Last week I thought that with all summer performances under my belt, I'd have time to sit back, relax and finally have some time to sleep and eat. Turns out I was wrong.
When I'm not doing acting jobs, you can normally find me (if my parents are out) sprawled out on the sofa indulging in an afternoon episode of Diagnosis Murder or three, regularly picking up my phone to check the latest castings that inevitably I'm not suitable for. This hasn't happened for a while, and I'm starting to miss Dick Van Dyke.
I dragged myself out of bed on Monday morning to begin my four days straight of normal person work. I wasn't as miserable as I thought I would be, I'd had a good week of performing the previous week, so I think my spirits were still high.
It got better throughout the day, as I found out that I had actually made money from the play that I was in! And it was a lot more than I was expecting too! The afternoon whizzed by in a happy blur after that! I've done quite a lot of jobs this year, but have only been paid for about two of them, and both weren't a great deal of money. But my bank manager would be happy to see this going into my account. Either that, or puzzled! Paid from a job? Crazy!
My good mood continued on Tuesday despite being at work again. It was very quiet all day, and staff were being sent home. I had to put my foot down when I was asked to go home just over half way into my shift. I have an acting career to fund, I can't just go home when there's money to be earned!
Wednesday was a completely different ball game. It rained constantly all day. I volunteered to go home as soon as I could. I worked for two and a half hours before I skipped merrily across the field and home. It was a good job I did really. As I had been stupidly busy, I hadn't had time to tidy up anything from the previous weeks performances, and the house was not looking the best!
I had Shakespeare costumes and props littering every available surface in my bedroom, and every single costume (and there was a lot) from my dance show at the weekend had been carelessly hurled onto the floor, in a horrible damp sweaty heap. I wasn't proud. As soon as I got home, I voyaged into town and picked up a few last minute pieces that I needed for my attendance at a wedding and returned to face my own filth. It took a long time, but finally everything was back in order and peace was restored. I was feeling good, but things got a lot better when I heard from an old touring chum later that night. He told me that he was casting for performers at Thorpe Park for later in the year and that I should apply. Everything that he told me sounded fantastic, and I immediately filled in the application form and hoped for the best. I need work and I need to sort it now!
Work flew by on Thursday and I couldn't have been happier, Friday was wedding day! I scurried along to my Thursday evening choir practise, before going to buy a secret birthday cake and bottle of fizz, before starting wedding guest grooming! I went to sleep buzzing, it was going to be a good couple of days!
I collected my friends from their respective houses on Friday morning, and we made our way to Newport Pagnell for the nuptials. I won't go on about the wedding as you don't know the couple, but it was beautiful. The bride looked just like a fairytale princess, and the groom's vows made me cry more than I've ever cried at a wedding. When it came to the 'Do you take her to be your wife' part of the ceremony I was absolutely terrified. I think I was more nervous than the groom, and he looked like he was going to throw up!! I was still in the mindset of 'Much Ado About Nothing', and we all know how Hero's first wedding ended! Thankfully no-one was called a rotten orange, and Mr and Mrs Wright were man and wife!
We headed out after the ceremony for a lovely birthday lunch at TGI Fridays for my lovely friend Corinne. She was thoroughly embarrassed when the staff sang to her, but we enjoyed complimentary cake between us and a beautiful time was had by all. We made our way back to the hotel for our secret party for her.
She had questioned why we had taken so many bags with us, but I brushed it off as being a heavy packer! After an elaborate plan to get her out of the room involving a faked trip up the stairs and a 'sprained wrist' (Corinne is a physiotherapist), our secret was unleashed and we spent a lovely hour drinking cider and dancing around the room before the wedding reception.
I've said a million times before how I love being around creative people, but it was so nice to be with my non-acting friends, laughing and joking around without a care in the world. I love you guys!
After much dancing and drinking that evening, we retired to bed, three of us in two single beds pushed together, with me ending up on the crack in the middle due to my evening facial routine taking priority before sleep! It was the best nights sleep I've had in ages, all of my stresses were over, and I had nothing left to worry about, bliss.
It was early to rise though, as we had to head back to Kettering as I had to make my debut as a catwalk model! We drove back in beautiful sunshine, and I knew it was going to be a good day!
The fashion show went quite well! I modelled for various shops in the town, Dorothy Perkins, Next, Internacionale, Roman Originals, and... Bon Marche! Thankfully I didn't fall off my shoes so all was well!
I had a nice little catch up with a couple of people, before making my way back to Bedford to watch a play.
I was excited to be watching it, as I had missed it the last time it was performed, and had heard brilliant things about it. However, I was gutted that I wasn't going back to perform myself. That day I passed three of our five venues for Much Ado, and I'll admit I did start to well up a bit. But I knew that it was time to let it go.
The play was amazing. It had a guy in it that I had worked with back in February, and he was magnificent. I knew back then that he was amazingly talented, but in this play I could not take my eyes off him. He was so good, I was mesmerised. After the play we headed to the pub. When I saw we, there were about half of the Much Ado cast there, so it was a nice mini-reunion. Alcohol was consumed (by them), and we chatted about acting and the future. It was good. It had been less than a week since I'd seen them but it was nice to get back together again. I wasn't feeling sad any more, I know that they're still there, I just have to find my moments to see them.
I was back to work on Sunday and Monday, but it wasn't too bad! Today, however is Tuesday, and my day off. And I'm slightly ashamed to tell you that I've slipped back into my old ways. I've got an audition lined up on Saturday, and my day was supposed to consist entirely of audition preparation. In reality, I've done about an hours worth, and spent a lovely hour with Dick Van Dyke again. Oops. I know to get anywhere now I've got to create my own opportunities, but that silver haired wonder is just sometimes too hard to resist!
Being back in Bedford on Saturday made me happy. There are people there who want to work with me, who I would be honoured to work with, and watching the two amazing people in the play has made me want to work harder to be as good, if not better than they are. It's inspiring to watch other people, it gives me such a drive to work harder to get what I want.
I've got this audition on Saturday, which I'm looking forward to. To get the job would be good, but I'm hoping that it's only a back-up plan. I've been asked to do a project in December which I won't reveal now as it's still up in the air, but would be an amazing opportunity. I was emailed by someone who I've not worked for before, who has seen my work and would like me to be in his next production. That made me feel pretty special. I know he saw me in Much Ado, and looking back on it, I know it wasn't my best work. I'm not ashamed to say that I struggled with it a lot, acting really is hard sometimes but you can't let it defeat you. I didn't, I carried on, and we did a bloody good show. So to have him still want me to perform for his company after that put the biggest smile on my face.
I'm waiting to hear more details but let's just say I might be travelling further afield than Bedford this Christmas...
Things might actually be starting to fall into place!
Nxxx
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