How is it that, despite having writers who seem incapable of structuring the simplest plot, Merlin remains so charmingly watchable?

Dear Produces, after putting so much effort into production values and casting why can't you try when it comes to the actual storylines.

This is supposed to be a family show, so you want adults in your audience. Even it if was just a children's show incoherent plotting is still very lazy storytelling.

I'm intending to do a more detailed anaylsis of the show shortly, I just want this brewing cold to go away.

Tags: merlin
Current Mood: confused

Just come back from a show that I was storytelling at.

I had two sets, on on Saturday and one yesterday (Sunday) of half an hour. I'd been looking forward to it, as although I've been storytelling for a while this was a new format for me and I wanted practise for the show I've got in September.

I have to say the Saturday was the first time I've done stories to an audience that had so many unaccompanied young children and, although I wouldn't call them badly behaved, they did need managing. I hadn't expected it as I wasn't on the children's stage, but there were a lot of children about and I am a storyteller so I should have done.

So on the Saturday it didn't go well. I didn't manage the children well or tailor the stories to the particular audience enough. In fact I made a lot of errors. It wasn't complete and utter pants, bits had worked, but it wasn't good I was very unhappy with it.

However, learning experiences are meant to be learnt from and I took the time to really think about what worked, what didn't and why it didn't work. More importantly I thought, how I could avoid the problems in future. I did wonder if my stories were entirely unsuitable to the young audience as death and war feature quite strongly and I'd really imagined them for adults. However, children do like gore, monsters and controlled horror, so I'd just had to tell the stories differently for them.

The Sunday show couldn't have been more different. Most of the stories were the same but instead of fighting the audience I was really working with them and they were definitely having a good time.

My favourite bit was during the battle of Thermopylae. I'd got an older child (8-10) to be the Spartan army and another 10 smaller ones to be the piled dead Persian soldiers at his feet. I hadn't intended to do that but the older kid was getting vocal and I needed to involve him to keep him entertained. He turned out to be excellent and even died well when I stabbed him in the back.

I really, really enjoyed myself.

The only down side, is that, although some friends saw the good show on Sunday, the guy who offered me the storytelling in September saw the rubbish show. I've assured him it was a bad gig and unusual for me and hopefully he believes me. He hasn't gone back on the offer yet so that is a good sign.

Tags: storytelling
Current Mood: accomplished

Just back from Bosworth, where I've helped to re-enact the Battle where Richard III fell in 1485. I do like Bosworth as the crowd is usually a Yorkist one. They were particularly fine on Saturday. I've rarely known a crowd so ready to cheer, oh or ah. Many also came to the horse lines to say how much they enjoyed the show - which always makes it worthwhile.

It was a horsey show and I was riding in the skill at arms display and groundcrewing for the Joust and battle.

Many times at these shows I get a horse I've never ridden before for the skill at arms (which makes it challenging but I'm hardly likely to ride at my best) but this time I had my favourite skill at arms horse (Tata - getting old but still keen and very responsive), so it all went rather well.

Groundcrewing for the Joust is a bit exciting as I had to hand a full sized lance up to the Knight on an over excited horse, while providing a commentary of what the other Jouster is getting up to so the Knight knows when to start the run (their helmets prevent them from getting splinters in the eye but also seriously limit hearing and vision.) It's a careful balance of not getting trampled but still being responsive the the Knight's needs.

Bizarrely after doing that twice without incident, I got hurt when a horse trod on me as I was leading it onto the battlefield. Hey ho, such are the joys of working with horses.

However, I enjoyed myself despite working quite hard and accidentally buying a plucked psaltery.

Tags: bosworth
Current Mood: accomplished

Completely shocked but Torchwood was actually pretty good.

I was wondering what the difference was and I've come up with a few:-

The Torchwood team, especially Jack, aren't the ones carrying the show. It was much more of an ensemble. The strongest characters were actually the three civil service staff (Frobisher being particularly good).

The Torchwood team are fairly competent. They're in a tricky situation which they don't actually make worse (although their standing up to the aliens was just a bluff and they really could have done with more than that).

A decent plot, with decent villain, with decent motivations for the various people. Using 'Does the good of the many outweigh the good of the few' is always a good idea to investigate. Oddly enough in this everybody eventually decided that it did, they just disagreed over how many the few were.


The five eps did have rough patches and some padding but a vast improvement on previous seasons. Is there an intention to have another one? If so they've certainly left themselves with an interesting challenge how to continue it.

Tags: torchwood

On a more cheerful note from my last entry, I've just done my first solo music & storytelling show down in Bentley. It was a little quiet but probably not a bad thing for my first time. The only downside was that the format meant I didn't get any storytelling done. However, I've had thoughts and am developing a plan to help in the future.

Generally, I really enjoyed it and the organisers were very happy so I'm pleased with that. It was definitely a learning experience and I'm hoping to improve for the next one.

On another note, I mentioned to a couple of people that I'm recording a CD and BOTH of them gave me their e-mail addresses so I could let them know when it was ready. More amazingly this was after they'd heard me play :) Had I had any there I think I could have sold quite a few.

Someone else also asked if I could give them lessons on the dulcimer. Sadly as she was local to Bentley it isn't really practical but it was very flattering seeing as she was a violinist (and so had a clue about music) and thought I was good enough. I gave her some advice and suggested she go along to the Nonsuch Dulcimer weekend at Launde Abbey for more detailed help.

The oddest thing about this is that I'm not a good musician (and I don't say that to get people to disagree. I know how I compare to real musicians) - I just really enjoy playing and talking about music and instruments. I'm beginning to think that my enjoyment of what I'm doing comes through enough to compensate, to some degree, for my lack of talent.

Tags: music
Current Mood: accomplished

I'm sad to say that I've just broken up with C my boyfriend of two years.

The good news, though, is that we're still friends and do plan to meet up & do events together etc.

It's a long story but it was a mutual thing and, I believe, the best way for us to preserve our friendship - which is still very important to me.

Tags: boyfriend
Current Mood: contemplative

I'm sad to say I've now, finally watched, a few moments of Primeval.

I'm stunned. After the various things I've heard about it I wasn't expecting anything brilliant, but it's appallingness was a complete surprise.

I feel I should have been warned. To any one who hasn't seen it yet be afraid, be very afraid.

I realised it's been ages since I updated and/or checked my friends pages. However, it has been fairly busy.

Highlights include:-

Flat Tidying
Still not completely sorted after the bathroom work. Seem to have stalled right at the end with a couple of boxes to deal with. Poo.

The Play and Easter Con.
After all those rehearsals it's all over. I didn't get into this the same way I got into the last one until the last minute. Not sure why as it's still a a good play.
( Play & EasterCon )
Still we got a decent audience, who appeared to enjoy it. The con was generally a good one. It was only having most people in overflow hotels that was the let down. I'm really glad I got into the main one last minute. I get nervous before going on stage (usually fine once I'm there) and travelling from another hotel wouldn't have helped.

Not expecting there to be a play next year, especially as the con is offering a Monday afternoon slot. However, the con is planning to get Mitch Benn again, so that's good.

Northern Recorder Course
As ever, jolly enjoyable. Managed to fit in a visit to a friend, a walk round the Peak District (including going down some interesting caves) in the gap between EasterCon and the NRC
( Northern Recorder Course )


Portmeirion
After only a short gap I was off again.
( Portmeirion & Snowdon )

Well that's me caught up. Now to attempt to read what everyone else has been getting upto.

Tags: nrc, snowdon

Although I have performed many times before an audience, I've never been paid individually to be there - I'm not counting firework shows as that's different - or be a feature of a show that people have come specifically to see.

(Not that I believe that payment is necessarily an indicator of quality but it is an aspect of performance that I had not achieved.)

Well, I'm really pleased to say that I've been booked professionally to perform music & tell stories at a show in September.

I was supposed to be just playing but I think I'm a much better storyteller than a musician and can put on a better show doing both.

I can't say how much I'm looking forward to it. Frankly, the money is just the icing on the cake - it's being asked that I'm really happy about and how much fun I think the show will be is the thing that's making me smile.

Yeehaw!

Now all I have to do is prepare and practise lots.

Tags: ambition
Current Mood: accomplished

It only took nearly eight weeks but my bathroom is virtually finished (a couple of things remain outstanding due to delivery problems).

I have to say that it did get all too much and the sense of utter relief when the builder moved himself and his tools out was incredible. I couldn't wait to get home and see the floor again.

It's amazing I can wash in my own house and the place isn't covered in tools yippee!

Mind you my flat is still in chaos and covered in dust as I've decided the place needs a compete re-organisation and spring clean after that experience. So I'm spending a lot of time making plans and money buying storage items. I'm certainly reducing the effects the of credit crunch on Staples and IKEA. Some cleaning has happened and much is in its new home but there's still a lot to do.

As they said about the bathroom, it'll be lovely when it's done. Once that has happened I'll start planning my bathroom warming party.

On an unrelated note, I've just come back from a day visit to the FilkCon and it's been years since I went to one. There were loads of people I hadn't seen for ages and I really enjoyed catching up. I felt so invigorated that I'm thinking of joining next year and offering a 20 minute set.

I was thinking of just playing but I've had an idea to tell a story but using music as an integral part of the tale. I've seen it done and it can look great but it's very tricky. Still I've got a year to prepare (after I've rehearsed for a short dulcimer performance for a Valentines do next weekend, sorted out my flat, practised for the Redemption cabaret and the music recoding weekends coming up, learnt my lines for the play at Easter as well as get back into Riding (I am incredibly rusty at the moment) and got my various urgent bits of costuming done) so I can't see a problem.

One regret from the weekend was not getting a chance to congratulate Hitch on his fine guest of honour performance. It was varied selection of numbers done in an interesting variety of ways.

Current Mood: busy