OK, I think I've already established that I'm not very good at this blogging thing... Gareth, there's just no consistency. So sorry for not posting sooner, and it's a shame as once again there's a lot to get through.
Edinburgh happened and I really enjoyed this year 's experience, particularly working as an assessor for the Total Theatre Awards. Here are my top 3 shows...
Keepers {The Plasticine Men}
Bound (Bear Trap Theatre}
Sex Idiot {Bryony Kimmings}
The latter was an interesting one, it's not often an audience is asked to cut off their pubic hair in front each other and place it in a tea cup. One kind bloke's cup overfloweth with his generous gift. I wonder if Cardiff is ready for Bryony Kimmings?
So what else has happened? Oh yes, I'm no longer working at the Centre {ish}. I'm currently on secondment at Sadler's Wells Theatre, London... "London?" I hear you say... Yes, London. I'm currently writing this while on my lunch break overlooking the high-rises of Islington. This all came about rather quickly, really quickly actually. I've been at the Centre for over 6 years now so it's nice to be able to side-step over the Severn to see first hand how things are done elsewhere. Sadler's Wells' dance programme is exceptional, so of course I'm very eager to see the breadth of their offer, starting with Alvin Ailey tomorrow night. My time here will be spent as Artistic Contracts Manager and working on their in house productions, gaining as much producing experience as possible.
For the first three weeks I'll be living in Victoria Park Village {which is very nice}. During this time I'll need to find somewhere else to live until December 31st, which is when I return to Wales. So if you know anyone with an empty penthouse overlooking the Thames at a reasonable weekly rate, let me know.
This whole process has involved and will continue to involve much travel. Yey! My favourite thing! I love travelling as much as I love queuing. Queuing is lush! A particular favourite of mine is the Paddington posturing and jostling as everyone waits for the train to Swansea to be allocated it's departure gate. A huddle of suits and backpackers, young and old, with everyone preparing to fight for their seat; a Paddington Bare Knuckle fight if you will... While Swansea continues to 'Prepare', Twyford, Oxford and Maidenhead are allocated slots twice over. Then the screen flicks, the gate is allocated and the human tsunami rushes west. I nearly take-out an old lady, back off Grandma, yes I've booked my seat but I still need to ensure that it's me sat in it.
Other things I hate about travel...
The quiet carriage: So quiet you can hear people breathe, I hate it when they breathe. By the time I'm at Didcott Parkway I want to scream.
The tube: Sweaty poles, touched by sweaty people. i-pods and i-pads; things i-don't have.
Train Coach D: These days they promise 'TV Entertainment', although there was no screen to be seen when I whizzed passed last {ok I didn't exactly whizz, meandered maybe}.
Oh yes, and I've also been to my first Leadership Unleashed meeting, which was a peculiar affair, although I'm still really up for it. As far as I can tell we're a cohort of 82 from both cultural and commercial backgrounds and we will learn much from each other over the next 9 months. Some of the initial comments frustrated me slightly, with many of my cultural peers ripping the commercial sector apart. Commercial - Bad. Culture - Good, which obviously isn't the case. I hope the exercise is designed to shake that kind of thinking apart. We'll see...
Hwyl am y tro, or as they say in London... Um... Bye.
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