First Rehearsed Reading, Voiceover Wake Up Call & Britain Going Live!

Hello world! Welcome back to another blog! This week featured a rehearsed reading where I'm implementing myself more or less throughout all of it, a podcast which may be the kick up the backside I need to expand my skillset, and the start of the live shows of one of Britain's most iconic talent shows. So without further ado, here is what I got up to on the week commencing 21st April 2025!

Professional:

Actors Pro Expo Seminar:

This week I listened to a coach where she talked about a structure used to help progress in your acting career. This was similar to something that high performance mindset coach Matt Hall mentioned, so whether I’ll use this format I don’t know. But it certainly was great for someone else to use this technique, and how some of the most famous people have used this to their advantage.

Acting Class:

This week in my acting class, it featured an improvisation game and looking at the scenes in prep for a possible scratch night. For my scene, I was given some constructive criticism, which I do understand, as even though this scene I can relate to, I was simply given the note to be myself. Which I guess is useful, so my task was to see what traits I naturally notice so that I can implement it into the scene. I also had a quick blast of my monologue for the creative cafe evening. I didn’t know how I was going to remember all of the notes being taken down, but providing I took my time, relax and enjoy myself, then I can’t go wrong.

Rehearsed Reading:

This week I performed my piece at my first rehearsed reading. It definitely felt more chilled than I expected, which certainly helped. I didn’t know if I messed up, but nonetheless, I certainly enjoyed myself which is all that matters. And it’s officially recorded, so keep an eye out for it on my YouTube channel. And to meet the writer of the piece was a real honour, and I do hope I get to work with her again soon.

Act On This Podcast:

This week I managed to catch up with another amazing Act On This podcast. This one featured Peter Dickson who's best known for voicing The X Factor and BGT, and wow it was a brilliant session. It's been a while since I saw him on a podcast and I'm glad I did. I learnt about getting into voiceover, how I can make a home studio without having to buy expensive equipment (which some of the ways I can do it is quite surprising), a way to make more money and exploring Gravy for the Brain and how it'll help me get started. And from June onwards (as I don't want to overwhelm myself at the moment), I am actually considering on starting my voiceover journey, with the help of a member from my acting class to make sure my demo is in check and also once I found what I'm wanting to do, work towards that. And I might even consider the conference to see if Voiceover is the one for me!

Coronation Street:

This week I watched the show from 7th April. Whilst Betsy is still having to use one arm, all she can think about is if Dylan is okay, even though he told her to stay out of his business. But i know full well that she was only trying to help. Todd also had a shock when after having some afternoon delight with Theo following his quick escape last week, Theo’s wife turns up out of the blue. But Eileen seems to have worked it out herself. Kevin is also trying to push away his loved ones, as first he goads Jack into fighting, then punches Tyrone and then finally insults Abi. But after Kevin revealed to Tyrone of his fears, things seemed to have gotten back on track for the friendship and also show his emotion to Abi. Gemma was also caught out by Lou after finding an excuse to not spend time with her. Let’s hope that she doesn’t get too hungover in prep for the family holiday the next day. And Dee Dee is determined to put a stop to situations like hers at the hospital, and the kind nurse who helped her (and was not insulting), could sense that she was on edge. But during Debbie’s visit, she noticed that Debbie suddenly blanked out. And after she made a phone call at the end of the episode. I know it’s only the start of her tragic storyline. I also watched it from 9th and 11th April. A brilliant performance from Sue Denvay in that episode in particular, who gave a glimpse as it what the symptoms of dementia could be. But I felt bad for Ronnie for after she turned down the proposal, but maybe it’s out of fear of if it is dementia, which based on reports, he’ll find out sooner or later. But it’s not just this that’s happened on the street. After a brilliant darts tournament, Tim needed a “sense of purpose”, and suggested to Sally about fostering. But whilst she agreed at first, hope and rubys prank along with other things haven’t helped. And whilst I see Sallys point of view, I can also understand why Tim wanted to do it after his experience taking care of Mason. But Hope and Ruby also have more drama when after Cassie was supposed to take them to the cinema, she decided that she and Steve needed abit of “fun”, and Tyrone was not best pleased, especially when the return of Dorin (as Alina had a flood and needed someone to look after him), came to play. I just hope he can put aside his differences with Cassie for the sake of his son and his family. Julie was also wanting to look at a bucket list, but Todd had bigger things on his mind when Theo wanted to talk things out. That obviously didn’t plan out like he thought it would, although it was the complete opposite for Kit and Sarah, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Sean, Daisy, and Christina. Christina though is also fun messing with Jenny still, who’s getting some aggro from Carla about the money for the pub. And Abi’s marriage to Kevin may be tested when she clashes with a handsome stranger at Freshco's. But when it turns out to be the brother of Kevin, things are about to get a whole more awkward, and after seeing spoilers, he is not one to mess about with his feelings. I also watched the show from 14th April. Carl is really messing with Abi's brain, and it led to a confrontation at the pub when thinking he was trying to spoilt the afternoon, which led to the altercation at the carpark. But Kevin doesn’t seem to be bothered, but that’s not the only thing on Carl's mind. Debbie went to an appointment which now means she has to go for an MRI scan. This then led to accepting Ronnie's proposal, but Carl's discovery on her possible dementia diagnosis may change everything. But there was more drama on the street. Daisy and Christina’s plan has thrown a spanner in the works when Jenny reveals what Carla said, and I don’t think Daisy turning to alcohol isn’t helping. But that didn’t stop Christina from getting Daisy to continue in their plan. And Julie convinces Todd to go for the person he fancies, only to find Theo with his two children. Todd claims they’re done, but after seeing spoilers things may seem to get even more complicated again. Sean is also worried when Brody threatens him with Dylan if he doesn’t do what he says (as the burner phone was the start), and Sarah and Kit have taken things to the next level, and yes it’s in “that” way if you get me. And Dorin's extended stay may have helped Tyrone to get back on track with Cassie, I can’t help but feel that Fiz may be abit uneasy about it. Hmm….

Hollyoaks:

This week in Chester saw more getaways, ex's reuniting and scheming situations. Mondays addition saw Joel and Leela get their marriage on track, but through Tommy's creepy cameras, he was able to guilt trip Joel again. It was also great to see Mercedes back, meaning that grace had a lot to deal with. Darren’s attempt to get Frankie to come home seemed as though they’ve worked, a getaway with Dillon (who confronted Lucas about their past), may have made things a whole lot worse. So much so that Rex may be even trying to help Donny stop it, knowing that Lucas will tell Ste everything, but also Rex may want to be out of it all as well. Tuesdays episode saw Nancy stress at Darren, still believing Kay’s story, and finding out that Frankie and Dillon are with Kat (or so grace says) is not helping. But banks may be on the warpath when he suspects that’s Donny is on his tracks. And he’s proven right when a text from Rex told Donny to look closer to home, which then led him to snapshots of banks and another person. But who is in there? That’s the question. Sienna meanwhile is wanting to see Cleo again, but Liberty overhearing Peri bad mouthing her to Cleo certainly put things in hot water, and like the big sister she is, she only wants to protect Sienna. And she might be right, as meanwhile Leela and Joel’s marriage is still in shambles after Joel is still refusing to cut ties with Tommy (but also knowing he can’t because of Tommy's manipulation). This then led to Joel hearing a clip from Tommy making out that Leela is wanting her marriage with Joel to end (but being the tech wiz he is, he’ll soon use what Joel said to twist the narrative) and if led him back to Cleo, who go back to their old ways. Wednesdays addition saw Joel face backlash from Leela after he played “her confession” to Tommy. It’s appeared to make their marriage even worse, leading to Joel believing full on what she’s saying, and taking responsibility for his actions. But things are about to get even worse when Tommy's brother Billy meets a fateful end. But the question is, will he hand himself in still knowing he’s at risk of getting a murder charge? Donny is also hot on banks’ tail, and even the cover up isn’t enough to convince him that he’s up to no good. And sienna is relieved by the fact that she doesn’t have MND, but after a discovery of the drugs that someone used on her, she has made it her mission to find out who it was (and like with Donny’s case, it’s someone closer to home).

Eastenders:

This week in Walford featured a murderous secret revealed, one resident making a start to be independent, and emotional times for two long term friends. Mondays episode saw Phil’s concern for Nigel following last week's blip. He tried to make a point when Yolande asked him to be the Easter bunny, but it all ended badly when Nigel mistook hope for someone else. This then led to Phil telling everyone about Nigel’s dementia, leaving everyone understandably shocked. But his chat with Yolande and a video to Phil may mean more stuff is about to happen badly. There was also good when the Vic will be opening very soon, but Kojo's reason for why he’s sad about it is quite sad, especially as someone who is disabled myself. But I’m sure Gina will help him see that living on his own is not a bad idea. And Zack trying to help Barney backfired when Nicola fired him from Harry’s Barn, but Ravi warns him to stay away from her. And speaking of Barney, he’s such a good friend to Avani when Amy won’t answer her, but whether he does fancy her or not, I don’t think he’s the type of person to let her down. Tuesdays episode saw a follow on from what Phil saw and began to question Nigel of his sincerity during Phil’s darkest hour. This then led to a concept Linda, who then revealed to her not just Nigel’s problems but also his own. I’m glad that Linda was able to see some sense into him, but even jeans visit to see him (and shortly after Harvey questioned her on what happened to hope made him see sense) didn’t help, as a note from Nigel has left him worried again. And after a clash with a group of youths, Nigel may be in big trouble. But outside of that, Nicola is into trouble after a visit from her henchman made her realise the trouble she’ll be in after teddy announced that he’ll be moving the dartford project to this week. And Harry gives some advice to Barney on Avani, and I just hope that she doesn’t reject him during Nicolas' birthday. Avani is also not impressed when she thought that a holiday meant abroad, but I know that Ravi is trying his best. And Kojo is keen to show George he is independent with Gina's help, and I loved him showing Harry how it’s done. I do hope he won’t screw over Kojo, knowing how sweet of a lad he is. Wednesday's episode saw the aftermath of Nigel’s attack, and even though it was a mild concussion, it was the start of a lovely heart to heart between Nigel and Phil. Whilst Nigel was convinced that being alone if he failed the cognitive tests was a good idea, Phil disagreed. But the reality of living with dementia and how it affects loved ones really did show well when Nigel described it. But Phil also told him why he needs to stick around after everything they went through, and after speaking with Sonia, it looks like things may be on the up for the pair. Finally, Thursday's episode saw Phil realising that he's thrown himself at the deep end looking after Nigel. Harveys visit didn't seem to help when Jean offered to make some biscuits for him, but thankfully Kathy was there to help break up the scene. But after a good talk, it seems like they're back on track and decide to watch a movie at home. I know Nigel is not at the worst of the condition, but he also knows that Phil is trying to help. And Kojo started his new job at the Arches, but I'm glad that Harry didn't beat up Kojo after mentioning about the number of girls Harry has, and was really open about Shireen. But Kojo is about to get a lesson in the world of dating from Harry, who already made a nice start when mentioning to a girl that she has nice eyes, and also gave some advice to Barney linking to Avani (with the help from teddy before the party began). I do get why Avani decided to change her mind about the party, but Barney's moment was ruined by Joel, and I could only feel for him. But Nicola has the most drama within the Mitchell family, as after a talk with Ravi, who refused to do a job for her knowing that yes it's a lot of money but it could mean dangerous consequences if it went wrong, the truth about Nicolas involvement with Shireen is finally revealed.

Personal:

Exercise:

This week even though I managed to do two lots of sessions at the gym (due to needing to do some more calming exercises before the Rehearsed Reading), I managed to do lots of Yoga as always and do two full power sessions on the exercise bike. This week the timings of getting to 10k consisted of 15mins 15secs on the Monday, and 14mins 34secs on the Saturday. Nearly a whole minute difference, which I'm very pleased about. As always please see below the total amount of miles I completed by the 20 minute mark.

Surveys:

Towards the end of the week, I managed to catch up on a few surveys. There did seem to be a technical problem with one of them, but for the other websites I managed to get a good chunk of them done. And it was actually very therapeutic to say the least. So a good use of my time well spent, and definitely helped me with one of my hard moments (which I will mention at the end of the blog).

Darts:

This week I only managed to gain one practice session in, but it was well needed. It was also towards where I started to feel abit of a drain in social battery as well, so this was definitely needed to let off some steam. Here are some snapshots of when I hit some doubles and trebeles, where the frustration worked in my favour. I even managed to hit a double and a treble in the last set of 3 throws which is an achievement for me.

Premier League:

This week saw the tournament make its way to Liverpool. It was a real shame from Stephen Bunting, but that didn't mean there was still a brilliant night of darts. And even though Gerwyn Price is my least favourite player, he did some pretty good scores, and I don't blame Michal Van Gerwan for being annoyed of loosing a match, especially as Luke Humpheries throttled him.

Are You Autistic?:

This documentary I’ve been wanting to watch was certainly worth the wait. Dr Claire Taylor really delved into the world of autism, featuring appearances from content creator Ella Willis and musician Sean Logan (who was on the piano in series 1). I won’t reveal all as I want you guys to watch the documentary itself so you can see it, but it included a researcher called Hannah talking about her experiences, a university lecturer called Damien bell busting the myth among the autism community, and Dr Punit Shah helping Claire to understand the assessments needed for someone to be classed as autistic. But this was a really good watch, and it looks like I’m wanting to get in contact with these people, including the Autistic chef, and to also hopefully gain some inspiration for new cooking and also do something sensory friendly.

Britain's Got Talent:

This week I watched the first live show of the iconic talent show. Already it was chaos, with one act being pulled out at the last minute and a technical delay in one left the show in chaos. But there were some good moments, and even though I don't agree with having a golden buzzer in the semi finals, I can appreciate why Amanda pressed hers when she did, as for this kind of act, it may look simple but one wrong move can mess up everything. I wish that 3 people went into the final and not 2, as the three that deserved a place upped their game. But it was all down to the public, and I can see why the act that went through did so, as their cover of a song was beautiful. And of course the guest performance from "Tina: The Tine Turner Musical" was brilliant, and it had me dancing!

The Piano:

This week I watched the first half of the new series of this beautiful show with new mentor John Batiste. I haven’t heard of him personally, but I’m already liking his vibe. And I’m loving some of the brilliant amateur pianists already. A 12 year old who so far is johns favourite, a 77 year old man (who doesn’t look it) having a sing along and not let Parkinson’s disease get in the way, and Maria who the goggleboxers reacted to that even had me in tears. We also got a Tarot card reader, a girl called Precious performing a precious called “Stardust”, and a young man called Keba who went through hell to get to where he is today, and how the piano literally saves his life. So far all great people and I can’t wait to see the rest of the episode this week!

Gogglebox:

This week I watched the first half of the program where we watch telly of people watching telly. Easter for the Siddiqui's certainly was eventful and Ellie’s experience with the fireman was funny. In “Chestmasters: the endgame”, I loved their reaction to the contestants beating a 9 year old prodigy, and during “Race Across The World”, I’ve learnt that abit of the languages helped in their favour. I also loved Abby’s song to David in “Love On The Spectrum”, where she has a great voice, and things certainly got scary in “The Last of Us”. I can't wait to watch the rest next week.

Hard Times:

I think this weeks hard times was towards the end of the week where I felt abit under the weather. But it may also be because I was feeling abit drained from the rehearsed reading and how much practice I put into it, which certainly hasn't helped. Another hard moment for me was missing out on a festival, partly because of feeling drained, but in life you can't always do everything, and that was one of those occasions. Nevertheless, I learnt that sometimes you need to get rid of the good to make way for the great. And let's not forget my wonderful dog Margo as seen below, who you just need to simply look at her to have that smile back on your face!