If I ever commit that billion pound heist and go on the run from the law, my extremely vocal hatred of the cold would help Interpol narrow down where to find me. It’ll be somewhere on the equator, not fucking Svalbard, that’s for sure. It keeps getting colder and darker and I don’t like it.
That said, tonight was strangely wonderful. I was openly pissed off about the weather, bringing a crowd of oddly dressed humans through the wet dark Heath. And they kept laughing and giving energy back the whole way. And even though I was drenched – we were all drenched – when it finished, I felt warm and enervated because of their generosity.
It’s a big ask, to follow a stranger onto the Heath on a dark rainy night. We were out there in the worst of it. I moved a few scenes so the audience could stand under a tree and get whatever shelter they could find. I’m surprised and very pleased they all had a lovely time in the rain. Last night it was perfect weather and the Botox Twins fucked off in the interval. Tonight it was rubbish and everyone came into the King Willy at the end beaming. Phew.
I’m home now, cooking supper for a change, bath is already run. I’ve been reading a lot about Zack Polanski at the moment, the green party leader who is surging in the polls. The algorithm sends me things as he is known in my world – he was an actor in a number of immersive shows produced by people very close to me. I met and liked him. Now he’s enough of a threat to the political status quo in this country that various mouthpieces are attacking him for schoolboy things like his teeth. He’s keeping very much above it all, and he’s very very quick and well researched. His rise to power is the single best argument I’ve ever seen for the right wing to invest money in grassroots arts. Had there been enough money for his early Immersive shows to pay well and run and run, he would still probably be very happily practicing as an actor, and not threatening complacent people. The work wasn’t there, so he rethought things and came up as a shitkicking politician with the skillset and wit of an immersive actor. More power to him, I say.
Ah I’ve been eating as I write. Marinated some steak and had it with chips and peas. Another heavy meal at the end of the day and I’ve had nothing else but soup, but I’m trying to economise and I have no appetite before I work, never have.
It’s quiet in the flat with the cats. Blanket is on and I’m gonna go cook in the bath. I get to see Lou at breakfast tomorrow briefly. Then a typical schizophrenic day… I’d best work towards going to sleep.
AlBarclay 