November 21st, 2011
It’s really weird being back teaching again – but mostly in a good way. The kids can be a pain sometimes, but no more so than a lot of adults.
Having time away from it has really made me appreciate it. I’d forgotten how good the hours are, too! Even when there are school sports team fixtures, or after-school coaching, I’m usually still home at a reasonable time. Most people go to the gym on the way home, but I don’t need to!
Katie exercises at home. She’s got some machines – a cross trainer, a rowing machine, etc. She says it’s cheaper and easier than going to the gym and she’s probably right. I think it goes in phases, though… sometimes I go round and they’re covered in clothes! I have to force myself to stay out of ‘teacher mode’, as it’s so tempting to chivvy her along. But I don’t want to cause arguments so early on in our relationship!
It’s still going really well. I thought having a girlfriend would mean being nagged all the time and never seeing the lads, but as Katie and I have such similar interests, it’s really fun being with her. I like taking her to the pub so we can all have a laugh together! I don’t understand couples who want to do things separately all the time. Maybe I’m just lucky. Better not count my chickens, though. It is still early days.
What was I on about? Oh yes, teaching. The school is fine – I’ve settled in pretty quickly. I think they were just so glad they could get someone new at short notice. I feel really at home.
The new car is motoring along nicely too, though I am quite shocked at petrol costs these days! I drive out of my way to get to a cheaper station on the way home. It probably cancels out what I save, but it’s the principle of the thing, isn’t it?
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November 16th, 2011
I’m pleased to say things are going really well with Katie! She’s officially my girlfriend! I think my friends are really surprised I’ve managed to get together with someone so nice. They thought I’d always be the reliable single one. My family, too.
I’ve also had some good news on the job front! Well, good news for me – not so good for the poor PE teacher who had a nervous breakdown last week. He so very nearly made it to the Christmas holidays. Poor chap. But every cloud has a silver lining… and in this case it’s mine. They’re glad that I’m ready and waiting to step in. The timing has been superb.
It’s not on the doorstep, but it’s only a short drive away. I’ve got myself a second-hand Renault Clio to get there and back. My friend Dave has had it for a couple of years and said it’s been brilliant – he’s only selling it to me because he’s started cycling everywhere in a bid to get fit. He’s got pretty massive in recent years, now I think of it.
Speaking of which, I’ll have to do a bit of jogging or something to get back my stamina, if I’ll be teaching again. While I was doing my stint in performance, I thought I’d be looking after my figure more… but I was actually less fit. It must be all the running around after the kids at school that kept me in reasonable shape.
I really do feel that things have come together for me recently, after a strange few years. I just hope the kids at the school take it easy on me… don’t want to end up like the other guy.
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November 7th, 2011
Things are already really looking up for me now I’ve made a decision about my future. Well, in my head they are, at least. I’ve started the jobhunt in earnest… hopefully something will come along soon. I may do some supply teaching, if I can, just to fill a gap while I wait for the right opportunity. It is quiet in this area and so jobs don’t exactly come along like buses. I’m an optimist, though.
The other great thing is… I’ve met someone I really like. By that, I mean a girl. She’s into all the same things I am, which is amazing! Even motorsport! She’s actually been to places like Monaco and Silverstone – on holiday! I really can’t believe we bumped into each other in my local.
She was visiting my friend Emily because they went to uni together – and also because she’s planning a move here. She’s been living in London but wants to try out the peaceful life for a while. I’m not quite sure what she does for a living – it’s something complicated to do with computers that she can do from anywhere, I think. I’m going to get her to explain it next time we talk.
Anyway, I don’t want to get too excited in case things don’t work out… but I really hope they do. She’s lovely. We’ve only been for drinks a few times, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I might ask her to go to the bingo with me, for a laugh – or maybe a meal.
I think she finds it funny that I’m going to be in a Christmas pantomime… but I’m really worried she’s going to come and watch me. Oh god, actually, she’s bound to – everyone in the area tends to come to these things. Oh well, at least I’m not playing a woman. That would be so, so embarrassing.
Oh, and her name is Katie, by the way.
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November 5th, 2011
I’m really enjoying panto rehearsals in the lead up to Christmas – but I have to admit, regular performing work is harder than I thought it would be. And this is only rehearsing!
I really did think comedy and acting were for me, full-time, but now I’m not so sure. I like nothing more than having a few beers with friends and family in the evenings and at weekends… but I can see if I was doing this stage lark all the time, my free time would often be when everyone else is at work, and vice versa.
So… I’m thinking I might keep it going as a hobby, but I don’t think it’s right for me as a job. Fate seems to have been telling me that anyway, as I struggled so much to get any work. I think Viv was just being nice to me by keeping the encouragement going. It was a real case of the grass being greener on the other side. I wanted to do it for so long, and I do honestly like the panto work, when I’m there – but I also feel relieved when rehearsals get cancelled so I can relax instead!
There’s also the money thing. I’ve had to look up some debt consolidation advice recently because I need to reduce my outgoings – mainly debt payments. I’ve spent so much time hunting for performance work that I took my eye off the ball, financially. I like having a regular income… and I can’t buy drinks with a smile!
Speaking of ball-related things… I’ve actually found myself missing teaching PE. I didn’t think that was possible! When I tell people I used to do it, they sound really interested and impressed and I think maybe I undervalued it. I love sport and doing a job related to it was actually a lot of fun sometimes.
Wow, I’m really evaluating my life here, aren’t I?! A little early maybe, as most people wait for new year – but I want to ready to move on by then. I feel strangely at peace now I’ve decided to change things!
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October 22nd, 2011
Pantomime or should I say pantoMINE! I got a part in a pantomime ‘Oh no you didn’t', ‘Oh yes I did’, ho ho ho. Viv pulled through and sorted me out a role in a pantomime at the local arena. This made me so happy – I love pantomimes anyway, seeing children laugh it should be a rewarding experience. I’ve been watching that Seven Dwarves programme on TV too so really gearing up for the pantomime season. I’m not doing Snow White though, I’m in Cinderella – another one of the greats. My role is ‘understudy male chorus one’. As I’m understudy they can’t guarantee that I’ll be on stage for all the performances so I haven’t started selling tickets to friends and family yet, but Viv says it’s as important a role as Cinderella herself. Wow. (And obviously I couldn’t be Cinderella as I’m a man).
They sent me the script and list of actors this week. When I saw there was a character called ‘Prince Charming’ I was a bit annoyed that Viv hadn’t got me this part, and then when I saw they’d given it to a WOMAN I was even more annoyed. I called up Viv and demanded she get in contact with the director ‘they must have had to go for a women because no men wanted to be Prince Charming, tell them I’ll play him’ I said. But then Viv said something about all pantomimes having women playing men. I’d never realised this when I used to watch them, how strange – why would they do that? Maybe they think it’s harder to find a charming man than a women, who knows.
Anyway, rehearsals start next week so I’ve been watching Disney’s adaptation of the fairytale on loop all week! Wish me Luck!
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October 19th, 2011
Yes, the title does apply to me – I’m desperate for a job. Viv’s being rubbish (I’m starting to wish I’d have gone for a different agent). More of a double-oh-seven type character – I’m sure they’d get the job done more efficiently. Anyway I didn’t choose that title because I wanted to write a post about how desperate I am for work – there’s enough people in this economy writing about that. I wanted to write a post about my newest day-time TV find. It’s made me learn so much about women – there’s so much I never knew. I always thought women kind hearted and thoughtful, oh I was wrong.
The programme’s called Real Housewives of New Jersey (I sort of feel embarrassed saying it but once you stumble upon it it’s pretty addictive). I think it’s based on that fictional thing my mum used to watch ‘Desperate Housewives’ (that’s why I called the post ‘Desperate’). It follows the lives of these rich women who live in New York and mainly shows their friendships (if you can call them that). Every episode they’re fighting or telling each other they hate each other, and then the next minute they’re friends again, so confusing. Hearing the things they say about each other behind their backs is just horrible – I never knew humans can be so nasty , I’m sure it must just all be a joke and they’re all friends really.
It just can’t be true because I don’t understand why they’d all be friends with each other when they say they don’t like each other. I feel like shouting at the screen in thumper’s voice ‘if you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuttin at all’.
I always felt desperate to find a women, but if this is what all women are like I want to stay well away!
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September 26th, 2011
It’s gone pretty dry in the acting world at the moment. Viv said it’s because of the season – all the secret location shoots are closing down now it’s not summer, and the pantomimes haven’t started rehearsing yet. But she’s still looking for that part in Peter Pan for me, so I’ve got my fingers crossed ☺
In the mean time though, it’s given me lots of time to catch up on my daytime TV programmes. Everyone often complains about day time TV but I think some of the best stuff is on at that time. There are cartoons, comedy with Jeremy Kyle and also some really good drama with Doctors. The kind of stuff that’s on in the evening is boring things like Downton Abbey for old ladies, so mum watches that while I read up on Brecht and do my yoga laughing class.
But, in the day the TV’s all mine. Muhaha. The great comedy that is Jeremy Kyle this week had two lovely ladies on the title was ‘I put myself into care because of my violent mother’. I call it a comedy because I don’t think it’s real – some silly people say it’s real but there’s just no way, everyone knows mothers are kind and caring so it’s just funny to imagine them being violent. It’s called ironic comedy. It’s no knock-knock, or animal humour but it’s the shock factor (a bit like the x-factor) that makes people laugh. When I’m at home waiting for my pantomime role, l get to laugh all day! It’s quite the high life.
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September 22nd, 2011
I was regularly getting lots of phone calls about acting roles, because I had so many agents but had to keep turning a lot of them down as Dad was using the car. Most roles are ‘on location’ – (it’s all very show biz) so without a car I couldn’t get to the secret locations which was quite annoying. I don’t mind turning down acting roles though as it’s good to write on my CV ‘have turned down 20 parts in various dramas and short films’. But then I got in trouble. Dad went away for a week and didn’t take his car, so all I needed to do was wait for a call – and I got two in one day, from different agents so obviously I had to turn one down saying I’d already got a job.
‘How have you got another job?’ one of the agents said and I explained how I was on the books for 5 different agents across the country. Apparently that’s ‘frowned upon’ in the industry, you should only really have one agent who gets you work. So I had to pick one. I picked the one who’d contacted me most, her name was Vivian, but she said I could call her ‘Viv’ and she looks after all the ‘older’ actors on the agency’s books.
Viv is really good to me – she actively looks for roles that she knows I’ll enjoy. I’ve told her to steer away from the ones on secret location though, because Dad usually has the car. She said if I see anything I like the look of, just to tell her and she’ll see if she can get me an audition. I said I’d maybe like to do a bit of pantomime this year, now that I’ve done quite a bit of ‘on camera’ stuff and she said she’ll see what she can do. Oh no she didn’t – Oh yes she did!
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September 20th, 2011
The roles just keep on coming in, turns out ‘average looking male non-speaking part’ is where my talent lies – you could say I’m being ‘type cast’ but I really have to work hard at it, and it takes some time to get into character. I’m really enjoying all the big lights and glamour, and dressing rooms. It’s a bit annoying though how all the other actors always want to share my dressing room with me. I always have to say look guys I know you’re probably fans and all, but at the end of the day you’re ‘extras’ and I have a named part so I don’t really think we should be hanging out together, they always just laugh though and carry on getting changed in my dressing room!
It’s just a bit embarrassing you know – actors don’t usually socialise with the background people. I don’t want the other big names to think I’m not taking it seriously. Anyway, this was for a remake of Casino Royale mixed with Foyle’s War. The director is Jim Harrow, now you might not have heard of him, but he’s set to be the next Tarantino – this movie is going to be his final project for his GCSE media course, I didn’t do GCSE’s but apparently that’s quite a big deal. For my part I had to be a croupier in an underground casino while a fight took place. All the extras are a laugh they nicknamed it the casino war scene, starring JOJ. I knew they did this because they understood how hard my role was. I was teaching them how us actors can maintain composure while anything is happening. I said you just have to imagine you’re in the trenches in WW1 but you’ve been paralyzed, it’s called method acting. I’m learning on the job at the moment but think I’m going to start reading some acting books – that way I can give all the other actors some advice too, as I doubt they ever read.
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