Wednesday 27 August 2008

Blimey O Riley!

The popping of my Edinburgh festival cherry. I must report on the glorious, wonderful, splendiforous world of the Edinburgh Festival.

I have never felt so fully immersed in anything as I did during my week at the festival. Our itinerary: We performed every day at 11:15am and were out of the theatre by 1 o'clock. The space was tiny and had a major lack of air-con so managing the get in, the performance itself, and the get out made for a pretty draining couple of hours. Then it was down to the Royal Mile for a three hour stint of flyering. We met some of the worlds strangest individuals and some very surreal conversations. Then home for supper and out to see a show or two.

We were exhausted to the extent that we didn't squabble, bicker, or slam any doors all week long! I must highlight that our house was made up of our all female cast and directors. So for a group of teenage, female, drama students to avoid a single tiff for a week of living in close quarters was nothing short of a miracle.

Our show was fun. It wasn't much else though. None of us were particularly fond of the script or overly proud to be in it (which made promoting it a hard task). We got some really rather mean reviewers and I would like to take this opportunity to tell them to GET A LIFE, TAKE A HIKE, PICK ON SOMEBODY YOUR OWN SIZE. We tried our very best and I think that is all that should ever matter! Who cares if our entrances were late and our scene changes less than perfect. The enthusiasm was there. And the shabby Italian accents surely counted for something?...Surely?

Our priority for the week was not to receive rave reviews anyway but to experience as much of the festival as humanly possible. I think we did our objective proud. We squashed so so much theatre into one week that I have been coming across rogue ticket stubs for the last 2 weeks. The shows were all fantastic and inspiring. To name a few - Vanishing Point (a show by an American company performed outside, entirely on stilts and telling the story of evolution...we think), Lost In The Wind (a devised piece by a small company featuring some of the most imaginative use of bubbles, fans and puppets I have ever seen) and Women Of Troy (staged in a completely unlit room. The fourth wall was torn down by the characters grabbing, shouting at and abusing their audience.) Wowzer.

I am already saving to go back next year. Any who has ever thought about going please do. You won't regret it. And if you're planning on going next year, see you there!

Another thing that took place were 3 As (drama english spanish) and in maths... drum roll... C!! Who needs maths anyway. I doubt that any person in a nice normal career ever has to use pascals triangle. Come on. Summer has whizzed by and it's nearly time to go back to school. But this time we will be the toppest of the top dogs. HA. Watch out little'uns.

P.S the cowboy has put up with me and my ways for over a year. It was exactly a year on the 19th. That is amazing. He bought me the most beautiful bunch of flowers I have ever seen. Ain't that pretty.

xxx