BELLY UP TO THE BAR BOYS!

So...started rehearals for "Molly Brown" on Monday & I'm so excited about it - lovely bunch of folks doing it & I really think it could be great.

Just can't believe this show has NEVER been done in the UK before. For those of you who might not be familiar with it, it was written in 1960 by Meredith Willson (of "Music Man" fame) & was made into a film with Debbie Reynolds in 1964, following the true story of Molly's rise from humble beginnings right through to her survival of the Titanic disaster...hence the unsinkable!

I'll be playing one of Molly's brothers & later on her Butler, as well as lots of instruments.

or more visit www.mollybrownthemusical.co.uk

G x

Lost

SO...I didn't get the tomato in the end. But I've since found out that the ad campaign is to be splashed across every bus stop & tube escalator in London so I feel a sense of minor relief I suppose.

Walking past the local newsagents on my way to the station yesterday, I noticed a poster in the window. Someone had lost their ferret. I thought this was fair enough, until I got a bit closer to read the details (I don't know why) & saw that said ferret's name was JILL.

That wouldn't have been my choice. The name, not the ferret. Actually - the ferret too.

Honestly...Jill the Ferret. I presume they bought two & now Jack is all alone in his owner's trousers...

So if you see a ferret, shout "JILL!" and see what happens. And if you see a man dressed as a tomato on a poster at the bus stop, think of me.

Tomatoes

Last week, I had a casting for a stills ad (for the government...the money'll be rubbish i assume) & on the email my agent sent me, at the bottom, in bold text, were the words

'PLEASE ARRIVE DRESSED AS A TOMATO'

I don't understand this. At all. What's happening to my career?

But anyway, I do my best. I go to Matalan & buy an £8 red shirt & tie set. I ressurrect a pair of red braces from when I spent a month as one of Santa's elves in Birmingham two Christmases ago. I go to the casting. When I get there, I slip off to the toilets to get changed...there is a large man in the toilets frantically scrubbing make-up off his face whilst mumbling "I went too far". I decide against the red swimming cap I brought with me.

I get pencilled for the ad...I don't know why. What's so tomato-ey about me?

I thought I was more of a parsnip...

dream or nightmare?

I woke up this morning having had a recurring dream of mine, but with an awful twist.

So, I have this dream where I'm in something onstage but I forget ALL of my lines; I just don't know why I'm there anymore...& it terrifies me. Then I wake up. This is probably fairly normal for an actor I assume, in the same way that perhaps a doctor sits bolt upright screaming after a nightmare of forgetting how to perform an operation to remove gall stones whilst halfway through it. Or a hairdresser shaken from sleep by the prospect of a weave they've forgotten how to...weave on an important person's head. Floella Benjamin springs to mind.

Anyway, on with the awful twist. Dreams can be misleading things. There I am asleep & I think I'm having what I call the "West End Debut" dream (better known as the "Will it EVER happen" dream) & I arrive at the theatre - the Shaftesbury this time - & realise I am going to be in my first West End show! But what is it? 'Phantom'? 'Hairspray'? Not 'Chicago' surely?!

'Footloose'

Now, I've seen 'Footloose' & enjoyed it. I've auditioned for 'Footloose'; unsuccessfully actually - even though the part I was up for had to be a terrible dancer. But he comes good apparently & finds he's the Deep South Billy Elliot; so of course, I couldn't complete the last leg of his journey. Well, in my dream I'm happy to report I'm only in the ensemble - so I reckon I get by relatively unnoticed. Not so. I don't know any of the songs. I don't know any of the routines. I don't look good in dungarees. I can't even find my way back to my dressing room to hide.

It's awful.

I do my best.

I look into the audience for a supportive face. Mum. Dad. My agent.

None. The only faces I recognise? Cameron Mackintosh, Pippa Ailion, Jason Robert Brown & wait for it, Ronnie Corbett.

I feel utterly ashamed. Maybe I don't want to be in the West End after all.

Then just as I think about waking up, the guy playing the lead pulls me behind a piece of very wobbly set, kisses my face & says "You're doing a great job...welcome to the West End"

I wake up confused...Is this really what I want? And why was Ronnie Corbett there?

I'd take the gall stones operation dream any day of the week.

I think.

EP and me

So I went to see Elaine Paige in concert on Sunday & it seems a good place to start this blog!

I have to tell you she was utterly stunning. I've never seen anybody give so much in a concert; her commitment not only to singing her most popular songs but actually becoming the characters she's created over the years.

When she walked out at the start of the second half in full Norma Desmond costune, I was just amazed; particularly as my Mum & Tim had not had the chance to see her remarkable performance in "Sunset Blvd." back in the 90s. Luckily, my Dad & I had so it was incredibly special for us to get a second chance (& for Mum & Tim to be introduced) to her fabulous portrayal.

We also got a bit of Eva, a bit of Edith & obviously some Grizanella too - so thanks EP, you were so generous with your memories (see what I did?)

Anyway, I've been all inspired by her - which is rare these days but always a nice feeling. Great to be reminded why I'm doing what I'm doing.

She's at Drury Lane this Sunday - so for those of you who might think she's a bit past it, go and be amazed.