Hey loyal comedy blogger readers...or readER as it's more likely to be...Hi, sit down, would you like a cup of tea? Actually no, I don't really like tea and only usually drink it if I'm on holiday...and since we don't seem to be in a caravan in Blackpool whilst it's pissing it down outside...no tea I'm afraid, but you're welcome either way.
So yes, it seems like a while since I last updated this ere' blog and that's probably because it is, so I can only apologize but I have had a surprisingly busy summer. Surprising in the fact that I didn't end up spending it in my room, in my Pajamas, eating junk food and watching The Simpsons with the cat's...well, not all of it anyway.
I have actually put my summer to good use for a change, been on night's away, day's and night's out, weekends away (not dirty ones, honest...) seen old friends and current ones, made new ones, been on a bit of a 'spiritual journey' and no, it didn't involve drugs...and also performed in a wonderful comedy play in Manchester entitled 'Hobby Horse' (written by David Adair) with my new second family that go by the name of the "Wigan Community Theatre Company".
Among many other random shenanigans and giggles...but before you worry about this turning into some kind of diary or "personal blog", I have news for you, I am detailing my summer not only to find excuses as to why I haven't updated this thing for a while, but to make a perfect lead in to tell you what else I did!
And that, my friends...was...that....I....did...stand...up....c.....omedy.
Now, I'm probably making it sound like a big deal and to you guys, it more than likely won't be (so screw yourselves!) but to me it WAS and IS a big deal.
Now, let me explain Manuel....(Fawlty Towers reference for you there)
I got accepted onto the BBC New Comedy Award Workshop (for which I sent some of this blog to them and they must have liked it or else I wouldn't have been there, so shut up!)
And part (well, most of it) of that involved creating our own stand up routines and having them filmed by the BBC. A major nerves overload induced death awaited me and surely arrived but I can say with all happiness that I didn't crash and burn quite as badly as I thought I would.
I came up with pretty good stories and material in a short space of time and didn't find it as gut wrenchingly horrific as I always thought and most of all, I did get LAUGHS (and not boo's, rotten tomatoes or sharp implements as thought) and quite good laughs for the most part...
But I will say this, it was HARD and it honestly one of the hardest things I've ever done. I felt emotionally and psychically drained by the end of it and my poor brain needed a good few vodkas before it returned to some kind of normality and stopped sobbing it's little heart out...(can a brain have a heart? I'm confused... and I digress...)
And on the filming, my brain did die for a few minutes and I completely forgot what I was saying, what I was going to say, who I was, where I was and why there were people staring at me....but thankfully, it kicked back in and I managed to recover quite well...which didn't bother me only for the fact that it happened on the friggin' FILMING!!! So when the BBC decide to send it to me, I won't be able to watch it back because I don't want to see my brain die and turn into mush live on film.
But it will be nice to watch myself doing something that I never thought I could or would do...
And it made me realize that if I could do that in such a short space of time and handle that kind of pressure then if I 'polished' my material and upped my confidence a bit then doing open mic nights and gigs really wouldn't be so hard, and believe me, that felt so liberating !! There is no longer that 'there's no way I can do it' barrier lurking to put me off, because I have already done it and I know I did it and soon, I will have the cringingly video'd proof that I did it (I hate watching myself back in anything).
The worst part is getting up there to do it for that first time and now that's over for me, it's done and worryingly, I would love to do it again.
(And I want to take this opportunity, should anyone else who took part in the workshop get to read this, that the talent there was outstanding, everyone was amazing and even though that was quite intimidating at times, it was also very inspiring and amazing to see...they were ace people and I was honored to be there with them...and I'm sure I'll be seeing some of them on 'Live At The Apollo' very soon...or 'Crimewatch', depending on which way they want to take their wonderful brains....*wink*)
So that's it....hope you enjoyed my latest comedy ramble about how I managed to stand up on two leg's in front of others and say silly things.
I'm dragging my arse back to University next week, mainly because I have to...and after nearly a four month break, I WILL be literally dragging my arse back...
I'm telling you this for you to anticipate another 'gap' in the whole updatage front of this blog, but I'm sure you'll live....whereas, me on the other hand?...well, we'll see.
(I'm hoping I've give that pesky troll the slip at least....)
