sprinkle 14 December 2009
I am in Odessa again, comrades, and it’s looking lovely. Cold at minus 5, certainly, with a light sprinkling of snow, but nothing too challenging (which is as well for a woman who travelled in the big fake furry coat today, whinging all the way, but only wearing trainers and those foolish ankle socks that make sense for summer but not chilly winter). A meal has been had at the beloved Klara Bara and the truly great news is that the ‘resident’ cat is still in situ (that’s 4 and more years he’s been going now, great for a feral)- he’s a lad who frequents the environs and is looked after by the staff but won’t be petted or made an eejit of cos, as he insists, he’s largely wild. He is looking sprightly on his life choices.
I ate WAY too much.
Joining a gym tomorrow…really, I am. Love the present keeping moving and having all moving parts in working(ish) order…
Also convinced am having menopause…oh joy…
pint 13 December 2009
I took some slagging at work recently for not being able to hold my drink – quite literally…as part of a fantasy sequence I had to present a pint of lager to a man and that’s not much of a stretch for The McLynn I needn’t tell you. But between light stands, another actor passing, etc there was a moment in one take where I spilled some of the pint involved and it was commented upon. NOW, I did have to point out that it was not my usual pint lifting/holding hand AND it was non-alcoholic SO my body was, basically, rejecting it. I rest my case.
night out 12 December 2009
Yes, yes, yes – there was no blog because I went out on the lash. We had a wee Works doo last night. The ladies did the production proud, may I say, with the amount of fabulous frockage that we donned. First prize has to go to Ali of Wardrobe though who wore a feather skirt – quite the most magnificent thing I have ever seen. Close second prize also goes to Wardrobe – Ginny wore a lovely top and jeans but had fashioned a magnificent, large, emerald green, raw silk bow worn at a jaunty angle = wow! We had many lovely drinks and then Will of the camera department walked this old gal home (above and beyond the call of duty and a huge thrill for Yours Truly. Today my own purple dress (so lovingly looked after by the peerless Granada Dry Cleaners in Manchester) has a small sambucca stain on the back (which also means I didn’t do it = hurrah!) but no more and I trust that will be cleanable-outable though it’ll be travelling to London with me now so I cannot give it back to the geniuses at Granada Cleaners. London – are you up to it? Are you ready to challenge the cleaners of this fine Northern Town?
I am snagging a lift ‘home’ with Lou Grundy of the Assistant Directors’ Department and we shall be Thelma and Louise for the day…hoping we actually will encounter a Brad Pitt type too, that would be most acceptable…already she refuses to go through Texas so it may be quite a journey. I shall keep you all posted, fear not…Warwick Services, here we come!
words 10 December 2009
I am having trouble with words today – it’s a matter of how many, as usual. To be honest I did some really good ones – all in a row (I think…) – but the word count doesn’t make me feel all like I’ve achieved Novel Nirvana or anything for this day…however, I was given a great book of poems by Billy Collins an amazing American poet that I had (also amazingly) not read before (I do feel so ignorant – the man is poet laureate of New York State!!!) and the inspiration from within is wondrous and a matter of hope – I must thank Aileen Bennett for the gift – she is mum of the wonderful boy (johnny) who plays Liam Gallagher in SHAMELESS. Poetry has got me out of quite a few life and work holes, I can tell you all – make of that what you will…
On a practical level, I found it hard to express myself coherently on even a mundane level today too, and also found myself making 2 trips up and down the stairs at work every time one trip would have done because I was half-cocked all day – ooh, er, MATRON! but true, nonetheless
prat 9 December 2009
Well, in the course of The Acting today I got to revisit a patch that I have not been asked to go to recently (not a complaint, just concentrating on other areas). So it was I found myself, with the wonderful David Threlfall, late on the Chatsworth (in the loo of a restaurant, supposedly) with 25 minutes to go and a scene to shoot. We brought our some 65 years of experience to bear and got the thing done in spite of that being an impossibility. But best thing for me is that I got to fall out of a window…happy times and something of a return to form…and it SO gave me the taste for pratfall comedy again…is there anything funnier, when you’re in the mood, than people falling over???
battle 8 December 2009
I’ve been writing a diary piece for one of the papers about my time thus far on SHAMELESS and I have found it a bit of a battle. You see, acting though wonderful (well, wonderful when it’s going well) is a lot more nuts and bolts than people might realise, especially for tv or film. You repeat, you film every angle, you put in long hours. Whenever I talk about making FATHER TED people always say ‘oh you must have so many funny stories, so many funny things that happened’ and I’m not sure that I do, at least not eery day from the set and work itself. I have many fantastic memories, but the funny incidents were in the script and we spent all of our day making sure they were properly committed to tape. So, even though I am having a ball making this show when I talk about it I realise I spent all of the early days worrying about whether I’d get the part and once I did worrying that I wouldn’t deliver…and I truly believe that the day I think I’ve cracked it is the day I should give it up as I’ll have lost The Plot or lost sight of where I think I need to go with it. In the meantime, there’s the task of making the process seem a lot more interesting that it may be for readers of a newspaper coming to you soon!
brain 7 December 2009
Sorry, m’dears, the brain dead thing is getting to me as it must be re me for youse all too. I just seem to have no thoughts that are to spare from The Acting or The Writing. I guess it also means I haven’t much of a life otherwise at the moment either…It’s that wonky/bendy part of the end of a year where everything is either a rhythm you depend on or something you just so can’t take on. Rubbish, either way….
reminding 6 December 2009
The season is in full swing partywise, I am told. I’m still in Manchesterford working and have been missing out on all that lateral fun BUT perhaps it’s as well because I tend to try to get to everything, end up at feck all and piss people off as a result. Heard a great story from a dear one (who I haven;t seen in a while and need a bit of soooon) about her going to an agency doo last week and having a great night’s laughter with a gay actor friend of ours…who hit on her, and she found herself reminding him that he’s gay! Top stuff.
Dongle still doing it’s own thing…
useless 4 December 2009
the dongle is doing its thing again…or not, to be more precise. anyhow for a moment it is letting me on the interweb so here goes and forgive me as i’ll eschew capitals etc in the interests of speed….
there’s a bit of a doo next friday for all of us on the show breaking and a sign is up to ascertain numbers. i hadn’t added me name but thought i might last night after pilates and, lo and behold, i was upon the thing anyhow beneath the name of miss sally carman of the parish of chatsworth. so i assumed she had put me there, as turns out she did, and intriguingly underneath was written in brackets ‘little pig’. which i am delighted with as i think pigs are great altogether. it is in fact a reference to the fact that miss carman wants a little pig and not that anyone thinks i am that little pig (that i know of) but i really do want to be called that now…wouldn’t it be a great title for an autobiography too? if sally does get that, so wanted, pig she is now under starters orders to call it pauline so we may have a tiny Pauline Pig in the world soon…
ball 2 December 2009
Well, the dongle is playing ball again…no reason for it refusing to find signal over the last while – it’s a bit secretive like that = no explanation!
I did a lot of press interviews today for SHAMELESS and I must say it is making it all seem VERY ‘real’ now…and I found that a bit nerve-racking…
Also Christmas seems to be steaming down the line now and I have nothing sorted/done. Myself and Himself are off to Ukraine for most of the Festives from the 14th so I have to sort everything out by then…erm, not sure when the time for this is magically going to present itself…and there’s a novule to get as finished as is humanly possible = EEEK!