Top tips on how to start a blog, from naming celebrities like Russ Abbot to randomly mentioning sex
‘Hello, queen of the blogs!’ Ha! This is a friend who knows how to say just the right thing. She wanted some tips on how to start blogging – and it’s also my first anniversary of blogging – so what better way to celebrate then outline a few tips I’ve learnt. (more…)
My Olympic marathon to get publicity
Only on Sunday I was moaning to one of the cast that despite being a journalist, and knowing how the press works, I was failing miserably to get any kind of coverage for Martini Bond. After all, there is no such thing as bad publicity, right? Then on Monday, a reporter from the Camden New Journal rang. (more…)
Sounding off
It was terrible. The sound on the video didn’t work, Helen Niland, the director, was telling me after I’d just been to see her latest show Conference Call at the Ecetera Theatre in Camden. Still the night before had been even worse: the sound man hadn’t turned up because he’d had to work late. But with a mixture of downloads and some home-made sounds, the show had gone on. (more…)
The perils of networking
“What do you mean, ‘Am I dressed up for my show?’ I always dress like this,” said the man with full make-up, long brown glossy wig, a 1940s style dress and heels. So my networking was going well at the Camden Fringe launch party this week. (more…)
It’s getting messy …
“No more rewrites please! … My script is in a terrible mess,” that was the plea from one of the cast after another had asked for some changes. “Just noticed you have changed some lines in the last scene. I am learning this scene now so I hope this isn’t going to change any more?” That was the plea from the actor who had, er, asked for the changes in the first place. (more…)
For once, men are the bit players
“I gave up acting in my 30s. The parts were getting harder to find,” my cousin’s wife was telling me at a family party. She had enjoyed a successful acting career, taking her from regional theatres in the UK to TV roles, including a part in the TV comedy Only Fools and Horses. But she was echoing a sentiment that I had read on Facebook and in the Guardian newspaper in the same week. (more…)
Does ‘sex’ attract the wrong crowd?
“We had a satisfying and funny rehearsal,” Helen Niland, the director of Martini Bond told me. The actor playing Bond girl Suzi Bazooki “showed off some of her various sexual positions. Twas a treat.” So the sex scenes are going well, then. Which is great. Because sex sells. I hope. (more…)
You just can’t make it up
“Cern’s in France,” one of the cast of Martini Bond was telling me. “No, Switzerland,” I said. “France. My sister used to live there.” I quickly looked it up: “It’s on the Franco-Swiss border… Besides, it’s fiction, and I thought you could just make it up.” But one thing I’m learning is that you can’t. (more…)
Awards ceremonies: And the best newcomer is…
There is some debate about the merit of awards for fellow bloggers. But for us newbies, they are a great way of helping your blog reach those parts – or people – that, well, your blog isn’t reaching yet. As well as giving you something to write about. OK, I’ve got lots of things to write about, such as where to buy a meerkat toy (that’s a toy that looks like a meerkat, not a toy for a meerkat…we need it for a prop), but I’ve also found quite a few new blogs so I thought well, why not? (more…)
