Out of the blue

I got a phone call out of the blue from my agent in Brighton week before last offering me a job last week. I signed up with this agent before retiring from work and this was the very first phone call I had received from him. It is good to know I now have three active agents working on my behalf: Robert in London, Katie in Bath and Peter in Brighton. I hope this means more work in future. I hope none of the assignments get to the stage where they overlap each other but what a nice position to be in what! I don't know how anyone could make a living out of being a film extra but I am not in it for the money but rather for the buzz and the variety.

Last week's job was working on a TV series called "Returning the Reubens" and starring Timothy Spall. I can't tell you what was filmed but I can assure you that I was stood right behind Timothy Spall in the shot and as long as they keep the scene in the final film I will certainly be seen looming over his left shoulder. It was very interesting being able to overhear his conversations with the director and to watch a star actor at work from such a close range.

At the moment I am rehearsing the part of Scullery in "Road" by Jim Cartwright http://www.jimcartwright.co.uk/ (at Havant Arts Centre in July: see Bench Theatre link to the right). As part of the background information on the playwright, our director showed us clips from Vacuuming Completely Nude In Paradise (BBC 2001), in which Timothy Spall gave a magnificent, coruscating performance. He is a wonderful actor and based on the experience of last week's snippet of work not a half bad human being either!

I have just found out that the director wants me to sing in "Road". My father could sing and had a wonderful voice by all accounts, but my mother really couldn't. Fortunately my wife can and so can my two lovely daughters. I am now sweating on this new skill to be acquired rapidly. The director said rather casually, "Sing 'Danny Boy'", so that is what I am working on at the moment.

I have also got a part in "Life's Lottery" next week for Cloak and Dagger Murder Mystery http://www.murderdinner.co.uk/. We are working on a touring production of "The Party Guest" by Jacquie Penrose, Storytelling sessions at the Spring arts and cultural heritage centre in autumn, and on a new set of ghost stories for the Ghost Walks in Havant as part of the Havant Literary Festival Society http://www.havantlitfest.org.uk/