Nightmares and memories

I had the classic actor's nightmare last night - being on stage unable to recall a single line or action and it lasted for ages it seemed, up to the point of the company manager having to announce the cancellation of the performance and me apologising to the rest of the cast who all nodded and smiled the way they do in nightmares - ugh! I woke up and flushed with embarrassment before the relief of reality dawned. Not content with this my subconscious later dumped me on a film set wearing a flat cap. I seemed to be at the races and sort of knew where I was sitting but not a clue as to my character or function. I knew more than the guy next to me though who was completely at sea and panicking. I remember saying to him "It's alright, I've worked with these people before".

I know what it's all about of course; Doreen Jones the highly respected casting director had wanted to see me for a part in a new Helen Mirren vehicle and I was looking forward to it, however Sarah the agent called yesterday to say the part was only ONE LINE! We agreed to toss our heads snootily and stalk off. Doreen Jones called again saying no they really, really wanted to see me and they would bike over a script. So I got to wondering what this one line could be? Perhaps the whole thing was the story of a deaf-mute who regains the power of speech at the end and says "At last - I can TALK!!" - Yes it seems unlikely to me too. Anyway I stayed in and continued to paint the banisters and waited for the bike which didn't arrive. I am still in the dark but apparently it is on its way as I type. I think the dangling feeling contributed to the aforementioned dreamscape.

Well that and the tapas I shared last night with my wife and my two daughters (All gorgeous by the way - I am an envied man in this respect) to celebrate No.1 daughter's promotion. Oh yes and the wine. All partaken of in a fantastic new charcuterie bar and restaurant in Goodge St. called Salt Yard which I can hardly recommend highly enough. Enough already - what am I, a foodie?

I also received an email from the author and playwright Tony Coult inviting me to an event to publicise a new book of Edward Bond's plays for young people edited by David Davis called Edward Bond and The Dramatic Child. He very thoughtfully asked me because I was in a production of Bond's "The Swing" directed by Bond himself in 1976 at The Almost Free Theatre in a set of plays called A A America. It was an excoriating condemnation of racism and revenge-based punishment the climax of which saw me hanging from a swing - on which I had been executed by bullets from the audience - sloshing blood across the stage as everyone sang The Star Spangled Banner. Not shy of making a point is Edward. Tony Coult had seen this and remembered me from it. This production did make an impression on those who saw it (and possibly stained their clothes!) There has been a production of Bond's "Lear" at Sheffield recently so let us hope that we will be seeing more of his work on British stages again in the future. Unfortunately I am unable to attend the event as I have to rehearse with my band Dead Flowers whom I have let down far too often recently.