West End Calling

Tales From The Road (Part 1)

2011-09-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Right now I am on a UK tour with a band called "The Bottom Line". It has been a while since I did any form of intensive touring, so I wasn't too sure what it would be like, more so as I had only been acquainted with the band for the last 6 months or so and had been told so many stories from the last tour, covering the good, the bad and the ugly. The ugly in this case being an overweight promoter, with an over-active sex drive who ended up passing out on her bed naked with a Budweiser bottle up her arse. As comical as all this sounded I was hoping for some relative normality on this tour!

After having the first 2 days of the tour cancelled, due to some really piss poor promoters, who were unable to tell the difference between their arse and their elbows, we set off for the new "day 1" in Pickering, Yorkshire. That was one hell of a drive, from the band setting out to the point where we arrived at the venue it took 8 and a half hours, which is a long time when stuck in the back of a converted ford transit van! More so when we couldn't get the radio to work!

I have to be honest, I rather liked the Pickering show. Sure it is no 02 Academy at "The Rose Inn", but it was a nice intimate little pub venue, with lots of people who as a generalisation would watch all of the bands play and support their scene. The people were all friendly and chatty which was rather nice, even if a large number of them were wasted at the end of the night. TBL's performance as far as it goes was not their best, but people seemed to like them. The drama however wasn't to kick off until long after we had loaded out.

Whilst casually chatting to some of the locals, a huge argument errupts at the door. It transpires this guy who is still casually stood around floored "Big Kev" in one punch, leaving him out cold. I have no idea who Big Kev is, but all I know is his dad is one scary mother fucker. As everyone was saying "that guy best leave before Kev's dad got here". Fortunately for the attacker, he left in the back of a police van before anything more kicked off further. Still a dramatic end to day 1.

We set off for Newcastle the following morning having fixed the radio, but now with a broken TV as after napping on the floor I kinda fell into it and fucked the screen. Remember that promoter I mentioned off of their last tour who ended up with a Budweiser bottle in her bum? This was the same woman who was promoting the next show. When she first arrived, she seemed a nice enough person. Though as the evening progressed it transpired that not only was she as piss poor promoter, she was also a bit of a bitch, trying to wrangle out of the fees she owed the band, and failing to provide the rider of food, water and beer. At the end of the day if you have a contract, it doesn't matter what bullshit you try to pull, you should stick to the deal. Unfortunately because of the low attendance, rather than looking at her faults as the event organiser it was taken out on the band.

We were quite fortunate however as the woman working the door for her had seen our plight and the unjust actions of her boss, and offered to make us some food at her flat after the show, which was such a nice thing to do. I have to be honest, the north generally does seem much more hospitable than the south, as only the day before the landlord at the rose had given up his whole spare house to us in trust, which is quite a bold move as he didn't know us from Larry.

After clubbing until 4am, we head back to the van for the night - 5 guys trying to sleep in a Ford Transit van, it wasn't going to be a comfortable one and truly it wasn't, in fact I think it was the worse nights sleep I have ever had in my entire life. If that wasn't bad enough we woke up in the morning to a parking ticket....Great.

Day 3 saw us reach Birmingham, which for me was less about the show and a chance to catch up with 3 of the guys who I met at Reading Festival. I must admit despite 2 of the bands pulling out and as such the crowd numbers being low, it was a very good night, though for me catching up with Zack, Jord and Juliet was the highlight, it is so good when you get the chance to see old friends on a tour. In all a very undramatic evening compared to the last 2 shows, which was nice. Next up however is Glasgow. This could be interesting.

So that is the update so far from my airbed in some random person's living room in Birmingham. There has been a fight, a broken radio, a broken TV, a really bad promoter, a parking ticket, old friends, new friends and a whole lotta rock n roll! Update 2 coming whenever I next find WiFi!

Mud, Beer & Rock n Roll (Part 2)

2011-08-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

So you have heard about all the wonderful people who made Reading Festival so good this year, but what about the music? If you are expecting a write up stating how wonderful "Muse" were, then you may as well give up reading this blog right now.... no really... stop reading... Frankly they bore me, I stomached 15 minutes of them before losing the will to live. Sure they are talented musicians, they simply do not inspire me one bit. Sorry! So if you are still here and want me to now tell you how great "The Strokes" are - they are shit... end of, go and cry in the corner or something! In fact how the hell did a band that is so bad get to headline a festival that is so good?

For me the weekend was all about "Flogging Molly" on the Sunday night, hell they may have been on the somewhat smaller "Lock Up Stage", and not even the headline act, but they do know how to put on a show and a half and it goes without saying that the tent erupted when the band played their anthem "Drunken Lullabies". I have always had a love for the lock up stage, in fact I could quite easily stay there for the bulk of the festival! I had been there the previous night for "The Mighty Mighty Bosstones", who I hadn't seen before, or in fact heard. I knew of them, but didn't know what to expect. Frankly they were fantastic, and to have a ska dancing dude on stage for the full set...boy he has stamina! I have always had a love for ska rooted music, a guy called Martin Atkins got me into it back when I used to work for Argos as he loved Less Than Jake, and got me into some of the music I am into today. I wonder whatever happened to Martin?

It was a good day for ska, as earlier that day the somewhat iconic "Madness" had graced the main stage. I really didn't know how well the crowd would take to them, seeing as Reading always attracts a younger crowd, and Madness of course being a band of our parents generation, I feared they might have been snubbed. In fact the complete opposite happened. If it were not for the fact it was broad day light, based on the sheer number of people there to watch them and the response they had, you could have easily have mistaken them for the headliners. The band of course played all their classics, along with some newer numbers. I was really pleased to have seen the band, they really were fantastic and had got me in the mood for the Bosstones later that evening.

It is rare so many pop-punk rooted bands play the main stage, however with "New Found Glory", "The Offspring" and "My Chemical Romance" all playing the Friday, it was quite a day for me. In fact I think in all my time of going to Reading I have never spent so much time on the main stage as I had that day. It was my first time of seeing My Chemical Romance live since 2004, a lot has changed, and I must say I am loving their new tunes, even if that is a shocking thing to admit, am I digging myself a deeper hole if I admit that I sang along to "I'm Not Ok"? There are so many MCR haters, and truthfully I am really not sure what their problem is. They are a great band with a huge following... deal with it!

Just like MCR it had been some time since I had seen "The Offspring" live, I won't lie, I was a little disappointed by their set. There seemed to be a lack of interaction even if the music was good. I love "The Offspring", but honestly I know they can do better, it just felt like they wanted to get on, play, get off and go home. This however was not the case for "New Found Glory", who made the most of their main stage opportunity, I love NFG and the moment the first chord of "Understatement" blasted out of the PA speakers I was in my zone.

It however isn't all about the main stage, I only made one trip to the alternative tent, to see "Tim Minchin" perform. The tent was bursting at the seems, literally there were thirty or more rows outside the tent on top of those who had been crammed in like sardines already. I somehow always overlook this tent, having missed one of my favorite acts "Stephen Lynch" there a couple of years back.

I also managed to catch "Thirty Seconds To Mars" who are now on an indefinite hiatus, looks like I caught them at the right time. Honestly I wasn't blown away by them, but to be fair I didn't expect to be. Another band that did little for me were the former "Pennywise" frontman's new outfit "Black Pacific", just seemed a little average really and the poor attendance reflected that they were nothing on "Pennywise".

I had seen "Pulp" at the "Wireless Festival" in London just the month before Reading. I never had great expectations of them, but had been really impressed by their live set. Needless to say I was keen to do it all over again this festival. There is something about Jarvis Cocker that just makes him the perfect front man now he has matured a little. Ironically it was 17 years to the day from when the band made their first Reading Festival appearance, playing "Common People" for the first time. Who would have thought they would have been playing the same song to a rapturous response all those years later? On the conclusion of their set I was just about able to catch the end of "The King Blues" lock up tent performance, which I thought also was rather good, shame I didn't get to see more.

So overall who was I most disappointed with? It has to be "Jimmy Eat World". I love their music, but their live show seems to lack that interaction with the crowd, I felt so disconnected, and was really looking forward to them as well. Who on the other hand was my festival underdog? This goes to "Frank Turner". I wasn't expecting to like him too much, but he blew me away, to the extent I am planning on seeing him next time he plays the UK!

In all a fantastic festival, and echoing the words of part 1 of this blog, thanks to all of those who made it so special - in no particular order: Jordan, Zach, Gayle, Ross, Allan, Ryan, Nathan, Sam, Ann, Reiley, Bethan, Jonny, Jonesy and anyone else I have forgotten!

Mud, Beer & Rock n Roll (Part 1)

2011-08-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

Right, so it is pretty well known that I love acting and drama, however music also plays a huge role in my life. It is what pays the bills, and takes up just as much, if not more of my time than all that performance shizzle. So I guess it is only fair I dedicate some time to write about up about this. The next few blogs will probably cover most of this having just returned from Reading Festival 2011, then in a weeks time I hit the road with a band called The Bottom Line as they embark on their UK tour. So it is a little diversion, but hopefully will remain just about readable.

Anyone who has been to festivals, will have that strange love hate relationship with them, for days you hate the fact you try to sleep in a cold tent, with so much noise you barely get any shut eye at all. The fact that you are dwelling in mud, have to use the worst toilets ever, look like a tramp and don't smell much better. It never feels to great lets be honest. Yet somehow there is that attraction that makes you want to do it again and again, and despite all the complaints and the longing to have a decent shower and to take a crap in a real toilet, you somehow miss it all when you walk away from the festival site for the very last time.

For me festivals are about the friends you go with and the people you meet. I won't lie, you can meet some great people who you never see again, equally if you are lucky you will make some great new friends, and for me it has been a fabulous year for that. (camp word used especially for Gayle). There of course is always the fear that you will be camped next to the festival assholes... and trust me there is enough of them, yet to date I have always been quite lucky.

I set off knowing I would ultimately be camping (different camp word - in the not so gay sense this time) with my mate and fellow music promoter Allan Sargeant. There are two things that are really cool about this, firstly the shouts of "Alan..... Steve" which plagued the site all weekend pretty much drove him insane - it was rather funny I won't lie. Secondly, Allan is great, we have a very similar taste in music, so this was also going to work out well. We were also joined by Jonny - a fellow drama students other half who I have got to know quite well over the last few months, who is one crazy mofo, but an amazing guy and his friend Jonesy. It was all set to be a pretty small circle, so I really wasn't sure what to expect from the camping side of things this year. But this is Reading... expect the unexpected.

The circle soon expanded, with two lads from Birmingham named Zach and Jordan, (who were later joined by Juliet and even later Mickie - she has really cool green hair) and two students from Southampton named Gayle and Ross making up our little collective for 2012. These six were not known to myself or Allan, yet were absolute legends, I could not have asked for nicer neighbours. We all got on amazingly well, shared our alcohol and banter. I can say from the heart that this was the best circle of people I have ever had at a festival, and in my infamous and over used words of this festival huge lad points to all of them (Gayle, Mickie and Juliet included... lad points can be scored by girls also!). So in all before the music had even started I was set for one of the best festivals to date. The people always make a huge difference and I was lucky enough to be camping with the best of the best - absolute legends, all of them!

What I really love about the festival spirit, is you mix with people who in normal circumstances you might never give a chance too, people from different places, different backgrounds and of different ages. It makes you realise that if you treat people for who they are and take them at face value rather than worrying about barriers, you can make some amazing friends. It goes without saying that we are all planning to meet up again next year if not before!

I guess the only thing that went against us at this festival was the weather. There was mud, lots of mud, and where there wasn't mud there was sludgey puddles. Sure, you might say that it can't be a festival without mud, but it gets a bit old after a while, and welly boots are REALLY uncomfortable when you wear them for days on end. It rained a lot on Thursday and Friday, which dragged down the atmosphere a little - this said, Gayle and Ross ended up with their own garden pond by their tent porch - I am sure that is something estate agents look for in houses... water features surely add value to a property?

The circle was sludgy, but that didn't stop the camp fires (I like to burn things) and the chance to have a good time (and a few beers... ok a lot of beers - excluding the beers bought from arenas, I think between us it was something like 14 cases or more). For some reason Saturdays seems to always be the day I pull an all nighter, and this time around it was with Zach, Juliet, 2 new neighbours whos names I forget. The camp fire was epic, I kept it burning for almost 8 hours - thats a mean feet if you are drinking I assure you! Later we were joined by Joe and Alex from the festival campsite assistance team - they were great guys, even though security did have a go at them for hanging out with us for far too long. They joined us again on the Sunday night none the less, kind of gutted I never grabbed their facebook's or something really. They were right legends - never be put off by the Reading campsite staff in the green jackets - they are the cool lot, the reds and whites are the assholes generally.

Soooooo.... BHS 11 item breakfasts for £3.59, far too much money spent on shitty festival food, amazing new friends, legendary old friends, smelly toilets, lots of mud, camp fire stories, lots of beer and plenty of cider. Everything was perfect, now all we needed was the music... but that can wait for another blog. I need to hibernate now to make up for all the lost sleep of the last 5 nights. Part 2 of this blog will follow in the next day or two.

My Disaster

2011-06-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

I was dreading the day I dried up in any form of performance. It happens to everyone, and with such a busy schedule, I had a feeling it would be this term. In three of my classes we have an end of term performance of some sort, one of these pieces as mentioned in an earlier blog was a duologue from Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 3.

I had rehearsed this piece for the dress rehearsal. As we took to the performance area I was relatively confident as I opened with the line "Good day my lord, why at your book so hard?". The scene started to unravel with some great moments. I think every time I have performed this piece I have discovered something new about the characters. Shakespeare uses a lot if imagery and if you can relate to that, I find it really helps.

Now on to Nick, I can't remember what I said about him last time. He is my scene partner, what can I say? This guy lives and breathes Shakespeare. He gets right into the language, and the character. He was familiar with this scene prior to going into this which gave him a head start over me, it also meant I have learned a lot from him. He is very much the underdog of the class, in the sense that he does not shout and scream, rather he has a touch of genius and comes up with things then brings them to life like no other. It is only in working closely with him that I have realised how much more he has in his acting toolbox than I first thought. He is superb, and if he wants to make it in acting, I honestly think he could.

Now back to my disaster. As I hit my monologue, something came over me. I can't really explain it - my focus was lost, I didn't even feel as though I was in the room anymore. Even with the prompts - nothing was there. I know they say a bad dress rehearsal is a good sign... but I am so pissed off like you wouldn't believe. I walked out of the room for a good 15 minutes to mull over the diabolical performance, and although it happens to everyone sooner or later, it just feels awful when it happens to you. I guess I have a week to get it right, but I won't lie, my confidence has taken a huge blow. I was the worst in the class on Thursday, hell even the guy who is usually rock bottom was better than me - and that is saying something!

I must admit, I was hoping this encounter with Shakespeare would inspire me, but I am yet to be convinced. Even seeing Kevin Spacey in Richard III (the play that follows the one I am performing) just two days before hand failed to reach me. Don't get me wrong. you can't fault the acting. I was just not inspired by it. Its long, the plot is unconvincing and a tad predictable at best. I have yet to work out why people see Shakespeare as one of the best play writes of all time. Though this said I did enjoy seeing David Tenant and Catherine Tate in a modernised version of Much Ado About Nothing... much lighter and energetic, but still not the best piece of theatre I have seen.

And The Winner Is... (BGT The Final - Part 4)

2011-06-05T03:24:00.000-07:00

And the winner of Britian's Got Talent 2011 is..... Jai McDowell.

Jai is a talented guy, I can't take that from him. Personally, however I didn't feel he was the strongest performer on the night. For me - if you are looking at the singers, Ronan Parke put so much more into his song - it came right from the heart and really showed off the power he has in his voice. Though really, and as cheesy as this will sound. They are all winnners. I am pretty sure Ronan, New Bounce and Michael will all come out of this with top selling albums and record deals as well as Jai, and I think rightfully so. All of the acts were talented, I am just gutted for little Ronan, as I felt his strength of character alone meant he deserved to win. Even when the news sunk in that he had not won, he was keen to give Jai a congratulatory hug and ensured he thanked everyone who voted for him before publicly congratulating Jai. Never before have I seen someone so valiant in defeat. He just seems such a likable guy!

I guess the biggest shock for me was seeing James Holby come in 8th. I felt he injected more passion into his act than any of the other finalists. I don't think the public necessarily appreciated ballet as much as they could have, as it is a less accessible medium than singing. For me James was a winner, and as long as he goes out with his head held high and keeps doing what he does best, then that is great. I really hope he doesn't get down hearted - remember he is only 11 and he has been through a lot. I really respect him for what he has achieved, and I really hope that he gets something out of the BGT experience.

It was no surprise that bubbly Jean Martyn came last. It has to be horrible to be told in front of the nation that you came 10th, however truthfully I think that is a fair result. Les Gibson's poor take on Simon Cowell landed him in 9th which came as no real surprise, though personally I would like to have seen Steven Hall much lower in the rankings.

None the less a great final, and good to see a singer win for the first time since Paul Potts or whatever he was called all those years ago. But the question now is - when will an act which is not singing or dancing win?

If Only I Were A Judge (BGT The Final Part 3)

2011-06-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

So on to the third blog for the Britian's Got Talent Final. I am writing this as I watch the show on ITV player at an ungodly hour, having successfully avoided all forms of media, so I didn't hear the result! From the previous two articles you will now know that going into this evenings show my favorites were Ronan Parke and James Hobley. Though between either of them and fame stand 8 other contestants all who are after the same prize. I won't lie, I would love to be a judge on that show, as I think between Michael, Amanda and the Hoff they have all been a bit too soft. There are acts that got through the auditions which were laughable and no way deserved to be in the semi-finals.

The first of these was Steven Hall. Quite how he found his way to the fsemi-inal selection I will never know. How he got through that - well thats another baffling question. He just resembles an older family member who has had too much to drink at a party. I honestly believe he makes a mockery of the term "dance", especially when there are real dancers out there who deserve fame much more than he does. If there was ever a glimmer of hope that he would raise his game, this was soon quashed. Sure his movements and lip sync were in time, but the energy levels simply were not there. Remove all the dancers he had on stage with him, the routine to me seemed simpler than his original audition, which is never good. Quite what the judges saw in him I don't know... is Simon turning soft?

Second up - Michael Collings. I really rated him in the auditions. I can't help but think his vocal range is limited, but his song choices work with that - it plays to his strengths. Playing the same song as his audition was wise - and could easily sway the evenings votes. This guy is going somewhere, regardless to whether he wins. I would expect Simon to snap him up win or lose, and I can almost guarantee he will have a cd in the charts in the coming months. Could he win? I don't think so, but he will be a star that is for certain.

Les Gibson following in the footsteps of last years finalist and fellow impressionist Paul Birling was someone who I was unsure about. Sure he is good but was he better than Paul Birling? if I am honest I didn't think so. I think its right that he was given another chance - but would he make an impact this evening? Frankly - no. I thought his Simon Cowell impersonation was sketchy at best, though his take on Michael McIntyre, The Hoff and Louis Walsh were pretty reasonable. Amanda echoed this. Personally I would find it farcical if he ended up in the last three. He is good, but he is not the most talented person in Britain thats for sure.

Now onto one of my favorites - James Hobley. I am so glad that he has got this far, and I sit here hoping that the judges, audience and general public get behind his performance, which was solid throughout with a beautiful ending. In terms of talent, this boy deserves to be number one. He has definitely sent the previous three acts packing in my books. As I said in my last article, what he brings to the stage is a passion that cannot be taught, a passion that shines through in his performances. I really don't know what market exists for a ballet dancer after BGT, maybe a role in Billy Elliot? I really don't know. But this kid deserves to go all the way!

Up next a pianist by the name of Paul Gbegbaje. I think this is an act that could get a bit old, as there is only so much you can do with a piano and stay entertaining. The choice of an original piece is risky at best, and my first impressions listening is that it was nothing special, though as the song came to life, his ability really shone through. Is this a winning performance? Again I have to say, I am really not sure. Of the people I have seen so far, he is in the top 3 but only just with James and Michael Collings ahead of him. However being just half way through the night can he hold on to that place? I really don't think so.

With Ronan Parke up next, Paul Gbegbaje's top 3 slot I felt would be very much short lived indeed. Ronan has such an amazing voice. His audition was phenomenal, which had all three judges on their feet. I just hoped that he would perform well under the stress that the tabloids have caused him in the last couple of days. Ronan lived up to his tag as the bookies favorite with a great choice of song which brought out the best in his voice. It is hard to believe such power could come from a twelve year old. As much as I would like James to win, I can't help but think Ronan has just snatched it - that was simply mind blowing - and those tears after such a great performance show just how much heart he puts in to every song he sings. Watch out Bieber... there is a new kid on the block!!!

Jean Martyn is another of the contestants I have been unsure of. I won't lie, as enthusiastic as she may be, I found her piece messy with the melodies not fitting with the bass notes, and her singing very much mediocre. If I am honest my most hated act of the final - Steven Hall may have been marginally better! Sure - a ton of energy - but it would be better suited to an asylum than a talent contest.

Jai McDowell is up next. Having seen Ronan perform so well, Jai has to really pull out all stops to be the better solo singing act. If I am truthful, I am not sure he has it in him, he always seems so nervous. But who knows he may just pull it off! My first impressions of the song are not that great, but Simon loved it... lets face it if Simon loves a singer their career in music is already made for them. He is good, and just like Michael Collings I feel there is a future for him in music, though I would be shocked if he won this competition.

I am a lover of dance and Razy Gogonea brings a real contrast to James Hobley's ballet routine. Having seen lots of street dancing and body popping in the last few years - he really needs to do a lot to impress. Don't forget the last three years have been won by choreographed routines. For me it is all a bit samey and seems to lack the heart and passion I have seen in other dancers. Razy was entertaining the first time I saw him, but truthfully the novelty has worn off now, and even the use of fire did little to sway my view on this - it was just a means of tarting up a routine I have seen too many times before.

Onto the final act of the night - New Bounce - the only boy band in the final. I am no lover of boy bands usually, as the vocal mixes are generally cringeworthy and the performances are often a bit cheesy. Would New Bounce be any different? They were better than most I will credit them with that. The group harmonies worked, but I wasn't so sure on the solo pieces. It was a worthy performance, but for me not good enough to break into the top three. Just like the other singers tonight, they have a future regardless of the outcome of this show.

So thats my take on the final, and below is how I would rank them based on the evenings performance for what they are worth. I am not a judge I know, but hey its good to have an opinion right?

MY FINAL RANKINGS

Ronan Parke

James Hobley

Michael Collings

Paul Gbegbaje

New Bounce

Jai McDowell

Les Gibson

Razy Gogonea

Steven Hall

Jean Martyn

James The Underdog (BGT The Final - Part 2)

2011-06-04T07:48:00.001-07:00

So in my blog from earlier today about Ronan Parke I mentioned my other favorite - James Hobley. You just have to read back a few blogs to know that Liam Mower is one of my biggest influences and that I love dance. So for those who know me, it should come as no surprise that I am rooting for James to win also. I honestly couldn't pick between Ronan and James, they both offer something that comes right from the heart and they are living the dream that they want to live, and fair play to them for being so committed at just 12 and 11 respectively.

I have sometimes been a bit skeptical of some of the younger finalists in the past, as I have wondered whether they use the "cute factor" or a tragic back story to win the hearts of the viewers. Take The Cheeky Monkeys from a couple of years back. technically they were nothing special, but they won over the hearts of the nation for being two cute little kids dancing to rock n roll numbers. I felt they got through in place of more talented acts because of the cute factor. i know it sounds harsh - but honestly - were they one of the best 10 acts? I really don't think so. With this in mind I think I am sometimes tougher on the child contestants because I feel they really have to prove their worth more than the adults, to show they have real talent not just a tragic story or a cute face.

Before this years contest I said that I hoped there were less dance acts in the final. This for me was because there have been too many dance troops in the last couple of years. I am of course pleased that dance has become more popular and socially acceptable as I love dance, and I go to some dance shows, but with George Sampson, Diversity and Spellbound winning the last 3 contests, I was adamant I wanted to see something that wasn't dance rooted win. That was until I saw James perform.

My heart stopped for a moment when I his routine started, I genuinely feared people would not appreciate the complexity, skill and passion that ballet dancers injected into their work. As it unfolded I was taken in by the elegance of the routine. For me it didn't matter that he was only 11 - his ballet was first class, and better than some adults I have seen. It appears that he managed to capture the hearts of the audience and of course a tearful Amanda Holden! I honestly believe that it was not his back story that people connected with - rather the passion which moulded every move he made up on that big stage.

Behind all this I was really taken back by the relaxed personality and passion to succeed - he hasn't let autism affect his passion to dance. He hasn't played on the fact that he is autistic to win people over. He has simply let the dancing do the talking. There is a great line in Billy Elliot where Mrs Wilkinson tells Billy that dancing has to come from inside, it can't just be a set of moves strung together. This is exactly what James has done. He has taken that passion and expressed it through dance.

The bookies favorite may well be Ronan, but no matter where James finishes, I will be proud of what he has achieved not only for himself, but also for ballet - in bringing the genre of dance to a wider audience. Hopefully misconceptions of boys in ballet can be forgotten, and the british public can open their minds to the beauty and elegance of ballet. I know that James can do it justice, and I really hope the public get behind him tonight.

Good luck James!

Its All About Ronan!!! (BGT The Final - Part 1)

2011-06-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

So anyone who knows me will know that I am really into Britain's Got Talent. Unfortunately due to all of my commitments I haven't been able to watch it as much this year as I would have liked, though its been hard not to know whats been going on as BGT fever sweep across the nation.

The papers always have a lot to say about the show. How the producers pick the songs and routines etc... Sure it is manufactured, we all know that - its what makes good TV! This doesn't bother me as much as it used to. What I like is the weeks before all the live shows, it is here where ordinary people with extraordinary talents appear (as well as the not so normal people with no talent at all!). During the audition stages we got to see grass roots talent - acts that were from the heart, and not manipulated for the show or the british media. We see real people with real talents.

It was during these stages that a 12 year old boy from Norwich, named Ronan Parke shone through. Had you have missed Ronan back then, you won't have missed him this week as his face has been pasted al over the newspapers amidst allegations that he had been groomed to win this years contest over the last two years by Simon Cowell, a story which both deny. The claims were made in a blog by someone who claimed to be an executive at Sony. Though it is widely believed that this attack was made by fans loyal to Cheryl Cole who was brutally axed from another of Simon Cowell's shows recently.

Reading Ronan's response to these allegations, I now have so much respect for the kid. He has handled the situation like a true professional, and with such dignity. There are many older celebrities who could learn from him! Its great to see that his focus is still on the contest and that he has not been phased by some nasty individual who was intent on soiling his good name.

Do I think Ronan will win? Yes. He has a likability about him, a cool image, a great voice, and a passion for music which comes right from the heart. With great qualities like these, there is nothing stopping him from achieving his dream. Personally based on my love of dance I am tied between Ronan and James. I really like them both, however i think the marketability of music is much greater than that of ballet, which will give Ronan the edge on the public vote. Even if he were not to win, he has a career in music at his feet, and deservedly so. He has wowed so many people already that I see him being as big as Bieber if not bigger. One thing is for sure though, Ronan is a much better singer, and those that hate him are nothing more than jealous of what he has achieved.

The fact is there is a lot of hidden talent in the UK. Sometimes it does take a show like this to get them into the spotlight. No matter what has gone on in the media, nothing should be taken away from the kid. He has worked for hours with a singing coach over the last few years. The has put his heart and soul into every song he has sung, and it is his own self belief which has bought him to the spotlight. Long may that spotlight shine on! Good luck Ronan!

Grease Really Isn't The Word... I Assure You

2011-05-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

So they gave us another bank holiday this year, I was only natural use it wisely in meeting a friend, and spending the day in London. Though unlike the other many millions who had descended on our drab and smelly capital city, we were not there for the royal wedding. Rather it was a chance to catch up and see two shows.

I hadn't seen James in almost a year, so we had a lot to catch up on and being the big kids that we are, what better place to do this than the Rain Forest Cafe! They have kitted the place out to look like a rain forest, loads of plants, and models of animals which move. The lights flash when there is a "thunder storm", and all the sound effects are there to go with it. Ok I will admit, it would probably have been cheaper to fly to a real rain forest as the place was hardly cheap... but the food was good, and it was a nicer environment to eat in than the scummy McDonalds you find on every other corner throughout the city. It set up the day and after a brief wander around we head towards our first show of the day.

Knowing it was soon to close our first choice was for the iconic West End Musical - Grease. Well at least we considered it to be iconic as it had survived for so long. Little did we know, we were about to see the theatrical equivalent of a train crash. The first indication that this show was really failing was the door numbers. By 5PM much of the wedding celebrations were over, and whilst some planned to revel into the night, I really didn't expect to see a show this empty. The upper levels were closed and even in the royal circle and stalls the number of empty seats far outnumbered those which were occupied.

The longest overture in the world kicks in, and all sounded good. The band were tight, I recognised a few of the numbers - and though the auditorium lacked atmosphere, I could imagine on a good night this would get the vibe in the theatre going. Though this really is where the good experiences ended. The opening number "Sandy" was simply awful. It seems that the guy playing Danny, and the girl playing Sandy were never taught to harmonise... at odd intervals they even drifted out of time with one another. I have heard drunken football hooligans sing better... well at least in time with one another.

The downhill spiral had started, from here the singing was awful, the choreography a messy. Maybe it was the fact that these actors knew they would be on the dole queue come Monday as the show was just 3 performances from closing. Maybe it was the complete lack of paying customers that bought the moral of the actors down. Though had this have been the case, the paying customers had been robbed of their money, especially the fools you had spent out in excess of £60 for a top priced ticket. I felt robbed having only paid about £22!

Come the interval James and I could bare it no more. We had to leave. It was embarrassing watching actors die on stage like that, not to mention boring to watch. The storyline is less than gripping, but tied in with a poor performance it is verging on being suicidal to watch. I have never walked out of a show before, but this really was awful. Your local primary school could manage something better, I assure you!

The good news however is the show has now closed making way for Ghost The Musical later in the year. No doubt the show will tour, though if you want my advice? Save the money for a show worth seeing.

Gareth Vs Shakespeare

2011-05-02T05:14:00.000-07:00

I have never made a secret of how much I have always hidden from confronting the work of Shakespeare. There has always been an element of fear which I have never really understood. It could be the language, the structure or that god damn iambic pentameter he used... I really don't know. None the less I have always progressed in drama in the knowledge that one day I would have to face up to Shakespeare. After all if I want to go further I will have to embrace his work, as it forms a fundamental part of any actors training. Having put it off for so long, I have decided that this summer is my D-Day!

For one of my end of term assessments, we were tasked to take on a duologue. There was no strict guidelines given as to the style of this piece, and I will be honest throughout the lesson I gave it little thought, planning on thinking it through over the long weekend I had ahead of me. I guess had it of been left to me, I would have picked something from a modern play or some text from a musical. Though I guess in hindsight, playing safe will not push me and test me in the same way that taking a risk will. Though it wasn't until the end of the lesson that I realised there would be an opportunity to do this.

Nick Windsor - a fellow student approached me asking if I would be interested in tackling the final scene of Henry VI. The first thing that crossed my mind was "I really didn't know this play". Then it dawned upon me that I really don't know much of Shakespeare's work having avoided it for so long. With the exception of Orthello, I have not read any play in full since senior school, and even then I used to skim read Shakespeare. I got away with copying other peoples work back then so I saw no point in reading the books!

Though what was it that made me come to the conclusion that now was the time for me to tackle Shakespeare in performance? Maybe it was Nick's compliments of my dialect and articulation which won me over, (I do love flattery) but deep down I knew that this was my calling to finally tackle Shakespeare head on. I was also keen to work with Nick having only really started to connect with him at the end of the spring term. Nick is great - very talented, hard working and I feel he has a real connection with classical plays of this sort. If I had to pick anyone in the class to do a Shakespearian piece with - it would certainly have been him. I know he has a love for script work and shares a desire to win, so I am relishing this opportunity.

What's more is I actually have a burning desire to make this work for me. I think previously I would have had a defeatist attitude of "oh well this is my weakness" - but I really don't want this to be seen as me confronting a weakness rather an opportunity for me to impress people in an area I have yet to work in. Whilst classes are not about competition, I really do want myself and Nick to stand out as being the best by a long margin, after all second best is the first looser!

I will no doubt put a write up in a couple of months saying how it has all gone! Who knows, if its good enough there may be a video also! There are just two other videos of me on youtube which I keep hidden from the world. (I challenge you to find them.... it is close on impossible) Though now I am keen to build up a profile of my work, so I am more keen to have my stuff online if I deem it to be of a high enough standard, though I am a tough critic.

This isn't my only confrontation with Shakespeare this term however. In a couple of weeks I start another module which studies Shakespeare in performance. We will be studying "Much To Do About Nothing" and another play which we will read, analyse then see them in performance on the West End. This can only add to my Shakespeare tool box which is currently somewhat empty. I guess I will keep you all updated!

Rufus

2011-02-21T02:53:00.000-08:00

I guess seeing as I started talking about my childhood in my previous blog, its only right I tie up some loose ends which I left open... nobody likes an unfinished story. Though, this said... I would be the first to admit that most of the stories I tell here have some open ends which I rarely go back to, so don't expect me to make a habit of this!

If we all look back at our childhood, there are so many memories. It is fair to say not all of them were great. But part of growing up is facing the bad times whilst basking in the good. Yesterday I mentioned Rufus - the only soft toy I have these days. You may think that someone is too old for a soft toy, and had it had been any old soft toy you may well have been right. Though almost everyone has something tucked away in a drawer or a cupboard which means something to them. Something which has a story, or history to it. Rufus is no exception.

When I was really young, like any kid I liked bed time stories. I am very lucky to have a mother with a creative mind much like my own, she could make any story come to life. However, rather than reading me stories from a book like most parents, my mum would often make them up. I am not sure what inspired her to do so, but I think she tried to relate the theme of the story to something I needed to relate to as a child. Lets face it kids always learn better in a creative environment and I was no different. The stories featured around a dog called Rufus. I really don't remember any of the stories these days, but he was the core character and entirely fictional. There was no dog in our area called Rufus, and if I am honest I don't think we ever established what breed of dog or even what colour Rufus was, he was just a superb character which as a child I loved. The great thing about stories is that you can use your imagination to fill in the blanks and I am sure back then in my mind I could have seen Rufus as clear as day.

A fair few years later when beanie babies were around, my mum stumbled across one... a dog. Anyone who knows what a beanie baby was would know that they all had a tag which had a little story about them, their name and date of birth. For those of you who don't know what a beanie baby was - it was a collectible small soft toy, many of them limited edition - google it... they are rather cute! Anyhow, whether it was fate or coincidence, we will never know. I guess it depends if you believe in fate or not. The shop was filled with these beanie babies, yet my mum was drawn to this one design of dog. A beige/ light brown with dark brown splodges. She picked up and like mothers do, read the cute little story on the tag... what happened next really hit home quite hard, the dogs name was"Rufus", she instantly bought it for me.

Some things happen in life which cannot be explained. Some will say it was pure luck, others will argue fate, some may even say it's a sign. I try not to read into things this much, I think if you do things can lose their meaning or importance. For me, instantly this little soft toy symbolised my childhood and the bond that I had and still share with my mum. I am not at all ashamed to still have this connection to my childhood. In fact I am rather proud, so much so when in college we were asked to bring in something that had meaning to us and a story behind it - I brought Rufus.

It is strange in one sense, I am not a sentimental person, though I won't lie... I am a complete softy. I threw away pretty much all the toys from my childhood. But some things are meant to be kept forever and Rufus is one of these. As the saying goes "one persons trash is anther persons treasure".

When I Was A Kid...

2011-02-20T17:44:00.000-08:00

It is really strange how as we grow up our ambitions change, I remember as a kid I always wanted to be a vet. I think I must have spent 5 years of my life with this ambition, maybe more. At least the whole of infant school I was adamant this would be my future. Though equally a part of me realised that I wouldn't be able to do this. I couldn't euthanize an animal. I know in some cases having an animal put to sleep is the most humane thing to do, but part of me still feels it is killing. Even now days I am a huge wuss, I cried my eyes out when our last cat died! I always feared doing having to do this as it was part of a vets job, and I guess that was the reality which meant I would never be a vet. Even in those early years I identified this. It is strange how we have these glimmers of maturity even before we know what the word maturity means.

At the same time I always dreamed of being a star. My parents were huge fans of Status Quo, and they took me to see them once a year at Wembley Arena. I guess seeing the crowds of fans, the lighting rigs, the guitars, the huge stack amps and everything that came with being a huge rock band filled me with envy. I must have been about 8 when I first saw them, though even before that I would be singing along to the Cd's and cassettes at every available opportunity. I guess I was lucky to be exposed to real music at an early age, and to go to a rock show at Wembley on a yearly basis was really something special. My mum has always encouraged me to make music part of my life, and I will be the first to admit that many of her musical influences also brushed off on me.

I remember at about infant school age I would set myself up with cuddly toys in a stage formation whilst tucked up in bed - my bassist to the left, my rhythm guitarist to my right, the drummer and keyboardist behind me. I would then put on the Walkman and believe that I was on stage. But i didn't need the cuddly toys for my imagination to whizz me off to my imaginary rock 'n' roll dreams. Sometimes as I would be listening to the Walkman in the car, and i would imagine that I was the singer in a band. The whole surrounding of the car wasn't even there - I was on a stage, rocking it out to whatever I was listening to at the time. Or sometimes I would even imagine that I was being chauffeur driven (by my dad.... who of course wasn't my dad he was my chauffeur) to the next venue.

I guess you can say I had a creative mind back then which to an extent I still have today. though I assure you the days of cuddly toy rock bands are in the past. I only really have one cuddly toy now days and that is Rufus... maybe I will tell you about him sometime.

I guess this explains why I grew up through my teenage years with an interest in music, which I still maintain today. It would also explain why I have the most diverse mix of music on my iPhone. Literally there is old stuff, new stuff, theatrical numbers, heavy songs and even a poppy number or two. Music was a big part of my childhood, but really that needs to wait for another blog, otherwise I will never get this one finished, and it is already nearing half past 2 in the morning. None the less it was also evident that I would not end up playing in a band (though I did attempt this). I never really had an interest in learning how to play an instrument, so again where would this lead me in the future?

At about the same age as my rock 'n' roll fantasies, I remember having this little story in my head. It was set at my infant school... only there was a fire mans pole down into the foyer, in the lower part of the school. My base was above, I don't remember it being hi-tech, in fact I really don't remember much of it at all. In reality there was no second floor, but that is what an imagination is for. In my dreams there was a second floor, and the only way down to the ground floor was via the fire mans pole. If you are asking yourself how i got up there in the first place? I have no idea, there never were stairs... so again use your imaginations to work this one out! Its frustrating that I don't remember what the stories were about, but i visualised it as a TV show of some sort. I was the hero, the main character, it was great...

So what relevance do these stories have? I guess what it says is that as a kid your mind works on two levels. There is the conscious side of your mind which links things you do in real life with a career. Such as my love for animals and becoming a vet. Then equally there is the subconscious things, events that seem meaningless at the time but in fact carve who you become. I guess from that early age it was clear that I would want to be seen or heard, even if I wasn't the most socially outgoing kid in school. I never at this stage would have thought acting. But hey... that is where it lead me.

These little childish moments which sound oh so cute in fact make so much sense. I clearly longed to be on a stage. At the time I never realised this, they were just childhood fantasies and imaginations playing games. Though really they were telling me something. I went through senior school ignoring much of this. If I am truthful I had no idea what i wanted to do by this stage. The conscious side of my mind was on other matters, combating all the shit you have to deal with as you grow up - puberty is a real pain in the arse, as you have to get to grips with the person you are growing up to be. But that is all part of life.

I guess the moral to this story is that you can choose a career or ambition but in reality the ambition or career chooses you before you even know it!

A Review Of 2010

2010-12-31T05:43:00.000-08:00

So much has happened this year, and I know looking back I won't remember all the highlights, the highs or the lows. But somehow it only feels right to make some half-arsed attempt of it as the final hours of 2010 draw to a close to detail them in a blog, seeing as I haven't written a new one in so long.

So what was the best moment of 2010? I don't even need to think about this question twice, as it was undoubtedly meeting Liam Mower on the few occasions I had the chance to do so. He is my biggest inspiration without a doubt, and he has opened my mind to a lot of new things, most notably dance on a performance level, and a whole world of things on a personal level. Its amazing even having met him a few times, I am still nervous every time I see him... I definitely need to be more confident in 2011! He is however lovely and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for the inspiration he has provided and for being an all round great guy.

Educationally I have done a lot as I further my own training in performing arts. One of my pledges for 2010 was to push myself harder, and I have done that for sure. The highlight for me has been a greater in depth study of improvisation under the tuition of a superb teacher named Mark Phoenix. So many people claim they can improvise. In essence we all think we can do it, but are you really improvising? Mark taught me that true improvisation comes from within, an emotional depth which takes a lot of practice to find and develop. Its not about creating a scene in your head, or even a character at that. Its about allowing a scene to naturally unfold. There is a little phrase he has often used to help us - "Invent nothing, deny nothing" and if you can do that, then you are truly improvising. My 12 weeks with Mark have certainly enriched my skills and I am very much eager to return to his teachings in the new year!

Theatrically theres been a few big events this year. First and foremost my favorite Billy - Fox Jackson-Keen leaving the show after a record breaking stay at the Victoria Palace Theatre. I often say how much Liam inspires me, however Fox deserves a lot of praise and credit too. His performances were always very special and I know without Fox, I wouldn't be where I am today. This was very closely followed by the 5th anniversary performance, which featured a special performance from the bulk of the 20+ Billy's who have graced the stage over the history of the show, including Fox and Liam, which was nice, as was the brief return of Connor Doyle (another inspirational guy) to the show in April of this year as Michael.

Away from Billy Elliot, another big moment was seeing Les Miserables at the Barbican, as it returned to its original London home for a limited run to celebrate the shows 25th birthday. I love Les Miserables, so to have a special show like this, it means so much more, and with Jon Robyns in the cast (though sadly not as Marius), it was always going to be up there in my memories for the year. Finally back in October an all time favorite - Avenue Q saw its time in the West End come to a close after a phenomenal four and a half years of laughter spread across three prestigious theatres. Yes all of which I have visited - though not in the last year I will admit!

I think the most moving moment of the year however comes from learning of another Liam. Liam O'Brien who you can read about in a blog from August of this year. Liam's life was tragically cut short, as another innocent victim to the UK's surge in knife crime. Since then I have got to know some of Liam's family, most notably his Mum Sharon and his cousin Jack. They are both wonderful people, who I am honoured to be able to call friends. Liam's memory lives on, and I write this on the eve of his 16th birthday, so tomorrow take a moment to think about Liam and his family.

So there we have it - a brief run down of the year - heres to 2011!

Whats In A Name?

2010-11-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

I have written close to 80 blogs now, and I have generally always opted to stay away from sensitive issues such as race and politics. The problem being, they are so subjective that any article written will always cause divides. I have done that enough times in my write ups about drama... this could be a whole new level! I do however think the time has come where I have to put pen to paper over an issue that has been bugging me somewhat today. (I am quite aware in typing this article, I have not even picked up a pen or a sheet of paper)

Yesterday during the two minute silence a group of extremists decided to shout abuse and burn a poppy in a protest against Britain and their deployment of troops in the east. Yes... the same country that educates their children for free, gives them free health service among other things... but apparently we are a bad country in their eyes. Whats more, we live in a country where we have the freedom of speech, which should be a good thing. But is it? Actions like these are not wanted, needed or beneficial to anyone. If anything their actions are only digging themselves deeper holes, which will inevitably cave in on them sooner or later.

Why is this? These extremists just so happened to be Muslim. The unfortunate thing is that very word - "Muslim" has been given a negative stigma by the media. When people hear this word they associate themes such as terrorism and violence with the religion. These views are simply not true, however the media's profile of the belief is starting to paint a completely different picture. I have never studied the Koran, and never intend to. This isn't out of disrespect, I am not religious, its as simple as that. Its the same reason I have no interest in the bible. I do however know that the Koran (just like any other holly book) does not teach hate or violence, thus meaning the very actions of these individuals neither represent their religion or its people.

As a white British citizen, some may argue why should I care? I care because innocent, hard working, kind and caring Muslims are now being tarred with the same brush, all because a small minority of extremists and the British media are giving them a bad name. This is horrible. Why should the innocent be put through this? I feel so sorry for those who have had to suffer because of the negative connotations which have arisen from these small upsurges and the media's coverage of them. Surely the media need to take some responsibility for the racial divides and hatred that are becoming increasingly common in society today. Though we all know this won't happen - the papers are too ignorant to acknowledge that they are damaging innocent lives.

So am I defending the actions of these extremists? No I am not!!! In my eyes they should be treated like the scum they are. They should be punished severely and be humiliated before being kicked out of the country they claim to hate so much. They should have every penny they have had out of the government taken back. This is not because they are Muslim, they should be punished for what they have done, not only to the memories of fallen heroes, but also to the innocent people of their very own religion. I am sure many genuine Muslims would agree that this needs to be done - so as they do not suffer at the hands of the scum that tar their names any longer.

On the same note the individuals who caused criminal damage in the student marches should have all grants and funding removed. It is ludicrous to be petitioning against increases in fees when the actions that some (not all) opted to partake in will cost the tax payer to put right. So if tax payers money is being spent on repairs caused from the protests, where will the funds come from? That's right... education... money doesn't go on trees. It has to be subsidised from another source.

Some students really have demonstrated that they lack an educated front and just like the extremists above are digging deeper and deeper holes to fall down. So now the media have branded students mindless thugs.... yes our friends the media are at it again! So many will now suffer over a march that has set the wrong image of what students believe. I personally feel funding must not be cut else the class system will open up once more. The rich will be able to afford education and the poor won't. Lets just say I am not rich....

So please everybody stop looking at the names and groups, look to the people and the individual and find the real answers. Not everything you read in the papers is accurate!

Really what is this country coming to?

Back In The Dole Q!

2010-10-31T05:06:00.001-07:00

Four and a half years, three different West End homes, and an 18 month stay of execution, but Avenue Q's London residency has finally come to an end at the Wyndhams Theatre, which ironically stands feet away from the Noel Coward where it started out life all those years ago.

I will be honest I think since the departure of Daniel Boys and Julie Atherton (the second time around) the cast has lacked the strength it once had. Daniel had done a fantastic job following on from the phenomenal Jon Robyns, But Paul Spicer for me lacked the charisma that both Jon and Daniel had bought to the lead role. Equally Cassidy Jansen in the role of Kate and Lucy seemed not to live up to the likes of Becky Lock and Julie Atherton who had been so vibrant in the role before hand. I will state at this point that these are just my views, others have said that this is the best cast to date... we will just have to agree to disagree on that one.

It would be wrong to tar the current cast with the same brush. Tom Parsons spent many a show hiding in the shadows as one of the male understudies. In fact the first time I saw the show Tom was covering the role of Trekkie/ Nicky in the absence of Mark Goldthorpe. For reasons unknown to man or beast and indeed monsters alike, Mark Goldthorpe left the show with minimal notice which left the door for Tom Parsons to take up the role on a permanent basis. He has most definitely outshone Mark and would give Simon Lipkin who originated the role in London a run for his money also.

But cast aside, who would have thought that Avenue Q had what it would take to survive in the West End for so long. In essence bringing a show to the West End is like throwing yourself into choppy waters without a life jacket. In many cases you simply drown, few shows last long enough to make an impact. Quite what Avenue Q did to survive for so long we will never know. Maybe it was simply down to the marketing and ticket prices which under cut competitors. It could be that the use of puppets bought musicals into a new dimension. Though for me the reason is much more simple... it is a feel good hilarious show that you just want to see time and time again.

The biggest issue that Avenue Q faced was that it had to fight off competition from more conventional and traditional productions such as Les Miserables and Billy Elliot, which quite obviously has more appeal to your average theatre goer than a comedy musical with puppets. Though it was this very point which I loved about the show. This was not a show for your average theatre goer - it opened the door to new people, sceptics of theatre and those who just thought that theatre wasn't their thing. In essence the show drew people in who would never go and see a show like Les Mis, and why? It boils down to the fact that theatre still has an out dated class system attached to it. It is not thought as a working class past time, people still think of the theatre as posh and snobby. Shows like Avenue Q demonstrate that this really isn't the case and allowed a new market to access the arts. You know what? I think London owes Avenue Q a lot more than people think...

So final night - how to wrap up all that time in London? It needed to be special... How about a sing along version of the Internet Is For Porn - featuring Simon Lipkin (original Trekkie/ Nicky) and Jon Robyns (Original Princeton/ Rod)? Sounds great doesn't it? As a fan of the show and speaking on behalf of all the others - it was a nice way to wrap the show up and take it home with a bang. So from a personal perspective it is sad to see the show leave the West End, but for those who missed it first time found it is on tour in 2011 - and yes... I will be going to at least one show!

G x

Beyond The Barricade

2010-10-03T08:55:00.001-07:00

For the more theatrical readers among you, it will have occurred to you that this weekend was the 25th anniversary of the iconic musical - Les Miserables. By all standards that is one hell of a run for the show, which first started out at the Barbican theatre all those years ago. Some said that it would never even score a transfer to the West End. Though even the more optimistic followers of the show surly wouldn't have thought it would have lasted this long and manage to sweep across the globe like it has over the years.

he Barbican these days is known mostly for its dance productions, however that didn't stop Cameron Mackintosh negotiating a return for Les Miserables back to its original home. Over the last month it has made 22 special appearances at the Barbican - selling out almost every night. I was lucky enough to be at one of them earlier this week.

I must admit I love Les Mis, but I did have my reservations. Cameron Mackintosh had openly admitted in a radio interview that the 25th Anniversary edition of the show would feature some sizable differences to the original production playing at Queens Theatre in London. Furthermore I wasn't convinced that Gareth Gates would make a good Marius. Though as always I went to the show with an open mind. Though I will admit it is really difficult sitting there trying not to draw a comparison to the format of the show I had seen twice before.

The first notable change was that the set had been vastly modernised, which though had its advantages, I wasn't so sure about it. Something didn't feel right about having certain parts of the scenery projected onto the back wall. (Such as the sewer scenes) In a show that is so dated this just felt a bit too modern. Though in honesty this was only a minor gripe on the grand scheme of things.

Gareth Gates cast in the role of Marius was phenomenal. I had my reservations as I said, but they had proven unfounded. I think whenever I see a washed up pop star on a bill at a theatrical performance, it just feels like they have been added due to their name not their ability. Gareth Gates had however managed to adapt to the vocal demands of such a role, which is challenging throughout. He was convincing in his acting also which was a relief - and I really hope this encounter with musicals will be one of many. Sure beats a career in pop music!

Earl Carpenter in the role of Jarvet was the unsung hero of the show, never before have I seen such a passionate performance from an actor. Grasping every emotion with two hands and, encapsulating the audience with the power used in delivering these feelings is an art form in itself. Vocally his performance was second to none. In fact as a bold statement I feel Earl had the edge over John Owen-Jones, in the role of Jean Valjean. Don't get me wrong, he was too fantastic and delivered "Bring Him Home" perfectly, which you need one hell of a range to sing, and he managed that faultlessly! I just felt John's personification in the earlier scenes wasn't quite right. Though his second act performance was enough to win me over! It was also a pleasant surprise to see Jon Robyns again who played Marius in the West End version a while ago and before that starred in Avenue Q. He also happens to be one of my favorite actors!

I guess the only disappointment for me was the Thernadier scenes. I felt that whilst Ashley Artus is a talented actor, he just seemed to posh for the role. Strangely vocally he reminded me of Rik Mayall from The Young Ones. For the records I never used to watch the Young Ones, my dad did, I just remember it for some reason! Anyhow... that's going off at a tangent somewhat. I personally felt that he lacked the sleaze that you would normally associate with the role, he lacked that peasantish (yes that is a new word) charm which former actors have bought to the role. It wasn't terrible by any means, just could have been much better. There were some additions and twists to the scene that enhanced the comical value of the role, which was a pleasant touch in such a serious show.

So overall? What a show!!! When you see Les Miserables for yourself you will appreciate why it has lasted for 25 years. Some people argue that Susan Boyle's success with "I Dreamed A Dream" is the reason this show has been so successful of late. All I can say to this is, where was Susan Boyle for the 23 years before she came to fame? A show like this doesn't need some old trout from Scotland to be successful. It has managed all by itself, and its down to the powerful storyline, superb acting and phenomenal songs. At this rate it will be around for another twenty five years to come.

Happy Birthday Les Mis!

From Delight To Disaster

2010-09-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of changes going on in the West End at the moment. Lots of shows are closing, and others are opening for very limited seasons. I guess its a turbulent time out there. Maybe the economic climate has finally caught up with the arts, after it had seemed that they had faired quite well throughout the recession. Knowing that this was the case I took the opportunity to see two shows in their final week at the beginning of this month.

The first of these shows was Tap Dogs which has just completed its season at the Novello Theatre. I appreciate that I am very much bias towards dance, and with tap being a favorite of mine it was inevitable that I would love this show. No surprises there then. I will admit I had my doubts as to whether a 90 minute show without an interval, with solely tap dance routines may become a bit boring, but somehow it didn't. I really connected with the show, even in the absence of Adam Garcia in the lead role. I wish I knew what it was that draws me in to tap dancing so much. Maybe it is the energy that flows from the performance? It could be the rhythm that draws me in... I really don't know, I just really like it.

The cast of Tap Dogs kept the routines energetic, skillful and at times witty. The audience often left in awe at the ability being showcased before their very eyes. The interesting thing about tap dancing now days is, it generally isn't seen in its classical and contemporary forms anymore. Rather routines have become more street wise, which is nice. It has opened this format of dancing to a whole new generation who may have overlooked it otherwise. In essence it is giving it credibility rather than allowing it to be seen as old fashion, like ballet is often seen these days. (Though I beg to differ on this point). Shows like Tap Dogs are the reason for this. Taking tap dancing and bringing it into a more urban environment in a manner that allows people to relate and connect to it.

In all it was a fantastic night. I think I enjoyed it much more than my friend Reem who too loves dance but failed to find the connection that I did. With regard to everything else that is on in the West End at the moment, Tap Dogs is definitely different, however the exorbitantly high prices which London theatres command, are the main reason behind dwindling door numbers at more specialised shows like this. I can't help but think if ticket prices were lowered it would draw in new people who maybe wouldn't have seen the show otherwise. None the less a fantastic show which I am pleased to have had the opportunity to see.

Later that week I went to see Hair, which was finishing its run at the Gielgud theatre. I will be honest I had heard mixed feedback about the show, and I wasn't completely sure that it was my thing, but as I have said before I am very open minded and I am open to seeing all sorts of shows. Generally speaking I have liked everything that I have taken the time to see, except maybe with the exception of Chicago. I never did take to that one even though Jerry Springer formed part of the cast. But back t Hair.... it was pretty poor if I am frank.

The show itself by all means should be credited for the fact that it deviates away from the production style of conventional musicals, by utilising the entire theatre - not just the stage, and by involving the audience throughout instead of just performing to them. There is also an element of improvisation throughout which is interesting. Hair's diversity within its performance dates back much further than this however. Back when it opened 30 or more years ago, it too was going against the grain rather than conforming with the standards of the time. The original producers took advantage of the recently loosened censorship regulations which had previously governed theatrical performances. This needless to say caused quite a stir.

It was the first show to include full frontal nudity during a performance back in those days, a feature that the show has kept in its revival. Though this fact alone aggravates me somewhat. Its not the first time I have seen someone naked on stage, I doubt it will be the last either, however it was the most pointless use of nudity ever. During a song at the end of the first act (don't ask me what the song was called - I was bored senseless by this stage) the entire cast strip stark bollock naked and just stand there. There was no meaning to it at all, nor any power conveyed in the actions. I can't help but think that in its original format this was mealy used as a giant middle finger to Lord Chamberlain who had fought to keep censorship in the theatres. I am not against the use of nudity at all - for the records. Used effectively it can portray weakness, vulnerability or even be used to emphasise the sexual side of a relationship. But in Hair it was just pointless.... much like the show in general. Are you starting to pick up my feelings for the show yet?

Just in case you are still mysteriously under the illusion that i loved the show, lets take this review a little deeper, shall we? The storyline was erratic and hard to follow. The standard of acting was dubious in my opinion. At times, particularly in the improvised pieces within the show (mostly during the audience participation moments) I felt the actors fell out of character too much which is a real weakness in my eyes. It was noticeable to me as a drama student, so surely the actors must have been aware of their own failings too?

If I am honest, the best part of the afternoon was the ice cream I had during the interval. Chocolate flavour... and an orange and passion fruit J20... strange mix I agree, but rather nice. I recommend it next time you are at a shite show! It makes the 2nd act much more bearable. On this tangent - I have a thought, why can you never get Ben and Jerry's ice cream at the theatre?

The ending of the show too came as a relief, not simply because it was over - but the fact that the audience were invited onto the stage to sing along with the final song. A unique and frankly genius touch to finish a show on. It certainly removes the barrier between "them and us". I stuck to my guns however, there was no way I could be a hypocrite and join them on stage. Not after cursing them in my mind for the last two hours! Though I will admit the opportunity did cross my mind, purely to say that I have performed on a West End stage. Come on... you have to admit that line does sound good, though with my decision to stay seated, the dream of the stage is still right out there! This in turn means even more blogs... sorry about that!

The Journey Continues

2010-09-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I told you all about the shit week that lead up to my return to college. Despite all that happened I remained in good spirits, and though in a considerable amount of pain I decided to push ahead with my courses as planned. I guess what happened has made me defiant and along with it came a much stronger will to succeed. Had I have changed my outlooks on life and ambitions, or even just sat inside feeling sorry for myself, it would have felt like I was handing the attacker victory on a plate. There was no way that was happening. I would be there for the first day of term and that was that!

Right near the beginning of my many blogs (this is the 73rd whooooop), I had a blog called "The Journey Begins". I guess in essence this latest blog is a development of that early piece of writing which too, in turn has seen myself and my drama work develop also. I have achieved a lot since then, but really its all been working towards this. So maybe this is where my journey really begins or maybe this is just where the speed of my journey picks up. Either way - this is where things get serious, this is where drama has ceased being a hobby and is now shaping my life and who I am.

This term I am studying 5 key areas. These take the form of 3 long courses which last the full term, and 2 short courses. The theory behind this year is that I brush up on more specialised skills which in turn will give me the competitive edge when auditioning for more intensive courses next summer. It is a costly way to approach learning, but it will give me that edge, and that's worth the financial hardships - I say this, though I will admit every time I see the invoice for £1500 I cringe, more so when I realise I still have another £1000 worth of courses to book! Oh, did I mention that those costs don't include travel or books - which in two weeks alone have already set me back a further £150! Wow, I really need a sponsor!!!

The first of the three longer courses is improvisation. I know what you are thinking... improvisation is easy. But I would have to disagree with you there. I accept that pretending is easy, but improvising is not, and why? It has to be done in a way which is believable but most importantly it has to be spontaneous. People often don't realise what improvisation really is. I have been in groups before on more than one occasion where the course leader will say "spend 10 minutes working out a piece of improvisation to perform". This is not improvisation. It has been devised and has lost its spontaneous edge in doing so. All be it, the piece has been devised with little time and may be partially improvised, however in that time planning the work, the actors will have established some given truths for the scene. In improvisation you have to look within yourself or within your fellow actor to find the given truths, you act on impulse, and live for that moment in time... and that in essence is quite a skill.

The next full length course would be one that removed me from my comfort zone. In order to establish yourself within performing arts you need to be able to act, sing and dance. I have little experience in singing and dancing - in fact bar one course last summer I have avoided it like the plague. At this point I would like to say that I really don't understand this saying anymore. We say that we avoid things like the plague... but in itself this statement is a lie... the plague no longer exists, sanitation and medical advances have seen to this. So why on earth do we still use this figure of speech?

Anyhow, back on topic... I decided that I would take up a beginners dance class to improve my general performance skills. My reason for chosing this course does go a little deeper that it first appears to on the surface, just a look back at my blogs would indicate this. When I went to see the Rambert shows back in the summer I realised what a beautiful art form dance can be. Whilst the dancers there have trained for years, and are leagues ahead of anything I will ever achieve in my lifetime, it none the less inspired me. The biggest of these inspirations being Liam Mower who I have talked about before, who not only inspires me in performance but in life generally. The inspiration he has provided me makes the prospect of learning dance far less daunting than I would have found it otherwise, and you know what? After 2 lessons I am really enjoying it. The course touches on the basics of jazz, ballet and contemporary dance. I will tell you how I progress in the coming weeks!

The third area of study is one that is important to every actor - "Stanislavski's System". It can be argued that this is the backbone of acting in modern theatre today, though some would disagree I am sure. Either way like it or hate it, Stanislavski forms the basis around which most drama schools teach. The problem is broader drama courses barley touch on it, despite its huge importance to acting as a whole. In all courses which I have been a part of, I have spent no more than one evening per course studying his methods. For someone aspiring to move onwards and upwards this is not enough. I am hoping this specialised course will give me the edge and a greater understanding when it comes to this important area of study.

As for the short courses, well... I will tell you about those another day. The college itself it is based in the heart of theatre land - Covent Garden. Its so nice, and the rehearsal spaces are good too. I think something just feels right about studying drama in London. People had mixed feelings about me cutting my work hours in favour of this... well here I am and I am loving it, and there is no way I am looking back. Its official, I have made it on to the second rung of my drama ladder!

The Fresh Start That Turned Sour!

2010-09-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

September was to be a step further up my ladder to achieving my dream to perform on the big stage. In essence although it was mealy a continuation of what I have achieved over the last couple of years, it felt like a new start. Going part time at work in order to study further within performing arts was definitely a big change for me. I guess the only thing I can liken it to is riding a bike - eventually the training wheels have to come off and you have to take that risk of riding without them. That is the stage that I am at right now.

Talking of bikes I still remember 3 of the best bike crashes I had as a kid. The first, I almost ended up in a pond at a park... i forgot to turn a corner. The 2nd i ploughed at speed into a brick wall... again I forgot to turn the corner... and the third was where remarkably I remembered to turn a corner - and ploughed into a couple of old age pensioners. I think the moral to this story is that I should stick to acting rather than riding a bike. I get the impression I have gone off at a tangent again, haven't I?

In my mind September was gonna be something really special, so it goes without saying I wanted everything to go as smoothly as possible. The only issue with this is, that we live in the real world, so it was inevitable that my hopes would be dashed at the first hurdle. I am no pessimist, I am sure you have established this by now. But I am a realist and I know that optimism is never long lived in the real world.... well not without encountering some bad times on the way. I also know it takes strength to overcome the bad times in order to keep dreams on track.

The first stumbling block came when someone whom I had been building what I thought was a stable, solid and trusting relationship betrayed that at the click of a finger. I wont lie it was hurtful, especially when I ensured that I treated that individual with the care and friendship that I felt he deserved. I could dwell on this for hours. I could analyse it and say "what went wrong?", but you know what? I refuse to let myself get beaten down by this now.

Why am I not mourning this loss you may ask... What I saw was his true colours. It goes to show that people who seem nice, kind and caring on the surface can in fact (though i concede not in all cases) be good for nothing human beings who's mere existence becomes so self-absorbed, and spiteful that they lose all sense of value both in themselves and others. I won't lie - despite all this I don't hate that person, but I do realise that those months of friendship were very much one way and based on a lie... well on his part anyway. Do I have any regrets? No not really, I acted as a good friend to him and that's what matters to me. I know that may sound silly, but if I have been a good friend to him theres nothing more I could have done. Theres only one person at a loss here and its not me.

So as you can see I bounced back from this pretty quickly. This all happening on the Tuesday before I was due to start my college courses. I was pretty proud of myself that for once I didn't dwell on a matter like this, I wanted a clear mind for the following week. I will admit, usually I would be aannoyed for weeks about something like this. Sure I felt a loss and I still do to an extent, but my focus was onwards and upwards.

So Friday comes around, the weekend before my return to education! It was also the day which saw me resume organising gigs for local bands. This would allow me to pursue my other interest of local music as well as earn some extra money which would help plug the financial gap left by cutting my work hours in favour of college. I've never treated the gigs as a serious business, but now was a new start and if I was to make this work then I had to make ends meet.

So the gig... Its at a place I had worked at many times before with bands I mostly knew. The location was a small town near Staines in Middlesex. We only use a church hall there, its ideal for small gigs and cheaper than hiring a "real venue". So its ideal for what we do. I was very much comfortable in the surroundings there. Having done a years worth of shows there before I knew that the area was pretty safe and we also shared a good raport with the local police. So the last thing I expected was to be attacked.

Yes that right! The week had gone from bad to worse. I was attacked at the door of the show by some random pikey. I am not sure of exactly what happened I have been left with no memory of the entire evening, along with a couple of nasty wounds and a ton of swelling to the right hand side of my face. The problem with head injuries is that most of the pain cant be seen - headaches etc. It ended with me finishing the gig (not that i remember this), then spending the night in A&E. I am very lucky to work with some amazing people on the gigs who supported me on the evening and since. These are true friends... ones that care about me. So there you have it - not everyone is out to hurt people!

So I guess even before starting back at college I have learned a lot... not about drama, rather about the human race. There are some really nasty people out there, but equally there are some people who really care and value me for who I am. It is because of these people that I continued with my gig this week, just a week after the attack. Sure I was apprehensive... not that I would ever admit this to my friends before the show. I am pleased to say there was no incidents to report this week! As for college - well I will tell you about that another day!

G x

A Tribute To Liam O'Brian (1995 - 2008)

2010-08-01T02:58:00.000-07:00

I often talk about people who inspire me. Though not all inspirations come from the stage, some of the most amazing people are hidden in the shadows, and you don't even have to meet them to be moved by their presence or story. So please read this blog and take a little time to think things over and absorb the story. It certainly moved me.

Tomorrow - Monday 2nd August 2010, marks the 2nd anniversary of the death of Liam O'Brian, whos life was stolen from him at just 13 years of age. I never did meet Liam or even know of him 2 years ago. I in fact stumbled across his tribute page whilst looking for a friend on Facebook. Reading the tributes to Liam really moved me. I am not ashamed to say I probably cried a bit too. His short life was filled with so much happiness, not only which he brought upon himself but also to others. The memories people had of him were amazing to read, it really tears your heart in two, to know that such a fantastic person had their life cut short in such a horrible way. Liam himself sounded such a wonderful guy, full of energy... you know, the sort of person who could give anyone a lift if they were feeling down. I didn't feel I could just close the window, of that page and walk away having been so deeply touched by his story and the love and friendship shown by those around him so left a message of my own which lead to me receiving a lovely reply back from Liam's mum.

Liam was a victim of the shocking and sadly growing wave of knife crime this country has seen in the last few years. The exact circumstances surrounding what happened are not clear and never will be. What saddens me however is that somebody felt the need to take the life of a fun loving, innocent boy for no reason at all. What justification is there anywhere in this? Its not big, it doesn't make someone look good and if there was a conflict, such violent actions solve nothing at all. It just shows up some people for what they are - sick and twisted cowards. Though even these people have families, they too are human and that means they feel pain, be it emotional or physical. So why do they feel the need to inflict this upon others? It is just horrific.

What I have seen as a result of Liam's death, is the strength that his family have shown. They are united, strong loving people. I have become friends with Liam's mum Sharron and Liam's cousin Jack, both who are extraordinary people who I admire so much. The courage they show every day to keep going, and to keep those around them going strong is amazing. Further more their efforts to keep Liam's memory alive is fantastic. Had it not have been for these efforts I would never have made two new friends or heard all about Liam.

The thing is I can't just sit here and accept what has happened. We need to make a change remember Liam was just 13 years old, with a whole life ahead of him. Too many people have lost their life in this way - and we can't just let this keep happening time and time again. I know we will never live in a perfect world, but I don't think it is unreasonable to dream of better times, and I am sure that with a little unity we can make this happen. Ok, I appreciate the world will never be perfect, in fact far from it... but lots of small positive changes all add up.

I know a fair few people read this blog, though I will never know quite how many people it reaches and just who read it. But I ask everyone who does to take a moment to think, and if you can make a change for the better that's all I ask of you. Maybe there is nothing to change in yourself, but we all have the ability to influence others. Maybe if you just tell people about this blog - to open their eyes to the world we live in i(Just like reading about Liam changed my views) it could help. I don't have all the answers, what I do know is we have to, as individuals do what we can to change things. We can't have children like Liam losing their life in this way, SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE!!! If we can all work together to make the world a better place... even if its just a small change we have done Liam's memory the justice it deserves.

Remember - I am not asking to to do this for me... I want you all to do it for Liam.

I deliberately didn't go into too much depth about Liam on a personality level as this video (linked below) made by his sister Lily beautifully sums up Liam's life. Please watch it. Its a fitting tribute for a wonderful person.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH LILY'S VIDEO FOR LIAM

Feel free to leave comments or whatever on this blog. You don't have to be a member to leave a comment.

Rest in peace Liam xxx

An Inspector Calls: Act For A Cause

2010-07-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

People will know that whilst I can be a fiery character at times, I have a huge heart... that sounds so big headed but it is true... well most of the time anyway. So today's blog gives you a little insight into one of my little projects called "Act For A Cause" which is affiliated to the drama society of which I am part - The Black Fox Theatre Society.

I thought up the principal of "Act For A Cause" a long time before I had any idea what I was going to do performance wise. The concept is that acting should be able to benefit others, not only through entertainment value, but also as a platform to raise awareness and funds for needed causes. When you think about it, there is a huge opportunity to convey a message to an audience be it through the play itself, the production's programme or a short announcement at the end of a show. The audience is right in front of you and attentive, you don't need to work for their attention... you already have it... its the perfect opportunity to get people involved with your cause.

I gave the concept some thought, and I really felt that it needed a personal touch to it. I have the feeling that when you support a large charity, though you know they do good work, you are not really sure how your money is being spent. This in turn means there is no true satisfaction that you personally have made a difference. There is also a huge lack of emotional attachment to larger charities, which for me is an issue. If you are promoting a cause, or raising funds... you need passion, because it is that passion which will encourage others to support what you are doing and give you the drive to push for the best possible results.

With these considerations in mind I decided that "Act For A Cause" would be very personal and very direct. The cause would be an individual, somebody with a story to tell, someone you can relate to. I wanted people to know that their support will directly benefit one individual, and I wanted people to know how the money raised would be spent and to know first hand how much it would mean to that individual. What is beautiful about this is that the story then continues, its not the end the minute you donate some money, you walk away knowing that in fact you have allowed a brand new chapter in that individuals life to begin. Whats more because there is a personal feel to the cause - you know exactly what the next chapter has in store.

The issue is that there are thousands of worthy causes out there, people with a story, brave and courageous people who have been through more than their fair share of bad luck. I had to therefore set myself some criteria for this project. I decided that I wanted a sick child to benefit in some way or another. There is so much we take for granted when we are kids, even as adults. Its not until you realise how hard some kids have it, and how much they have missed out on that you realise how lucky so many of us are. I set our researching some cases, and in the end my shortlist amounted to about 100 different children.

It was horrible reading through the stories, realising the individual torments, and daily battles that these youngsters have to endure. it was harder still for me having to strike causes from my shortlist. The only thing which comforted me was that none of the people involved knew that I was shortlisting them. I felt it best that way. Finally I got myself down to a handful of cases, and it was at this point that I knew exactly who I wanted to support. I kept going back to his story, a young lad called Ben Smith.

Ben is eleven years old and has been bravely fighting leukemia and its side effects, which has left him very poorly. What touched me most about Ben was his spirit. Just reading about everything he s doing with his life, his feet must never touch the ground. That is not to say that the other kids stories lacked spirit, but Ben's was right out there. He is learning the drums and dance among other things and not letting his illness consume his life. Though this fight obviously brings huge challenges not only for Ben but also his family, who are just as extraordinary. Not only are they a close loving family, they work tirelessly to raise awareness and money for leukemia charities as well as keeping Ben's followers up to date with his news and progress.

Ben's spirit really moved me, I am not ashamed to admit there was a tear or two whilst reading about his fight. The fact that Ben is so very poorly, yet such a fighter with such an infectious smile made him my favorite. He is special... I knew that from the moment I first read about him. So it is fair to say that a special kid deserves the very best "Act For A Cause" had to offer.

But this cause isn't all about Ben. His family have been forced to live on one income, with Ben's dad being his full time carer. So on top of this struggle, Ben and his family can't always enjoy the luxuries some of us take for granted. Yet their passion not only for Ben but other sick children through their fund raising but also their unity as a family through all of these tough times makes them very very special people.

I therefore set out to find out what Ben's dream is. Dreams can come true, and f they deserved to come true for anyone its Ben and his family. It transpires he has always wanted to go too Disney Land in Florida. So that is our aim, to somehow get him and his family there! It will be a blast for Ben and his sisters that's for sure!

We know this will be a huge task, but I am determined to make our first "Act For A Cause" a success. We will be doing this by donating whatever we can from out ticket sales at the production as well as raising funds on the door etc. There will be a feature on Ben in the programme also. As with many not for profit organisations, we ourselves rely on sponsorship and donations. I liked the fact that people donating to our drama society know that in part their donation is not only helping the actors involved that it also plays a part in making Ben's dream come true. It makes you feel better when you know that the money you donate isn't helping just one good cause, it in fact helps two. Its like a buy one get one free offer at Tesco... only much better!

I really wanted our drama society to be different, with better morals and ethics than most of the bigoted drama groups around. I hope this is one of many ideas that make us unique. Just got to hope we raise enough funds now to stage the show on the scale which we are hoping to! Not only for the shows case but also for Ben!

Sunday Morning - Must Mean Church!!!

2010-07-25T02:10:00.000-07:00

Well its a Sunday morning so all the good girls and boys are at church. I however am not a good boy it would seem, still in bed with my laptop at my side. However this blog is about as close as I am ever going to get to going to church on a Sunday morning, as I bring you my views on the West End musical "Sister Act".

With Sister Act closing at the end of October, it only made sense that I should see it before it departs from the London Palladium. Furthermore it was a show that neither myself or friend Louis had seen before. Having seen most of the shows in the West End it was definitely time for something fresh and new. The show had come with some high recommendations, though with it closing after just about a year maybe a little longer (i think), I was concerned that this in part reflected a poor audience response to the show. So I guess I went in with an open mind and no specific expectations which is sometimes a good thing. After all it was my high expectations of Wicked the musical which left me disappointed when it failed to reach the benchmark I had set.

I will at this point confess I have not even seen the film Sister Act, though I knew the rough plot. The show opens at a seedy night club where Patina Miller who stars in the lead role of Deloris Van Cartier is performing a cabaret routine on her birthday. It is after her set when looking for her boyfriend that she witnesses him commit a horrific murder which forces her on the run. Well I say horrific murder because it sounds good - truthfully it was more of a low key, cheesily acted murder. After reporting the crime to the police officer (who happens to be a geek who had a thing for Deloris in their school days) she is stowed away in a convent, among a group or disciplined nuns with an inability to sing. Needless to say Patina Miller's character saves the day, by teaching the nuns to sing in a completely new genre which changes all of their lives and saves the church they are associated with.

The show is meant to be cheesy - the fight scenes, the storyline - it is premium extra mature cheddar cheese at its finest. But that's what a show like this is meant to be, its a feel good musical that is there to give you a lift when you need it. With catchy sing along tunes Such as "Fabulous Baby" it is inevitable that you are going to leave singing the songs all the way home. Or in my case go away attempting to sing all the way home... trust me, you really don't want to hear me sing! No really... I am awful, I make even the worst singers on Britain's Got Talent look good!

I have to be honest whilst Patina Miller was on top form, I didn't think much of Simon Webbe in the role of "Shank" - the bad guy. I don't know what it is about West End productions that see the need to get washed up pop stars into their shows. Most of the time these pop stars don't have formal vocal training (lets be honest you don't need in to lip sync on stage!). The challenges of singing every night is often too much and the vocal strain becomes evident. Further more they are just what I said - wash ups. They are no longer stars... so why not look to the drama schools for some budding fresh new talent? With Sheila Hancock and Patina Miller among the cast, its not as though the production needs another "big" name!

So acting wise - there is nothing to be astounded by, but then again I don't think this show was ever meant to be taken seriously. I do however think the directors and creators of the show have mis-judged their target audience. In my opinion the show was written with the intent to be a family show, however the structure and storyline is a little confusing at times, leaving the younger audience at a loss. I may be wrong - but I feel this may be a partial reason for the shows demise in the West End. It would have been better targeted to a teen and young adult audience in my mind. Further more (and this is a criticism of many shows), there is not enough done to draw people in from outside of London. Posters at railway stations are not enough!!! You need to proactively reach out to your target audience and reel them in... I simply think that Sister Act has not done this at all. Though I think next month the door numbers will see a lift as "Whoppi Goldberg" from the original 1992 film will join the cast for a short run as Mother Superior.

In all - a fun show. Its a shame that it is closing, but in turn that will make way for a new show. I believe that will be "The Wizard of Oz" in the new year. I would recommend people see it before it closes at the end of October, as it is a feel good show. You walk away happy, relaxed and whilst you may not plan to see it a second time around, you wont have regretted your decision to go see it in the first place.

Miners Strike Reaches Potters Bar

2010-07-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

My latest theatrical outing drew me to Potters Bar, a rather non descript little town somewhere north of London. At this point I must emphasise, my geography is rubbish - the UK is pretty much split into three zones. Firstly you have "the south" where I live, then there's "London", finally anywhere beyond London just becomes "the north". I should stress, I wouldn't advise using my geographical teachings in an exam... you won't get very far. Anyhow, I found myself in "the north" to see my very good friend Louis Gaudencio in the Top Hat Stage & Screen School's rendition of Billy Elliot, which formed part of the 5th Birthday Billy Youth Theatre initiative. Having been to one other Billy Youth Theatre production in Woking a month or so ago, I knew that I would both be expecting a lot and drawing a lot of comparisons to both that show and the West End performance.

I think what is interesting in seeing two different amateur performances of the same show is that you get to see just how important and influential the direction becomes. I think the directors role is often forgotten about in reviews when the writers lavish praise upon the actors or alternatively blast them for a shoddy performance. The fact remains that the director is at the helm and is ultimately responsible for whatever goes on. So that is where I am going to start my review today.

I will be brutally honest - I disagreed with more than I agreed with in terms of the direction. For starters what was with cutting "He Could Be A Star"? The song represents a pinnacle turning point in the show where Billy's family come around to the idea of him becoming a dancer. It also stands for the unity and spirit within the community in that era. Ultimately, aside from Billy wanting to become a dancer this is one of the main themes of the musical which is brought to life in the original London show. The song "Once We Were Kings" had also been scrubbed from the performance. Again it highlighted the miners spirit as well as their plight and suffering at the time. I feel these two parts were hugely missed, and in effect altered the sentiments and meaning of the show. I would however like to say on the music front, the band in the capable hands of musical director Grant Martn were fabulous!

But what about the acting? Well with all youth productions you come across a mixed bag of young actors, but I love crediting those who really deserve it, and tonight I am going to start with Sarah Phasey. I must say I felt she was really strong, with a fantastic voice. Her harmonising with Joshua Smyth (the second act Billy) in the reprise of the Letter was perfect, and captured the emotion of the song so well. Throughout I felt Sarah delivered a performance that could be likened to the West End "dead mum", both in her voice and mannerisms. Whilst it is only a small role, it is a hugely significant one - and a role I feel Sarah delivered superbly throughout. The same praise can be lavished upon Louis Gaudencio who rose to the occasion in the role of Tony, the older brother of Billy. His characterisation of the part seems to be derived from that of Craig Gallivan who currently stars in the same role in the West End. Louis was confident throughout, and too delivered a memorable performance. Another huge talent waiting for a big break.

A strange directing decision was to cast two boys in the role of Billy, one for each act of the show. With the size of the role, I could see the benefits of this (as there would be less pressure on each boy to learn their part). Equally however it makes you want to compare them with one another which inevitably I am about to do. The first act Billy - Harry Sharer seemed to lack a little confidence, which is understandable as I would imagine this is the biggest show he has done to date. I do however feel he has all the potential stowed away which will develop in due course, he is young, I would imagine no older than 11 or 12, so give him a year or two and I think he will be rather good indeed.

Harry bowed out during "angry dance" making way for a fantastic tap dancer who I'd love to credit by name, however he isn't listed in the programme. I have to admit this was one of the highlights of the show for me... simply amazing raw talent, boy could this kid dance! The second act made way for Joshua Smyth who I must say is an extremely talented actor in the making, delivering his lines with expression and emotion throughout he took ownership of the stage which is essential when in a lead role. A confident performance tied in with a fantastic ability to sing ensured that the second act really stood out even if it was lacking two of my favorite songs from the show. Joshua has a natural ability to perform, that is something which can never be taught, and it is that ability which I feel will see him progress a long way within performing arts should he wish to take that route in life.

Now on to the role of Michael... anyone who knows me will know just how picky I am when it comes to this part in the show. Just read everything I have to say on a current West End Michael "Jake Pratt" and you will see exactly what I mean. Sam Higgs therefore had a lot on his plate if he was to impress me. Thankfully he had what it needed, an uncompromisable level of energy, a great sense of movement and of course that cheeky Michael charm which radiates into the audience drawing out the laughter. Sam made "Expressing Yourself" look like a breeze in the park, though a moment that really pleased me was when Michael declares he will miss Billy if he goes off to ballet school. In the West End version of the show, this moment is completely lost when Michael delivers the line too quickly. Sam however took a moment to capture the mood, a short silence then "well I'd miss you".... sheer acting beauty that, bringing such feeling into a line put the icing on the cake for an all round superb performance from Sam.

I will confess now that I wasn't keen on the performance of Callum Crawford as Billy's Dad. Whilst he was confident, his articulation was so fast at times I struggled to take in exactly what he was saying, but further more he seemed to lack expression and emotion in his voice. I think this aside he deserves a little credit. Callum was part of another Top Hat cast for the show and stood in for this performance at the last minute when the casted dad was forced to pull out of the show for personal reasons. Maybe the nerves in unfamiliar surroundings among a cast he barley knew got to him? I don't know, I just expected more from a lead role especially seeing as he too is an older performer.

I also felt the Mrs Wilkinson lacked the attitude she needed, at times I guess she just seemed too nice and lacked authority. Though I should emphasise the role played by Emily Miles was again confident and well learned, just seemed to lack that spark it needed. I am sure there is natural ability there which in another role would allow her to shine (see what i did there... shine... Mrs Wilkinson's song... yeah terrible pun, I'm sorry) But seriously, I feel Emily has potential, just maybe this role wasn't quite right for her. I would also have loved to of seen more prominence from the ensemble roles also, and maybe more emphasis put onto their parts, most notably the policemen in the song solidarity.

So my views overall - I felt disappointed by the direction of the show. Tied in with the opening of this review, I feel the minimalism was too much at times, a basic set would have made a huge difference. The show could have done with a few more rehearsals I felt, especially seeing as the demands on such a young cast were so great. I think that would have helped confidence issues, and the few slip ups which various members encountered. Though in all I felt the cast did pull together well, and there were some exceptional performances.

Everything In Birmingham Is Just So

2010-07-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

I find myself in the heart of Birmingham, and whats more I have been in the city for a few hours already, and get this... I've not been mugged or stabbed... I know!!! I am just as surprised as you are!!! No... truthfully people round here have been lovely, including the two police officers who helped me after my iPhone decided to try and kill me! (Its true... but I shouldn't wander too much off topic... you know what I am like!)

So why the hell am I in Birmingham? Well, since getting back into performing and mingling among theatrical circles, I have met a lot of new people and made new friends. One of these is James Hinton, who forms part of the "The Young Rep", a Birmingham based youth theatre group, who are staging their musical rendition of "Just So". The musical is based on the immortal short stories of Rudyard Kipling in the words of the programme. I guess he got bored of writing stories, which was probably a good thing as Mr Kipling makes the most fantastic cakes these days instead.

I am always keen to support my friends when they perform, us small time actors have to stick together... or something like that! Not long ago I traveled to Liverpool to see a friend in a fabulous version of "Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi", and next week I am seeing another friend perform in Potters Bar (wherever the hell that is... no really! Someone tell me... I haven't got a clue). So for the very same reason I am here in Birmingham. From my perspective it is also nice to see smaller shows as that is what I hope to be involved with in the near future, so it helps to give me ideas on how we can stage our smaller projects.

My concern with all young casts is that unlike a professional performance you will always get actors of mixed abilities. When you are sat in your seat just before the show starts you can only hope that the director has cast the right people in the right roles, especially in musicals as the singing and choreographed movement is much more defined and disciplined than in a play. Its something that leaves me nervous every time. My experiences have been mixed until now, so it was time to see what Birmingham had to offer.

Well what can I say? A stand out performance came from Glen Jordan who played the elephant child, which was one of the three lead roles in the show. Just like football, in acting you have to be just as good off the ball as you do on the ball. Ok strange analogy I know, but the principal is the same. Even when the spotlight is not directly on you, you have to remember that the audience is still aware that you're there and can see everything that you do. This is where Glen shone, every reaction, every movement was mastered to perfection. It didn't matter if he was hiding behind a tree, he let his body language portray his characters emotions at that specific moment in time. Its something that many actors forget - but Glen really impressed me here.

So that was Glen when the spotlight wasn't directly shining down on him, so what happens when he is at the forefront of the action? He is a blinding actor who is passionate about performing, who owns the stage when he is up there. As for his singing it was note perfect, and again the best in the entire company. It is rare to find someone who can blow you away on all levels, but Glen is an example that these performers do really exist. I really cannot emphasise how good this guy is.... put him on a West End stage, and you wouldn't be able to tell him apart from the pros, that's how good he really is. Glen will have a future in theatre... I just know it!

Kristal Watkins and Emily Owen were also fantastic within their roles as the two female leads. Both clearly have a passion for singing, and have taken on their roles with a great deal of confidence. They both had solo pieces which they delivered well most notably a song about the kolokolo bird who couldn't fly sung by Emily which was superb.

As for the supports on the whole I feel they too delivered their parts well. Not that I doubt my friends, but James really blew me away with his singing and characterisation of the Leopard. I never realised he was such a good singer until now, I'm still in shock! You learn something new about your friends every day I suppose! I don't want to be too critical of his partner playing the Jaguar but I feel James was far better, the pairing in my eyes was questionable, as James' counterpart seemed uncomfortable on stage. There was a real mixed ability among the supports some better than others, but as I said in the opening this was expected.

I think the story was very well written, and very family friendly, and it all flowed rather well in fact. However there was a role of a Kangaroo (who interestingly was played by the same girl who was a talking cooking stove which I thought was played very well indeed) in the second half of the show. I have to say it was well acted... very hyper and bouncy... frankly superb. I just struggled to appreciate how it fitted into the script (seeing as its based in Africa). Ths was explained in part but at this point I felt the script just went off at a random tangent. Though as I said very well acted, but I felt let down by the girl playing the dingo who the kangaroo partnered. Now I am not here to slag off actors, but I have always said I will speak my mind and be truthful in reviews. I just felt the dingo I felt had no passion, it was almost like the girl playing the role didn't want to be there, which really let the side down. Its a good job it was only a small role I suppose! The girl playing the Rhino however was fabulous with a great voice and her entrance from the back of the theatre was impressive, she really took hold of her opportunity in the spotlight and dominated.

The set was fairly minimalistic but effective, the music was well written. The ensemble pieces worked really well and were fantastically harmonised, which I feel was an issue in some of the duets and smaller group numbers where it didn't work as well. I feel a lot of work must have gone into this show as ts come off really well overall. Sound wise there were issues throughout, which left me wanting to deck the sound man. I always get annoyed when the technical team let down the performers... maybe that's just the actor in me having a rant?

Overall I was pleased with the outcome. I am proud of my friend for being part of the show and for performing so well (even though he disputes this.... but we all know Gareth knows best). But most of all I am pleased to have stumbled across yet another fantastically talented performer - Glen Jordon. Look out for his name in the west end programmes in the coming few years... he will be there I assure you!

Save The Last Dance For Me (Rambert Blog Series Finale)

2010-07-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Ok this will be short and in a few seconds you will find out why.... no really this finale to my series of Rambert blogs will probably disappoint as much as the final episode of Lost when that came to an end earlier this year. So please don't get your hopes up... in fact why are you still reading?

I felt that I needed to round up the Rambert series of blogs. Its not good to leave a story at a loose end after all. I left off after my first visit to Rambert, I went to two more shows after this. The first at Saddlers Wells later that week and another back at the school itself the week after. Whilst all were similar, there were some subtle differences between the shows, but what they all had in common was the fact they all left me amazed and in awe of the talent I was witnessing before my very eyes.

I think it shows that we all need a reality check. We look to television shows like X Factor and Britain's Got Talent to find what are supposed to be the most talented acts in the country. But are we right to do this? I appreciate there is much ability on these shows, but are they really the best in the country? I think not. When you see a show like the three that I witnessed you realise that talent goes beyond "ability". It calls on passion, energy and self belief, and each of those attributes can be found in every performer at every Rambert show. So you want real talent? Switch off the TV and see a show like I did. You will not regret it.

So where is this blog leading? I could talk about the latter two Rambert shows in depth. I could highlight the differences between the three shows. I could attempt an in depth analysis of the performances. (But lets face it I am no expert so that would be a journalism suicide) I could also talk about each of my chats with Liam. I could point out why i feel so inspired. You know what? I could do a lot of things... but I am not going to.

The point is there are a lot of things I could say. But when you go through an experience that means such a tremendous amount to you, sometimes its nicer to keep it closer to the heart rather than blurb it all across the internet. I love sharing things with anyone who wants to read my blogs and I made a rule that I would be as open as possible, but you know this is going to be an exception to the rule, and lets face it we can all bend the ruses sometimes!

All I will say in conclusion, is that I now appreciate dance more than ever before, and I have learned so much in my short time at these three shows. As for Liam, I thought the world of him before these shows, I now think even more of him on every single level, I have some great memories not only from the shows but also in getting to chat with him afterwards. Oh, and yes I will be back at Rambert next time they have a show thats for sure!

Oh in other news - 2 days ago marked my blog's first birthday... where are the cards and presents people???

A Chance Encounter At Rambert

2010-07-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

At the interval of the show I had read about the struggle Rambert are having in raising funds for student bursaries. I can relate - it is so very hard to raise funds for the arts, my theatre group too are struggling to raise the urgently needed funds for our forthcoming production of An Inspector Calls. The show tonight had only cost me £6 entry, which by any standards is a bargain. Yet seeing all the hard work that had gone into making it happen, I felt almost guilty that I had paid so little to see such divine art. I have to be honest I am very morally bound as a person, and whilst at times it might not seem that way, I know from experience that if I feel bad about something, I need to address that issue immediately otherwise it gets at me for a long time after that.

It was this which spurred me into turning around and heading back into the building. I'd grasped £30 from my wallet. Bar a few coppers it was pretty much all I had. I looked around for a donations box... there wasn't one. I couldn't just walk away, I had to find some way of getting the cash to the school. After all I wanted to give a little something back having had such an amazing evening.

I pondered over my options for a moment, when I saw someone who was clearly affiliated with the school who I assumed was one of the teachers. I approached him cautiously (as anyone will tell you, in certain circumstances I am very nervous and find it hard to talk to people) and asked whether there was such a box. He said there wasn't, which at least meant I wasn't being blind when I couldn't see one minutes earlier. I explained my predicament, at which he offered to ensure the money got to the right place. I was very trusting in handing the notes over... after all this could be anyone, I didn't know him... yet I trusted him.

Sometimes you get a gut feeling which just makes you trust someone, and that feeling was right as it transpired that I was talking to the principal of Rambert. We had a nice little chat, though I must confess I was still very nervous. Ross McKim isn't what you would envision the principal of a high profile dance school to be like, or at least he didn't seem that way to me. He was very down to earth, laid back and seemed to enjoy a fantastic rapport with his students. What a lovely guy he was.

As I left the building for the second time that evening, I felt somewhat lifted. I knew I had done my bit and looking back, the evening was amazing. I was still in awe at the immense ability I had witnessed throughout. Furthermore I had seen my biggest inspiration, Liam Mower perform. Could the night get any better? I mean c'mon I was already on a natural high from everything that had happened thus far... I already felt things were perfect.

I slowly pondered towards the huge gates at the entrance of the school, no doubt muttering a song or a tune... like I am prone to doing. As I looked up, among a few of what I assume are his friends was Liam. What to do? Nerves once again set in. This was becoming a familiar feeling. However at that split second I remembered back to the last time I had spoke to him. He was lovely. Then another split second later it did cross my mind whether in different circumstances things would be the same. I was genuinely scared of making conversation at this point, as I slowly strolled in his general direction.

"Hey Liam, great show" I uttered.... or something to that effect anyhow. The next couple of seconds seemed like an eternity as he gave me a look which said "I know you from somewhere but I can't remember where". I reminded him of our last chat and he seemed pleasantly surprised to see me, maybe he didn't think I would keep to my word of showing up, or maybe he was just pleased to have had support at the show. I really don't know. We proceeded to chat for a minute or so, mostly about the evening. He genuinely seemed interested in what I had to say, which was so nice. It was a lovely chat!

What happened next is so typical of me in normal circumstances... problem is these were far from normal circumstances!!! Whenever I leave a friend I always hug them. It is just so "Gareth like" to do that. Just ask any of my drama buddies! Yet when I am around people who have inspired me I normally remain very much composed. But out of the blue I turned to Liam and gave him a hug goodbye. This was such a spontaneous moment, but it was fantastic as Liam hugged back. I have to say on record he is a fantastic hugger... but for me it was something special to share a moment like that. A hug with any of my friends is a really great moment, but a hug with Liam is on a whole new level.

As I walked home I couldn't help but wish the next 40 odd hours away, as yet gain I would be at a Rambert performance, only this time at Saddlers Wells. More about that next time!

Lets Get Ready To Rambert

2010-07-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

So following on from yesterday...

As the lights dimmed I felt a strange sense of security which I hadn't felt all evening. I guess all of a sudden I was no longer feeling like a rouge, rather part of a unified audience gathered for the very same purpose. No longer was I an outsider, I felt like I was starting to blend in. My lack of technical knowledge didn't matter anymore either, and the fact that I knew nobody around me had now become irrelevant. I could just sit back and enjoy the show. I must admit, I still didn't know what to expect, but I was still very excited to be seeing something like this.

With the lights dimmed a pattering of bare feet rumbled across the floor as about ten dancers took their places for the opening routine called "First Steps", which was one of Liam's two pieces. I really liked this dance it was smooth, elegant and extremely diverse. I appreciate that it wasn't the most technical but it had a real warmth to it. In my mind there is always more warmth in group numbers, as you start to appreciate relationships and interaction between the dancers. It also brings to light the intensive discipline required when performing, as timing and placement is everything. That of course is without taking into account the difficulty of the movement and flexibility that is required of the dancer which must put a lot of physical strain on the body.

Already I felt so much more relaxed, I had already sunken into a state of sheer awe at the ability of the dancers I had seen, and we were only a matter of minutes into the performance. I was loving it, I felt invigorated, inspired and refreshed, and with the evening still young I had a feeling that by the end, I would be speechless.

Whilst I was very much in support of Liam, I couldn't help but notice as the evening progressed that there was nobody at fault. To date I have never been to a show where I could say that every performer was perfect. I think this is where my lack of technical knowledge is fantastic. I take everything I see at face value, which means I am not looking to analyse the work, rather just enjoy it, which is a really nice feeling.

Something I did note however... a stand out performance came from a third year student by the name of Ashley Orwin. He just looked so happy to be performing, and his smile completely infectious. He really came to life in "Diversion Of Angels" which was the final piece of the night however was on form all evening and just seemed to be having so much fun. It's so nice to see a performance like that and it makes such a huge difference to the audience to watch someone like that.

Anyhow... I talked of Ashley's smile. Seems irrelevant doesn't it? But I assure you, its not irrelevant at all. Never before had i noticed the importance of facial expressions and body language in dance. After all dance isn't just a series of choreographed movements. It is filled with so much emotion, and furthermore each routine tells a story. This requires more than the movements, body language alone can create imagery to set the mood of the piece being performed in an instant.

A piece which captured a much deeper and darker side of emotional spectrum was "Brahman", which incidentally was Liam's 2nd piece of the evening. It happens to be one of my favorite routines of the performance too. It was packed with short sharp movements and ever changing relationships among the dancers. With such depth and mystery to it, I couldn't help but be drawn in. At times it reminded me of the fight sequences in the awesomely choreographed "West Side Story", though I really don't know why. Maybe it was down to the way in which the dancers interacted with one another or possibly the heightened senses brought by the darkness and mystery within the routine. Either way it was fantastic and really demonstrated the pressures placed upon the body during dance and the strength required to perform to that standard.

Its impossible to single out the best dance or the best dancer of the evening but I guess I really should try. Of course Liam is and will remain my favorite purely for the positive influence he has played on my life both inside and outside of performing. He was absolutely superb an exceeded all expectations I had of him. You can see the energy, passion and hard work which he and indeed everyone has put into the show to make it happen. I was left breathless by it all. If I had to name two dancers who really did shine in addition to Liam it would be Josh Ben-Tovim and Ashley Orwin. So look out for those names someday because they will make it far... I am sure of that.

Anyhow, as the show drew to an end, I slowly made my way out to the main gates into the quiet and secluded side road in which Rambert is situated. But something didn't feel right. I checked my pockets... wallet, keys, phones... I wasn't missing anything, but I somehow just couldn't walk away. Why? Well that will all become apparent next time....

G x

The Rouge At Rambert

2010-07-02T05:57:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me well will appreciate just how much I love performing arts, and as I have said many times before, I rely on the inspiration certain individuals bring to me. There aren't too many people who have the ability to change the way I set about things, but those who do manage to inspire me become very special to me.

One of these people is Liam Mower. What is it about Liam that inspires me so much? Yeah I know what you are thinking... Billy Elliot. That's where you would be wrong. He in fact single handed changed my outlook on dance as a performing medium. That's quite a result! But he inspires me in the way he leads his life also. Liam has never let anything stand in his way when it's come to living his dream to dance. Now at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, he has once again left his life behind in Hull putting everything he had on the line to follow his dreams. That is determination and I really admire that so much! He has openly said that whilst he enjoyed acting he wants to fulfil his aspirations in dance whilst at his prime. In short he is living his life to the max in the way he wants to live it. So that's what I really like about Liam among other things of course!

With a more diverse outlook on performing arts I was really keen to see a show that was all about dance and nothing else. After all it's not quite the same to appreciate dance when it's part of a different show such as a musical. When briefly chatting to Liam at the end of March he made me aware of the Rambert end if term shows. I at that point announced I would go see him perform.

I am sure Liam wouldn't have remembered that conversation, but I did, and was determined to be true to my word. I was also very excited about the prospect of such a show and knowing the standard of training the students at Rambert receive, I was sure it would be an amazing evening.

Furthermore in terms of my own acting... I guess I feel like I have been running on empty these last couple of weeks. I needed refueling (and unlike cars you can't just take me to a petrol station). This needed something special, or rather someone special who could rejuvenate my energy levels and motivation to perform. So there was now even more reason to get along to the show! As with a bit of luck it would give me the lift I was looking for, and if it was anything like the last time I saw Liam perform I knew it would do just that.

I arrived in good time and for a moment stood outside of the main gates to the school. For some reason I was nervous, I felt like a bit of a rouge... Out of place as after all whilst I love watching dance routines I am no expert! As i listened to people talk I became increasingly aware that I was the newbie, baffled by the dance terminology that was being thrown around. I also always imagined shows like this to be for people far posher than me... And let's face it... I'm not very posh. I was truly concerned that I wouldn't fit in and for a brief moment wondered if I should just turn and run.

A few deep breaths later I proceeded onto the lobby then took my aisle seat in the second row of the impressive studio facility at the heart of the school. I was strangely nervous, but excited to know Liam would be one of the first dancers to perform in a routine called "First Steps". But how would the show fair? Would I enjoy it? Would Liam still remain one of my biggest inspirations when the night came to a close? All will be revealed next time!

G x

An Inspector Calls: Music Music Music

2010-06-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

In the days when I was assistant director to Ollie, way before Chris came along I decided that I wanted to add things to the play which would make the production very much our own. I think the problem when you are doing a very well known play is that it can become stale and predictable ever so easily. Both myself and Ollie had already planned a couple of twists to An Inspector Calls to keep it fresh, but in my mind this wasn't enough.

In all my time in going to the theatre I had often noted how music was used in order to create an atmosphere and to heighten our senses to that particular moment on stage. Drawing reference to Avenue Q, "Theres a Fine, Fine Line", stylistically it is different to the majority of the songs, but is used to capture Kate Monster's heartbreak in the show. Its an effective moment in the musical and I wanted to have that same effectiveness in An Inspector Calls. I also knew that unlike many small productions we too would need music. Well its not so much small productions don't need music, rather they tend to overlook the benefits of using it. The only problem was who would do it? If you use other peoples music which has already been published, you risk having to pay royalties. Further more it would not be truly unique to our show. We needed something written for us.... easier said than done surely?

There was only one person with such a passion for both music and theatre who I felt could deliver this. His name - Tom Haggerty. Funny enough it was these very blogs that kindled a friendship between myself and Tom. Like me he very much enjoyed Billy Elliot The Musical, and somehow whilst browsing the Internet (one would imagine only for naughty sites he shouldn't be looking at) he landed on one of my blogs. Tom proceeded to read them, then contacted me. Since that day we have talked regularly and built a fairly solid friendship which is awesome. It was also a moment where I realised that these blogs reach far more people than I ever thought would ever read them which was quite a nice feeling.

Anyhow, back to Tom. I knew he would have some ideas, but I also knew it would be a big ask of him. When I approached him about this opportunity I was expecting a thanks, but no thanks kind of reply. After all he is 16 maybe 17 (I am rubbish at remembering ages) and studying for exams, which he has since completed. Tom instead grasped the opportunity with both hands... well not literally, I spoke to him online, so it would be hard to grasp it with two hands... unless he grabbed hold of his laptop at that exact moment in time or something to that effect... I'm drifting off topic aren't I?

With Ollie at the helm I asked him to contact Tom so as they could work together to make music which would fit Ollie's direction and visions for the play. Though as you will have read yesterday, Ollie was in fact useless. This meant that 3 or 4 weeks down the line from agreeing to do the music Tom still had no idea what was required of him. I therefore took it upon myself as my first big decision as covering director to get the music sorted. I believe it was a Friday evening when I sent Tom a list of what I needed from him or maybe a Saturday... it was the weekend anyhow. I have to be honest with exams in mid flow I didn't expect anything to be done before July.

The following day a facebook notification popped up "Tom Haggerty has written something on your wall". Tom surely wanted clarification on something I had asked of him. No not at all! In fact he had the first draft of a piece of music for the play. That's what you call service. It really captured the feeling I was looking for, and for what Tom described as a very rough draft piece of music I was very impressed, so much so I have lined him up for our society's future projects also. There is still more to come which I am very excited about.

Having Tom on board has allowed us to bring extra dimension to the play. We always wanted to make this as professional as possible and this touch will really help, so if you do decide to come see the show, listen out to the music... thats all the work of Tom Haggerty.

With the music in place we needed to get to work on the read through's, which no doubt I will tell you all about another day.

G x

An Inspector Calls: Ladies And Gentleman We Are Currently Experiencing Turbulence

2010-06-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Here is where we start with the Inspector Calls bloggings. Its been a long time in the waiting hasn't it? You will have to excuse the fact I am almost 2 months behind, as usual these writings operate on a Gareth time scale, which inevitably is almost always late... a bit like the buses really. Anyhow we will begin right at the beginning... it seems a pretty logical place to start after all.

I must stress at this early stage, the purpose of this blog isn't to have a swipe at Ollie (who you are about to read about). He knows my feelings about him already, so nothing is about to be said which I haven't said directly to him! Anyone who knows me well will know that I don't hold back in letting people know what I think about them, more so if they upset me! The purpose of this blog is in fact to give you... the reader a truthful and accurate account of how the play comes together over the next few months. All I will say at this point is that the truth can sometimes be harsh... but thats life!

I won't lie the early day's were manic, and very stressful. There were changes in the cast as people weren't quite suitable for the roles they were casted in. Its strange, sometimes you can see a person in a role, in your mind... but when you try them out it simply doesn't come together. A further cast member left due to an unfortunate change in personal circumstances, which lead to a shuffle among the actors and the roles they were filling. Though the biggest setback was the group decision to sack our first director - Ollie Grant. The advantage of our society is that there is no one person in power, we all share that, which whilst could be seen as an unorthodox approach to structure and hierarchy... it works for us.

Ollie was taken on as he had a little experience in directing and seemingly had the passion for a new project. He had previously directed a play in Canterbury, I forget what it was called... but thats irrelevant really. We felt this experience would be beneficial, but it transpired he was about as useful to the group as a chocolate tea pot! It leaves you wondering whether his first project was actually any good? Never have I met an individual holding a role of such responsibility who was this useless. His organisation was terrible, and communication even worse! He simply had to go if this play were to succeed.

This left us without a director. I have to admit I think we were all a bit concerned, as its not the easiest role to fill, especially seeing as the foundation stones of the play had already been laid, and the cast was already in place. It would mean a new director would have to be versatile in using the resources he had acquired with the job and blending these with his own visions and directions for the play. I will be honest now, I did wonder whether we would end up just directing this as a group, as I wasn't so sure we could find someone who would be right for the job.

In the meantime I lead the group, seeing as I was assistant director to Ollie. I knew that this could only be a temporary measure as there would be no way I could direct whist carrying a lead role in the play also. I lead the group through the first read through's which I think I did reasonably well. I had been thrown in the deep end and without experience in directing I just used instinct to guide the group forward. The next big development came at the second read through, we decided to discuss recruiting an understudy for Mr Birling. A name came up - Chris Foran. Someone a couple of the cast members had worked with before at a course we had done in the spring.

The following week Chris was on board, and discovered our predicament. At an instant he said that he would be interesting in directing the group, as after all being an understudy he would have the time to do so. Well I was convinced, and also somewhat relieved. Whilst Chris lacked experience in directing, I knew his standards as an actor. I also knew he could lead a group from the days when we were on that same course together. He was well worth a shot, though with just a tiny amount of experience in directing between us, the pending handover of control was going to be messy.

It took in total about 4 weeks for the full handover to take place, but I think we are finally there now. Just like I was with Ollie I have filled the assistant director's boots and between us we have used some of the original ideas of the play and blended them with Chris' new visions. The outcome I think will be something rather spectacular. But more news on that another day!

Less Sometimes Really Is More

2010-06-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

If you have been staying up to date with my write ups you will know that later this year I am in a production of "An Inspector Calls". With the lead role sat firmly on my shoulders, I was concerned that the recent West End run of the show would have a huge implication on the way in which we stage our production. This would naturally allow people to draw comparisons from both within the production team, and of course among our potential audience. Comparisons are not normally a bad thing but the issue from this arises when you take into account we'd be operating on a significantly smaller budget that that of the London show, which would mean huge changes to the way the production is staged. Wait... did I just say significantly? That is the understatement of the century.... we have a minute fraction of the money any West End show has!!! So there is no way we could have the same kind of lavish set in the same way the full scale production could have.

I wanted a greater insight to this, and what better way to do it than to see an amateur performance of a show I am extremely familiar with - Billy Elliot. To celebrate the shows 5th Birthday, the production team have allowed youth groups to stage their own interpretation of the show. There are in excess of 100 of these productions going on throughout the UK, one of these being in Woking which is 20 minutes from where I live... much closer than London anyhow! It goes without saying that I opted to go, I was interested in seeing how an amateur group would handle the pressures of performing at a large theatre with a show whioch people already know and love. I was also interested in seeing how the actors conducted themselves in front of the sell out crowd.

In the lead role of Billy Elliot was Max Bowden. I must admit I thought I would tear his performance to pieces seeing as the longest serving London Billy - Fox Jackson-Keen is one of my biggest influences to date. It was inevitable that I would draw comparisons between Max and his London counterparts. But remember what I said earlier? Sometimes comparisons can be a good thing!

Max was in fact very good... excellent in fact. I would actually go as far as saying vocally his rendition of Electricity is my favorite to date, certainly much better than any of the current London Billy's. Vocally he has immense articulation and a strict sense of timing, something that seems to be lacking among the current Billy's at times. He had a huge sense of spacial awareness in his dance routines, and delivered a confident performance throughout.

I know it is quite a bold statement to make, but I think Max is just as good as some of the boys who have played Billy across the globe in the full scale productions of the show, and I am certain that he has a huge future ahead of him in performing arts. I think its just a shame that he didn't have the opportunity to be a London Billy a couple of years ago, as I think he would have been superb in the role.

The other stand out performer for me was the actress playing Grandma. Unfortunately from the programme I couldn't quite work out who she was, which is a real shame as I would have loved to credit her by name. (there were 2 or 3 actresses rotating within the role). Either way she was a natural, confident and despite the huge age difference between the actress herself and the character she was casted as, she managed to recreate all that charm verging on dementia that grandma's have. It was simply fantastic.

I will be honest, I didn't agree fully with elements of the direction within the show, there were huge chunks cut from the West End performance, which I felt detracted from certain elements of the storyline. I wasn't keen on the arrangement in "The Stars Look Down" which is the opening number, and I felt Michael was too much of a diva within this production, which whilst funny at times, i think camped things up a little too much... I just feel that Michael should be more curious than being an outright diva, but that is just a personal opinion. However, within the script which he had to work with the actor playing Michael was fantastic, another natural born to be on the stage.

On the other hand there were some moments which I thought were better handled by this production in comparison to the West End. The moment where "the scab" donates money to Billy is one of these. It was much more realistic. The scab enter the scene as a group (where as in the west end there is just one single person). I feel this would be realistic to the times, as scabs were hated among the strikers. There is no way in reality a single scab would walk into a room of multiple strikers. He would get his head kicked in for Christ sake! So this was a beautiful touch giving the scab safety in numbers. Also I like the fact that Dad decides to use the money at the anger of Tony. In the West End production Dad chooses not to answer Billy when he asks if they can use the money. I like the decisiveness in this scene, it is ten times better than the London equivalent.

Furthermore the roles of Mr Braithwaite and Tracey Atkinson were brought to life and given much more character than the West End performance. They played on Tracey's love for food, which was a great touch, giving the ballet girls a little more importance. Though for me the moment which put the icing on the cake was Debbie's goodbye to Billy - she hands him a cuddly toy in the final scene. This was a nice touch, as Debbie throughout has a crush on Billy, I had always felt it wrong that in the West End production she never said goodbye. So in all there were some great touches which gave the show a lot of substance.

In terms of the set - it was simplistic. Nothing coming out of the stage, no huge chunks of the scenery moving. But it worked. A set of doors at the back of the stage which stood beneath a mezzanine floor accessed by a set of steps. I showed a lot of interest in this as in the London production of "An Inspector Calls" the set is very complicated and would be impossible to recreate without an extensive budget. I was therefore very interested in seeing how the group made such adaptations to the scenery in comparison to the West End set. I thought it was all rather good!

So in all what did I think overall? Well I was rather impressed. Songtime really know how to put on a show, which is no surprise seeing as Leon Cooke (one of the early West End Billy's was in the production team). I think the message from this is that an amateur performance, if done well can match the credentials of a West End show any day... this one certainly did. Lets just hope the show I am in can deliver also!

Some Call Me Gareth, But You Can Call Me Inspector Goole

2010-06-13T17:16:00.000-07:00

its time for some big news!!! A couple of times I have mentioned this new and exciting project which I am involved in, but I have never quite got round to telling you all about it. I haven't deliberately been putting it off, but I felt it warranted a blog to itself rather than a swift mention in passing. But it was finding a fitting moment to write the blog thats taken all this time.

For the last year or so I have had my heart set on being in a show, nothing huge... but I wanted all my hard work to progress to something more than another class. I am now part of "The Black Fox Theatre Society". Now there are lots of differences about this group when compared to other drama societies, and in due course I will tell you all about them, but for now I don't want to drift off topic too much. This is partly because it is 1:20 in the morning, and I am sure there are better things that I could be doing than writing my blog right now... but then again who needs sleep anyway?

Well... the next Black Fox production will be their interpretation of An Inspector Calls, a J.B Priestly classic that I am sure many of you have heard of. The West End production of this play closed earlier this year, and I must say although very abstract, it was rather good. The irony is I can remember studying this play at school and not particually enjoying it! But tastes change with maturity,and I have grown rather fond of this little play. Though thinking back to my school days if truth be known before taking on the role in this play, I hadn't read the script in full. It wasn't rare for me to just read notes in English rather than the full book. I got two B's in my GCSE's which for someone who hadn't read any of the GCSE texts in full, I feel is quite an achievement! My approach to studying was always questionable but somehow I always managed to get the results I needed... a bit lucky maybe, but its a technique that has never failed me.

This meant that I would be reading the script in full for the first time in preparation for this play, in which I have the role of Inspector Goole. I guess in some senses this is the lead role, though by my estimations Mr Birling has equal if not more stage time though maybe not as much importance, at least in the audiences eye anyway... oh, I don't know... what I do know is it is all rather exciting and what a challenge for my first show eh?

We are in the early stages of rehearsals, having just completed our first read through's. I would say so far so good. We have a fabulous cast and I think everyone fits their roles so perfectly. Obviously there is a lot of work still to do, but I can see the team we have really gelling.

Now the inspector is a mysterious kind of character, which you would expect. However his mood and personality is also ever altering. This has made it a real challenge for me to get my teeth into. I am not going to be too revealing at this stage, as if there is anybody reading this who would like to see the show, I wouldn't want to give too much away. All I will say is that we have a slightly different take on the entire play in comparison to the West End performance, we just have to hope it goes down well!

The production will be played out in the autumn, provisional dates are set as is a provisional venue, and no doubt when things are confirmed, I will mention it in a blog on here. At the moment though our emphasis has been on fund raising... its not easy for a small drama group to put on a show. The costs involved are huge. So far we have had many donations from lovely members of the public. Mostly friends and family of cast members, but we still have a long way to go. So if anybody reading this would like to support our drama society, then please do let me know... e-mail me or something (gareth.varndell@googlemail.com) - any support is appreciated, big or small it all makes a huge difference to all the budding actors involved.

And on that little appeal I will call it a day - 1:44am... finished this blog much sooner than I would have hoped! So good night one and all!

G xxx

Liam: My Greatest Influence

2010-06-11T12:03:00.001-07:00

"Its not how long you spend with someone its the fact you spent time with them at all"

That introduction of mine, isn't an epic piece of Gareth style philosophy, it was lifted from the TV series "Shameless" a few weeks back. For a show that is namely a comedy, that line struck some chords, after all it is incredibly deep. I am sure anyone reading this can relate to it in one way or another, I certainly can.

As you may have gathered, I have always been someone who generates motivation from others. Within acting and performance there are a select handful of influential people, the elite I suppose you could call them... who stand out over and above the rest, they are the people who guide and shape me within acting. To date I have mentioned all of them, except one. Why would I leave someone who is such an influence out of my blogs? I guess you could say that sometimes people go beyond being influential, and in fact become very special. Talking about people who influence me is just an extension of my acting work, talking of those who are really special to me, takes things to a new depth. A personal depth, which I am not too revealing about. Until now that is! Is it just me... or did that line sound like something you would hear on a TV advert for OK magazine? Like an exclusive or something.

At this stage I will say there are some questions I have left unanswered about myself, all I will say at this point, in the infinite words of a fantastic musical "La Cage Aux Folles" - I am what I am! I have always believed people can take me or leave me for who I am... so as I take these blogs to a new personal level, I will let you draw your own judgements.

So who exactly is this person I have avoided talking about in my blogs until now? His name is Liam Mower. To many he is the first Billy Elliot from the West End Musical of the same name. I have to admit, it does bug me when people only see him as this. Its just like when people think David Tennant did nothing before Doctor Who, he in fact is a fantastic actor who has spent a lot of time bringing to life the works of Shakespeare, having worked with the RSC among other things!

I appreciate actors do get type casted as the characters they are most famous for portraying, however beyond this narrow minded view lays an interesting person with much more depth and character than he is given credit for. Thats how I see Liam.... and yes I am very bias in his favour... I will admit this, but you have to be pretty shallow to think that there is nothing more to Liam than Billy Elliot.

Firstly and foremost he is a fantastic dancer and has been training the bulk of his life to get to the standard he is at now. Thinking back to the 5th Anniversary show, his turns were phenomenal. At this point you will have to forgive my lack of ballet terms, I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, though over the last 18 months I most certainly have acquired a greater appreciation of dance. Liam trains at The Rambert School of Ballet & Contemporary Dance in Twickenham, and his standards were head and shoulders over and above anyone else on the stage that night. The hard work he must have put in over the last couple of years is phenomenal.

As a performing medium, I never realised how enjoyable it could be to watch. Two or three years ago I would have laughed off me ever enjoying dance. Liam, among others opened my eyes to this, in essence expanded my horizons. Hell I have even dabbled with a bit of dance myself, I wouldn't have done that if it weren't for Liam. I say dabbled, I am frankly awful in my opinion, but I will always give it a go!

But beyond Liam the dancer is such a nice person also! Ok, I appreciate I don't know him personally, but you can tell a lot about someone by the way they behave around others. I have yet to find anyone who has a bad word to say about the guy! In my eyes he is the kind of person we would all like to know, someone who you are proud to know. Friendly, caring, has time for everyone. The only thing is when you set standards so high, you have to be prepared for your perceptions to be shattered.

I was prepared for this, although I am sure I would have found it hard to digest. I had decided that on the night of the 5th Birthday of Billy Elliot the Musical, I would arrive at the theatre much later than normal. I usually like to be somewhere in good time, however the inevitable crowd of over enthusiastic Billy and Elton John fans was more than I was willing to handle. I was excited however about the prospect of seeing and possibly meeting Liam, not that I knew what to say to him if I did have the chance, I was a bag of nerves and worrying far too much. As I arrived I saw a friend who filled me in on what had been happening around the theatre before the landmark show. I was gutted to find out that Liam had been mingling and chatting among fans, but had since gone back in to the theatre... my opportunity to meet someone so special to me... had i thrown it away in my decision to arrive later than normal?

This meant if I were to meet my idol I would need to meet him after the show... but there would be a party for the cast, and I am sure everyone would be hanging around especially the Billy Forum loyal. My chances were slim, but for me this meant everything. Only issue was whether he would emerge or not. I must admit I don't like hanging around unless there is a cause. But this was a cause and a very important one at that.

I was fortunate enough to be with Rob Carrington, a good friend of mine and his son Eliot who had been in the show a few months before hand. Rob is full of moral support and understood what this meant to me, he urged me to wait it out... and i did.... I waited.... and waited... I missed my last direct train, then the last indirect train home.... I was starting to feel at that point it could be a lost cause, and despite the still huge number of people around I contemplated heading home... well at least somewhere close to home seeing as I had missed my train.

Then at that very moment where I was about to walk away.... Liam appeared. Was it an oman of some sort that he appeared at the very moment I was about to give up? Despite all the chaos with the Billy birthday bash going on, Liam found time to talk to everyone who wanted to talk to him, and pose for photographs. You have to remember he was under no obligation to go meet and greet people, many former cast members opted not to socialise with the fans, so I find it really sweet that Liam built this into his evening. I know it meant a lot to so many people, me especially.

Needless to say this was my chance also, to meet someone who had made such a positive difference to me. I grasped the opportunity, I'd missed my last train home, but it was a price worth paying. I had a nice little chat with Liam, and a photo or two. In reality this was maybe 2 minutes, but to me it seemed to last forever, which is nice. So remember that saying i opened this blog with? "Its not how long you spend with someone its the fact you spent time with them at all", well thats how I feel. Sure I would love to get to know Liam better, I would love to be able to spend more time with him, but the fact I have had the opportunity to spend that little amount of time with him in the first place is something in a league of its own.

For me though it just felt great to thank him for inspiring me so much. A thank you is priceless and can mean a lot to someone. I know if I had ever inspired someone and they told me it would mean a hell of a lot to me. Whats more that evening has inspired me further, think back to that oman i talked of, when he appeared just as I wanted to give up. Now every time I feel like giving up in anything that I do, I think back to that moment and it makes me realise that giving up will bring me nothing.

So there you have it, my biggest inspiration and someone who means so very much to me. Trust me I have only just scraped the surface on why he is so special in my eyes, there is so much more. None the less I hope you have enjoyed this new deeper and more personal blog... its been a hard one to write, its taken a long time to complete purely because its dug deeper than I have ever needed to dig before in my writings. But you know its about Liam... so its worth it!

Rainbows Aren't Always As Colourful As They First Seem

2010-05-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

So Danielle Hope is going to be Dorothy. Now don't get me wrong, congratulations to her, and let me say at this stage, I am not having a swipe at her talent or commitment. So please please please don't have a whinge saying how good she is. I am not disputing this one bit. I am just disappointed that we now resort to reality TV programmes to find new talent for London's West End musicals, especially when there are people just as equally talented who have worked a million times harder going through the conventional route of drama schools etc to make a name for themselves and fulfil their dreams that they have worked so hard to get to.

Unless you strike it lucky, its drama school, then a host of shows with opportunities growing each time, starting in the ensemble and eventually making it to a lead role if you play your cards right. Success isn't just thrust upon you, it takes a lot of hard work, and I suppose a bit of luck. John Barrowman's first big UK show was opposite Elaine Paige in "Anything Goes", he happened to be in the right place at the right time. A drama school trip in London, where via a family member in his native Scotland he learned of the auditions for the part. He went along, wowed creative team, and got the part without even finishing drama school... so never discount luck (when accompanied by talent of course). Either way, I just think it is wrong that someone should have it made so easy for them in comparison to the "normal" route an actor or actress would take to the top.

Now as a friend pointed out, television shows like this have drawn new people into the theatres. People who maybe wouldn't have gone before, and I think the ticket sales over the last few years really do represent this. Cameron Mackintosh said in an interview that during the recession ticket sales at his theatres were actually doing better than the boom years before hand. He cited that during the last year when money has been tight for so many, people were not taking holidays and therefore had opted for days out instead.

Whilst there may be some truth in this, I can't say I fully agree with Mr. Mackintosh. I think that there is a much younger audience at the theatres these days, certainly more so than five or ten years back, when the theatre was seen as entertainment for the mature middle class married couple. I however feel now days that theatre is becoming more accessible for people of all backgrounds, namely due to there being more family shows and musicals in London than ever before. In my opinion the market has simply shifted meaning there are more people that want to go to the theatre than in years gone by. I will admit that these reality TV shows have their benefits as they have helped the increase in business for numerous shows, but I can't help but wonder if there are better ways to get our London productions exposure on television.

I know some people will point out the obvious, that many of the contestants on these shows are already drama school students. Thinking back to the days where they were hunting for someone to play Joseph, there is a great example that springs to mind... you know? The show which Daniel Boys should have won. It was a shame that the other bloke was victorious, mind you... he didn't do too bad out of it. He married Denise Van Outen if I recall correctly. Though what is bugging me at the time of writing this is that I cannot remember his name for the life of me.

Anyhow back to Daniel Boys, he was a member of a local amateur dramatics society locally to me. He went on to study at the Guildford School of Acting, and after his disappointment in the search for Joseph (i forget what the show was actually called... I want to say "Any Dream Will Do" but I have an inclination that I may be wrong) he landed a role for 2 years in Avenue Q, went on tour with John Barrowman and recorded a cd of his own (which is very good I will have you know, its called "So Close", go buy it from I-Tunes... after you have finished reading my blog of course). If truth be known, I think he has made more of a name for himself than Lee Mead has (yes I did have to Google his name, it was bugging me that I couldn't remember). I believe Lee is in Wicked these days, but I may be wrong... none the less Daniel, for a runner up hasn't done too badly at all!

Like Daniel both Lee Mead and Danielle Hope have come from drama studies to these television reality shows, and I don't dispute that they both have talent and have worked hard to get where theyare. I just cant help but feel that students who have taken the conventional drama school routes, will feel short changed. The only consolation is, those who make their name in theatre the hard way are remembered, take Elaine Paige or John Barrowman... they are names that are loved and respected among theatre goers. Will the likes of Jodie Prenger or Danielle Hope be remembered in such high esteem in ten or twenty years time? I'm not so sure they will.

Jerusalem

2010-05-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

Mark Rylance... Its not a name I had come across before now, I have to be honest most of my focus is on musicals, so no matter how good an actor someone may be, if they haven't been in a musical the chances are I will not know who they are. But just like the seasons of the year, I too am changing, I have found a passion for plays at the moment. Maybe it is down to the fact that I am in a couple over the next 12 months, or maybe Ive just got bored of musicals having currently seen the vast majority of the ones which are on in the West End at the moment.

Mark Rylance came to my attention when I decided I wanted to see the show Jerusalem, which was running for a limited season at The Apollo Theatre on Shaftsbury Avenue until the end of last month. There was a lot of hype about the show, which won Mark an Olivier for best actor. Tickets were also very hard to come by, and I was extremely lucky to get mine I hasten to add. But as we all know, I am a tad fussy. Lets face it I don't really like Wicked the Musical all that much... and everyone loves Wicked! So there was every chance too that this too wouldn't live up to my expectations. I do also have a tendancy to pick wholes in productions also, so it would be interesting to see how this would fair in the Gareth ratings.

Thankfully I can tell you it blew me away. Rylance is one hell of an actor who brought the role of Johnny Byron to life. So much depth, passion and diversity, he captured Byron's ever changing emotions throughout whilst maintaining the characterisation he had meticulously pieced together for the role. Also in the show, staring as "Ginger", best known for roles in that terrible comedy "The Office" and of course "Pirates of the Caribbean" was Mackenzie Crook. Another fantastic actor, though I must say... I absolutely hated "The Office", I have never come across a so called comedy that has lacked humour, what a boring series that was. Quite how it was as successful as it was I will never know. But rest assured my prejudice against the show was not held against Mackenzie Crook personally, he is an outstanding actor who seemed so at home on the big stage where he forged a fantastic rapport with Rylance.

I guess all that went against the show in my opinion was its length. 3 acts and over 3 hours long, I think they dragged it out a little too much. There were parts of the show that could have easily have been edited out, but that said its a minor criticism of a fabulous show. Though I will be honest the ending was a little weak by my liking. I think I would have liked to seen Byron go out with a bang. When his past catches up with him which results in him being brutally beaten and branded, he commits suicide by torching his caravan, at least that is what you are supposed to believe. These final moments were strung out and in my opinion just lacked the adrenalin that it needed to finish the show in a dramatic fashion.

The scenery however was in a league of its own. It is by far the best and most realistic set I have ever seen. You could easily think you were in a forest, the trees and shrubbery were so real, the addition of live chickens (among other creatures) gave you a sense that you really were among the great out doors. I have seen many shows but not a single set has come close to the design of Jerusalem. Whoever designed it is a genius! I think it is too easy to forget the people behind the scenes who make shows like this happen. So a fantastic job Mr set designer, whoever you may be!

In all, a little long but outstanding throughout, the show was bursting with quality. Its just a shame it was only on for a limited season, I think it could have gone on for a couple more months or more with ease. The extremely limited availability of tickets would back this up too. But thats life I suppose.

The Connor Doyle Legacy Continues

2010-05-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

Remember Connor Doyle? If you are a regular at Billy Elliot The Musical or sad enough to read my blogs on a regular basis it will be a name you will have heard many times. Connor first came to my attention in the summer of 2009, (opposed to the summer of 69) when he was cast for a six month spell in Billy Elliot The Musical playing the role of Michael. I have always been of the opinion that the supporting actors have a responsibility greater than the lead when it comes to bringing the show to life. After all it is these support actors who mould the storyline for the principals.

Having seen multiple boys in the role of Michael I knew from the start that Connor was something special. He stood out from the crowd, he was better than the rest. At this time all the attention was on Jake Pratt who had found five minutes of fame on Britain's Got Talent... shame Jake never had much talent... but lets not go there. The fact is Connor was overshadowed by Jake's five minutes of glory. Well not exactly overshadowed, it never really phased Connor at all... he simply went out there and showed them who was boss. He would wow one audience after another, in fact I would safely say from what I heard as people left the show, he left a bigger imprint on their memories than any other Michael or in some cases the Billy.

In the early stages of this year however Connor was invited back to the show to plug a gap in the rosta between George Maycock leaving and Joe Massey starting as Michael. Despite on paper having outgrown the role, he accepted the challenge. I must say this was great news, not only for me as someone who holds Connor in such high esteem, but also for the show, which in my opinion would never be able to replace Connor with someone of the same or higher standard. Mind you, I did say the same about Lewis Cope... then Connor came along. But we all know that lightning never strikes twice!

The question on everyone's lips however was "Could Connor do it?", after all having been away from the show for 5 months, there was always the risk that he would be rusty and be unable to get up to peed in the 3 - 4 weeks he had to perform in. Well for all you doubters out there, I can assure you it was like having the old Connor back again... ok quite a bit taller and much deeper, but still an outstanding performer. So natural, and suited to the role, he works the comical moments to his favour, steeling the show. I saw him alongside Dean as Billy on one of his first shows back, and I have to be honest, he out performed Dean ten fold. Now I will be honest, as nice a guy as Dean maybe, he has yet to impress me as a Billy. Furthermore Connor even out performed Tom Holland who I have spoken of highly in the past. He simply doesn't settle for second best.

Although I have seen the show many times with many different people, I actually finally managed to convince my mum to see the show, she had never been before, and in honesty had never shown any interest in seeing the show either. Now I must stress my mum loves theatre. We go together once or twice a month, so had she of wanted to see it she would have by now. Because of all my various commitments I don't often have too much time to spend with family, so its nice to have this time with my mum. Anyway, she had never been too keen on seeing Billy, but interestingly was very keen to see Connor. I think she realised what a positive influence ha had been to me in my own acting work, I guess she wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Well, she liked the show, and thought Connor was outstanding... now for someone who wasn't too keen on even seeing the show in the first place, that is quite a statement.

Whats more it gave me chance to catch up with Connor and his family, something I hadn't been able to do at least face to face for some time. Whats nice is Connor has always taken the time to acknowledge me, come over for a chat, hell I even got a hug after the final show. Its nice to feel appreciated.

So whats next for Connor? The future is looking very optimistic, he has some television work lined up among other things. I don't know if I am allowed to say wheat he is doing publicly just yet, so I will save it for another blog another time. But its exciting times for Connor and I think you will be seeing a lot more of him in the future... and I will be honest, he deserves all the success in the world. A genuine nice guy with a lot of talent!

Happy Birthday Billy!

2010-04-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

Five Years... thats 60 months, 1826 days, 43824 hours or 2629440 minutes, it depends how you look at it. But regardless of how you see or interpret a moment in time, its fair to say that 5 years is a long time. It certainly is in London's West End, a place that sees few productions last more than 5 months, let alone 5 years, but... win over the audience's and it seems as though you can be there for good.

Last month Billy Elliot The Musical celebrated its 5th birthday, among a star studded audience, including the likes of Sir Elton John, David Walliams and of course me. At this stage I would like to clarify that the red carpet was in fact rolled out just for me, out of the kindness of my heart I allowed everyone else to use it! Please do not be under any illusion that it was there for the likes of B-list celebs such as Elton John... he knows he is below me in the celebrity listings. Its a sore subject for him... ok maybe not... well I can dream can't I? One day I tell you... one day... anyway moving on...

In a nut shell the show itself would be just like any other. Fronted by Tom Holland, who is now the longest serving current Billy, with the amazing Fox Jackson-Keen having left just days earlier. This of course was preceded with a speech by Elton John, Lee Hall and the shows director Stephen Daldry. Talking of the last five years, it really did sound a remarkable story that the show made it as big as it has. Whats more its popularity has strengthened with the productions opening on Broadway last year. Is there anything that will stand in the way of this show as it goes from strength to strength?

Though if I am honest, nobody was really there for the show tonight, well not as such. What was to be very special about this evening would be the finale, which would see 19 past, present and future Billy's perform together in a specially choreographed collaboration of dance. As the curtain at the Victoria Palace Theatre raises, applause and cheers fill the auditorium as each and every one of the 1500 strong audience are on their feet, christ the walls were shaking from the noise as the outline of three familiar figures stood before us. Re-united once more on stage, the three original London Billy's - Liam Mower, George McGuire and James Lomas were greeted with a well deserved standing ovation.

It doesn't sound like much, but the moment was really something special. For me there were some extra special strings attached, but we will talk of those another day. I was still in awe at seeing the three now grown up Billy's on stage as they burst into dance alongside the other 15 Billy's who had joined them on the night. It was hard to see who was who, as at almost any one moment there were three of four, sometimes more Billy's on stage. Most recognisable for me was Fox with one of his signature pieces of acrobatics and of course the unforgettable Liam Mower finishing the Billy section of the performance with some picture perfect turns, you truly had to see it to believe it, they were spectacular! Seriously I am no expert in ballet, but they were good, amazing in fact.

The billy section of the dance was brought to an end by 4 of the shows recent Michael's who took to the stage with a short tap routine. From a personal perspective it was great to see Connor Doyle back on stage who returns to the show in April to fill a gap in the cast until the new Michael arrives in May. Alongside Connor Doyle, George Maycock who left the show just days earlier, Connor Kelly who performed as Michael at the birthday show and Jake Pratt the remaining current Michael. As the tap routine continued, the four boys were re-joined by the Billy's who ensured the finale finished with a bang!

Wow... just wow... words at this point couldn't convey the energy and feeling in the auditorium. I don't think it would have mattered if you were a huge fan of the show or not, those three or four minutes were something really special. The atmosphere was electric, and that buzz went on into the night, as I set out on my quest to meet someone very special in my eyes. But that is for another blog. No really I will tell you who... just not yet...

So in summery... what a night. I don't even remember the show, just those five minutes at the end made it so worthwhile being there. But to see Fox, Liam and Connor, three of my very favorite actors all on one stage at the same time, well that is really something else, and has created a memory that will stick with me for a long time to come.

Two Hundred And One

2010-04-02T16:40:00.001-07:00

If you are a regular reader of these blogs, you may have come across the name Fox Jackson-Keen, a talented young actor who has been nothing but an inspiration to me from the very first time I saw him perform. He is best known for playing the role of Billy in Billy Elliot the Musical. Well... as with all great actors there comes a time where they have to move on to pastures new, and sadly that time has come for Fox who gave his 201st and final performance as Billy on Saturday 27th March 2010.

So why 201 performances? surly finishing on 200 would have been a nice rounded figure? Well yes, indeed it would.... And no, its not how the cookie crumbled, there is a story behind all of this. It goes something along these lines... Once upon a time, long ago there was a young gentleman by the name of Leon Cooke, who if my memory serves me right was the 4th boy to play Billy. Leon loved to perform and held the record of the most performances which stood at 200 shows. Many Billy's fought the mighty Leon (Not to be mixed up with Kings of Leon who are awful) but failed, falling short of the golden 200 shows. What we need in this story now is a super hero to save the day... lets call him Fox! In giving his 201st performance as his final show in the role of Billy, Fox goes out with a bang setting a new record for the production, and everyone lives happily ever after! (Except maybe Leon, whos record has been broken... poor Leon!) Anyone think I should go into writing fairy tales instead of blogs?

Anyhow on a serious note, this was a record breaking evening for Fox, who delivered a fantastic show. Fox only has one standard of performance, and that is outstanding. I remember once seeing a show where he missed a flip in Electricity, he was mortified, so upset at himself. What he didn't realise however was that the rest of the show was above his already high standards, and from the perspective of a fan and theatre goer, the small slip didn't even notice. This does however show the perfectionist that Fox has become. Its not a bad thing either, its what has made him the best Billy of all time in many peoples opinions. This too is what always spurred me on. Seeing the commitment, dedication and self-belief Fox has, it really is something else! It is definitely more than I have seen from the vast majority of actors in the West End. They could all learn something from Fox thats for sure!

It goes without saying that tonight was no exception in Fox's high standards. "Angry Dance" was laced with teen angst and aggression. "Electricity" was packed out with stunning acrobatics and "The Letter" was emotionally fueled to the max. I could go as far as saying that this was one of my favorite shows to date. It was the first time I had seen Fox partner George Maycock as Michael, who incidentally was also performing his final show. There is a real chemistry between Fox and George, which shone through beautifully in "Expressing Yourself", and i think it was only when George tactfully added the line "Come on Billy! Its our last time doing this" during the energetic tap routine that it really sunk in.... two great performers were actually leaving the show I have come to love so much!

What is nice about final nights is that cast members arent afraid to make little alterations to the script much like George did in "Expressing Yourself", but for me what was possibly one of the sweetest moments I have ever seen in a live performance was delivered by Francesca Mango in the role of Debbie. Towards the end of the show, there is a scene where Billy returns to the dance school run by Mrs Wilkinson. All the ballet girls surround Billy wanting attention with the exception of Debbie. Mrs Wilkinson promptly sends the girls on a toilet break, which is the point where Debbie unsuccessfully attempts to go speak to Billy before being ushered off by her mum. Instead of the usual, response Francesca gave Fox a huge hug before scuttling off stage. It was so unbelievably sweet, but also goes to show what high regard Fox is held in by the cast who have worked with him over the last two years.

Its no surprise really that Fox is as loved as he is by fans and cast alike. Even if you take his immense ability to perform out of the equation, he is a really nice boy. I am quite shy and haven't spoken to him too much at all. In hindsight I wish I wasn't so shy around some people, because I would have loved to of chatted to him more. I would love to know where he draws his inspirations and what keeps him at the highest possible levels of perfection on a day to day basis. Though this aside, he has the time for everyone, and full credit must go to his family also who have allowed him to build up a strong rapport with his growing legions of fans. I know I wont be the only person to miss him, and there is a lot of weight on the shoulders of Rhys Yeomans, his replacement to fill Fox's shoes, I think we all wait with baited breath!

So whats next for Fox? Truthfully I think a return to normality for a little while is in order. Some rest and recuperation is well deserved. I sincerely hope that we haven't seen the last of him. Few people can make a lasting impression like he has on me. I know I am not alone in saying this either, it truly is the general consensus of many of the shows loyal fans. Later on this year I take to the stage myself in my first large (ish)production. I can comfortably say without Fox I wouldn't have found that fuel to propel me to this.

I look back at the first show where I saw Fox alongside Lewis Cope (an amazing guy... left the show a year ago and is still greatly missed!), that started a new chapter in my life. A new attitude, one that says I WILL make it... and when I do, I will owe much of it to Fox who kick started that new found level of confidence within me. So this said, I really hope Fox does make a return to the stage, but no matter what his choices in life turn out to be, he will always have my 100% belief and support, I really hope our paths cross again some day.

Until then I have the memories of a fantastic Billy and enough inspiration to last a life time.

G xxx

Our Country's Bad... Bad... BAD!!!

2010-03-28T15:49:00.001-07:00

So the first performance of the year is finally upon me....EEEK! I have to be honest I could have worked harder for this, but when there is a group unity missing, it feels like you are working towards a worthless cause sometimes. It is easy to forget that you are really out for yourself in acting land. As they say its a dog eat dog world... or I guess in this case, actor eat actor world... though if i am honest I never have fancied eating an actor before. But if I did, I would imagine they would taste like chicken, wouldn't you?

Anyhow, before the performance had even started we found out we were to be down an actor. All be it for genuine reasons, but frustrating none the less. Want to know whats worse? The missing actor was a core part in the play... OUCH! Oh and did I mention that there weren't any understudies? All be it Daniel, another guy on the course valiantly stood in, but as you can imagine with someone introduced so late on, the balance was lost and all that had been covered in rehearsals was best part wasted. We had just one full run through with Daniel before the final performance, and I will give him his dues he did a great job in the circumstances.

So lets jump to the end of the evening now. The point where we got our feedback. Now Cat is always pretty straight talking. You know she will be fair when she assesses your work. What came next was a shock to me, our teacher said that she liked my characterisation of the role, and that it was a generally good performance from me. As ever I was faulted on my articulation, but this has always been a flaw of mine, I speak too fast, and unless I concentrate I forget about this in performance. The point is however I got a generally positive set of notes from the performance.

So I must be happy right? Not at all. I couldn't disagree more with my teacher! I felt my characterisation was poor, as was my movement, and well... everything was poor. I am actually embarrassed by that performance, good feedback or otherwise! Some people say I am too harsh on myself. But me, I disagree, I set my bar higher than others, and if i don't reach it, I have failed. Too many people take comfort in being part of the crowd, but you never get noticed as an individual unless you step out of that crowd and make a statement! And I want to make that statement!

So what next? Well I put a bad performance behind me, close the door on this blog and move on! Only next time I will be much better. I guess we all have our off days, and this was definitely one of mine!!!

G xxx

Our Countrys Good... Or Is It?

2010-03-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

So I am coming to the end of yet another course and yet another play. As I said last time I updated there are some exciting things in the pipeline but I want to get this over and done with first before I waffle on out all the new stuff! Trust me its worth the wait, unlike the predictable so called cliff hangers you get at the end of Eastenders. The amount I slag that show off in these blogs, you'd have thought they'd have sued me by now!

So this Tuesday we finally perform "Our Countrys Good", I have to be honest as I said previously there has been something about this course and play that I haven't enjoyed. I think as a group we all perform well with the exception of a couple of people, and I don't mean that negatively... but there is always someone you see and think, what the hell are they here for? Its wrong to mention names, but theres one lady that springs to mind from our group. She never shows enthusiasm, or commitment... but worse still she doesn't even get into character... ever. But something is still missing. even if you ignore what I have just said.. but its too late to change that now! I just have to bite the bullet and get on with it!

So the performance on Tuesday, I have the part of "Sideway" a criminal who has a passion to act. For those who don't know the play, in short it is about convicts who have been outcast to Australia putting on a play with the help of a kind hearted soldier. The play is of course littered with tragedy and twists, but it is somewhat dated. Anyway my role... Sideway...He is a little strange to say the least. Suppose that explains why I was casted in the role. Having rehearsed our piece time and time again, I think we have ironed out most of the imperfections that we had a couple of weeks back.

From a personal perspective I have found it hard to be Sideway. I have had a great deal of difficulty converting my ideas and images of him in my mind into acting. Until now this hasn't been a hurdle that I have had problems clearing. Normally I relish the chance to uncover a characters personality.I actually think its my lack of enthusiasm for the group and play that has left me feeling this way, maybe that combined with my future plans has put this little performance into perspective... I don't know.

But whatever happens I really need to snap out of this feeling to insure that come Tuesday evening I deliver the goods. My Aunt uttered some important words the other week... give every performance your all as you never know who may be watching... Well I guess I will be doing that! Tune in next week to find out how it all went!

G xxx

The Inspiration Hall Of Fame

2010-02-28T14:31:00.000-08:00

One question people often ask you when you want to perform is, "Who do you aspire to be like?". My answer: me... yes me. I don't think its right to aim to be just like someone else, we all need to be individual and be remembered for who we are and what we have done, rather than being remembered as the person who was quite like somebody else. I say this but it doesn't mean certain actors haven't inspired me in my ambitions to perform. If you care to look back through the past 50+ blogs you would probably find mention of a few of the people I feel have helped guide and carve my path to performing. But to read back over all those blogs would take forever... and honestly, some of them aren't even that interesting! So here I am going to dedicate a blog to all the people who have inspired me and give you a little bit of an idea as to why I hold them in such high esteem.

Before I go any further I want to say that these inspirations are in no particular order. I wouldn't want to be accused of favoritism, would I?

The first name that springs to mind is John Barrowman... now I know what some of you are thinking "hes that annoying gay American". Well firstly he is not American, he was in fact born in Glasgow. Secondly he is not annoying... well at least I don't think so. Thirdly hes not... ok I will give you that one, he is as gay as they come. But that is what makes him so fantastic as an entertainer. He has a no holds barred approach to things. When I saw him in La Cage Aux Folles alongside Simon Burke, he blew me away. (is that the right thing to say whilst talking about a gay guy? I am sure there is an innuendo I could insert at this point) Anyway... This of course wasn't the first time I had seen John Barrowman, but it was the first time I had seen him perform live. He blew me away, he absorbed his character like a sponge and gave the performance 150%. The charisma he brings on stage is inspiration enough for me, but what really wins me over is his ability to out sing almost anyone you can name. He in my opinion has the strongest singing voice in all the lead male actors I have ever come across to date.

On the theme of singing, if you are wondering who my most inspirational female lead actress is, the title belongs to Elaine Paige. Kerry Ellis is up there too, but I think Paige wins the vote based on her contribution to British theatre over the last 30 or more years. Incidentally John Barrowman's debut lead performance in the West End was alongside Elaine Paige. But anyway thats another story... read JB's autobiography... its a good read!

Next on the list is a young lad by the name of Connor Doyle, who is best known for his role as Michael in Billy Elliot, though his experience in acting and indeed dancing goes way beyond this show. I first came across Connor not long into his run as Michael at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London. Its hard to put into words how Connor performs. Everything is so right. At no point when he is on stage do you see an actor, you sincerely believe he is who he is casted to be. on stage I never see Connor, I just see Michael. He just seems to mould to a role so well. Furthermore the energy he brings to every performance is outstanding, and these are the areas where he inspires me so much. I think its easy to let standards slip, but when I see Connor perform he is a reminder to me that you always have to be on top of your game. On a side not Connor who left Billy Elliot in November is returning to the show at the beginning of April for six weeks... I strongly recommend you go see him!

On the theme of Billy Elliot, I am going to have to mention Fox. Fox Jackson-Keen was the first Billy that I saw in the show. I guess he set a benchmark when I saw him that time. What I really relate to however is his interpretation of the role. Somehow when he performs he reminds me of myself... only younger, in better shape and much more energetic! Ok kidding aside, I really relate to his portrayal of Billy's struggle to make it. This topped off with the energy fox injects into his performances, is what I always look to when I am feeling a little low. Daft I know but even if i feel like crap before seeing Fox perform, you can guarantee I will come out in a much better mood! It was even better when Fox and Connor performed together!

Billy Elliot aside, next on my list is Jon Robyns. Jon's most recent ventures have been in Les Miserables and Avenue Q. Which to date are 2 of my favorite shows of all time. Jon has so much character and diversity to offer, which is so important in performing. After all there are very few people who can play a gay blue puppet called Rod then go on to be Marius in Les Mis. Such a versatile performer.

This list could go on forever, but I think I will leave it there, as they without a doubt are my favorite and most inspirational actors. Now I know someone is going to ask... if I had to name one to top my list who would it be. The truth is there is no one answer, it depends what I am doing, whether its a play, a musical, whether its serious or funny. Though I can guarantee if you ever see me perform you will see a little bit of each of those named above in what I do if you look hard enough!

As for inspirations outside of acting, its almost everyone who knows me... I was going to try and make a list of everyone, but i'd miss somebody, and cause offense. So I will leave it at this. Id you know me the chances are in some way you have, do or will inspire me in what I do on stage and I thank you for that!

Anyway I'm out of here, I am eating healthily as of tomorrow... so need to pig out before the clock strikes midnight!

G xxx

A Long Awaited Update

2010-02-15T13:42:00.000-08:00

I have been really bad at keeping this updated. I used to be so good at it. My excuse this time is that my bus was cancelled, my dog ate my homework and aliens abducted me for the period of time where blogs have been missing. Ok maybe I need to work on the quality of my excuses for the next blog... i mean Christ! I don't even have a dog to eat my homework!

Well I thought before I talked endlessly about something random I should update you on what I have been up to.

Well later this year I will be in "An Inspector Calls" by JB Priestley. Ok not the west end version... but we are performing in central London which will be amazing! Its gonna be directed by Oliver Grant who whilst new to directing theatre pieces, he has some big ideas. I think seeing what we have so far it will be a bit more dramatic than the Stephen Daldry version. I know it sounds arrogant saying that but I genuinely believe it. I have the part of Inspector Goole in the play, so a lot of stage time and a lot of lines to learn. More on this soon.

So as I may or may not have mentioned... I am still hard at work in drama. We are currently working with the script "Our Countrys Good". It is set back in the days when they took convicts out to Australia. Its an odd play, and despite its setting has quite a contemporary feel to it. I have to be honest the play doesn't do much for me. Or maybe its not the play? I have to be honest I am not enjoying this drama class as much as I have others. Maybe its the people, or the size of the group... but theres something missing. Don't get me wrong theres nothing wrong with the people, in fact everyone is really nice... but as a group I just don't think we have gelled as a unit just yet. In the nicest way though I think a lot of this comes down to the way things are taught. I miss Jenn from the old days!

It goes without saying that I have been to the theatre a lot! Since the start of the year I have already seen: Oliver, The Lion King, Mamma Mia, An Inspector Calls, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, Avenue Q and Les Miserables. Its been nice and varied and a break from Billy has also been nice. Though I do miss it a bit i admit. Talking of Billy, one of my biggest inspirations Fox Jackson-Keen leaves the show next month. I know everyone has to move on and he would have done almost 2 years in the show when he leaves. But for me the inspiration he has provided, will last a lot longer. I don't think now is the time to talk about Fox, I will save it for next month, i'd rather save it all for one big emotional farewell blog!

So other than that I haven't been up to much. I have however learned that some people and their so called friendship is skin deep, but I will rise above that and follow my dream, so I can one day look down on them filling shelves in Tesco. Sure we have all been there... only when I am on the big stage they will still be there. Though on this note I would like to say a huge thanks to all my true friends for being there these last couple of months, and when I am on the big stage I promise to look after my true friends well. There you have it in black and white!

Thats me done for now... i will try and get another blog done soon... I really have to get back into the rhythm of writing these damn blogs! Or at very least I have to get better at making excuses for not writing them!

G x

The Saga Of Oliver Twist

2010-01-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas, can you believe it, I didn't go to the theatre once?!?!?! One of my many new years resolutions (and there were many... trust me) was to cut back the number of theatre trips I make in 2010 having visited 71 shows last year! Either way it was coming up to mid January and I needed a theatre fix. The final show of 2009 for me was Thriller Live on new years eve. I guess if you are a huge Michael Jackson fan it would be a great show. As I am not, I didn't rate it much above average. All I had to do now was decide what would be my first show of 2010. Now yes I know Billy would be the logical choice, but I fancied something different...

Sometimes when you see a child actor, you just know they will be a huge star in the future. I had this feeling about Fox Jackson-Keen the first time I saw him perform in Billy, a feeling I maintain to this very day. I must admit, for me this rarely happens, in fact to date theres been only a handful of young actors who have made a lasting impression on me. Well you can add another to that list, his name is Jacques Miche and is currently in the role of the Artful Dodger in the West End production of Oliver!

So what makes Jacques so good at what he does? Well my drama teachers have all said the same thing time and time over, you have to be natural and believable within the part you play. Jacques is just this. You never suspect that he is acting, because he just fits into the role so perfectly. Whilst he is on stage, every move, every expression and every word is played out in just the way you would expect the Artful Dodger to do it. He is lively and energetic and his choreography has been mastered to the highest possible standards. There is something that surprises me even more however... I have just learned he is one of the newest additions to the show. This leads me to think, if this is what he is like after just a few shows, can you imagine how good he will be in the coming months?

Jacques really stole the show for me, which was a good thing, as honestly I do not feel Griff Rhys Jones is really the right guy to be playing Fagin. Previously I saw Rowan Atkinson in the role, who always depicted Fagin as a little more frail than I would have expected, but this aside he was good. Hell he even managed to bring a bit of Mr Bean into the stage show! But as for Griff Rhys Jones...I just feel that he lacks the personality to be in a lead role in such an iconic West End show. Don't get me wrong here, he wasn't terrible, just very average. But for a show as big as this, is average really good enough?

Playing the role of Oliver was a young lad by the name of Ethan Smith who frankly has an amazing singing voice. Probably one of the best I have heard to date! Every note was spot on, and he can sing with such passion. I think at times his inexperience shone through on the acting front, and he maybe seemed a bit uncomfortable on such a large stage. But you know what this kid is eleven and has all the time in the world to refine his performance. I think as his confidence grows, so will his performance, so it will be interesting to see how he gets on in the coming months. But my fingers are crossed for Ethan as he is certainly a talented individual.

It's not Oliver! until Jodie Prenger has been mentioned. Last time I saw the show she was not performing, I guess I was a little gutted, but thankful at the same time. After all I got to see Rowan Atkinson perform just days prior to him leaving the show. Jodie Prenger has always impressed me vocally and she lived up to all expectations tonight. Having completed just over a year in the show, she is set to move on in March, being replaced by Kerry Ellis who made her name in Wicked and We Will Rock You. I think Kerry will give Jodie a run for her money when she steps into Nancy's shoes, but for now Jodie is holding up the fort in such style. It will be a shame to see her move on, after delivering such a powerful performance.

Though as I said in the opening of this review. The night belongs to Jacques Miche who can stand tall, knowing that he outperformed everyone on the stage that evening, and yes that even includes Jodie Prenger! I really hope he keeps working at a career in theatre, because there are few people that can steel a show in such a fashion. I've said it before in reviews, you don't need to be in the staring role to steel the show. Just take what you have in front of you and shine... thats exactly what Jacques has done, and thats why I reckon you will see a lot more of him in years to come. If you get to see him, you will know exactly what I mean!

Christmas Bloggings (Part 1)

2009-12-24T11:07:00.001-08:00

Well its Christmas time, so firstly if you are reading this Merry Christmas! I have always been a firm believer that Christmas is a good time to look back and reflect over the year gone by, and to take a minute to remember all the people who made it so great, and indeed plot vendetta's against those who were nasty. Just kidding... we all know karma will come and bite them in the arse when Santa doesn't give them any presents in the morning. Santa is real right? So that is what this latest series of blogs will be about, all the awesome people and things that have inspired me over the last year.

I think it goes without saying the first person who has to be mentioned is Fox Jackson-Keen, better known as one of the boys who plays Billy in the West End hit show Billy Elliot The Musical. For those who read one of my very first blogs titled "the inspiration" you will know that he is probably the person who has inspired me most on the drama front. There is something in the way that Fox plays the role of Billy that I really connect with, and a certain level of energy and passion that draws me in to his performances. Its amazing, that every time I see him, I somehow feel even more inspired than I did before when it comes to acting. Despite my numerous writings, I still find it hard to put into words how inspirational and indeed motivational I find Fox's performances...but what can I say? That kid is special, and honestly I don't think i would have pursued drama had it not have seen him, so thanks Fox!

In seeing Billy 30 times, I have met some great people and made some new friends. Today I received a really nice message from one of them. Her name is Becky Chapman, she is part of a Billy obsessed family, comprising of her little sister and mum who all seem really cool people too. (By the way being Billy obsessed is perfectly fine, us crazy people stick together!) Anyhow the message... every year I send people a Christmas message... well a lot of people anyway. She has decided to do the very same thing. Its really nice getting a Christmas message back from someone. Its amazing the power words can convey. So that was a nice surprise for me today! Though before I move on, I think a huge shout out to Bex, Jonas, Justin, Karen, Louis, Lucia & Nicola is due. They are all people I have got to know through the show and they are all such awesome people! I am racking my brain hoping that I haven't missed any of my Billy friends, but inevitably I will have... so if I have, I'm truly sorry!!!

Of course in doing all the drama work I have told you of, I have made some great friends there too. Vikas is probably the most memorable, having done 2 drama courses with him, not to mention the numerous drinking hours in which we have become close friends. All be it we have our differences in opinion, but thats what fuels our drunken conversations. Well not so much drunken, we are far too old and mature for that... well maybe not... That aside, I know that I am always right so never feel threatened by him! Wow I sound big headed sometimes... but honestly he's Scottish, don't believe a word he says. On a serious note however, he is a great guy, really generous and a fantastic friend! I really hope to work with him again in 2010.

This year I have also seen some great shows that have inspired me so much. Asides from Billy I think the most moving show I have seen is War Horse. Its a show that can make grown men cry, it is so real, it rips your heart out and has you on the edge of your seat from start to end. Tied in with some fantastic drama techniques they really make you feel closer to all the action the show really did blow me away. Its a fantastic show, which if you haven't seen I strongly recommend that you do. Its on at the New London Theatre and to the best of my knowledge is booking well into the new year. I also saw La Cage Aux Folles a few weeks back. That too is an amazing show, but more about that in a forthcoming blog! Though I will say now, if you plan to see that it closes in a week or so, so get your tickets now!

So there we have it part one is over and done with, look out for the second part in a day or so, who knows, you may even get a mention!

Have an awesome Christmas!

G xxx

The Connor Doyle Legacy

2009-12-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

I won't lie, if somebody asked me to name my top 5 actors, I wouldn't hesitate in putting Connor Doyle right up there. Since the first time I saw him perform in the role of Michael in Billy Elliot the Musical, I knew that he was something special. For me he really stood out from the crowd. You just need to look back over the previous Billy blogs to see what high regard I held him in. So it goes without saying that I was gutted when it was announced he would be leaving after just six months in the show.

All be it he left for the right reasons and on good terms. But there, at least for me would be a huge hole left behind in the show that his performances used to dominate. I have said it so many times before. You don't have to be in the leading role to be the best performer on stage. Connor grabbed every opportunity he had to make a bold statement with his acting. He confronted the role with such determination and dedication, it was evident right from the very first performance, he had no intentions of being second best. Hell, he even learned to tap dance especially for the role, unlike most boys casted in the show who have a history in dance of some sort. Yet the amazing thing was that if you watched him you could have easily believed he had been doing it for years!

The thing with acting is that you can only be taught so much. The rest of a performance relies on what comes naturally to a performer. This is where Connor always came through. He has such a vibrant personality which always shines when on stage. He comes across as the kind of guy who loves making people laugh, and putting smiles on their faces. Such charisma made him perfect for the role of Michael. I saw him something like 13 times, and not once did he ever have a bad show.

Honestly I don't think they could have casted anyone better for the role if they tried! When Lewis Cope left the show after 2 years in the role, I thought it would be impossible to replace him. He was amazing, and left such huge shoes to fill! Then along came Connor. He was the perfect replacement, he bought to life the role in the same way Lewis had managed to over the previous two years. I guess on this occasion lightning did strike twice... there was someone just as good as Lewis. But can that happen again? I am not so sure. There will be a huge void which Connor and previously Lewis have left behind. Honestly I don't think will ever be filled, well at least not in the same way that these two talented actors had managed.

Ok, its true people come and people go. As it happens Connor shared his last night with about seven other cast members including Anabelle as Debbie and Stephanie as "dead mum" and various members of the ensemble. But just like the changing of the seasons, its something that happens. Most of the time you just move on forgetting the faces that once dominated the stage before you. That isn't quite true for Connor however. I've seen the show a few times since his departure and it seems to lack the big personality he had.

I only had the opportunity to talk to Connor twice during his stint in the show, both times he demonstrated what a great guy that he was. Really polite, friendly and taken back by the support his fans showed him. He wasn't afraid to give a little something back either. He would regularly spot out his fans and wave to them as the curtain fell. It makes a huge difference when you feel noticed. It was even nicer for me, seeing as he is one of my acting inspirations. I've been asked a couple of times, how can someone so young be an inspiration alongside the likes of Jon Robyns and John Barrowman. All I can say is, had you watched him perform you would understand. I just hope I can bring to the stage a personality like Connor's when I finally get onto the big stage!

So what is next for Connor? Someone close to him once told me that if Connor is determined to do something nothing will stand in his way. That tells me its not the last we have heard from him. I just hope he returns to the West End sooner rather than later. As its a much lonelier and boring place without him. He has left a mark on a fantastic show, that will be impossible to erase. I can't help but think the benchmark he has set will be difficult to even come close to for quite some time to come.

Finally a picture of me and the legend himself. Thanks Connor and good luck in whatever you go on to do in life!

The Drama Stories I Never Quite Finished

2009-12-08T03:53:00.000-08:00

Well I guess I tailed off somewhat when talking about my endless drama antics for the autumn term. I will be honest, it was becoming like writing a diary, and as I see it if I don't enjoy writing something, you wont enjoy reading it. So the drama write ups in future will be a little more generalised I think. In part it gives me an excuse to write less, but hopefully it will make a better read as a result. So this blog will summarise the courses I have completed and bring to a close the latest chapter on my quest to act.

I am currently enjoying some time off. I'm not doing much and drama right now, which in a sense is nice. I will feel much more refreshed when January comes around that way. So I guess it would be better to conclude the last stories before I start all the new ones. Though this said I still haven't quite decided what path to take in the new year. I have some ideas but in true Gareth style, I will leave it as late as possible before making a final decision.

So over the last 3 months I have been doing 2 acting courses and one specialised course on voice. They have definitely helped me a lot and built up a lot of confidence. I guess now I feel like I am on the second rung of a very long ladder! But I am also starting to feel a bit disillusioned by the height of that climb thats now before me. I know that I have to stay focused. Though some things are much easier said than done. In the down time between courses I always start to get some negative vibes, but I am sure even the best actors, and all those ones who inspire me so much have their down days too. I really need to get hold of what causes these vibes and be more positive and proactive going into 2010, not just in acting but it would be a start.

So what have I taken away from these last three courses? I learned one hell of a lot about the effective use of the human voice. There is a lot more too it than you would think. But lets take things back to basics here. An actor's voice is like a decorators paint brush. Without it they would be buggered in their trade. When you see the voice as a tool like this, you realise just how important it is to an actor, and how complex it is to use. After all a tool is only any good if it is used correctly, and in essence the same goes for our voices. I know that sounds silly, but effective breathing, posture, articulation, and projection are factors that need to be considered. I will admit this course wasn't the most enthralling at times, but it was beneficial, and that is what was important.

As for the acting courses... they were more down my street. I met some great people who have become good friends, and indeed re-united with old friends, such as Vikas my long time drama drinking buddy, whom I hope to continue drinking and acting with into 2010! The only problem with these courses are that my new friends come from different places and walks of life, and it becomes increasingly difficult to stay in touch with them! Thank god for Facebook! Never thought I would say that in a blog! It reminds me, I really must drop a few people a line over the Christmas break. But back to the blog...

One of the courses heavily featured the play "The Notebook Of Trigorin" which was a Tennessee Williams adaptation of Chekov's "The Seagull". I can honestly say that I learned a lot on this course. I really enjoyed working around that play, and being reunited with my old drama teacher Jenn was wonderful! However the play itself I hated! Its quite ironic really, how I can enjoy the course but not the play! I am more cut out for modern pieces such as "Harper Reagan" which I studied in the other acting course I was taking. In these workshops I worked with Cat Clancey who was also my voice coach. She has some different methods of teaching, and the diversity was such that I could cover the same topic with both Jenn and Cat and learn new things with each of them.

So in terms of acting I think I have revisited a lot of old things and learned some new techniques. I always take a greater interest in the more obscure methods of acting. I think its really important that you look at different ways of reaching for and expressing emotion in acting. Sometimes it isn't as clear cut as you would think. Furthermore there is much more to acting than just being on stage in from of a seated audience. With Cat we learned ways of appealing to all the human senses. It was rather spooky but a lot of fun. I say that purely because I got to freak Danielle out again!

So my pledge for 2010? Well i need to keep working hard at what I am doing if I am to succeed. I have a lot of plans in the pipeline but i think 2010 will be the make or break year for me. The only thing is I have set myself a big goal, and if I am honest achieving it may not be easy, but lets be honest set the bar too low and where will my motivation come from?

So thats the last courses summarised... I have a few blogs planned for the festive period. So make sure you check back soon. Thank you for reading and have an awesome Christmas!

G xxx

Goodbye Jonathan

2009-11-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

It requires a very talented actor to take a small role and make it huge!!! If I am honest, there are very few people, who in my mind that have the ability to do just this. However, there is someone who springs to mind... an actor who has just this evening played out their final night in Billy Elliot the Musical at London's Victoria Palace Theatre. A boy who injects so much passion and energy into his role, it captivates the audiences heart and mind each and every time he takes to the stage. What you may be surprised to hear is that this is not a Billy, nor a Michael. I am talking about Jonathan Danciger who plays the role of Tall Boy. Now on paper this role is rather small, but in reality, a part in any show is what you make of it, and Jonathan is out there to get noticed!

I have always been fond of Jonathan's performances. One of my drama teachers once told me, the key to acting is to be believable within the role in which you are casted. This is what Jonathan has down to a fine art. I think the most notable example of this is during the Royal Ballet scene where he plays a posh upper class child named Tom, who tries to console Billy after what was a less than successful audition. Billy's response is to beat him up! When Jonathan goes to ground there is always a huge audience reaction... a gasp of fear. There is that split second where the entire auditorium fears the worst, thinking something may have gone wrong. He is so convincing, that even having seen him several times I still worry when i see him go down. My heart genuinely skips a beat! No other boy I have seen in the role has ever managed to generate such a reaction. This alone is a testament to how real Jonathan's acting comes across.

So what else sets Jonathan aside from the rest of the crowd? When I see some actors in theatrical productions, I cant help but think they are up there simply because it pays the bills rather than because they love to act. This can leave a performance seeming somewhat hollow and empty. But this is where Jonathan differs. Every line is delivered with such passion and confidence, you really do notice his presence on the stage. His love of acting radiates from each and every character he plays and it always makes for a better all round performance.

Even when he is not at the forefront of the scene, he manages to find a way to bring the character to life. An example of this is in "The Stars Look Down", where his interaction with Michael (particularly when played by Connor Doyle) adds depth to the scene which is normally overlooked by other boys playing the same role. His body language always tells a story and he picks the perfect facial expressions to capture the moment. It is these little touches he adds throughout which puts him in a league of his own!

So as you can see Jonathan sets himself some very high standards, and at tonight's final performance he was not going to let them slip. A faultless show from start to end, and as the curtain fell, I was left wondering whether anyone could fill his shoes. I knew at this point I would really miss seeing him perform, that was for sure. But behind every grey cloud is a blue sky, and for me that was the realisation that he can now go further, he can aim higher and fulfil his dream to perform. Jonathan can leave this show with his head held high, knowing he has delivered some fine performances.

I guess in short his role may not be as big as that of Billy or Michael but one thing is for sure his ability to act far exceeds that of some people in larger roles, which is why I don't think it will be too long before we see Jonathan back on the big stage. Whats more, off the stage he is such a genuinely nice guy who has the time for everyone. I am privileged to have seen such an awesome performer and even more privileged to have met him and his wonderful family who are all so supportive of his talents.

So in conclusion Jonathan has been an inspiration to me. Performances like his are what keep me going. I can look back and learn so much from him, and as I move forward in my quest to act these very same performances will be my motivation. So thank you Jonathan for all your hard work, so many great shows and for being a huge inspiration to me. I hope you achieve everything in life that you have worked for and so very much deserve.

The Return Of Saddlers Wells (Part 5)

2009-10-20T04:46:00.001-07:00

Its always interesting studying "abstract" theatrical concepts. This was the theme of this afternoon's classes. Now I am sure there are many different abstract styles of performing, but in a 2 hour session there is obviously a limit to what can be taught. So we focused on the concept of some crazy french man, who at the time was considered to be a complete idiot for the ideology behind the method of theatrical art. Now the name of this french dude slips my mind, but honestly, that isn't all that important. The important thing was the way he set about things.

His concept was that the audience should be a greater part of a piece of theatre. Even in most present day productions, the performance takes place on a stage and is watched by rows of people in seats. But what happens when you take a step away from tradition? His theory was that theatre could be much more interactive, with the theatre going on around people and in some cases involving the theatre patron in the art itself. All sounds rather strange doesn't it?

So how does it work? An example may be where a room is set out in a theme, lets imagine a ball, ladies wearing the poshest of gowns, and gents in their tops and tails. All the patrons may be given masks as they enter the ball room, where there is something going on. Though rather than telling the story to the patrons, the actors involve them, maybe actors will dance with the theatre goer whilst the story goes on around them. Its weird i know, but a very interesting concept and certainly makes performing arts more three dimensional.

So thats what we would do. Divided into two groups we were tasked with the concept of creating initially a piece of work that appealed to other senses other than sight, predominantly touch and. We used narration and various items to create the sensation of noise or touch including bubble wrap as rain and feathers brushing against the audiences face to represent the wind among other things. Its amazing how imaginative you can be. With the audience members having their eyes closed imaginations were permitted to run wild. Its a rather spine chilling experience with the right story, and we certainly achieved the response we wanted.

The second task on hand was to create a piece that plays with the mind of the audience member. Our personal space is very precious to us, and we all hate it when someone gets right in our face. So what happens to us when actors violate that personal space? Well the reaction is something much more personal than you would get at a traditional theatre show. We set our scene in some form of psychiatric ward, this time working with Katie and Sally, we orbited the audience members in close proximity as "patients" from the ward, and successfully made the audience members feel uncomfortable by again exploring the concept of touch tied in with some rather freaky acting and repetition of words. Again I was very happy with the overall results of this piece as it worked perfectly. If anyone has been to Thorpe Park on a fright night, this is a very similar method of acting which is used in the mazes that they have.

This was one of the most enjoyable classes, I think personally I did very well and it was something completely new to me. I am really lucky to be among a very talented group. I think all the work the class has achieved to date has been to an amazing standard. I also found out that Danielle intends to do the next class that I will be on with City Academy in the new year, so thats pretty awesome too!

So there you have it... abstract forms of theatrical art can be a lot of fun :)

The Return Of Saddlers Wells (Part 6)

2009-10-20T04:44:00.001-07:00

Shakespeare... am I the only one who wishes he had become a postman or something? All the suffering his work has inflicted upon modern youth pretty much equates to child abuse, it really does. I love plays, I love acting and I love theatre... but there is something about William Shakespeare that doesn't sit right with me, though I am not quite sure what it is. So you may have gathered I am not a Shakespeare fan, needless to say I was less than overjoyed to discover that we would be looking at his work in the last day of my current drama course at Saddlers Wells, just over a week ago.

We did however approach things from a different perspective, and it helped. It certainly removed the boredom I associated with the study of his work. School was boring and they never did find a way of making Shakespeare enjoyable. In fact I would liken school study of Shakespeare to being bludgeoned to death with a wooden spoon. In short... very slow and very painful. Today wasn't so bad, and a bit of scene setting helped us get into the flow of things. We looked into "A Mid Summers Night Dream". Allegedly this was a Shakespearean comedy... yet I failed to find it humorous... just confusing. But that I guess was a language thing... it was a lot to take in and honestly, I didn't understand half what was said.

We embarked on a task to perform as a group a modernised version of the script. Loosely all we had to do was follow the storyline and perform it in a way that suited us best. This featured Manuella as Puck, who in the Shakespearean version of the play was a mischievous fairy... we some how turned him into a crack addict drug dealer... only a small difference, I think you will agree. But hugely funny... I would love to know where Manuella got the inspiration for her interpretation of the character. It was awesome! So how did our piece of work go? It was a bit messy, but the ideas and methods of acting were good. With a bit of time it could have become a rather good scene. It may have resembled a typical scene at the Queen Vic in Eastenders. Only difference is we act much better than the morons in that unbearable soap!

So yeah, we had a lot of fun, and it was a nice way to round the course off, however I don't think I have developed a love of Shakespeare yet. The sad thing is, if I want to do more in drama I will need to start exploring his work more and more. I sometimes wish I had a time machine. Most of the time I would only ever use it to fix mistakes that I have made, and believe me there are a lot of those. But if I could make one significant change to the world, i think I would go back to his era, armed with a wooden spoon and inflict the same degree of pain he has done for all the school children who have had to study his plays. Just think what a hero I would become in doing this!

A time machine... hmmm sounds interesting. Does anyone know how to make one? I am a man on a mission... well seeing as I have time on my hands as this is the last in the current series of blogs I may as well start building one myself!

G xxx

A Large Trigorin And Tonic Please (Part 4 & 5)

2009-10-18T00:30:00.000-07:00

So in a desperate bid to catch up on my blogs I am covering the last two weeks of my Thursday evening classes at RADA in one brief blog. Ok, I admit it, its not solely for that reason. This last week just gone I was dreadful, I just wasn't focused, my mind was somewhere else. Where? Who knows! I sure as hell didn't. Either way it doesn't really give me all that much to write about, so consolidating everything into one blog makes so much more sense!

In the first of these two weeks we touched on method acting, with similar approaches to those used for my classes at Saddlers Wells. It was interesting to have this renowned style of actors training taught to us in a different way. You have to remember this script is based in the 1900's, so its much harder to find you're character compared to Harper Regan (the play I study in my other classes) which is set in the present day. Jenn asked us to think of what people wore in those days, a mans attitude to a woman, posture and class among other things. Obviously all we had to base our ideas on were images and footage we had seen from the times. Its difficult to get a completely accurate representation of a character of that era as none of us are Russian for starters and more to the point, none of us are in excess of 100 years old. I felt this class really built on my knowledge of method acting and the timing of this class coincided with my Saddlers Wells classes well.

With regards to the week just passed we each studied a monologue and discovered ways of characterising our role. There are two ways... well, there are many ways but they all fall into these two sub-groups. You can either study a script in depth, where you look at you're character's attitude to themselves and others as well as studying the major changes which happen within that role. Alternatively you can phsicalise that role... I have to be honest whilst the script study made a lot of sense I couldn't see how associating your character to an animal and those animal's mannerisms really helped to build a character all that much. I guess looking back to the workshop it worked a little, but I felt I got a greater understanding of Constantine (my character) by analysing the script in depth. I guess some techniques work better than others for actors, hence why we were shown both approaches.

Whilst generally I was not focused for the second class, I feel my performance of the monologue went relatively well. Sure I could have given it a bit more, but honestly, I feel there were maybe only two or three others better than mine from all of the performances. That's not bad in quite a large class in a week where I was generally rubbish!!!

Well there we have it another rather uninteresting update. I was meant to be going to the theatre last night to see "Into The Woods", but circumstances were stacked up against me... so i missed out! Oh well at least I get to see Billy Elliot in a fortnights time!

The Return Of Saddlers Wells (Part 4)

2009-10-04T15:24:00.004-07:00

Monologues are very powerful tools in acting, they can be used to incite feelings and emotions, when accompanied by the appropriate acting skills. That is what today's session was all about. I am going to keep this dead short, as this was last week's session rather than the one that I have just returned from. Looks like I have failed to get my updates online as fast as I promised a month ago! Oh well, nobody is perfect... even me. I know that will surprise some of you! Okay, maybe not... anyway, on with the blog...

So what did we get up to? Throughout the play we are studying, which by now you should know is called "Harper Regan" there are various characters all of whom have monologues. Today was about taking those speaches and delivering them in the most effective way. My piece was that of Seth. You may remember him as I talked of him before now. He is Harper's husband, a slightly odd ball character who had a controversial brush with the law. His monologue comes after Harper admits to having sex with another man whilst visiting her dying father. Personally, like before I didn't feel I connected all that well with the character of Seth, though I was assured that I did a good job of the monologue.

Personally I feel you have to understand a character, their mentality and motives to be able to play that role well. Seth is just odd, even his reaction to his wife's confession of having sex with another man seemed unexpected. It was far too sedated, it almost lacked emotion. There is only a certian amount of feeling I as an actor can put into a role, as the words themself have to carry the mood as much as my acting skills do. Honestly, the words Seth uses in this scene were a strange choice of the playwrite I must admit. I much prefer the role of Elwood, who is Harper's boss, he too is weird, but at least I understand what he wants and how he wants to get it! That way I really get into the role and deliver the goods.

So was performing a monologue scary? No not really, I quite like it. I wouldn't say it was me at my best, but apparently i did fairly well. I took whatever pointers I was given on board and went away feeling happy with myself! Though I really do not want to play the role of Seth again, I just don't enjoy his character at all!

A Large Trigorin And Tonic Please (Part 3)

2009-10-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

I have to be honest, this weeks session was not that beneficial to me. Maybe it is because we had done very similar work in the first course with Jenn. I don't know, it just felt like a bit of a repetition. The concept was that we would explore the setting of the play, through movements, sound and the surroundings that would have been present in 1900's Russia. Though if I am honest, I don't really feel any more connected to the settings than I did before the session. Whats more I don't think the sound work we did was as rich and as real as the first time we did this task before the summer.

We did however do an interesting task on youth and old age, and what we as individuals associate with these two words. We were asked to create a short scene where we symbolised our age theme. We had to use 6 people and only a few given words. We opted for a seesaw, the kids at either end represented youth and were using words like "party". Myself and Vikas formed the middle pivoting section of the seesaw and our word was used to shed the negative perspective many older people have on youth. But the annoying thing is, I can't even remember what our word was now! Okay, it may not have been the best acted piece, however it was abstract and told a bit of a story of how youth see themselves and how they are perceived by others. If I am completley honest, the other group's work was better acted. They built a human wheelchair for their representation of old age. But the flip side of the coin was that our piece told a better story where there's was a little more fragmented.

So far I can't say I am disappointed at all, I have deffinatly been learning a lot and boosting my drama skills. I feel I have been performing well also which is nice, and generally things are pretty swell. Only this week wasn't as drama rich and beneficial as other weeks. I am sure next week will be better.

Until then, happy reading!

G

When New Jersey Meets London

2009-09-30T03:02:00.000-07:00

I think I may have mentioned the show "Jersey Boys" before in a blog. Though if I have it would have been a long time ago. I had last seen this show in the early days of summer, and boy that seems like a long time ago. Well that is of course if you can call it summer? Lets face it the weather was pretty awful, and as I write this the rain is pouring down outside. It's great to be British isn't it? But that is far from the theme of this blog, for this we need to hit East Coast America, New Jersey to be precise, which is the setting for the smash hit West End musical "Jersey Boys".

Now in its second year and still supporting much of the original London cast, Jersey Boys is still packing out The Prince Edward theatre, which is quite an achievement it must be said. Just one look at the sheer size of the auditorium is a statement to the calibre of show which is required to pack the place out night after night. Jersey Boys does just that. Unlike some shows based on musicians of years gone by, this show isn't just about the music. There is a solid story covering the rag to riches tale of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Hell you don't even need to be a fan of Frankie's to enjoy this show, it's that good.

I was lucky enough to catch Ryan Molloy as Frankie Valli. For some reason I always seem to miss him when he is on. Maybe he is scared I will write him a bad blog or something! Well I assure you that would never happen, as all the actors, including the understudies, many of whom I have seen in the five times that I have seen this show always deliver a fantastic performance. This brings me to one of my most important lessons in drama, and that is the rule of "you must make a scene truthful in imaginary circumstances". Ryan does just this, he ceases to be Ryan Molloy, I guess he must have used some extensive method acting techniques to really fill the role of Frankie Valli like he has.

The musical of course includes all the hit songs such as "Sherry", "Walk Like A Man" and "Big Girls Don't Cry". Though they also include some of the more obscure numbers and the songs that you hear all the time, but never quite knew who had performed them in the first place. You know the ones? The songs from television adverts, or cover songs performed by current music stars. Either way, it's is a real diverse mix. You have to remember in their prime the band never really hit the UK shores as Beatle Mania was in its height, so for many fans this show is as close to seeing the real thing as you will get. Well not quite, Frankie still tours, but with regards to the original line up, its something that will never be able to happen since Nick Massi passed away in December 2000.

This show really demonstrates that a lot more goes on behind the scenes of any band than ever makes it to the spot light. Mafia links, money laundering, petty crime, love affairs, broken hearts and broken families just hit on a few of the themes covered in the show. As for the way the story is told, it is genius. The way emotion is once agaain used as a tool to toy with the characters is fantastic.

So why is the story's structure genius? Each of the band members tell their interpretation of the story which is split into four seasons. A clever twist on the name, don't you think? Tommy DiVeto is spring, telling his interpretation of how the band started out. Bob Gaudio becomes summer, with his take on the development of the band. Nick Massi is autumn, with his synopsis of events in the bands falling apart whilst Franki Valli covers winter which see's him go solo with a new backing band. Each season is told with the band member's personality in mind, and like one of the opening lines in the show "you ask four guys what happened, you get four different versions". Thats life isn't it? We all have different takes on how things happen, and we remember things the way that we want to remember them!

Well how do I remember this show? It is fantastic! It is a show you can see time and time again, and a definite recommendation of mine! So what are you waiting for? Go book your tickets now!

G xxx

Guest Publication: Tanner Pflueger Unofficial Fan Page

2009-09-30T02:53:00.000-07:00

Just prior to Tanner Pflueger's departure from Billy Elliot The Musical in London last month, I was offered the opportunity to write an article for Tanner Pflueger's unofficial fan page. It was a huge honour to be given this opportunity by the team behind the fansite who stated they had enjoyed reading my other articles on this blog. It just goes to show that all my hours sat at my laptop writing these articles are worthwhile. I would like to thank the team at www.tannerpflueger.com for this opportunity. Please head there to read the article.

A reminder of that address: www.tannerpflueger.com

Thanks

G xxx

The Forgotten Billy

2009-09-30T02:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, the title is a bit misleading, but for those who have read my blogs about Billy Elliot, you may have noticed that Brad Wilson has never had a review. No no no, its not that I hate him! I can assure you that is not the case and the lack of reviews are for a very valid reason. Despite seeing the show many times, since starting these blogs I have always missed his performances. Unless you have some inside information, its pot luck which Billy you get on the day, though for someone who loves the show as much as me, you can appreciate each Billy individually so as a result never feel disappointed by whoever you get. But it is nice to get to see them all, especially one who you haven't seen in such a long time.

Now I had seen Brad before, twice infact but it was such a long time ago. I was really keen to see him again. Knowing that he would be leaving in a matter of weeks, I needed to see his performance, so I could feel in touch with his interpretation of the role of Billy. Ok that sounded rather cheesy I know, but for his final performance on the 31st October I really wanted to have an understanding of Brad's characterisation of the role. That way I could just enjoy the last show and let it draw me in much like Tanner's final show, rather than sitting there studying all the things that he does differently to the other Billy's.

My memories of Bradley's performances all those months ago were not that easy to remember. They came at a time where whilst I enjoyed the show, I was not as connected with it as I am now. So at that time I maybe didn't pay as much attention to the way that each boy who plays Billy makes it his own. I honestly didn't know what to expect as I took my seat. For me this was a clean slate, a chance to give Bradley the chance he deserved, and that chance I had been waiting to give him for so long now.

It soon became apparent that I had missed so much. I don't want to knock down other Billy's whom I had given glowing reviews to before, but Brad had set the bar high, his standards far exceeded that of those which I had expected and remembered from those early performances. He really was giving so much, putting everything he had into delivering the goods.

I really don't know the best way to explain this. Each Billy normally has a strength and a weakness in their performance. The strength is something you are drawn to specifically, Tom for example is his acting, for Tanner it was his ballet. Now for Brad... there is nothing that stood out... and no that is not a bad thing at all. Rather than one element of his performance standing out, his entire performance lifts you off of your feet and sweeps you away. With every other Billy you watch their performance, with Brad you are part of his performance. I wish I knew how he did it I really do. When you have seen the show in excess of twenty times, it takes someone very special to make it feel like your very first Billy show again... yet Brad managed this with ease!

I don't know where Brad sees himself in the future, but I sure hope that it is on a stage somewhere. He is such a talented actor. He adds little touches to the role which are so real, and his interaction with other characters is so believable. There are young actors whom I have seen who just look cute on a stage... their talents are debatable. But this isn't just a kid on a stage, Brad is an actor and a very talented one at that! As for the cute factor... he has that too, you only need to read the program to find this out. He was taught how to look cute by the Billy House guinea pigs! Does that mean if I get guinea pigs I can look cute too? No? I didn't think so... oh well!!!

There is not a single moment on that stage where Brad ceases to be Billy. To top this off Bradley has a great singing voice and dancing skills to match. I used to envision his ballet would be in the shadows of Tanners performances, and maybe it was. But dance is a very personal means of expression and you can interpret it in any way you like, and honestly my interpretation is that it was perfect! Brad has obviously studied the role in huge depth, it really does show... so is he the best Billy? I think he may well be. Sure I love Tom, Ollie and Fox to pieces, and I am sure my opinion will change but right now Brad is on par with Fox at the top of my Billy league after the performance he gave that evening!

I actually feel gutted that I have not had the chance to see Brad more times, to date I have only seen him three times now. I guess it's the way the cookie crumbles, but I know the final show on Halloween will be immense... far better than trick or treating! I only wish that Brad's leaving was a Halloween trick... but as they say all good things must come to an end, and whilst Brad is drawing an end to his time as Billy, I am sure there is a new chapter about to open somewhere on the horizon!

Goodbye Tanner (Part 2)

2009-09-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

We are told that saying goodbye is never easy, and its so true. I had never met Tanner, but as you will have gathered from "Goodbye Tanner (Part 1)", he has been very influential to me. Its amazing that in life, some of the most influential people are those who you never get to meet. For some it is politicians, for others its a sports personality. My inspirations however, have been drawn from actors and actresses both on television and in theatre. Tanner was one of these people, so seeing him move on from Billy Elliot certainly had some emotional strings attached to it.

The auditorium of the Victoria Palace theatre had an indescribable atmosphere. It was electric, super charged in fact. I must admit I had concerns as to whether the show would be as good as normal. There were high emotions among the cast who were saying goodbye to a dear friend. You have to remember there are a lot of child actors in this show, so there was the distinct chance that emotions could overcome them and detract from the overall performance. Well this fear was unfounded, what I would get to see in fact would be a performance of a lifetime, and not just from Tanner. Everybody was on form.

I have previously told you how good Tanner's dancing had become. I'm not going to dwell on that in this blog, having spoken of it so much before in part 1. All I will say is that Tanner received a standing ovation after both "Angry Dance" and "Electricity". Both of which were truly deserved. He was well composed, he stayed on top of the game and delivered both routines faultlessly. Angry Dance was aggressive, powerful and expressive, whilst Electricity was smooth and elegant. It was simply fantastic.

What I really want to talk about is bonds. We all make them with people whom we work with. It is at this point where people cease to be a work colleague and become a friend, its the way that the human mind functions. Though tonight there was a very special bond which shone through, between Tanner and George Maycock, who is one of the three boys who play the role of Michael. You have to bare in mind that the two boys joined the show only a couple of months apart, so go right back, unlike Jake and Connor who have only been in the role of Michael for a few months. So there had been plenty of time to build a genuine friendship, and it was on show tonight. There is a song in Billy Elliot called "Solidarity", that is the backbone to every friendship, and you coud tell that Tanner would be leaving behind some pretty solid friends.

I have seen George and Tanner perform together before, and they do work well together it must be said. Though tonight it was evident George was pulling out all the stops, to ensure Tanner's leaving show would go down as one of the best in history. I have never seen George give so much! I have always said how talented he is, but tonight he was something else, every movement was precision planned, every facial expression told a story and as for the "Expressing Yourself" routine, that was picture perfect, the timing, the steps and the singing. I know this show was all about Tanner, but I have to be honest, that was George's best performance to date.

The final scene where Michael says goodbye to Billy was the moment where the show hit me hardest. As Tanner walked away and the curtain fell, George started to tear up, like a dagger through the heart, the kid was broken. This was no longer Michael saying goodbye to Billy. This was George saying goodbye to Tanner. That is when the reality of what was actually happening started to sink in. Seeing George so upset, was horrible. Now I don't know him personally, but there is a human instinct, where if you see a child hurting, you feel for them and I really did feel for George. Its moments like this when you realise how real some elements of this show actually are. This would have been an emotional goodbye for Michael. But for George, he was no longer acting it... he was living it. So powerful... so emotional.

But you know what? After a performance like that, George can stand tall, and know he truly did Tanner's leaving show justice. What a performance! I will never forget that final scene, but for me the memories will be of Tanner's immense ability to perform which was summarised in a beautiful speech by Stephen Daldry at the beginning of the show.

As for Tanner, he was so well composed throughout. He held himself together and as ever his performance never faltered. What can I say? Tanner has never left me disappointed until now, and the only reason I am disappointed is because I know that I will never get to see him again in the role of Billy. In terms of his actual performance he blew me away like he does every time. There will be a huge hole for any future Billy to fill if they want to compete with Tanner's exceptionally high standards! Something tells me that he will he hard to replace.

Right down to his final curtain call Tanner gave so much over the year he was performing as Billy both in London and New York, and personally I am so appreciative of this and for the inspiration he has provided me. So from me, a very special thank you goes out to Tanner! Speaking on behalf of all the Billy Elliot fans, thank you for so many great shows, you are a real life Billy Elliot and may all the luck in the world go hand in hand with your immense talent and bring you all the success you deserve. Thank you so much.

If you are a fan of Tanner feel free to leave a comment, or anything you like. The comment spaces are there for you to use, It would be lovely to hear what other people think of young Tanner!

G xxx

The Return Of Saddlers Wells (Part 3)

2009-09-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

Ok I am getting behind on blogs so I will make this update a really short one. We have started looking at method acting. Some guy many moons ago in Russia developed a theory that the actor should study their character in a huge amount of depth and in a sense become that person, rather than just act the role. Some actors do this through in depth analysis others use a simple"objective" approach. Hows that for a history and drama lesson fused into less than a paragraph? Who said education has to be difficult? Mind you, I have a feeling if you used my exact words in an exam, your results would be awful... so please don't quote me!

So anyway... this objective approach is where an actor says, "my character wants... ". So for example you may say my character wants to get revenge on character x. Its a simple objective that you can build a character around. You may have different objectives in different scenes, or possibly several in a single scene, but the theory is that you lay down the skeleton with this objective approach. So thats the skeleton, wheres the flesh? That is simply how you take that objective and work with it. Thats the drama!

So in terms of acting, I had two scenes this week. The first was a follow on from last week where I got to play the role of Harper Regan's boss. He is a creapy kind of guy and I really like playing this role. His unpredictability and dominance is such fun to work with and explore. Danielle actually commented after the scene, how creepy I made the character when we acted it out. It was perfect, just what I had set out to do. I like roles like this, people who are not at all bland and two dimensional. I think this is why i didn't really connect with my second character "Seth" who is Harper's husband. I dunno what it is he was just a bit to plain by my liking. There was no juicy depths to Seth that I could exploit. He is slowly growing on me, but I'm really unsure whether thats a role that is suited to me.

So in regards to the course... so far so good. Half way through, i'm happy and looking forward to next week. We will be exploring method acting further and an alternative approach to it. I will try to write a slightly more informative blog for that one! But as for this blog... I promised I would keep this one short... and look I kept to my word!

G xxx

A Large Trigorin And Tonic Please (Part 2)

2009-09-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

So its a Thursday night which of course finds me back at RADA for an evening of drama related frolics. I was quite looking forward to this evening, after the success of last weeks session. There was however a lingering thought in the back of my mind that with the exception of Les Miserables, I am not really a fan of "classical theatre" (which is what we are studying), though this said I really enjoyed our brief encounter with "The Notebook of Trigorin" a week ago, the question is whether or not this play would grow or tire on me.

My problem with classical theatre is that it sometimes starts to bore me when I study it, which leads to me losing the drive to succeed. If I had to do eight weeks on Shakespeare for example, I think I would die. Looking back in history, I do often wish William Shakespeare would have become a milkman... a postman, or something like that... well anything other than a play write really. Macbeth for GCSE... that was awful, hell it was verging on child abuse subjecting us to that. Bad times!

I mentioned Les Miserbles... Stylistically I should hate everything about this show based upon my theatrical tastes and choices in life. But somehow I don't hate it at all, in fact I love it to pieces. It does however take a lot of concentration when watching the show, compared to lighter hearted productions such as Avenue Q which you can just sit back and enjoy. For some shows this is a real downer but for Les Miserables, such a degree of concentration is a very small price to pay, as the rewards are fantastic. The show is immensely powerful, full of heart and passion with a moving twist to the story. On the other hand, anything by William Shakespere is still shit! Though I will admit I was tempted to go see Jude Law in Hamlet. That was getting some great reviews, but its closed now... so I guess that won't be seeing it afterall. Interestingly at that same theatre The Shawshank Redemption is opening. That could make for some interesting viewing.

I have gone off at tangent again haven't I? So back to my evening of drama. We started with another name game to familiarise ourselves with one another once more. Needless to say, I was completely shit at this. remembering my name proves difficult at times, let alone remembering anybody elses. Especially when I have three different classes a week all with different people... soooooo many names!

Well we soon got on to some real acting which started looking at the characters in the play followed by a study of the first two scenes. Interestingly I got to play the part of Trigorin in both tasks. Ok... that fact alone wasn't interesting at all. What was interesting was how my characterisation of the role evolved from the first task. We have a really strong group, there were a few faces missing, but honestly I think everyone who was there last night was fantastic.

The task at foot was to perform a short scene from the play which was a conversation between two characters. The twist to this task was that although we had the script, we were given no real information on the characters or the setting for the scene. Why was this so? The concept was that we would need to read into our characters more in order to discover this. I like it this way, as when everything is spoon fed to you, it all feels rather false. Rachael had the part of a character called Nina. Nina is an aspiring young actress who has her heart set on becoming huge in Russian theatre much like her love rival Arcadina. Me on the other hand, as I already mentioned, I played the part of Trigorin. Trigorin is an established play write in Russia and is caught in a manic love triangle which he feels is damaging his work. I have to be honest, after this piece, although performed well by both myself and Rachael, I hadn't quite got my head round the characters background. Would this all become more apparent in our second task? Well yes...

As you can imagine in eight weeks it really isn't possible to study and perform the play in full. So in order to start getting our heads round the storyline of the play, the class was split into two. The groups were given a summery of one of the four acts that make up the play. Our group had act two. The task in short was to perform a short piece that summarises the key points in the story. We were given the freedom to perform this in any style we liked, as long as we kept to the character names and didn't stray away too far from the plays settings. We performed a mime with a narrator, and added slight comical edge to the performance. Nothing too brash, we just wanted to lighten it up a little bit.

I was really rather happy with how the performance came across. We spent a lot of time talking through the concept and very little time rehearsing it, but somehow it worked. I'm a bit concerned that everything is going so well actually. This means I am either beginning to truly find myself within drama or i have been really lucky. I am going to go with lucky... I can back this with evidence... at the Vikas after school club (aka the pub), I didn't have to buy one drink! Now thats what I call a good night out and rather lucky indeed!

Anyway a special blog coming your way tomorrow which will feature Eliot Carrington and Tanner Pfluger's final show in Billy Elliot the musical. Look out for it!

G xxx

Goodbye Tanner (Part 1)

2009-09-22T00:38:00.000-07:00

So this is the first of two part blog dedicated To Tanner Pflueger who is in his last week as Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London. The second blog will be more a review of his last nights performance and the emotions that come hand in hand with that. This blog however is more a look back at Tanner's twelve month affair with boxing gloves and ballet shoes.

Tanner is currently the only American Billy, whilst not the first, like all the actors from the other side of the pond, Tanner brings with him a wealth of talent and the ability to capture the hearts and mind of the British theatre goer. But what sets Tanner apart from almost any other Billy I have ever seen either in the flesh or on video is his balletic performances. Ballet is in his bloodstream, and I don't think words even exist that will emphasise the sheer power a strong ballet performance can have on someone.

There is a scene in Billy Elliot called "dream ballet" where young billy dances a ballet routine to swan lake with his older self. Its a nice scene, but "nice" is not anything special in the grand scheme of things. Its always been a scene that just blended in to the rest of the show for me, until I saw Tanner perform this for the very first time. It was only then that the scene went from being nice to utterly beautiful and hugely powerful. It became an art form, which had the ability to move me and bring a tear to my eye. I'm not ashamed to say that... it really was something special.

So what makes Tanner's dream ballet that much better than all the others? Well i'm no expert on dance. Even in my own training I have only briefly touched upon the subject. However, when you watch Tanner everything is picture perfect. The posture looks great, the movement is smooth and elegant. Thats what ballet should be in my eyes. It needs to flow, and when I see Tanner perform that is exactly what it does. I guess to draw a comparison, think of some gentle ocean waves lapping the shore... thats Tanner's ballet, its perfect! But it takes more than one scene to make a great performer, so what else is it that I enjoy about Tanner's performance?

Sticking with the theme of dance, there is a piece called "Angry Dance", which is performed at the end of the first act. This is the moment where Billy's emotions hit overdrive. He has worked so hard to get his ballet up to scratch for an audition at the Royal Ballet school. His family are opposed to his ambitions to dance and fulfil his new found dream. As Mrs Wilkinson, his dance teacher and maternal figure throughout the first act walks away, he turns to his dad and says "Mum woulda let us" to which his dad replies "Your mum's dead!". This hits Billy hard and his reaction is "Angry Dance". The routine is full of big movements and a vicious tap routine which summarises just how Billy feels.

Tanner's performance of "Angry Dance" is one of my favorites. He digs deep to express himself so well, he is definitely the angriest of the current Billy's during this scene. The movements are sharp and jerky and show the fire that is fueling Billy's emotions. The movements Tanner opts to use are the complete opposite to ballet, but thats whats needed for a routine like this. Remember those waves lapping the shore for his ballet performance? Well now theres a storm, and the oceans waves are now hitting down hard, the waves are huge and relentless as they batter the sea shore. I guess the point I am trying to make is that Tanner has this immense ability to use dance as a tool to not only express Billy's feelings but to express his own also. Its quite a statement to make, but I think he is the best dancer I have ever seen, or at least my I interpretation of his dance makes him very special in my eyes. He is diverse, individual and very powerful in every routine he partakes in. It goes without saying that his "Electricity" routine is a blinding display also!

Away from dance, Tanner is very expressive in his acting, and his singing is purely angelic. I normally love Electricity for the dance routines, as every Billy is different, and don't get me wrong I love Tanners dance routine also. What Tanner does differently however, is he delivers the song and dance as an entire package. When I watch him its no longer about the dance in the middle bridge, my attention isn't focused solely on that anymore. Its now about everything, the singing is great, the dancing is fantastic and it all fuses to become one solid unit. I love it.

Many people inspire us in life and Tanner certainly has been an inspiration to me. He has really shown me how dance can be used as a medium of expression, and he has opened my eyes to the beauty that dance can have. I know all this sounds rather soppy, but I think its important to be open and honest about things like this. I wish I had the opportunity to thank Tanner for being such an inspiration to me. As among my actors training I intend to learn to dance also, something I wouldn't have even dreamed of before. He has been a key figure in my decision to do this.

Whilst I know when he heads back home I may never get to see him perform again, along with the other inspirational figures in life there will always be a place for him in the heart of every piece of acting or dancing I ever perform. This is because deep down he will have been one of the reasons that I would be standing there in the first place. Thank you Tanner!

Part 2 will come at the weekend after his final performance. I can't wait to see Tanner perform once more, but I am already saddened by the fact that it may be the last I ever get to see.

G xxx

The Return Of Saddlers Wells (Part 2)

2009-09-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

So i'm back at Saddlers Wells generally feeling a little better than I have been of late, which on the whole is a good thing, both for me as a person and for my drama. I'm going to cut to the chase right now, as I am not really in the mood to write a long blog today. So this week there was a lot of emphasis on voice, namely because one of my two Sunday classes specialises in vocal technique. This meant that there would be fair amount of repetition in my second session which looks at acting on a broader scale. At times this was a little tedious but it is all a good refresher especially whilst in my early stages of training. It was nice however, that Cat our course facilitator altered some of the exercises a little in order to make them seem a little bit fresher.

The most notable part of this week is that we started to look at the script we will be working on over the coming weeks. I think whilst writing this blog last week I said I had forgotten the play's name which we would be doing. I'm rather forgetful like that. Well its called Harper Regan. Its a modern piece which was performed in the National Theatre last summer. In a nutshell it is about the plight of a woman called Harper Regan who comes up against numerous struggles in life meeting some colourful characters on the way. Seeing as we have only just started work on the play, there really isn't all that much that I can say about it right now. However my first impressions are good, it seems well written and the short extract I performed which saw me play the role of Harper's boss was fun and really saw me get into character rather well.

So far I feel really encouraged working with Cat as a course leader. What has really boosted me is that so far she has given me little criticism at all compared to other class members. She is never harsh towards people, just offers some constructive words to help them build their skills. So far she has given me a lot of praise which has boosted me a lot. Its a really nice environment to work in. What makes it even better is that I have some great class mates. I worked with Sally again a bit this week. She was one of the girls I did my improvisation piece with last week. Shes fun to work with and has some great ideas. Along with Sally I also teamed up with Danielle in two excersises, she too is fantastic to work with and a very warm character to be around. I really hope to work closely with these two again soon!

In other news I am gearing myself up to be at Tanner (Billy), and Eliot's (Small Boy) leaving show at Billy Elliot the musical next Saturday. I've avoided social activity of late whilst I have been feeling a bit down so i'm little nervous about getting out there again so to speak. It will be a sad evening seeing two great guys move on from the show I love so dearly. Only problem is with a distinct lack of cash I haven't worked out how I am going to get there yet! Whats more theres even more sad news from Billy Elliot HQ, as Brad Wilson who also plays the role of Billy has too confirmed that he will be leaving. This won't be until the end of October but it will be sad to see another fantastic cast member leave. Bad Times :( There will be a special blog some time soon covering Tanner's last show so look out for that.

G xxx

A Large Trigorin And Tonic Please (Part 1)

2009-09-18T09:19:00.001-07:00

Before I start this update, a note for the regular readers, you now need to concentrate a tiny bit more, as I am writing two series of blogs which will run alongside each other for the next few weeks. The first which was written a couple of days ago, is about my courses at Saddlers Wells on a Sunday. This new series of blogs refer to my course on a Thursday at RADA. Whilst I am sure the coming weeks will bare some resemblances to one another, the courses are very different and refer to two very different plays which we will be performing.

The follow on course for the initial set of classes I took before the summer would be one step further down the road to a career in theatre, well at least thats how I see things. It would be a long road, but I am determined to keep to it and find the success which comes at the end of it. Talking of roads, knowing my friend Vikas would also be part of the course, it lead me to think as well as taking a few steps down the path to theatre stardom, we would also be staggering a few steps down the road to the local pub. This guy has a reputation to uphold! Remember the "Vikas After School Club"? If Not I will refresh your memory in due course. It became a regular activity in the first wave of classes, and I had no doubt that the trend would continue.

Unlike the first classes, this would be a bit more focused on acting rather than just exploring techniques. I like the idea of a more structured and focused approach as you feel that you have achieved a lot more over the 2 months of taking the course.

We would pretty much base the next eight weeks around one particular theatrical piece using the experience which we gained prior to this. The play we would work on is a piece called "The Notebook Of Trigorin". Though it is relatively modern, it's roots can be traced back to the revolutionary Chekhov play "The Seagull", which was adapted by a gentleman called Tennessee Williams into the script which we would be working from in class. Although over 100 years old "The Seagull" has set the standards for acting in modern day productions as at the time it explored new mediums of performance which were diverse and different. These new methods of acting are now what we see and take for granted in modern theatre. But hey, this is a blog not a history lesson so if you want to know more go use google or something! So yes the adaptation of this was called "The Notebook Of Trigorin" and thats what we would be studying.

There were some familiar faces this evening as well as some new ones. It was nice seeing a handful of people from the old classes. It is a testament to how well we gelled as a group to see all of us back together once more. Felt like being back at school after the summer holidays. The space we had this time however was at RADA, which frankly is much easier for me to reach compared to Swiss Cottage where i took the beginners course. Its nice to work in such a professional space like RADA, though I must say the building looks much more glamorous from the outside than it does from the inside. Furthermore a pole in the middle of our rehearsal space is somewhat awkward at times! But hey lets not get too hung up on these little things so early on. Who knows with my new found dancing abilities I could take up pole dancing by the end of this course too!

As ever the first week is about familiarising ourselves with one another and the techniques we would be using within the course. We addressed the idea of soft focus, which teaches you to be loosely conscious of what everyone is doing around you rather than having a sharp focus on just one person. Imagine walking in a line. If you have to keep an equal distance from the person in front of you, your focus will be solely on that individual, as it doesn't matter what anyone else is doing. However if you focus on everyones movements, our focus is less defined and concentrated and therefore becomes soft focus. Its rather difficult to explain but was very interesting to explore.

We went on to look at the history of the play we would be studying. Split into two groups we performed a short improvised piece. We were given a lot of freedom to chose the characters we would play, however the scene would be set in the theatre bar after the very first showing of either the original play "The Seagull" or the Tennessee Williams adaptation "The Notebook Of Trigorin". The concept of the improvisation would be to convey what happened at those very first shows. Believe it or not "The Seagull" which was my groups improvisation piece, has become a legendary play in theatre despite having a disastrous opening night. In short our group had to convey that the first night had been disastrous and show how one mans inspiration took this disaster and turned it into triumph.

I think overall our performance conveyed what happened quite well. It lacked some of the enthusiasm and flamboyance an improvisation piece needs to inspire an audience fully, but for something pieced together in ten minutes flat it did the job. Working with new people for the first time can also be a little difficult as it takes a while to suss out peoples personalities and abilities within acting. With regards to my individual performance, I was ok, maybe not as good as I was on Sunday at Saddlers Wells where we had a similar task, but thats life. You win some, you lose some and the rest of the time you just blend in withe crowd. Today I just blended in.

So in all it was a productive class. We have started to develop a sense of where the next seven weeks are headed. As for where we headed after class... it was to the "Vikas After School Club" of course. We found a nice little pub, the staff are friendly and the beer is cold. After kicking out time when only me and Vikas remained, we headed to KFC which would prove to be a terrible decision. Not only are KFC chips awful, this delay caused me to miss my last train home which ended in a long walk, a taxi ride and huge dent in my wallet!

So thats class 1 at RADA summarised. Keep checking back for new blogs and of course part two next week, where hopefully I will get back home before the clock strikes 3am!

G xxx

The Return Of Saddlers Wells (Part 1)

2009-09-16T00:39:00.000-07:00

I will be honest right now. I don't think this blog will make the most enthralling read, I am hardly in the mood to do this write up... come to think of it I am hardly in the mood to do anything of late. Though for four brief hours I did find some happiness, which was rather unexpected for me seeing as these last few weeks I have been feeling terrible. So what happened in these four hours then? I was back at Saddlers Wells doing my drama classes after a month away from the subject. A month is a long time away from something I enjoy so much, every day seemed like a year. The great thing about partaking in drama is that you can just leave the real world behind. For those four hours I don't have to be Gareth... I can be almost anyone or anything I want to be. That makes me happy...

I have two classes back to back, both with a new course tutor called Cat. She is really nice and has an immense ability to get the creativity in the group flowing. Both groups were much smaller than what I had been used to before now. Maybe this was because the group was on a Sunday afternoon rather than a weekday evening which is when most of these courses are held. Who knows? All I know is it would definitely have a different feel working alongside so few people in comparison to my last two courses. I just hope we all get on well seeing how few of us there are! If we don't... well that would just be awkward, wouldn't it?

The first class is on a Sunday is based upon vocal technique, for me this is very important as the voice is one of the most important tools of the trade in acting, just like a paint brush is to a painter and decorator. Obviously being the first week we started on all rather basic relaxation and breathing techniques. Simple? Well yes it is, but you have to start at the bottom and work up. If you don't breathe properly you are getting into bad habits before you have even made a sound. You'd be surprised at how many people get the basics wrong. I want to have mastered the basics before going into a more intensive field of training next year.

Now for the second class, something a lot more relaxed, well at least it was for me... Acting. Like in my previous batch of classes before the summer we explored the depths of status after a few name games to familiarise ourselves with one another. Already I am starting to feel this group gelling well, which will be great for when we get onto the script work thats headed our way next week.

The vast majority of this lessons work was based upon improvisation. Improvisation is fun, as long as you can believe that you are who you are pretending to be. I really don't like the word pretend, it doesn't sound professional, but ultimately thats what improvisation is... it's pretending to be something or someone else. If you cannot believe that you are that something else you are trying to be, how will your audience believe you?

As I mentioned we will be going onto script work in the next couple of weeks. I am quite looking forward to it, we will be working on a modern piece that was performed in the National Theatre last summer... I can't remember its name for the life of me, but I always feel more at home in modern theatre than I do when working on dated script work.

This weeks class culminated with a brief performance which we had put together in two groups. I feel of the two groups we were leagues ahead. The three of us interacted well and produced a nice little scene. I really can't fault what we did too much, we used some great techniques which Cat picked up on, which went very nicely with the positive feedback she gave our group. I was gifted with the lead role in this piece which is rather unlike me. Normally I don't like to play a lead role, I prefer a part which is fairly notable, but not right at the forefront of things. I am rather pleased with the overall outcome of this class, a very positive first session indeed!

Only problem is... now I have to return to reality, and as you may have gathered my reality of late resembles a horror movie rather than the fairytale land we all wish we could live in. Well if i manage to pull myself through to Thursday evening I have another bout of drama then, lets hope this is as positive as what I have just talked about. Who knows it may help pick me up again.

G xxx

Hitting The Wall... Really Rather Hard

2009-09-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

A few blogs ago, I said that I am always honest when I write... so do you wanna know how I feel right now? Pretty crap is the god honest answer.

If you drop an egg from your bedroom window, the chances are it will go splat. Of course that is working on the principal that your bedroom is upstairs and the egg isn't hard boiled. Either way this egg... well thats me right now... I feel like I have just gone splat. Why? I don't know, I just feel down, everything around me just feels down. The crazy thing is I have so many supportive people around me who say the nicest things and get right behind me (though not literally you may be pleased to know). They're are friends that I wouldn't trade for the world. Some of these I have only met in recent weeks, others have stood by me for a lot longer. Either way this is a point where I would like to put a big shout out to all my friends who are always there for me, I value each and every one of you. All of a sudden this is sounding more like a speech at the Tony Awards or the Oscars rather than a blog about me feeling down!

I have potential casting calls coming up, all be it for nothing spectacular and three courses in under a weeks time which will further my skills and take me another step closer to achieving that dream of mine which I have waffled on about so much over the last couple of months. Anyone in their right mind would be excited... some how i'm not. Its not nerves, I just feel so emotionless right now. Its like my character, my sole and inner being has been torn from me leaving the empty shell of a person behind. Sure I can fake a smile when I need to, but i'd rather smile because I was happy and not because I want to make other people happy instead. I know that sounds so over the top, but it summarises how I have felt for these last couple of weeks.

I guess I just need to find some inspiration. Watching Billy normally does that for me, especially when Fox is performing. What a great idea!!! Oh wait... I have about £3 to my name... plan B anyone? I guess I just need to hear something inspirational... its amaxing how some wise words normally get me fired up. I know its a Billy Elliot reference again but the most inspirational thing I have heard of late was an old interview with one of the original Billy's called Liam Mower. He said "I don't care if I become famous, I just want to be successful". What very wise words from someone who was twelve years old at the time. I totally feel this, its my thoughts exactly. I am keeping that quote close to my heart. Everyone dreams of stardom when they want to act, I dream of living a lifestyle I enjoy. Hell if my living costs are covered who really needs fame?

So I guess in conclusion, what I really need to do is take that egg thats gone splat, and replace it with a delicious chocolatey easter egg! Shame its not easter time, though that said, at the end of August, Christmas sweets were already appeaing in the supermarkets So anyway, thats where I am right now. So anyone have some words of wisdom that may pick me up?

G xxx

C Is For Cider, D Is For Drama

2009-09-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

Remember that first course I took a few months ago which I have periodically talked about? I don't imagine you would between all the Billy Elliot blogs that I write. The thing to remember is, Billy Elliot The Musical is a huge part of the person I have become. Its a show thats close to my heart for so many reasons, hence why I enjoy going to see it. As this is all about my development within acting and theatre I think its equally important for me to keep writing up my views and experiences for you all to read. If you don't want to believe that i am quite happy for you to think I have an unhealthy obsession with the show instead. Maybe I do? Either is fine with me, believe what you like! Though this blog is ultimately about how I am training to act myself. So I think it is time I re-visited the story of my classes and bring to a close the talk of that very first course.

In a weeks time I start three new courses. So I think it is important I finish telling you all about the first, and how it has set me up for the future. The first course was intended to see how comfortable I felt acting again, as it had been an eternity since having done so back in school. Ok, maybe "eternity" was a slight exaggeration... but either way it had been a long time and I needed to work out whether I still had that flair and indeed the ambition to act. Its one thing to talk about wanting to achieve something, its another putting it into practice. As you will have gathered I obviously felt comfortable, as it lead to an intensive musical theatre course a couple of weeks ago which you may have read about, and indeed the courses I have lined up for later this month.

I think this first course was very much based around having fun within an acting environment. The problem with this approach is that whilst fun warm up games build a team spirit and encourage working together, you have to put the question to yourself whether or not you are learning enough about the actual principals of acting. I think if you asked different people in the class they would all give you different answers. Personally I liked the balance for a first course. Though going forward I think i need something more academically structured. So yes, it was a great experience. Wanna know why? Even if your answer to that question was "no" I am still going to tell you... I'm stubborn like that.

For me the concept of working with complete strangers was something that I feared, and in doing this course I have overcome that. Thinking back however, I don't think it was so much a fear, more anxiety or a worry. There are so many demands on us as people to fit in socially, I think we all worry about the consequences if we don't fit the picture. The strange thing is that after just a week a huge bond had built within the class. We weren't just class mates, we had become friends. Well most of us anyway. There were a few people that didn't fit the picture, but on the whole things were great. This was reiterated by the desire of multiple group members to socialise after the session. I just realised how posh and snobby I made that sound, though if I am honest the socialising wasn't quite afternoon tea's and jam scones. The location rather was the local pub, and it doesn't take a genius to work out that the beverages were not cups of tea! The last two weeks were fantastic, almost everyone came. This was a sign of the unity that this group had built over the duration of the course.

As a result of this unity, we could laugh at our mistakes and rejoice in the good times that we had. I think for me the worst moment was when we were exploring sound. Split into two groups we were tasked with composing a completely random sound piece. It was a ten minute warm up task almost, but even now I cringe at the end result. It was just a mish-mash of complete randomness. Imagine sounds you would hear at a nusrsery school... thats pretty much what we compiled. It was rubbish. This was the result of having no decisive group leadership among us. Whilst everyone is equal sometimes you need someone to steer something like this in a direction that is decisive and constructed in a way that produces the best possible result.

On the whole however there were so many good times. The script work was interesting and at times challenging. I was working with a guy called Hyun. He is from Korea, and was doing the classes to better his communication skills. He is such a great guy. At first I feared the language barrier would become a problem. but on the whole it really wasn't at all. Hyun is a great listener and wasn't afraid to ask for a word or phrases meaning if he wasn't sure. So by the time it came to performing, we were on the ball and delivered the piece well. In hindsight I wish I put a bit more into the character I had been given in the final piece, but this said I am very rarely happy with anything I do. After all there will always be room for improvement no matter how well you do. I refuse on the whole to let myself get complacent, but there are occasional exemptions to this rule.

One of these exemptions was exploring status, and the improvised "master and servant" pieces which we performed. For this I worked with a guy called Vikas. He is such a top guy, and what I like most is how well we get along both whilst working in class and indeed outside of the studio. In fact looking back it was almost a dead cert that both me and Vikas would be the only ones left in the pub at closing time and right up until we were kicked out! What I enjoyed most about the scene that we performed was how well we flowed off of one another. As it happens the scene wasn't supposed to be improvised. Both me and Vikas had rehearsed something, but opted to change it seconds before we were set to perform. There was a huge risk that this could go terribly wrong, but that connection we had developed allowed us to deliver what I feel was the best piece in the class for the task on hand. And you know what? After doing this I will never be able to look at a fairy cake again without laughing... but thats a rather strange story...

So can I say that I learned a lot? I guess not, most of it was refresher work. Though we all need refreshing, and it was interesting to have it taught in a different way. I had a lot of fun doing this course and I feel it was a great way to gently ease me into a more intensive structure of training which I have lined up for the next year. Of course there were some things I found difficult and other things I found really easy. But the beauty of acting is that there is no such thing as wrong or right, it is very much down to interpretation. Ok, there is then the problem of taking that interpretation and delivering it in a way that wows an audience... thats a little bit harder, but hey, thats why we train in theatre right?

So the question I originally asked myself was "is acting really for me?". Well, I really think it may be. Sure, I need to push myself and work hard, and yes, I am at the bottom of a very tall ladder, but I have taken that first step in doing this course. From here I would need to expand my comfort zone as well as work on the areas which I feel that I may already excel at.

So where did I take things from here? As you may have read I went on to do a musical theatre course. This was way, way, way outside of my comfort zone, but in reflection it was a great decision of mine to partake in this course. I will willingly accept that I wasn't the best in the class, but I certainly wasn't the worse. I think in hindsight I am quite proud of this seeing that I had not had any real vocal or dance training previously. Though if you want to read more about these courses there are 5 of them aptly named in last month's selection of blogs. So in September, I am taking the follow on course to this acting course I have just finished talking about. It is set to be a bit more full on and a move towards intense script work. Our course facilitator will again be Jenn Kidd, she is great to work with so I am looking forward to that a lot. Further to this I am taking a course that develops an actors voice as well as another basic acting course with the same company with whom I did the musical theatre course with.

I guess in reflection this course has set me up for much bigger and better things for the forthcoming academic year. I am going to try and keep these blogs updated in real time, you will get the news as soon as it breaks, god this is getting even better than BBC News 24!

G xxx

Back To Billy (Part 4)

2009-09-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

There are times when no matter how hard I try, writing an appropriate introduction is somehow beyond me. Why would this be? Well... how do you introduce an actor who on his 100th performance in a lead role, delivers by far the best performance of his life? A boy who at just 13 years old can out perform people of twice his age and experience. An actor who never gives anything less than 110% at every show. Words just cannot express just how good this kid is. His name is Tom Holland, and until you see him perform, you wont appreciate the power and emotion Tom is capable of conveying as Billy Elliot. If this wasn't good enough, his dancing abilities both in street and ballet are completely out of this world.

So his 100th performance, I am guessing it must have been rather special to him. So it went without saying that he gave so much to tonight's show. I've seen Tom six times now, and what amazes me is how many delicate touches he adds to his performance. I spot a new one each time I see him! A moment which tickles me every time is where he is told at the Royal Ballet School he would have to work hard on his academic studies. All the other Billy's just sit through this line, where Tom instead lets out a huge sigh and leans right back in his chair showing his disappointment in hearing this. Another more emotional touch is where his mum appears in "The Letter" and whilst crying he lips the word "mum". Its really touching and makes the scene so much more heart wrenching. All these touches are so small, yet so significant in developing the character of Billy which Tom has done so well.

I have to be honest, I am unsure as to whether they could ever replace someone as versatile and talented as Tom when his time comes to move on from the show. As much as I try, I just cannot fault Tom in any of the times I have seen him. His "Angry Dance" is loud and expressive and his "Electricity" routine shows the diversity that he has to offer, switching between street and ballet moves in a piece that has been choreographed so well. Tom is a huge asset to this show, and it always excites me to know when he is performing because I know he will always give all that he has got. I am so glad his milestone show went so well for him and indeed for me as I personally feel this was the best show I had seen to date with the exception of the newly altered boxing scene which I will tell you all about later.

But in a show like this, you are only as good as the cast around you. For me the child cast line up was second to none. Joining Tom were Fleur as Debbie, Connor as Michael, Jonathan as Tall Boy and Eliot as Small Boy. What a line up, I make no secret of the fact that I think Fleur is by far the best Debbie in the current cast, and indeed in recent times. She can play the role of the spoiled middle class brat so well. That sounds like a rather harsh insult I know, but honestly isn't... It is genuinely a testament to her acting abilities. Fleur is just far more natural on stage and has a much bigger personality than some of the other girls i have seen in the same role. This said I feel Francesca is coming on a lot more since joining the cast. I have to be honest when I first saw her i didn't think much of her at all, but over time she has grown as a performer and the hard work she has put into this part is now showing through beautifully. But I still maintain that Fleur holds the number one spot and she demonstrated just why in her fantastic performance tonight.

You will already have read that in my opinion Jonathan and Eliot are the best Tall and Small Boy respectively, so it goes without saying that I was pleased to have them both on this evening's bill, even if little Eliot wasn't quite up to his usual form. I don't think this was so much his fault however. As i mentioned above the boxing scene has changed a lot, so adapting to these changes must have been difficult, especially baring in mind he is only just seven years old!

Connor on the other hand, I love seeing him perform, and this would be the 8th time I have had the pleasure of doing so. He has such a huge personality that comes through at every show. Someone once asked me whether Connor my favorite Michael. I find it really difficult to choose between him and George Maycock, as I love how the two boys portray the character differently. I could sit here and compare the them both all night and try and find the answer, but honestly, I don't think I could ever conclusively come to a decision. So I can't say he is my favorite, I defiantly have a bigger soft spot for Connor. I think its that charm he has both on and off the stage which he wins people over with. Either way Connor was the perfect choice to pair up with Tom, though i must say i miss the faces he used to pull in the boxing scene before it was changed. Argh!!! I keep talking about the altered scene and still haven't told you about it!!!

So whats changed? Primarily the lead actor. Remember in one of the last blogs I told you that Trevor Fox had left the company? His replacement is a gentlemen by the name of David Nellist. With Nellist comes the adaptations of the scene which now see it performed much like it is in Broadway. I don't like the fact we keep having to change the London show in order to make it even more similar to the New York production. Afterall it was here first, and furthermore the old scene worked beautifully. Why fix whats not broken? The interaction between George and the boxing kids seems to have deteriorated somewhat. i am unsure as to whether this is due to the change of actor or the scene alterations.

For me this scene was all about the other kids other than Billy. When Michael manages to hit George in a rather sensitive spot (wow wasn't that tactful of me?) Connor always used to pull such a funny face, imagine somewhere between laughing and the shock of what he managed to do. It was perfect for the scene. Though it nowseems as this has been dropped in favour of George continually having Michael in a head lock. I personally feel this is completely over the top, and detracts from the child actors participation in this scene. Michael is a comical character, and removing these quirky moments makes it harder for an audience member to understand the personality of young Michael in the show.

I will be honest I haven't warmed to David or the changes yet. I can see him becoming a more comical George and I think in time this will work, but for now I am going to have to reserve a judgement. After all we are talking about his first night, nerves must have been present. Whats more I always take a while to adapt to change, so I will give him another show or two then let you know what I think.

In all, I still maintain this was my favorite Billy show to date. All credit to Tom for making it such a fantastic show. I am once more itching to see the show again, but with my drama commitments forthcoming, I foresee it being at least the end of the month before I am back at the Victoria Palace Theatre. You know what, I almost hope the next time I go it will be Tom again... then again I do love Tanner's ballet, and I haven't seen the amazing Fox Jackson-Keen in well over a month, or Brad Wilson for even longer. Oh and Ollie Gardner just gets better every time I see him. You know what? Bring on any Billy, they are all amazing... but that said, after what I have just seen, I think Tom is just a little bit more special.

G xxx

Back To Billy (Part 3)

2009-08-31T16:46:00.000-07:00

Its always sad when a cast member leaves a show. I am not sure why i feel a connection to that person, but some how I get entangled in the emotion of it all. Prior to the show starting Stephen Daldry took to the stage to make a special speech for the parting cast member. So quite who is Stephen Daldry? I hear you ask, well he is the director of both the film and musical adaptation of Billy Elliot. Without Stephen none of this would exist. I think that really puts his importance into proportion. To Billy Elliot fans or at least the ones with no religious beliefs... he is god!

So this speech was rather nice and included a message from Lee Hall who is responsible for the lyrics to the musical. It made me realise the huge role that Trevor Fox played in Billy Elliot. Not only had he played George (the boxing coach) on two occasions, he was also involved with the film in some way or another. This means that he had been with Billy Elliot for over ten years. That is quite a commitment. I think that in its own right is a testament to Trevor. Though I have to be honest, he is like a shadow in the night. He never partook in the curtain call, and wasn't one for fan contact. But when he took to the stage he was fantastic, and hes left a huge hole that will be almost impossible to fill. I will tell you about his replacement in due course, but thats for another day.

I am forever doling out the praise in my write ups. I assure you this isn't just because I am a nice person. In fact ask any person who knows me to describe my personality, I don't think nice would be a word that would crop up too readily. If i were to write down what a lot of people would say, this article would become x-rated, so I will leave you to use your imagination on this one. I see myself as honest and somewhat opinionated, or at least I try to be. Maybe they are not the best qualities in all circumstances but on the plus side it means all the glowing reviews so far of people such as Tom, Jonathan and Eliot very accurate. However on the down side it means that I now have to go against the grain and cite an opinion on an actor I am not too keen on.

Remember "Britain's Got Talent"? You know that show which that George Sampson won for dancing almost as well as Tom Holland?... Oh come on, lets be honest, Tom is much better than George Sampson, whilst George's routine was full of energy, and yes I admit I voted for him, put him against Tom, and I guarantee you he would wipe the floor with George. I've gone off at a tangent again haven't I? Well you may remember a young lad by the name of Jake Pratt who was on the very same show. He is now a Michael in Billy Elliot The Musical and has been getting some great reviews.

Unfortunately I still cannot give him one. He is a natural entertainer and yes he certainly can act and brings some unique touches to the role that is Michael. However, the overall package for me is somewhat weaker than the other two boys casted for the same part. Jake in my opinion lacks a singing voice and his tap routine still needs work. Though over and above this, for me he just lacks the likable factor which George and Connor both have. This would have been the second time of seeing him, and whilst I would say he has made a huge improvement from the first show which I saw him at, it will be quite some time before his characterisation of the role grows on me. But hey, I'm an open minded guy, maybe next time he will win me over... lets hope so.

As for Billy, today I had the pleasure of seeing Tanner Pflueger for only the second time. And yes it is a pleasure to see him, he has a certain elegance that other Billy's lack. As you may have remembered from the last Billy series, I described his ballet as beautiful, and it is just that. His posture and movements are that of a true professional. Though in paying so much attention to his ballet, I didn't notice how good his angry dance routine was until this show. Tanner reaches deep to bring out the emotion, and with precision movements and the finest tap steps he completely nails it, bringing the first act to such an epic ending.

I honestly feel that Tanner's skills are under appreciated. A lot of younger people prefer the street dance routines, I guess because they seem a lot more spectacular. Though if I am honest it probably takes a lot more practice and commitment to master ballet in the way which Tanner has. Whats more if you open your heart and mind to a ballet routine like this, you soon realise that it is just as spectacular as the acrobatics in street dance, just in a slightly different way. I hold Tanner in such high esteem, and I am absolutely gutted to hear the rumours that he may soon be leaving the show. I just hope in that time I get the opportunity and gain the courage to tell him just how much of an honour and indeed a privilege it has been to see him perform. A truly amazing guy.

Just for the pure fact it was Tanner performing made this show well worth being at. Getting to see Jo Ridding, the new Mrs Wilkinson was all rather nice also. Fleur who plays the role of Debbie was fantastic as ever as indeed was Jonathan Danciger. I felt Logan who played the role of small boy at the evening's performance is certainly living in the shadows of Connor and Eliot who perform the role so well, but give him his dues he is only six or seven so has a long time to work on his performing skills.

So it's goodbye Trevor Fox, as another chapter closes on Billy Elliot The Musical. Talking of closing, I think its a good time for me to draw this blog to a close also.

Goodnight and happy reading!

G xxx

Back To Billy (Part 2)

2009-08-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

So its Saturday morning and I have to get myself up for 6am... god thats early. I really am not a pleasant sight in the morning. Come to think of it, I'm not a pleasant sight at any point during the day... even with my new hair cut! So whats the cause? A trek into London to get day tickets for Billy Elliot. I was going to meet my friend Charlotte for the evening show and was in two minds as to whether or not I should go to the matinee performance. Part of me wanted to go see something different, but there was also something telling me that if i didn't do the Billy matinee I would be missing out... I trusted my instincts, and went with Billy. Its always a huge risk trusting my instincts, last time I did this I ended up in an ornamental pond... bad times. Anyway, on with the blog...

In part 1 of this latest series of Billy Elliot blogs I talked about roles that maybe don't get as much recognition as they deserve. I drew particular attention to the role of small boy, and in particular Eliot Carrington who has set himself out as being the strongest of the boys casted in that role. I had the pleasure of seeing him again at today's matinee, and as expected he was in supreme form. Theres so much passion packed inside this seven year old's heart and sole, you just know he is destined to go so much further in life, and who knows maybe go full circle and end up back in the show as either Billy or Michael.

I also made a very brief mention of tall boy, a role casted for a boy of a similar age to Billy and Michael. Like all the child roles there are multiple actors casted for the part, and just as Eliot stands out among the small boy's, there is a fantastic young actor by the name of Jonathan Danciger who is by far is the best tall boy the show has seen. This kid is leagues above the other boys I have seen in the role! Jonathan has an ability to express deep feelings or emotions without having to say a word. The fear he installs in the character of "the scab's" son when he is hauled from the miners social club is a picture. The use of facial expressions and appropriate body language, paints the clearest possible image of whats going through his characters mind, just as it does when he plays an upper class boy in the royal ballet scene. Again without having to say a word, his body language and movement characterises the part down to a tee.

Though the moment Jonathan really shines is where he tries to console Billy after a poor audition. Not afraid to really get into the role Jonathan takes a hands on approach, ruffling Billy's hair and putting his arm around Billy's shoulder. This all sounds really simple, but other boys in the role seem to be a bit hesitant to do this,or at least do it believably. Billy's reaction is to slam him into the safety curtain in anger. Jonathan isn't afraid to go in hard, it actually scares me a bit when he does this. It is so convincing that you almost wonder whether the move has gone wrong and he has been injured. My heart skips a beat as I wait for him to get up and run to his dad.

When i was doing some drama things in school my teacher gave the class a valuable piece of advice, which to the day I remember word for word. "It doesn't matter how big or small your part in a show is, if you give it your all people will take notice" were those exact words, and this is what Jonathan does. he may not have as much stage time as Billy or Michael, but when he is on stage he puts such an immense passion and energy into the part. He really does stand out as a star in the making. Sure his part may not be very big, but when he is on stage he makes every second count... so maybe my drama teacher was right. I really hope Jonathan decides to pursue acting after his time in this show, he is born to be on stage.

Anyway before I go on. If anyone reading this is a theatre goer, please take the time to watch some of the smaller parts on stage. Its too easy to pay little attention to the supporting roles. But if you take the time to absorb their input, i think you will be pleasantly surprised. With every blog I write I will talk about some of the smaller roles at any given show. Sometimes it will be for better and sometimes for worse. However without these smaller parts the show wouldn't exist.

It wouldn't be a Billy Blog if i didn't talk about the lead role! But you know what? This bit gets harder every time. I try to make each blog different to the last, however when there are so many about Billy Elliot it does make it a tad hard to find new things to say in order to keep the blogs interesting to read. Especially when you take into account I am not a writer, I have never studied journalism, so I honestly cannot use the same tricks they have up their sleeve to sustain readership. But sustaining readership is a bit like maintaining your viewing base on prime time television. Lets face it that can't be too difficult... after all its taken Channel 4 this long to realise that Big Brother is in fact completely rubbish! Anyway back to Billy...

Tom Holland had the job of filling Billy's shoes at the matinee performance today. Every time I see him my respect for him as an actor increases. He pulls out all the stops to ensure each audience member feels connected to Billy's story. Of the current cast, Tom is by far the best actor within the role, i think its something that comes so naturally to him. Regardless to whether he plays Billy or Michael he always delivers the goods. Ok, I admit it... I don't have as bigger soft spot for him as I do Fox, but Tom is an immensely talented kid, and I love seeing him perform. When someone gives 110% every night, you can't not be taken in by it.

Talking of soft spots, I have just one other... Connor Doyle. I absolutely adore Connor, when I see him perform he just lights up the stage. Everyone says how wonderful Jake Pratt is in the role, but honestly I don't rate him all that much. But I will talk about Jake in part 3. Connor has so much more flare, committing himself fully to the role he has been given. He can sing well and has natural rhythm when it comes to his tap dancing. But over and above all of this he has that charm which a Michael needs. Michael is a very complex boy, with even more complicated feelings, and you need an actor who can open up and show these. That is just what Connor does at every single performance without fault. It feels like an eternity since I saw him last, in reality its probably only about a month, but thats a long time by my standards! It was great to see him again today. Along with Francesca as Debbie, it completed a fantastic child cast line up.

All that was missing from today's show was Kate Graham. I already miss her. There will be a special blog hitting your screens in the later half of this coming week which will compare and contrast the three Mrs Wilkinson's I have seen over the last few days.

You know what? Theres so much more I could tell you about this show, but I want to leave this blog soley dedicated to the child actors who make this show so wonderful to watch and be a part of. In the words of the song Shine... "it doesn't matter if you're large or small", because at the end of the day it boils down to passion, and when you have passion, you can be 4 foot 6 and still feel like a giant among men. Today was more than enjoyable, and the rumour was Tanner Pflueger would be performing the evening show... how could the day get any better than this?

Happy reading

G xxx

Back To Billy (Part 1)

2009-08-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

As you would have gathered by now the show Billy Elliot is rather special to me. Having just completed an intensive musical theatre course in which I had to dance myself, and in a sense find the Billy within me, I needed a fix of my favorite show in London. I was feeling spontaneous this morning and just decided to go. I landed a surprisingly good seat seeing how last minute I booked. Maybe it was an omen, a sign of good times to come as I can honestly say that tonight was probably my favorite show out of the fourteen times I have been. There were a lot of understudies on tonight, but in a sense that is what makes the show nice to watch, as their interpretation of a character will differ from the casted actor, thus giving the storyline a new dimension. Whats more It may give me more to write about.

So just to warn you its gone 3am, by the time I have finished writing this it will probably be almost 4, so quite how good this blog will be I don't know. But gone 3 in the morning, and i'm writing for you... thats commitment if I ever saw it! Well maybe not. My train home was delayed by almost an hour after somebody fell ill and an ambulance had to be called. I feel this was somewhat inconsiderate of this person. I hope as they lay on their hospital bed they are feeling deeply guilty for delaying me and making me stay up this late! My god, I really am heartless, aint I? Oh well... on with the blog...

Playing the role of Billy tonight was Ollie Gardner. Well what can I say? Ollie just gets better every time I see him. You can see he is more comfortable in the role as Billy these days which has allowed him to dig deeper into the emotional side of the character. When watching Ollie, he portrays Billy in such a genuine light. He adds an edginess, and an air of insecurity to the role which I really like. I think of all the actors, Ollie's perception of Billy is most real. Exploring the characters depths of emotion, tied in with his ability to express them, Ollie is capable of reaching out to every last audience members heart and mind. Thats quite a talent, and with Ollie building upon his already fine tuned act with every show he performs, I can't help but think this is the beginning of a huge career in acting for him.

Now for a surprise, Tom Holland who usually plays the role of Billy was casted as Michael this evening. I love Tom in this role, he is so different to all the other Michael's. He is a natural born performer, and seeing him in this role demonstrates his versatility. What I enjoyed most tonight was his on stage rapport with Ollie in the role of Billy, beyond the characters you could see that the pair had developed a strong friendship off stage, and this carries through in the energy the pair gave throughout. Digging deeper than usual to score extra laughs and extra tears the "Expressing Yourself" routine tonight was by far the best I have ever seen it performed. Tom's ability to show emotion is fantastic, he definetly delivers a softer Michael, and its when he breaks down into tears in the final scene we see this demonstrated best. This is truly touching, and i think really adds something to what already is one of the most powerful endings in a West End show.

It was a special evening too for Kate Graham, it would be her last official show as Mrs Wilkinson. She will return to the ensemble now, as Jo Ridding is bought in to replace her. I am quite reluctant to accept Jo, I know this is stubborn but I completely adore Kate, she is a fantastic actress who always gives 100%. I guess I am just opposed to change. Still I guess we should always look for positives, so will get to see another side of Kate when she returns to the show mid-September. I guess in due course i will report back on this for anyone who might be interested.

Now there are a lot of other roles in the show and I want to start talking about some of them. If not to make the blogs more diverse, It will at least give me something different to write about. Tall Boy and Small Boy are two roles I haven't really talked about before. They are so crucial to the storyline yet never normally get the mentions they deserve, as they are forever in the shadows of Billy and Michael. So I think this is where I will start... with Small Boy.

Tonight small boy was played by Eliot Carrington. Eliot's big moment in the spotlight is during the boxing scene. Believe it or not this part of the show is very much reliant on the involvement of Small Boy, and the innocence we automatically associate with someone so young. It is just this which adds so much humour to the scene, be it Eliot's cries of "Jeeeeeeeesus" during his press-ups or his innocent if not slightly rude parting comment as he says goodbye to George, its guaranteed to have the audience in stitches of laughter. I don't want to sound like I am knocking the other small Boy's down, but Eliot dies do this better than any of the others, i think its that devilish innocence that he uses to his advantage! Eliot is a natural and a delight to watch, he already has developed some fantastic acting skills and vocally can project himself superbly well. I look forward to seeing his future ventures after his time in the show.

I think that is a nice note to leave this blog on. I got to meet Eliot after the show and he is such a lovely kid, I love meeting new people and this was no exception. I waited around to see Kate and Barnaby also. Its not a show without saying hello to them both! Ollie, Tom and Eliot made this show so worthwhile tonight, so much so I am already looking forward to going again on Saturday! So heres a slightly different ending to a blog a photograph... well it adds a bit of colour to this rather bland page! I'll give you a clue, i'm not the adorable one, that would be Eliot! Isn't he sweet?

Well i said it would be 4 by the time i finished this.... well its 3.58am... not a bad guess eh? Please leave a comment, reading them will keep me occupied tomorrow :)

Musical Theatre - Day 5

2009-08-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

So here it is, the final curtain call, the finale so to speak. After an intense week of training this is what we were working for. The Friday night performance. But before we go there I have just read over my last 4 days worth of blogs, and its interesting to see how much my confidence has built in such a short time. At the beginning of the week I was out of my depth, now I am swimming as beautifully as a swan. Ok maybe not a swan, that may be a bit too majestic.... maybe just a duck or something. But either way I am not drowning like I was on Monday thats for sure.

I was also distinctly worried that I wasn't connecting with the course tutors on the first couple of days, but that really changed as the week went on. Both were very supportive, and I would really relish the chance to work with them again. Becky in particular was fantastic, she spent time with whoever needed it and was always happy to stay behind for a few minutes if you needed to run over some dance moves and Vicky was always there to support us in our solo songs. So what about the group? I had said that it was lacking warmth and didn't gel all that well. Even this changed tonight, there were a couple of exceptions, but we found ourselves working as a group, supporting one another and bonding how a group should. We had become a unit rather than a series of individuals on the same course, and that is something which makes such a difference, especially in a final performance.

So needless to say before the class had even started I was feeling a lot better than I was at the beginning of the week. We were to have one dress rehearsal then it was the performance in front of a small audience. By now everything should be slick and very much ready for the dress rehearsal, well it wasn't.... things were messy, and all of a sudden we had all become very nervous again. In under 30 minutes we would be performing the final show. I used this time to help that guy in front of me i've talked about previously in "One" get his steps right. With a little guidance and one on one he started to pull things together well. I think I was a bit harsh on him in the last two blogs, but thats frustration for you I guess. I was just hoping this would be enough to make a difference.

So its show time, and we start with "All That Jazz". I hate to admit it but whilst at the beginning of the week I described this dance as rather boring, but I love it now, I even like the song. I pulled this off faultlessly, as did the group. It was smooth, it was elegant it was outright sexy, just how its meant to be. We couldn't have asked for a better start. We would now move into our solo pieces, mine (which was in fact a collaboration with two course late starters rather than a solo) was three quarters the way down the bill so it would in fact be after our first group song "Seasons Of Love". This all went rather well too. In the dress rehearsal, we were all out of place and failed to deliver the song in the way we should have. But as a group we heeded Vicky and Becky's advice, and delivered the goods.

So far so good, but then came "No One But You", the song I was singing with two others. I have to be honest in every run through I had been left kicking myself because I wasn't happy. Everyone accuses me of setting the bar too high, but I set it that high because I know its what I am capable of. With this said whilst I knew singing was a weakness, but I still had to set the standard I wanted to achieve over and above what I had so far delivered. Ok, we were by no means the best of the individual performances (that goes to Jess with Good Morning Baltimore), but boy did we do well. We had far exceeded anything we had delivered before, by a long shot. This wasn't our best performance by a margin, it was our best performance to date by a mile... you have no idea how good this felt. Also there was another great feeling I had actually sung solo in front of an audience, something I feared doing. So it shows if nothing else had come of this week at least my confidence had improved. The reality was however this week I had learned more than I had in a long time. The applause at the end felt genuine and I felt good. Surly this was going too well?

So to bring the show to a close we had our last group song "You'll Never Walk Alone", we had pretty much nailed this song from day one so there were no fears here. This just left us with our finale piece "One", you know that one that always ended a mess? It had all gone too well so far, surly this is where it all goes tits up? Surprisingly not, ok there were small errors from people, but nothing overly noticeable. Remember that guy in front of me? I couldn't criticise him one bit, he delivered, as did I, well as did everyone. We truly finished the performance on a high!

What a show... what a week!!! I don't think anyone let the group down, so what better way to finish it off than with a few photo's, and a few drinks. I actually missed my last train home, and instead had to get one to a neighbouring town, from where I would have to walk. I got home at 3.20am, and had to be up little after 6 for work. But that vibe from the show made all these sleepless nights and the 5 mile walk so worthwhile. Had you have asked me on Monday I would have said this course would have been a waste of time and indeed money. Ask me now and I will happily say its been amazing, great course tutors, a great group and an amazing show to top it all off!

So anyway thats another course done and dusted, so I guess I will continue telling you about the last course I was involved with next time I write. Until then keep reading, and leave some comments! You guys have been slacking off!

G xxx