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