperate to get as much writing/recording/filming and submitting done before leaving, but am quickly realizing that I'm running out of time.....

Now back to work!!

What a Weekend!!!

The Barefaced Cheek performance of This Show Shall Remain Nameless... on Saturday night was a resounding success! Everything just fell into place and I can honestly say that I have never felts as comfortable on stage as I did then. It was magic....and now it's over! The article in Friday's Express and Echo was large and wonderful with a big glossy photo. Sometimes the effort pays off.

So, now plans for the future. I have two months left in England and plan to make the most of them. We'll be filming some of the Barefaced Cheek sketches to put on youtube and will also be recording the two songs from our show with filmed videos to post as well. I'm not settling for any less than UK #1 for my Gordon Brown love song!!!!

I'll be working on some audio recordings with my friends Sam and Dave for inclusion in their radio comedy sketch show. The Sam and Dave Show is currently on air on Phonic FM (Exeter) and Sound Art (Totnes). They have picked up a few other stations in the UK which are eager to include them in their scheduling, so the listenership will be growing at an alarming rate!!

I'm also still involved with the Temple of Nothing, although I have had to put my original performance for the show on hold. I'll still be putting together an audio/visual element for the preview in June and will help with publicity. I will be the long-distance Temple sister when I move back to Canada, but will continue to be involved with the group as I'm sure the work of the Temple will continue to flow and progress over the coming months.

At a time when I should be winding down my work here, all I really want to do is wind it UP! Very conflicting emotions.....

Beemos and Bad Wigs...

Lots of activity over the last week.

Rolling out the promotion for the Barefaced Cheek show on 18th April...

I did a telephone interview yesterday with the Express and Echo (Exeter) for a full page article which is going in next Friday's (17th) What's On entertainment section with colour photo - fab! We'll be doing a photo shoot next week for the article. I'm also going to be doing a live interview on Exeter FM (107.3FM) on Wednesday (15th) at 10.15am about the show. Sometimes the press releases don't work - and sometimes they do! It's all good.

We've just about finalised the line-up for the show which may sound silly as we're only a week away from 'the night', but we just have too much good material, making it incredibly difficult to trim. Obviously we don't want the show to be too long, but I think we've now got just the right mix of sketches, topics, audio and a bit of song and dance for good measure!

I'm working on new material as well. The Exeter Northcott is running a play submission programme at the moment called The Big Read. I'm trying to decide whether to submit an existing play or finish one of the new ones I've been working on. Obviously one of these options easier than the other, but that doesn't necesarrily make it the right choice! Either way, I'll definitely be submitting a play and see what happens.

Don't forget, if you haven't already bought tickets, the Barefaced Cheek show - This Show Shall Remain Nameless... is playing on Saturday 18th April at the Barnfield Theatre (Clifford Room) at 8pm for One Night Only. Box office - 01392 270891. See you there!

And if you're wondering what a Beemo is, all will be revealed during the show.

James Bond and the art of Radio

It's been a terrific, action-packed week of creative expression. I've been editing some previous stories for submission to various publications which I've enjoyed far more than I anticipated. There is a reason why they've been sitting in a box for so long! If there were only more hours in the day, but alas, we've recently lost another one - DRAT!

I had a dinner meeting with some of my comedy colleagues on Friday night to plot and plan our weekend of mahem. On Saturday, I was recording radio sketches as a supporting act for my friends Sam and Dave - a brilliant comedy duo who have recently acquired a second slot for their radio comedy sketch show called The Sam and Dave Show. Writers from all over the UK have been submitting their sketches to them for inclusion in the show and we read them all with rapt attention! There are so many talented writers out there! It was a great day - lots of hard work, but even more laughter. That's the beauty of comedy - it's tough, but when you get it right you're floating. We managed to record about twelve sketches which is a great accomplishment considering we didn't stop laughing for the first two hours. James Bond will never be the same to me again!

I've got one Barefaced Cheek show to get ready for - 18th April (Barnfield Theatre, Exeter) and then we'll be wrapping up for the time being. Hopefully we will be able to work remotely on a new programme for Barefaced Cheek which will see me fly back from Canada for future performances.

My new obsession is with comedy songs, so I've been spending time trying to destroy the most influential songs of my youth with my own warped version of life around me. It's enough to make you cry...with pity!

That's all I have to report for now. I've just spotted an interesting show coming up at the Exeter Phoenix in May - The Wondermentalists present Taking the Mic. I'm thinking that this might be a good opportunity for me to perform one of the poems I wrote for the Vibaraphonic Poetry Slam (but was in Hospital with my daughter so had to pull out :(). I may get in touch with them very soon....

Always look for opportunities, sometimes they do just appear right out of nowhere!

Back on Track...

Sorry, it's been a while. I have more upheaval to report, but everything else seems to be moving along steadily now. The Temple of Nothing has postponed it's premiere of Women are Revolting (WAR). It was previously scheduled for 25th April, but will now be taking place sometime in July. This decision was made to coincide with the funding application the Temple is making to the Arts Council in conjunction with the amount of rehearsals needed to put out a cracking show. I'm in total agreement, even though it means I won't be able to 'physically' participate in the July production as I will have replanted myself in Canada by then. I will however continue to be a member of the group (mainly to have the option of participating in the forthcoming tour - Berlin, Bulgaria...etc. etc.) and will also be submitting multi-media material for use during the productions. Mensa and the Devil Tree will probably have to wait for a Canadian release, but I have put together a series of poetic slideshows called The Book of You which will be included in the show.

Barefaced Cheek are getting ready for their one and only performance of This Show Shall Remain Nameless... on 18th April at the Barnfield Theatre, Exeter. Cancelling the Cheltenham shows this month was a terrifically painful blow to all of us and it has taken a few weeks to stop feeling so very bad about it all. In a way, it's very poignant that my last Barefaced Cheek show will be in Exeter, where we started out. It will be exciting and also very sad indeed.

I've also been writing and submitting new material for publication. My new short story LIV has just been submitted to the Genomics Short Story Competition (UK). I've also been working on some previously written children's work, reediting with more 'seasoned' eyes and hopefully giving them the life they deserve.

I have written my first fan letter since I was about 12 (to Duran Duran-the sex gods of my youth) recently. The letter is to James Corden, comedy writer and performer. I'm a huge fan of his work (Gavin & Stacey and now the Horne & Corden sketch show) and think he's a great inspiration, being a passionate writer/performer of comedy myself. I felt a bit silly writing it, but since I haven't thought of doing something like that for a long time, thought 'What the hell!'. If I made a difference to someone else's life in the work I was doing, I would love to hear about it, truly I would! So why wouldn't he?

I'm completely overwhelmed at the moment with job searching in Halifax (Nova Scotia) where I'll be taking up residence in June. It's a nutty process no matter where you live and I'm anxious that this is a detail which MUST be settled before we arrive!

Anyway, that's all I have to report at the moment. Enjoy the English sunshine - while it lasts!!

When it Rains it Pours...

Well, I wish I had lots of positive news to report right now, but there has been a huge amount of unexpected upheaval lately on the homefront. My daughter was rushed to hospital last week with stomach problems. We spent 5 days there and she seems to be more or less alright now, but it has meant I've had to make some tough decisions about recent plans. I didn't perform in the Vibraphonic Poetry Slam. I have 4 fantastic slam poems just waiting to be unleashed on the world and I certainly hope I'll have an opportunity to perform them in the future. Most distressing of all was the decision to cancel the Barefaced Cheek shows playing in Cheltenham this week. With my daughter still at home recovering, I had to put my Mommy hat on and everything has just had to take a backseat. This is terribly unfair to the rest of the company and to the people who purchased tickets, but everyone has been very understanding about my need to put her first.

So, as today would have been our first Cheltenham show, I am sitting here licking my wounds and feeling rather sorry for myself which may be slightly selfish, but can't be helped I'm afraid. Better I'm a tad self-indulgent to all of you than crying my eyes out in front of her. That's my logic, anyway!

I'm feeling a bit stir crazy, wishing I could be on a stage somewhere, somehow, but all of that will have to wait for a little while. I've decided to concentrate on editing some former writing which has been stuffed away in a box, see if there's anything worth salvaging and reworking. I need a project right now, and that seems like a good use of any spare time I have at the moment. I'm also still heavily involved in the Temple of Nothing and am thrilled with the shape Mensa and the Devil Tree has taken. The show has been renamed Women are Revolting and it is certain to be a fantastic evening of daring and intelligent women's performance.

I hope to have some more positive updates soon and may even record my slam poems to post here in the near future, so keep checking back!

Making the Most of March!

Wow! It's been a flurry of activity on the homefront. In the end, I didn't put in an entry for the 7on7 Sketch competition. Something had to give last week and I'm afraid it was that. This Saturday, I'm performing in the Vibraphonic Poetry Slam. I have four new, original pieces prepared. I've been practising and I'm 'in it to win it', so wish me luck!! I thought I'd have a fresh course of panic pulsing through my veins by now, but...nope, just feeling exciting and ready to get my groove on.

Temple of Nothing is forging ahead with lots of ladies at the helm. I think there are 15 of us now, all working on different pieces, some collective, some individual, all amazing. We have another collective gathering this weekend and hopefully will decide on the show name for the premiere (25th April)which has now shifted as the pieces have developed, from Transparent Masks to possibly Women are Revolting. We will see!!

Barefaced Cheek are starting the first leg of the new tour of This Show Shall Remain Nameless... next week. We are performing on 12, 13 and 14 March in the Studio Theatre of the Everyman in Cheltenham. Friday (13th) is Red Nose Day, and we will be visiting a playwrighting class at the University of Gloucestershire to run a sketch writing workshop with the students and hopefully devise (along with them) a new sketch specifically for the Red Nose Day performance that evening.

Yesterday, I was interviewed by the Gloucestershire News regarding the new show and there will be a feature article in this Friday's edition promoting our tour. It's all terrific, everything's moving right along and if we fill the place, even better!

A lot of work has gone into this show and I can assure you that there isn't anything quite like this happening anywhere else in the UK right now. We love the turn our writing has taken with the development of This Show Shall Remain Nameless... and I think we've achieved a new level of wackiness I didn't even know was possible!

This will probably be my last post until after the Cheltenham gigs - unless I win the Poetry Slam in which case I'll plaster my news on Sunday!

Catchya on the flip side, my thespian sibs!

Caught in a Writing Typhoon....

Sorry for my negligence of late, it's been a frantic, crazy, hectic, and unbelievably exciting time for me. Just a quick recap.....

I'm now officially registered to perform in the Vibraphonic Poetry Slam on 7th March at the Exeter Phoenix. I'm absolutely terrified, but I've got an ever mounting spectrum of word wizardry creeping into the folds of my notebook. I'm not a poetry performer and aside from the youtube videos I've been watching of other slams, I am walking into this completely blind. I'm hoping my performing experience and my love of poetry will help me, but if my words aren't sharp, arousing and thump with a vibrant beat - I'm dead in the water! My tactic is to write the different pieces in a style of chapters from the book of my life. I promise it will be more interesting than it sounds!

I've also been working on some new comedy sketches. I won't be adding them to the Barefaced Cheek repetoir just yet, but hopefully I can find enough gems to submit to the 7on7 sketch competition currently running on the BBC writersroom website. The prize is use of your sketches on a new BBC Radio 7 show and also a writing masterclass with David Mitchell of Mitchell and Webb (Peep Show) fame. If I won, I would have to try terribly hard NOT to wet myself or else I might be the subject of one of HIS sketches. I'm sure the competition will be tight and I know of a few other South West comedy writers entering this competition so we shall see what happens!

Other news - I'll post individual updates for Temple of Nothing (first performance of Transparent Masks in April) and Barefaced Cheek tour of This Show Shall Remain Nameless... soon.

New project - I'm currently writing a one act play examining a mother/daughter relationship and written in my usual tongue-in-cheek fashion. The working title is Peach Fuzz and this play is very special as I'm developing it on the basis that it will be performed by myself and my daughter (the inspiration for my own foray into acting) upon our return to Halifax, Canada. I'm hoping to schedule it into the Atlantic Fringe Festival this coming summer and other venues in Nova Scotia.

Honing the Craft at Animated Exeter Festival

It's Animated Exeter time once again! This is probably my favourite time of year in Exeter and I'm certain there are few other animation festivals quite as comprehensive and accessible as this one. Animation is one of my great loves. I started off with the Disney classics of my youth and a mild obsession with Tom and Jerry. Although I still love the soft, hand-drawn cartoon fairy tales, my tastes have changed drastically over the years. I spend a good portion of my time on youtube watching animated shorts - from the more widely known and studied to the lesser known student creations. I'm a huge fan of the dark brooding creations of Tim Burton and the slightly more frightening Brothers Quay. I've also been lucky enough to discover on youtube the immense talent of M dot Strange. His feature length feast - We Are the Strange had me mesmerized from beginning to end. As far as I know he's a one-man-show and a bit of an animation savant (his doll models are just plain freaky). He travels all over the world speaking at conventions and is well known in the animation underground. I hope to meet him one of these days.

The photo above is one of my creations from a family animation I made with my daughter, Mother and two cousins last year called The Everlasting Rose. We made the film with equipment/studio loans from Exeter Phoenix after participating in a Fabric Animation workshop at Animated Exeter and believing we could do it on our own!!! Since making that film, I've spent countless hours trying to hone my meager stop motion skills by reading as many books on the subject as I can get my hands and eyes on; participating in the wonderful workshops of the Animated Exeter Festivals; and watching, watching and watching animation after animation. It really is an obsession, but as far as obsessions go, it's one I'm not willing to give up!

This year, I signed up for two courses, both of which were last weekend. The first was a Writing for Animation masterclass with Alan Gilby (award winning writer of Frankenstein's Cat and Pinky and Perky). It was worth every penny - and then some! It was an incredibly intense session packed full of Alan's wisdom, advice and the in's and out's of the business. Alan has a comedy theatre background and starts off his sessions with the most revered of all drama games. While most of the other writers were sweating in their pants, I felt very much at home! It was hard work the whole way through and I could feel my mind buzzing with the flurry of mental workouts he pushed us through. It was superb, absolutely superb! My only regret is that I didn't stay to have a drink and a chat with Alan afterwards, but alas I didn't allow for it in my daily schedule and was left running for the parking lot at the end of the session- crap! He had a small crowd gathering around him at the bar - smarter folks who obviously sensed their luck at having an opportunity to share a drink and pick the brain of one of the industry's creative geniuses. Oh well, maybe next time? Probably not.

The next course was the following day - Life Drawing for Animation with Sara Easby. Again, this was a workout but of a different kind. I thought my arms were going to drop off at the end of the session. Sara teaches life drawing at Aardman - the mecca of the stop motion animation world, so I jumped at the chance to take part and quickly emptied my wallet of my remaining £10.00 - at that price, it was a steal! It was a life drawing class in every sense - easels, charcoal, and a dancing model. I love to draw, but I found the rigid use of the techniques a bit daunting for my wobbly arm and rapid eye movements. I'm so used to drawing on a flat surface, I fear I've created a lot of very bad habits. It was a terrific experience though and I took alot of useful information away with me. I can't say I enjoyed it as much as Alan's workshop, but that would be like comparing apples and oranges. I was inspired enough after Alan's class to write out film ideas for two hours that evening, but I didn't go home and draw after the second one. My arm hurt too much! Still, not sure I'd ever have the chance anywhere else other than England to participate in classes like these, with people working in such esteemed institutions. Boy, do I hate to miss an opportunity!

Cheltenham, here we come!

On Saturday, we travelled to Cheltenham to deliver our show flyers and check out the digs! I'd never been to Cheltenham before and thought it was a lovely place, lots of activity, many many people on the streets and the energy was really uplifting. Our first stop was The Everyman Theatre to drop off the box of flyers/posters and then we spent the afternoon doing the tourist thing - walking around, leaving flyers at all of the hotspots (tourist bureau, library, museum, other theatres, cafes and pubs). The reception we got was terrific - people seemed keen to chat and find out what we were doing and when. Comedy is always a good topic of conversation, especially in the depressing times of late, so we spent lots of time just chatting to the people, cracking a few jokes and drinking lots of coffee! Later on we went back to the Everyman to meet Corin the tech dude and see the Studio Theatre space (just right for us - intimate quarters!). All of the theatre staff we met were very friendly, happy people. We discovered that we've already sold tickets to all three shows which is terrific news as it's still 5 weeks before the first show. We'd really love to sell out and reach as many people as we can. This will be our first proper set of shows outside of Devon and it's important that we keep networking and bring our show to a wider UK audience. So if you live near Cheltenham and need a good laugh, come and see us next month (12, 13, 14 March) at The Everyman Theatre. (http://www.everymantheatre.org.uk/).

FYI - We're performing two great little sketches this Saturday (Valentine's Day) at Rougement Castle in Exeter as part of the Art Week Finale. The sketches are Not a Date and Subbucks (a local favourite!). If you're in Exeter on the weekend and want a free preview, come along - both of these sketches feature in our new show, This Show Shall Remain Nameless...

http://www.barefacedcheek.bravehost.com/

To slam or not to slam....

I've been invited to participate in the Vibraphonic Poetry Slam taking place on 7th March at the Exeter Phoenix. I was very quick to decline at first, after all I am a slam virgin. I've been writing poetry for a long time, but I've only performed at two public readings, and neither of those were 'slams'. And my poetry is very prose heavy, lovey-dovey, heavily iced - it lacks the strong edged language indicative of this kind of performance. I jumped at the chance to spectate - but perform? I don't think so!

Now, for the last week I've been mulling over my decision, and the slam keeps coming back to haunt me. I've been meeting and speaking with other artists performing in the slam and strange, rapid-fire word combinations have been appearing in my mind at a thrilling pace. I love challenging myself, as a writer and a performer. Perhaps I was too quick to say no. Perhaps I should reconsider. Perhaps I have the 'slam' in me after all.

I haven't changed my mind exactly, but thought that I would do some 'slam' research to help me make the most educated decision. I've been watching numerous youtube videos of slam participants and have concluded that at it's best, it's actually a lot like rap - isn't it? Now that's not a bad thing, although I'm not a traditional rap fan. What I do love about rap though is its unconventionl word wizardry and beat-like trance inducing pace. Slamming is actually pretty complicated stuff and extremely skilled when it's done well. I'm thinking I might give it a go, in a supportive environment (such as the Vibraphonic Poetry Slam), it could be a very liberating experience. Actually, the slam is being held the day before International Women's Day so it would be a wonderful opportunity to create something very personal and meaningful for myself and other women.

I haven't changed my mind yet, but I am wavering....

A temple, a tsunami and a pen.....

Well today I'm home with my sick daughter so thought I'd take the opportunity to work on some writing I've set aside for a while. Mensa and the Devil Tree is shaping up nicely as a story. I've tried to write it so the words sing when they're spoken. I want the sound of the words to have as much impact as the meaning. I've not performed anything like this before - in fact I've never performed alone on stage before, so there are numerous challenges, but I'm very excited. I'm sure I will get useful feedback from the other Temple members to help me sculpt Mensa to the best of my abilities.

I've set myself a goal to try and finish one of my novels for young adults this month (!). One regret is that I haven't spent as much time on these, and particularly that I hadn't finished one complete draft before moving on to the development of another. I have in my bedroom boxes upon boxes of handwritten notes and unfinished manuscripts. The novel I'm working on right now is one I started writing in August 2007 while vacationing in Ibiza with my family. This story is very special as the four main characters are modelled after my daughter, two neices and nephew. In fact, during one very hot day in our rented apartment, all four kids helped me write the first chapter of the story. When we returned to England, I set my notes aside and didn't look at them again until the following year when we made plans to return to Ibiza. So, in August 2008 I took the beginning of the manuscript with me and wrote for days - poolside, on the balcony, anytime I had five minutes to spare and needed some relief from the sun. With a good chunk of the story written and the entire bones of it fleshed out, I'm going to work very hard this month to finish the draft (in a lovely purple hardbound notebook), type it up, edit and submit to publishers. Fingers crossed - this may be my first published novel.

It's a great story, but still without a title! It centres around four children who are living on a small island near Sri Lanka with their Missionary parents. When a tsunami hits the island, the children are evacuated along with the other villagers. Separated from their parents during the chaos, their boat washes up on a strange little island which at first appears to be uninhabited. What the children discover about their new island home and themselves will change their lives forever.

I'll keep you posted on my progress....

Mensa and the Devil Tree

OK - thought I'd give you a little preview of my new work for Temple of Nothing. This is one of my sketches, not to be used in the piece, but designed to inspire the writing.

I'll be narrating the story of Mensa, a vibrant girl with a penchant for exploring the depths of her curious nature. There's a silent filmed background element and the story is rich in religious references, sexuality, desire, female stereotypes, the mother/daughter relationship, temptation, historical bias, love and loss. The colour red features prominently.

The idea for this story came from my long held adoration for children’s stories and fairy tales. I was particularly drawn to the idea of creating a seemingly innocent little story with a serrated edge. I've drawn further inspiration from some of my favourite storytellers, including God (the Bible), Shakespeare, Leonard Cohen and Daphne duMaurier, among others. I think they would be pleased.

Here's a short excerpt from the draft:

The tree spoke softly. “Can you hear my prayer Mensa?”

And she could, the vision which she beheld was one face, one voice and it spoke these words:

“In nature, there is no blemish but the mind............."

And a bit more:

The tree looked down at Mensa through its crusted gaping holes of eyes. “You are the puppet flower on a puppet stem, and I am your howling animal.”

They laughed at this. And the tree stroked Mensa’s hair with the gentleness of a true friend.

I'll update you on my progress as the weeks go by. I will be performing the finished piece solo during the first performance with the Temple of Nothing...sometime in May....

Worshiping in the Temple...

My newest performance project is the Temple of Nothing (birthed and facilitated by the brilliant and inspiring Belinda Harris-Reid & Josephine Larsen). I have finished creating the Facebook group page and uploaded as many interesting 'white' themed photos I could find. White plays an important role in the development and portrayal of the various created performance pieces...I don't want to give too much away! There are thirteen women involved with this project, from poets to playwrights, artists to alchemists, all of various ages and backgrounds - a truly diverse group with one commonality - the desire to make the inaccessible accessible. We are all attempting to create performances which stretch us and our abilities, as well as the perceptions of our audiences and the world around us. It is a truly exciting and inspiring project and I'm thrilled to be a part of it. My one great sadness is that I will only be able to participate in the first performance (sometime in May - Exeter) as I am moving back to Canada in June. There are big plans to tour this show and for it to evolve in it's development through it's lifecycle. I'll be sorry to leave it behind. Perhaps a long distance relationship with the Temple could be created? I certainly hope so.

http://www.templeofnothing.com/

Perform, perform, breathe and perform.....

My theatre company Barefaced Cheek is currently in the full throws of marketing and promotion hysteria. With our new show (This Show Shall Remain Nameless...) gearing up for its debut in Cheltenham, (12-14 March at the Everyman Theatre) we have plans to visit the city this weekend. First stop is a familiarisation with the local folk and watering holes, artistic venues and gathering spaces so that we can effectively distribute our flyers. I'm sure the day will also involve some much needed refreshments, laughter and possibly an impromtu performance, a little teaser if you will... Then we will go to the Everyman to meet with the technical dudes and see the performance space for the first time.

In an unfortunate turn of events, we've just discovered that our Friday show is competing with Red Nose Day. I'm trying to convince my partners (Sean Devlin and Derek Keeping) that there's actually an opportunity here - why can't we just wear red noses and make a collection (could help with our travel/accomodation costs!). Not ok? Oh well, I tried. But seriously, I think we can use the Red Nose thingy to help give our show a boost on the night - ours HAS TO be the best comedy happening, right? My delusion should be interpreted as enthusiasm. Now, back to spreading the word..... (www.barefacedcheek.bravehost.com)