They think it's all over....

Well, the Barnstaple festival is over and the first Smoking Shows have been done - all at the same time as England are getting kicked out by Germany. But still enough of the doom and gloom because the festival was BRILLIANT!
True audiences weren't big and the venue was hot as could be but everyone working on this festival was fantastic, warm, welcoming, looking after the performers. And the performers themselves all supported each other by going to each others shows and being really positive about the whole event. I've been at other things were egos have abounded but not here.
Part of the beauty of the festival was the randomness of the selection. You didn't know who or what quality or whether it would be your bag, often until you'd paid your £ 4.00 (£ 2.00 ticket prices for performers! - bargain much cheapness) to see the shows and in truth I didn't see a duff one.
I don't know whether people would all say the same about the Smoking Show. Certainly a number of people gave great feedback, and the review in the freebie mag was good and one great local bloke gave me a new joke to put in, which I did and it worked. Oh, he enjoyed the show as well by the way.
I did push myself with this one, in terms of how hard I went in for the performance - if you start a show pogoing to XTC where are you going to end - and the personal content. Never done that before. Not sure whether I will do it again.
So will the Smoking Show go anywhere else. At the moment I'm kind of thinking about it and what would need changing before it moved on. I know one thing though that I did do what a friend of mine calls the "Ronseal" trick - did exactly what I say on my tin.
Will I try and do the festival again next year. I think so. Maybe with something completely different. The other thing is that the template that was used, I really think would work up here and I'm going to have a think about perhaps a Stroud TheatreFest.
So, it only goes to say thanks then to all the stewards, the venues, the techies, and Bill and Gill the organisers for a fabulous job of making everyone so welcome. Oh and also the other performers. I didn't get to see everything - when do you but came away with the firm belief that theatre is as wide and as varied as people can make it and as long as it's done with conviction and belief and the desire to entertain it's brilliant!

One week to go.....

Only a week to go andhaving run the show a couple of times through, it's about 20 minutes too long! Aaagh!! What to do now? Which bits do I cut? It's always the way that you have to sacrifice some of your favourite lines for some of the time saving. Do I rethink? What should stay and what should go? Do I keep my favourite funny bits or bits that I think an audience will find funny. And should I trim the "ranty bit"?

Some times I love the joy of creating theatre and other times it just goes a bit crazy. This is probably the strangest piece I've done. I mean first off it's about me and I try and steer clear of talking about me. I do! I'm not even fond of writing this blooming blog thing! Then it's about smoking and cancer which gives me a gut feeling that I could end up being a bit "controversial" whilst telling my own truth. Will it get an audience? Will the audience get it?

In truth the whole thing is an experiment and if it comes off, it will be great. If it fails then "Hey! At least I tried out something different again!"

Beer mats and broadcasts

So, the beer mats have come and will look splendid gracing any pub, cafe or other such venue to push the show.

Also decided that tonight for the Bizarre Hour show I do on Community Radio station Stroud Fm (www.stroudfm.co.uk) from 9.00 - 10.00 will do a few extracts from the script - which is still in rehearsal and not quite rounded - along with appropriate tracks. Am a little bit trepidatious about this and am now wondering whether it's a good idea but "Hey! Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb!" - Never quite understand that saying!

The show is repeated on Saturday between 11 and 12 (morning) so if you want to hear some bits log on to www.stroudfm.co.uk.

Script, script, script!

There are sometimes when you are writing a script when you just have to go back to the drawing board and reshape material. This has been the case with this show. Plus prudent editing. Got way too much material for one hour and it's now the - "Is that important? Is that funny? Is that even about smoking?" phase. Add to that the "Do I need to write it all down or can I use notes and improv my way through it" idea then everything gets a bit complicated. Ah well!
Still to be written - cheery fun stuff like smoking rooms, smoking styles and controlling people with your lighter! and not so cheery stuff like cancer treatments and remission. It is part stand up, part drama after all. You can guess which is which.

June already!!

Well, nearly June. Publicity is at the printers. Beer mats. Well if I'm doing a show about one modern sin, might as well advertise it with another! Script is still being written and I'm going to try moving stuff this week. That's rehearsing and walking and dancing which is all abit of a weird combination. This is proving a toughie, not only because of the subject but also because of the need to do other stuff to earn cash as well.
Talked about it on Stroud Fm for the first time yesterday and realised that my clear vision is getting a bit cloudy. Need to flitrate it down and sort it ahhhhhht!!
Incidentally for any smokers who might read this blog find a copy of Tex Avery's Smoke That Cigarette - Joyous little song about the need for a smoke break!!
More to follow soon!!

Thinking About It!!

I'm never too sure what to put on the pages of a blog about a show - how much to tell and whether it will be giving away some of the ideas. But they are forming and getting together. I know that it'll be a combo of stand up, drama, theatrical stylings and maybe a bit of a rant.

Also that I'm coming down quite heavily on the "leave the smokers alone" angle - still being one. Not sponsored by BAT or the pro smoking lobby by the way. I just think that the guilt we are now forced to feel is....... and there I go giving away a bit of material so stopping right there!!

I also know I'll be looking at the cancer, the treatment, the attitudes, the determination and some of the wonderful people who helped me through it. And the big myth about being in remission!!

Also on the cards, scribbled backs of envelopes, odd notepads and occasionally computers are a beginning (always useful) and an end. The middle will include bits about my yoof, smoking rooms, smoking carriages, cigarette testing holidays, smoking as a religion, the new politics of smoking and the biggie "Why are roll-ups nicer than tailor mades?" - Oh no - that wasn't it the biggie was DEATH and how we don't know how to prepare or handle it. That sounds like a right old bundle of laughs that last line!!

Got tons of stuff that I have to tune down, sift through and roll up in a cigarette paper and smoke down to one hour and make presentable, theatrical, funny, lively, challenging and entertaining. Now if I can just work out the dance at the beginning it will all be..........

The Smoking Show

Okay. So for some time I've had this idea about doing a show about my cigarettes, life and matters arising - this being pretty serious illness and all manner of other stuff.

And now it's starting to happen and be put into place. Have dates - June 24th - 26th at TheatreFest in Barnstaple in Devon - where it seems half the Gloucestershire theatre contingent are going to be appearing - which is good!

But that means I now have to get to the nub of "What's it all about, Alfie?" and how much is about attitudes to smoking, how much about me - haven't really done an autobiographical show before - and how much is just about life!! Watch this space to see what develops.