Lets's kick off with Monday. I finally got around to having my business lunch with the lovely Craig, awesome director chap and fabulous human being. He bizarrely said that he would come to Kettering to meet (voluntarily, crazy!!) and we spent a lovely hour and a bit talking all things film. I'm not going to give details yet, I'll keep you in suspense until I actually start work on it, but I signed up to be co-producer and actor in a feature film in August. I read the script that night and was quite excited. Watch this space!
I then hopped across town to my brothers new house, and had to take his new puppy to the vet to get microchipped. I thought he was going to kick off, but he was distracted by a handful of dog treats and didn't even notice that he got injected. That pup loves his food, he'll fit in to the family well!
I popped back into town for work, and set my 'Second Star To The Right' cast to work and was pleasantly surprised with how much good stuff was going on. Things were starting to come together! My chum from Bedford, Ivan, had demanded that we go for a drink on Monday night, and he caught the end of our rehearsal before we sat down for a few hours and chatted away. Two people willing to visit this town in one day, weird!!
It was back to cleaning on Tuesday, followed by teaching my Corby students. I read out our casting for our upcoming Disney show and everyone was happy with their roles, phew! (Definitely the worst part of the job!!)
Wednesday and Thursday also brought scrubbing duties, before I headed back to my employment at Wicksteed Park for re-training on the rides. I've not worked there since November but everything is still firmly imprinted in my brain, but it was brilliant to see some of my colleagues again. It's weird how you get shoved together with a bunch of random people in any job you get, and somehow you end up being good friends... Aaw, look at me getting all mushy!!
A quick spot of cleaning on Friday was followed by dog duties before heading up to the studio to do an afternoons work before teaching. I managed to infiltrate head office and swoop in and grab a load of costumes for my shows, and got shed loads done. Then I had a brilliant two hours of rehearsal. I was happy with my initial casting, and then inevitably I had a wobble, but running through the whole show made me realise that I had made the right decisions. My Peter, Wendy and Tink were all perfect and made me so happy! I managed to squeeze in an hour of dance before heading home and preparing for the following days events...
Back in January I had applied for 'The Sonnets Project' and not heard anything back for a while, until a few weeks ago when I had received an email asking about my availability on the day. As time was ticking on, and I hadn't heard anything, I was thinking that it wasn't going ahead. I then received an email on Tuesday with a schedule... It was happening! 52 people reading all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets in 4 hours at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Sweet.
I received a couple more emails over the next few days with revised schedules due to people dropping out, but it finally looked set to go, so on Friday night I planned my journey, and finally got around to looking at the sonnets that I would be reading. I know, I know. You should know by now how I leave things to the last minute!!
I drove down to Oxford in the morning and hopped on a Park and Ride bus to find two girls from home there on a hen do! We had a little chat before I jumped off the bus and found the museum. Naturally I was early, and the man in charge wasn't even there. I had a little nose around and waited for the others to arrive. I noticed a girl with similar hair to mine at the opposite side of the room, and we gave each other a wary look and a vague smile as if to say "you look like an actor, we're probably here for the same thing, but I'm not going to talk to you because that's just weird'
A few minutes later the man with the plan arrived with a gaggle of actors in tow, and proceeded to set up.
Everyone there seemed to be what I call 'proper' actors. You know the type, loud booming voices with perfect RP, and a laugh that booms and echoes everywhere for a thousand years. I couldn't have felt more out of place if I tried. What the hell was I doing here? I hadn't even prepared properly! I'm just a girl from Kettering thrown into a mix of posh people, hoping to not get thrown out for trying to be something I'm not. I was absolutely terrified.
Thankfully, my first sonnet was 125, so I had a few hours to watch other people, steal tips, and keep myself to myself. Plus, I wanted to hear them all. I wasn't going all that way for 45 minutes to read 3 sonnets!
Everyone was so good! Especially the highly attractive gentleman who had learned his off by heart, swot. I felt the pressure mounting as we got further down the list, and even more so when a man from the Royal Shakespeare Company showed up. Oh my days.
Part of me wanted to impress him, and part of me wanted him to go away in case I screwed it up and cried. We all know that's a possibility.
I was relieved when he left a good chunk before mine. He had filmed some stuff, and spoken to a few people, he'd had his fill. Or so I thought. He came back about an hour later, just a little bit before I went on! Thankfully I had some supporters in the crowd, my adorable uni housemate Nic and her boyfriend James, and two people I had met while also at uni when working in ASDA! The nerves hit me at sonnet 124 but there was no backing out now. I just went for it, and it was fine! I still felt incredibly out of my depth but I was there, I did it and I was happy. Result. The rest went well too, and after just over 4 hours, it was complete.
Nic and James said I should go and harass the man from the RSC but I was too scared. They made a move for me and I ended up standing next to him looking sheepish as he complimented my shoes. At least I was memorable for something!
A couple of hours spent with my chums eating cake and talking nonsense ensued, and then began the journey home. I was exhausted, but still made the effort to go to my parents charity quiz night and helped out a blundering team so they didn't finish last! ;)
I finally stumbled through the door at midnight, and started to fret as I wasn't sure whether my phone would automatically change the time for daylight saving or not. Normally I wouldn't mind, but I had rollercoaster duties in the morning and I didn't want to be late on my first day. It was a thankfully easy day as the weather decided to be dreadful so there were only a handful of customers in the park, so I got a lot of catching up done, as well as pondering what would happen if humans had beaks. You had to be there.
It was back to Neverland when I got home, and the construction of my Peter Pan costume began. And oh my goodness it looks marvellous, even if I do say so myself. I'm pretty sure I'll be attempting to squeeze into it at some point!
And that was my week. I still didn't get a lay-in this morning as I took my dad to work befor embarking on another afternoon of show business before rehearsal, but I've accomplished a whole lot in 7 days, and I'm back on track.
Yes the next few weeks are going to be hectic with working four jobs. But I'm I'm actually cheerful. I know it's not because of the weather(!), maybe it's the accomplishment. I don't know, but things seem to be on the up. I'll continue that I think!
Be good,
Nxxx
PS, Natalie's Nugget: I bought a whistle to control the kids that I teach. It worked, their faces contorted in fear on Friday, it was priceless!!
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