Another weekly review

Television: Not catching much as of late but still managing Eastenders. I'm not feeling Phil as a drunk. I think he's playing the obvious choice. Maybe I don't know many drunks apart from the ones that hang out by the Anchor at the top of Deptford high street. It just seems a bit along the lines of Nick and Dotty's acting. And he's RADA!! And I'm surprised no one at the Vic has cottoned on as he's going through their supply like water. Maybe they do this week. And Masood's son looks so much like Gael Garcia Bernal!!!!

These last few episodes of ER have been a bit boring. It feels like they're treading water and it's just a long farewell where they wheel blasts from the past in. They usually build up to a great last episode but right now, not so exciting, which is a shame.

Theatre: Oh my god. I was soooooo looking forward to England Very Nice People By Richard Bean at the National. How disappointing! Tony did not come back for the second half. I didn't think it was that bad but soon I kind of began to wish I hadn't stayed. Again, 3hrs duration does not mean good. I did laugh about 40% of the time but not at some of the jokes where the cast would say things like w****R or something else of that ilk to express their feeling. Honestly, the audience would literally howl with laughter and I'm thinking, have we suddenly regressed to being four years old? When my nephew was four he went through a phase of constantly saying bum bum and finding it hysterical. Maybe it's me. I don't get those kind of jokes. They don't seem creative but they seem to work. But other jokes were good. I actually think the writer is really good and I wish I'd seen his earlier stuff. I think this a play you either love or hate. Tony has sworn off theatre after this show.

Radio: Listened to a good play called 3000. About an Afghan immigrant. It was nice. (What I mean by a good radio play is that I start listening to a play doing things like surfing the internet or tidying up and I want to actually stop and listen and don't tune out.)

Film: Not watched anything as of late but my mate from LA sent me this screenwriting blog. He's called Script Shadow. Carson Reeves, reviews the latest spec scripts that have just been sold in Hollywood. It gives you an idea of what type of scripts the studios are looking for and, perhaps more importantly, an insight into the level of the writing that aspiring writers should be aiming for. Normally, links to all the scripts Carson reveiws are available, so you can actually read what a million dollar, first draft, spec script looks like. Looks really exciting and fun.

Italy Update: Tony's going to join me on the last leg, which is Rome, which should be fun. So with meeting my friend in Milan and Tony, I know I won't be completely lonely the entire trip. I'm sure I'll meet people, but you never know. (Thinking of blogging about my time in Italy on my other blog - unless I take some writing. Not too sure whether to take some writing or just have complete abstinence.

Radio Overload

Just got back from the launch of a listening pod thing at Rose Bruford to mark the beginning of the Urban Scrawl Project. It's in the shape of a tube carriage and you sit inside and listen to the plays. It's really good. (Smelt like a swimming pool inside) Met some lovely people - Gene and Paul - theatre 503 people and the writer of Arsenal among others.

Sweeper Lips, which is the Finsbury Park play for the project, is being recorded tomorrow. No going back now! I can't make it, which is a bummer, as I have a hospital appointment but I'm kind of glad because it never sounds like how you imagine it in your head so I'll just wait for the finished product and try to be objective.

Listened to a Radio 4 play today about Spying on Germans. (Can't elaborate further because I'll get it wrong). I never really got who was who and what was going on. It had a good feel to it though.

Swearing

The other day, I swore that I wouldn't drink excessively anymore because my hangovers tend to last a whole day.

So I swore that I'd only go out for one hour last night and be back for Desperate Housewives but I got sucked in.

I swear it's only now that I feel better. The time just flew and I don't remember doing any talking.

And on the way home from work today some middle-aged idiot on a child's bicycle swore at me because I didn't hear him say excuse me as he rode up behind me.

I swore back at him, under my breath, of course, when he'd cycled off, when, you know, he couldn't hit me or anything. He really looked like he could hit me....

I told my brother who said I should've sworn back louder and that I should've called him on my phone if there was any trouble.

I'm like, yeah, like I'm gonna be fending him off with one hand and dialling your number with the other. And by the time you turn up he'll be long gone.

He's like, if anything happened, I'll find the idiot. (Suppose he's not gonna get far on that child's bicycle)

I'm like, yeah, whatever.

I swear, my brother's crazy.

Rods

I started the beginning of the year with four rods in the fire. And I felt pretty toasty!

Having just heard that my radio play pitch didn't get bought for the Friday Night play slot, I am now down to two. The thing is, the radio play and the other thing I lost (tell you about that when I regroup in June) were the rods that were burning pretty bright. I could literally feel their warmth. Anyway, I am going to rework the pitch for an afternoon play and pitch again later on in the year but it's hard to know if the commissioner's really interested.

The other two rods are barely warm but as I haven't had a no from either yet, they're still in the fire.

Guess I gotta get me some more rods.

Listened to a great Radio play about Marie Stopes by Stephen Keyworth .

Have a great Easter.

See you on the other side, renewed and ready for battle!

Filling the Well

Feeling a bit wrung out from writing as of late so been trying to refill my artistic well with creative stuff.

1) Hung out around the Elgin marbles at the British Museum for an hour today with my mate, Aimee, which was loads of fun.


2) BOOKED my flight to Italy. Gonna backpack around there for 3 weeks... Scary!!. Heard it's expensive but Aimee's got a solution. In Milan they have this whole aperitif culture where you buy a drink and the bars lay out bits of free. So that's my dinners sorted. Now, need to sort out where am I gonna sleep...

3) Went to see Wole Soyinka's play Death and the King's Horseman at the National. I must admit, didn't get what was going on in the first scene which went on for what felt like hours (I'm sure most of the audience was as confused as me but were pretending they got it) However, next scenes involving the imperialists were brilliant. The comedy was so good. I went with Wawa, who tells me that Soyinka is Nigeria's equivalent to Shakespeare - that's why I didn't get it. So I've bought the text now. I got what was going on once the imperialists came on but I would like to understand all the other bits. Anyway, the production is brilliant and the actors acted their hearts out. Wawa was disappointed that the actors didn't get a standing ovation. I must admit, I didn't feel the same way. The play was hard going in places and I think by the end of it the audience was just too knackered to get up. Play started at 7.30 pm did not finish until 10. 2o pm!

4) Watched loads of The Wire. Gonna squeeze in some more episodes this week.

Got a bunch of plays to read and then I feel I'm ready to go back to Egusi Soup. And I'm kind of looking forward to it.

Eastenders Double Bill

Was so looking forward to this and what a corker. A whole hour!

I was hoping against hope that Danielle would die at the hands of Janine. But no, the writers just won't give Ronnie any happiness. I was on tenterhooks, with my two brothers, not wanting it to finish, my enjoyment being marred slightly by my neighbour coming through the house looking for her cat and then on her way out saying, "why are they always shouting? That's why I hate Eastenders."

Best moment for me: Little Jean's face when Peggy comments on the flowers.

The Wire is Fab (ep 5 a bit slow though). Doctors is excellent (I hope they don't write out the mad receptionist now she's institutionalised. She was brill!) Off to watch ER.

I love t.v.