Happy Hol-ee-dayz

Am early-ish and sharp-ish round up to the end of the week, as Tenacious Me is off to Edinburgh for a week of catching up with some new shows, talent and literati, plus lots of old friends.

If you are in Edinburgh yourself this coming week for the TV/Book/Fringe/Festival, then shout my name really loud in Princes Street. Failing that, leave a note here and I may force myself away from watching, listening and talking just long enough to check in.

If you haven't caught my short film yet and would like to, here's the link, but all that aside, the usual blog absence rules apply. Play dirty. Get drunk. Tell silly stories. Tell on eachother. Upload it to YouTube.

Anyone want a deep-fried mars bar brought back?

Join the Zeitgeist

Just a very quick post from me as time is precious/short/ticking by [delete as you feel appropriate] and deadlines for a million and one things are snapping at my heels.

The following has been brought to my attention & is worth further investigation if you fancy turning your scriberly (wtf?) hand to a bit of theatre writing.  These guys describe themselves as, "staging topical, new writing that's relevant to modern times".  I don't have any affiliation with them - it was just something passed on to me, so please check out all their credentials for yourself.  For further information, their website is www.zeitgeisttheatre.com

WRITING OPPORTUNITIES:
1/ THEATRE GRAND-SLAM
Seeking short, sharp and witty theatre plays for a popular and unique event in South London. Scripts must not be more than eight minutes long, require no more than five actors and have very basic lighting/sound/set requirements. The emphasis is on originality, variety and entertainment. Please send script or scripts with a short writer biog to info@zeitgeisttheatre.com 

PLEASE NOTE:
ALL writers must be based in or around London and able to attend the late-August. DEADLINE: 21st July 2008

2/ SHORT PLAY COMPETITION:
A rare opportunity for writers with none or few credits to have work staged alongside more established writers. Plays must be one-act long, no more than twenty minutes and on a current theme/political issue. There is a £6 entry/reading fee for this. Scripts, fee and a short biog to be sent to: NEW PLAY COMPETITION, UNIT 12, IMPERIAL WORKS, FOUNTAYNE ROAD, LONDON N15 4QL.  Deadline: end of July. Payment to: Zeitgeist Theatre.

Good luck if you go for it!  That's all from me just now.

Laters.

Working Girl

I'm beginning to believe I live a very surreal life.  Scrub that.  I do live a very surreal life.  Take the previous day as an example.  

In the last 24 hours I have interviewed Kris Marshall, Robert Webb, Ella Smith, Neil LaBute, Joanna Page (I also competed with her for oxygen stakes due to similar high levels of hyperactivity), chatted to Alison Steadman, Gok Wan, Ruth Jones & Mackenzie Crook to name but a few, nodded a 'smiley nod' or two to the very kind paps who let me stick my microphone into their pics, arrived home in one piece, managed around 4 solid hours' sleep, then proceeded to wipe/pick weetabix/scrambled egg/bread/milk off my clothes/out of my hair at various intervals, moments of which were also interspersed with changing nappies and cleaning up fur balls.  Confused?  Hell, I hardly know where I'm at these days, let alone you.

Let me explain.  It's all down to my new 'job' - at least the interviews and chats are, not necessarily the food/nappy/fur ball stuff which are all down to The Kid and Cat respectively - at least I think it was in that order.  I digress.  Anyway, I am now presenting & interviewing for Theatre 24/7, an online theatre channel who cover previews/premieres of West End musicals and plays.  

So, after 'Marguerite' last week, last night was the turn of 'Fat Pig', written and directed by Neil LaBute and the second in his trilogy of plays.  There was certainly a clutch of hardcore crits there last night so I'm sure the reviews will be going to press soon (if not already).  Personally I really enjoyed the show - funny but uncomfortable, self-conscious but brazen - however, I'm not the critic here, just the talky girl. All I'll say is go see it for some terrific writing and classic performances.

And on that note, I'm now going to put in a classic performance of a person sleeping heavily. Not like a baby, I'll add - whoever coined that phrase should be shot.  Or given a baby to look after for a night or so.

Until next time.