18 Years Ago, starring TV’s Wil Johnson, dir: Theo Bahannack

I can’t believe it’s 2012 already. 2011 seems to have just shot past. It was a year where I actually attended 5 weddings – of people I actually know! Also, even more alarmingly, people I actually know – that’s people I am friends with and speak to in real life – have been having babies, or announcing that at some point in the near future they are about to have babies. These people are even of a similar age to me. And I know them. In real life. There are more weddings and babies lined up for this year as well. Not for my wife and I though: we’re going to go on a holiday instead.

Don't I look cool?

This is going back a bit now as we filmed this in July, but I’ve recently seen a rough cut of this comedy sketch we did for the Muzzle the Pig website so thought I’d post this. Basicaly me and Luke Kaile are cheating in a charity race and Rob Wainwright is getting increasingly annoyed at the fact and confronts me at the end. I thought it would be cool to be smoking a cigarette (I’m a bit of a loser like that), so someone very kindly brought a couple of their Mum’s leftovers for the shoot… but no lighter. We’re in the middle of Greenwich Park and there are no smokers around. Disaster. Until… I spot a guy with a lit cigarette. He gives me a light. Smoking on camera can often be a pain, making sure the length of it doesn’t keep changing in different shots, but I now had the added nuisance that I couldn’t let this thing go out for fear of never getting it lit again. I was also on a tight schedule. And of course, outside filming being the way it is, I was down to about the last inch of the last barely lit cigarette before we could do my close ups, so it probably looks ridiculous after all that. Life is so hard.

On the weekend of 28th to 30th October I took part in the Smoke & Mirrors 48 hour film festival, the very same festival that last year produced what we lovingly refer to as ‘the wanking film’. Have I told you about that one? Oh I must do one of these days. Anyway, the ever excellent Paul Jones and Niamh Mulcahy enlisted my services, along with Ewan Henesy and Matthew Leigh, to make a film in 48 hours, the theme of which was revealed as ‘Lost’.  After a Saturday spent in Morden Hall Park, running around being crazy, getting stung by nettles and getting generally hot and bothered, followed by a presumably intense editing experience the rest of the weekend, we ended up with something we’re actually pretty pleased with. It didn’t get shortlisted, but nevermind, it’s a pretty interesting piece as far as I’m concerned, and different from what I normally seem to end up doing!

"what's that? Do you hear that?"

So I did this short film the other week, well a few weeks ago, is that OK? I can’t actually say much about it as I signed a confidentiality agreement. Hell I’m not even sure I’m supposed to be writing this post, but I just wanted to mention it as it’s pretty action packed, the director (Zoltan Csirko) is a lovely guy, but most importantly of all, check out the still above and see how I can act with a bag. That’s right, I am holding… a bag. It was my bloody idea too, to have the bag in the scene. Makes the scene more real. This is exactly the kind of thing I can bring to the table.

As I haven’t posted anything on here for a while (doesn’t time fly!) I thought I’d post this clip from the 2001 film of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. I’ve actually been learning this speech, not that I really see myself reeling this is off in an audition (unless it’s for the part of Lucky of course), but more just to see if I could actually memorise it. The speech itself is printed entirely without any punctuation, and all the versions I find online have slight descrepancies with the printed text, but Stephen Brennan gets it bang on here.

Strangely, I have a vivid memory of being shown this clip on a video at school… even though I’d comfortably left school by 2001.

Don’t worry. Playing a crazy, horse punching, dressing gown wearing, Skips eating weirdo hasn’t completely rubbed off on me. I really am Jesus. Well, in the animation above I am anyway.

Just come off stage after Meridius' first appearance. Photo: Fleur Wylie

So all good things come to an end. Also, this play came to an end (Just kidding, Luke). The last 2 nights were really good, and the (sell out!) crowds were amazing. Thanks to everyone who came down and made this week a really enjoyable one.

Luke, Rob, Stefan and some idiot. Isn't Stefan cool? Photo: Fleur Wylie.

Despite drinking about a gallon of undiluted lemon cordial (with toothpaste mixed in)*, having to fall on my face then getting sat on every night, getting slapped in the face every night,  shouting myself hoarse, running around the stage in flip flops trying not to slip on crushed Skips, not being able to relax until I’d successfully made the phone ring in my pocket and then done my harmonica bit… I had a great time. Luke, Rob, Stefan, Hannah, Fleur, Pete: it was a pleasure working with you. I hope I never see you again.

Hannah and Fleur. Shame we didn't get a full cast photo. Photo: I don't actually know who took this.

*it was pointed out to me on the penultimate night, that we probably could’ve diluted the cordial without anybody realising. That would’ve been cheating though.

with Stefan Taylor, as Hannah Pratt looks on. Photo: Ben Edward Photography

I always find doing theatre surreal. Doing the same thing night after night to very different crowd reactions can be very bizarre. OK, doing the same scene over and over again in TV or film for different camera angles while trying to remember exactly what you did with your hands to avoid effortlessly screwing up the continuity could also be thought of as surreal, but I find that less so than getting a big laugh on a line one night and a stoney silence the next night.

Last night we had a very quiet crowd. The occasional glimpse of a face would generally show a smile, and feedback afterwards was good, but it’s amazing how hard it can be to keep the energy up when in your mind you’re constantly thinking: “God, they hate it!”. As a despondant Luke Kaile came off stage after breaking for the interval I’m sure I helped no end with my comment: “I wonder how many of them will come back?”, but that’s the way it goes.

Another thing I’m finding a new experience is people seeming to think I’m actually the same as my character. If you haven’t seen the play, I spend a lot of time being very aggressive, unpredictable, creepy and violent. Some people have timidly come up to me in the bar afterwards and told me how scary I was, which instantly prompts me in to becoming very meek and awkward, saying things like “oh, er, sorry about that! Er, thanks for coming!” One night I couldn’t believe my ears when Hannah (Lydia) and Fleur (Nanou) both revealed they had friends who had wanted to meet the cast, but not me because they were too scared! I wonder if this is what soap actors feel like as people shout their character names at them in the street, berating them for some foul deed they’ve just seen on TV, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the actor and character are not actually the same.

Anyway, I’m happy to say that our first review is a very good one, and I’d like to say well done to everyone involved. Interestingly, considering what an impact my character seems to make, whether good or bad, the reviewer hasn’t made even the slightest reference to me, good or bad! Perhaps she was too scared…

(last performances tonight 7pm and Sunday 6pm)

A Criminal Audition, Etcetera Theatre. Directed by Luke Kaile. Photo: Ben Edward Photography

So we’ve done a couple of nights of A Criminal Audition and the reaction so far has been really good. There seem to have been laughs, groans and gasps in the right places. Luke’s got a bump on his head, while I’ve hurt my knee and have accidentally exposed myself to Rob (although not to the audience). I think we’ve pretty much sold out for most nights except last night and tonight so hopefully it’s going to get better and better. Hopefully…

A Criminal Audition, Etcetera Theatre. Directed by Luke Kaile. Photo: Ben Edward Photography

I meant to post this up before now, but rehearsals and fitting in shooting a TV pilot (which I’ll post about later) have kept me busy, among other things. Anyway, last night was our opening night for A Criminal Audition, a play written by and starring Luke Kaile. I’m playing a character called Meridius who is basically crazy and spends the entire play in a dressing gown threatening people, creeping people out, and shouting a lot. It’s an interesting play for many reasons, but what stands out for me is the fact that I went to see this play last year in its original form, and now I’m in it as the only new character amongst the original cast.

It doesn’t take a vast audience to make the Etcetera look rammed, but it was packed out with a great crowd who seemed to enjoy it, and I think the play is very well suited to an intimate setting. I look forward to the rest of the run and will post up some photos shortly.