A little more active this week. Just.

Rich and I meet up with a couple of friends briefly yesterday, which was good as I haven’t seen much of anybody in a while.

I’m also doing FOH for Ottershaw Players production of Oscar Wilde’s short story ‘Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime’ (adapted for the stage by Constance Cox in the ’50s) at the Rhoda in Woking this week.

I watched it Wednesday night and very enjoyable it was too. (Brilliant costumes Chris and thanks for lunch!)

Last night I sat in the foyer and did some prep work for my Riverside Youth Theatre Improv Workshop on Sunday.

Last week’s went down well despite my poor mood and lack of concentration. I managed to plan something in the morning, having had a couple of hours sleep and the workshop was well received. I had a few thankyous directly afterwards as well as a couple of emailed thankyous later which made me feel better.

Week Two (of six) on Sunday, and after a few trust exercises I’ll be introducing the ‘Who, Where, What, When, Why and How’ of Improv.

The objective for Week Seven (the AGM before they break up for the summer) is to have a couple of groups perform a live ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ style show, using all the techniques I’l be teaching them.

If their introduction to it all last week was anything to go by, then we’ll have a good show. They’re up for it, which is great!

Tonight in the foyer at the Rhoda I’ll be reading a play that John emailed the Nuffield Writers Group as a little bit of extra homework!

By next Thursday I need to have read a couple more plays, plus the emailed one, as well as finished writing a two character scene involving ‘action’ and writing another scene entirely of snippets of ‘overheard’ conversations.

I’m off to Argos at Brooklands to buy a digital recorder thingy then I’ll sit in the Tescos cafe and see what nuggets I can record! You’ve been warned!

Having recently overheard (and scribbled down) such interesting lines as “She was proper minging”, “It smells like horse piddle” and “Go on be a bitch, at least I have a life”, I’m looking forward to it!

Another game of ‘Spot the Interval’ this afternoon - though admittedly by this evening’s final (5th) performance of the run somebody somewhere had said something; there was a prolonged blackout after the song with no music or actors changing the scene - so, obviously the interval then.

Shame they couldn’t have done that on the first performance earlier in the week.

Dusted of my dinner jacket, bodged my bow tie, and helped out with Front of House at the Ottershaw Players production of Phill Wilmott’s Treasure Island at the Rhoda McGaw Theatre in Woking.

The production was generally well done (though I have to say I have seen them do better) and there was plenty to look at with an excellent set and some good acting. The parrot was exceptional and certainly added to show.

Sadly, I was a little confused (as indeed were the audience) when the actors performed a major scene change from the pub to the ship during and (still in character) after a scene ending song. To give it credit it did look very good, but not the best thing to do when you want the audience to go for their interval drinks.

Frankly, I couldn’t see why the scene had to be changed during and after the song, when it could (and in my opinion, should) have been done behind the curtains during the interval. (If that is they’d shut the curtains.) At least then the audience would have known it was the interval… Oh well.

Never the less, judging by their comments on the way out, the audience certainly enjoyed the show, especially the cheese song (though I doubt that was actually in script, at least not that version), so well done Ottershaw Players.