Confessions of a Struggling Actor

It's amazing how things just bring you down from a great height.

The Great Flatmate Hunt continues, with our latest contestants tonight - please let one win!!  We've had a fair bit of interest, but no-one has stepped in and given us the deposit.  We've had people that have liked it, but 'have some other places to see', which they obviously prefer / people new to London that wanted flatmates that were in the house more so they had a social life / people that wanted the flat to be closer to a tube ('Bus!?  I don't know about that!' said one...) / people that make their decision before they enter the flat.  The stress is getting a bit much, with GWR being ridiculously busy (today's the first chance i've had to do anything for myself in the past 7 days) and with R3 opening on Monday.  I'm not sleeping well, skint and thoroughly fed up.

Which is a pity, as there is so much that I've got to look forward to.  The play is getting better and better.  The progress seemed to stall in a way last week, but we had a cracking first half run thru on Monday and Part two went really well last night.  It seemed that everyone has upped their game and new things were happening.  That's not to say that it can't get better.  We went for a couple of drinks after rehearsal on Friday and Saturday and there was some good chat, so I think the cast are bonding a bit better and we're all on each other's side, even though there's a lot of bitchy humour going round.  If only we could finish earlier, so I can return home on the same day that I left...

The fact that I had a pretty busy weekend hasn't helped my feelings of fatigue.  Saturday I was up before 7 as I had a voice over to do in Hoxton at 9.  It went OK - the director was the one who was amazed that I could do an English accent, for those of you who might remember - but he talked to us as though we were children, gave us line readings (such bad form!!!) and asked us to do things differently time and again and then once we had done it as we did the first time he liked it.  I did well to rein in my impatience, which was fuelled by tiredness and his manner.  He was such an idiot, he even managed to get the actress's head jammed in the tube doors by going for a smooch by grabbing the back of her head!  After getting the tube to Belsize Park and then paying £4 for two coffees (see why I'm skint!), I was rehearsing til 6, quick pint at the pub after then home to tidy bits of the flat for potential newbies that were viewing on Sunday.

I was hoping for a quiet Sunday, but had to rise early for the viewings, none of which took the bite.  I then had to traipse down to Andy's to pick up amry boots for my costume, where I learned of the plans for Edinburgh - it suonds a bit scary, so I'm SO pleased I didn't agree to do the one man show up there.  He and Nika are thinking of going away for 8 months in about 18 months time.  She's a student, he's on the dole and they have more disposable incmoe than me.  What's with that??!!

After that I popped down the road and met Harryand his borther Sam, who bought me pints, made me laugh, took the p!ss out of my ginger beard (it's getting shaved off before the show anyway!!) and listened to me spouting off about the flat situation. Finally I got the buses up to Luke's to catch up with him and have a few games of ISS.  The band (No City Fun) have a gig on the 18th, so am looking forward to that on my night off from Shakey. That is after I have done a full day's work and had a meeting regarding the theatre company.  I really wanted just to stay in bed all Sunday, but as I've hardly seen anyone, I felt that I'd become too much of a hermit and these guys were really wanting me to come out.  Nice to know that friends will force you out of a funk you're in.

This week has been rather fraught, with no interest in the flat until yesterday.  I woke up on Monday and felt sick to the pit of my stomach, dizzy and my body felt like jelly.  I immediately went back to bed, listening to my body's cry for rest.  I called in sick to work but promised I'd be in after 2.  After an amazing restorative sleep, I went to meet the Lilleys who had got in to Euston at lunchtime.  Great to see them again, albeit breifly and not on my best form, and I met Annalise - well, she slept right through my visit.  She definitely takes after her father on that score...  Mark came down just as I was about to leave and they're off to Biz's stag as of tomorrow morning.  I wish I could go with them.

Now we have 6 people viewing tonight and one tomorrow morning, so I'm off early from work today.  Work continues to be both a blessing and a curse - it's so busy I can't get letters out to agents quickly enough, but at the same time I'm able to do little bits and they're being remarkably understanding regarding the Shakey/flat/work triangle.  there's a new position potentially up for grabs that involves working more with the Editorial team, so I'm hoping that I can get it - that would make my life a helluva lot easier and my working day brighter.

Right, runs (but not the kind that Spurs had - hee hee) tonight and tomorrow with the tech on Friday, dress and scenes on Saturday and final dress on Sunday before Monday night's opening, which may be attended by Mr Moray Barber.  Good skills!!!  Dougie may also be in attendance towards the end of the week, as may Gabi, Jes and Sue.  I get paid on Monday as well!  If the flatmate thing sorts itself out, it could be back to form and the best year since 96...