Posting My Project, A Life-Saving Appointment & Audition Prep

Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. This week consisted of my first appointment which when attended regularly can prevent serious illness, listening to more podcasts to expand my knowledge from other creatives and finally releasing my two parts of my video for autism acceptance week. So without further ado, here is what I got up to on the week commencing 7th April 2025!

Actors Pro Expo Seminars:

This week I listened to 2 full actors pro expo seminars, along wit starting the first 10 minutes of the third one. The first one was with audiobook narrator and actor Elsie arcenut and the name rang a bell as I’m currently subscribed to her emailing list. She gave off a really good talk about her journey, how she got into audiobook narrating and how it’s helped her both in her personal and professional life. This was the third person who mentioned about voiceover being a great career creatively and financially, so maybe it’s a sign that I would delve into it abit further. Hmmm…. The second seminar was with casting director Kate bone. After seeing her on Act On This a few years ago, it was great to watch her and get a refresher on what she looks for in actors. And what she mainly looks for and the tips she gave to help actors shine was very informative. She also gave us a glimpse as to how casting for shows like The Crown came into play, and how it’s a mixture of both personality and the look when it came to casting. But it was a really great session and some useful takeaways. The third seminar which I started the first 10 minutes on was with a director and producer called Carla Guttmann. So far it's already alot to take in, but 10 minutes in and I didn't have the full capacity to continue. It's a shame as it would've been great to end the week on a high with a podcast, but I'm sure I'll catch up with it and keep on track with others I'm wanting to catch up on. 

Acting Class:

This week in class we did a multitude of things. These included the warm up games "Fuzzy Duck" and "Messiah", and then we all did a group improvisation in the form of a networking event. I won’t give away all but let’s just say that after learning about status, we had to guess what our status was based on others behaviours towards us. And let’s just say even though networking isn’t my strongest point and that being autistic I struggle to read people, I just went with the flow. And we then looked at the scripts one last time. Given that there’s a possibility I may do mine as a self tape, I’m adamant on which one I would like to do. Let’s just hope that in 2 weeks time I’ll get mine filmed either way. 

Passion Show:

This week I released part 1 and 2 of my passion show for Autism Acceptance Week. And it took a while the night before the first video to get it uploaded, but I’m finally glad to finally show everyone online what I’ve worked really hard on. Here are the links below to part 1 and 2 of the show.

Part 1: https://youtu.be/Z9c4C5Rdc3g?si=YKjjBrTjAHrMk_Q0

Part 2: https://youtu.be/4c25wnXhkk8?si=uJ2IyqCkGXx1LqZs

Please also see the link to my JustGiving page where as I’m writing this, you have until the end of April to make your donation and to help me reach my target.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/lucy-moon-6?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

Audition Prep:

This week I started some prep on a monologue for an upcoming casting workshop with The National Youth Theatre. Despite knowing and performing this monologue before, there was a lot of things I had to consider. But I decided to calm down, take a breath, and just follow my instincts on the answers to the questions needed. I also had a helping hand from my fellow NYT members, which was always beneficial. 

First TV Role Fast Track:

This week I caught up on the final guest speaker session on first tv role fast track. This was with director Mickey jones, and after seeing him on act on this before, he is still the lovely man who just wants to make sure that actors have a good time on set. He also gave off many secrets. This includes what happens during the casting process, who gets the final say and also giving a behind the scenes footage of when they filmed eastenders during the actual London marathon. But overall it was a really great session, and definitely some takeaways worth taking in.

Act On This Podcast:

This week I managed to catch up on a podcast with casting directors Emma Sylvester and Jessica Jeffries. They were brilliant on their individual podcasts, but seeing them make brilliant stuff together whilst being parents (where they met at an online parents group) was admirable to see. As always I learnt so much about their casting process, voiceover and how a audition for video game and animation work. Definitely a lot of takeaways from this amazing session.

Coronation Street: 

This week I watched the show from 28th and 31st march. I’m glad that Dee Dee has decided to let James adopt her baby, and is there for Lauren, who also had Frankie’s transplant on her mind. But after reading the traumatic ordeal she went through, it was abit hard to watch. I get the NHS are busy and overwhelmed with patients, but something that one doctor said triggered me, and one who clearly ignored her signs that she wasn’t feeling right was not on. And after revealing that she was suffering from a hemorrhage, it’s a long hard battle to face. But at least one of the nurses showed some understanding. But that wasn’t the only thing that went down on the cobbles. Steve and Cassie couldn’t keep their hands off of each other, and Tim, Amy, Tracy and Evelyn made sure of it. But Cassie realised herself that it would never work out. But one things for sure, I’m glad they were there when Bertie had his accident in the hot tub. But that only stirred up trouble for Jenny and Daisy, where Bertie’s incident brought up the past about Jenny’s son Tom. And what Jenny said to Daisy was quite harsh if I do say so myself. And even though they eventually managed to patch things up, it looks like it could be far from over when Christina returns and plans to take Jenny down. And that dating app after seeing spoilers may be a start. And mick is ruffling feathers once again. First annoying daisy and then being accused of hitting Debbie (which you know what I don’t blame Ronnie for) and her in the gunnel is just one incident leading up to her bit storyline. And after convincing her mum to get back with carla, Betsy is understandably shocked when Lisa reveals what really happened with the gun. But a chat from Nina made her realise that she shouldn’t have been so harsh. I don’t know if her arm will heal, but at least she managed to patch things up with Lisa and carla. And it slowly followed Tracy getting the news about rob. I also watched the show from 2nd April. You had to feel for Dee Dee after being given some life changing news. And even though it’s not Lauren’s fault, Dee Dee being angry at her didn’t help the situation. And she’s adamant that James will be the better parent to Laila. But there looks like they’ll be even more drama when James finds out that Danny has been in a car accident. But that wasn’t the only drama on the cobbles. Kevin had his first chemotherapy session, and whilst it’s good that he’s got Julie to talk to, I do understand Abi's upset on why he’s not talking to her. And Ronnie has yet another confrontation with mick, and Debbie was right to say that puncturing his tire only made matters worse. And even though mick did Gemma a favour regarding a tv, Chesney was horrified to realises that it was nicks car he tampered with. Oh dear… I wonder how they’re going to get out of this one. And finally Christina and Daisy are certainly playing Jenny like a fool, and that voice note she sent was certainly amusing. But part of me finds it funny whilst another part of me thinks it’ll get more evil by the minute. 

Hollyoaks:

This week in Chester featured a trip back in time, seeing some old faces and cruel twists and turns for people to get what they want. Mondays episode saw key moments of what happened during the time jump. We got to see where Sally was off to, the aftermath of Leela's ordeal, and we got to see Mercedes got the horrific news she got given. We also got to see the return of Warren fox, and his aim to get Mercedes back, even using Arlo as a ploy to do so. But when Freddie heard the news about her, he knew it was in her best interest to keep warrens letter a secret, knowing that she needed to focus on getting better. And we also got to see Joe Tommy came across Joel, and that my theory of having a reason behind everything was right when this event happened. Looks like Joel is about to go on a ride. Tuesdays episode saw Grace try to take over Banks’ operation, and invites Dillon and Frankie to her “party”. But it all became heated when Dillon turned down the man grace picked, after what copper said to him. And after a beating from one of Banks’ thugs, he may realise that unless someone steps in, he can’t get out of it. And Robbie is also released to see dodger back, but when Rex asked who he is after dodger was referred to as Ben, grace and Rex have realised they got the wrong mole in Robbie. And speaking of dodger, sienna is relieved to see him after trying to get her affairs in order when unbeknownst to her, Martha was poisoning her (which proved my theory on why she did it). And whilst Jeremy objected to it, seeing dodger again gave him a change of heart. And a dangerous one at that as well. And Tommys hold over Joel is certainly working, when he keeps inviting him round. And whilst Joel is adamant he needs to tell Leela the truth, Tommy made him see why it’s a bad idea, which was also a creepy one as well. Finally, Wednesdays episode saw Donny urge Dillon to come to him if something is bothering him. Even though Rex was against him going to the police, Dillon finally had the courage to go to the station and ask for him. But little does he know what banks will do… and I can’t believe that Jeremy actually went through with the lie to get dodger back to see Sienna. And he wasn’t the only one who needed to see him. After Myra-Pocahontas showed myra and Prince a photo of him, myra did everything she can to make him see that his daughter needs him. But even when explaining without revealing all why he went away, she still wasn’t impressed. But dodger has more problems of his own when despite Robbie’s plea to help him, he was forced by Rex and grace (who was furious when she found out that banks had set up Dillon’s beating) to gain their trust by possibly finishing off Robbie for good. I hope that’s not the case though. And despite various attempts from Leela, Joel still hasn’t had the guts to tell Tommy that he doesn’t need any sessions, and the reason why Joel hadn’t told him yet is understandable. But after some words of advice from Sienna, Leela was shocked to see what Tommy is really like. The question is… just what is it that she found? 

Eastenders:

This week on the square was an emotional one, as a big event followed by some drama on the outside of it affected family bonds which may take some time to prepare. Mondays episode saw martins loved ones gather for his funeral. Stacey coming home drunk was not ideal, but thankfully Sonia was there to make her see that saying goodbye was important. But lily seemed to be the one spiraling, and I have a shell only get worse. But Stacey’s words were beautiful. But there were some light hearted moments when Anna mentioned one moment, and Bianca was in a spot of bother herself after trying to cancel the podcast interview. Tuesdays episode saw the aftermath of the funeral. Stacey tried to have a peaceful chat with Ruby, but Ruby thought that Stacey kept the secret just so that she can watch her revel. But after Martin's stall is set on fire, i have a feeling that I know who’s behind all of it. But I’m glad that she managed to get at least on good terms with Lily following a heated disagreement. Ross is also getting suspicious again after being told the family can’t go to back to Sydney despite Sharon giving him the money. And whilst I agree with Ross telling Joel to read the room during this awful time, I don’t know his involvement with Joel. But at least Alfie showed some appreciation for intervening. And Bianca's request to take the podcast down has not worked, and Kat and Freddie warn her to tell Sonia the truth but within a good time. Wednesdays episode saw Stacey in the hunt to figure out who burnt Martin's stall. Of course the obvious suspect would be Ruby, and Priya's confession of seeing a witness didn’t help. But having a shouting match didn’t do any favours, and there was only so much Jack could do after Stacey begged him to search. But I couldn’t imagine Stacey’s shock when Lily may have been the real suspect. Meanwhile Ross has managed to convince Vicki to stay in the square, little knowing what’s going on (and even I don’t know why Ross can’t go back to Sydney, and I know everything). But at least we managed to get a glimpse of Sharon’s whereabouts. And whilst Sonia is still reeling from Martin's stall, Kim being the chatterbox she is, accidentally spilt Bianca's secret podcast that’s not a secret anymore. I can only imagine the emotions she must be going through right now. Finally, Thursday's episode saw the follow on from the revelation, with Lily begging Ruby not to go to the police after this revelation. But it had no luck, as Ruby made the decision to leave the square, but not before selling the stall back to Ian. And after Jean gave some words of wisdom to Stacey, she and Ruby parted ways on good terms. But even then lily is still angry with what has happened which seems to have brought up the past. I do wonder if their relationship will ever be repaired during this dreadful time. But they’re not the only family on the rocks. Sonia is understandably still reeling from Biancas podcast, and when Bianca mentioned Freddie being one of the people who truly gets her (as I don’t think she told Sonia of her potential ADHD diagnosis yet), it only pushed them further away. And just when I thought that Kat chatting to Bianca and Bex talking some sense into Sonia may help, it only pushed them further away. It’s safe to say that martins funeral had an impact on both of these iconic families.

Toxic Town:

This week I watched two more episodes of the show based on real life events. Episode 2 saw Susan speak to a journalist about the case regarding her son along with patties help. Whilst Tracey has had a successful birth this time, she is willing to help the cause. And despite a scrap with one person, Des Collins is willing to help support the cause, and more mothers than expected also have their support. But the council also have their own drama. Following teds mission to convince Sam that Roy is not who he thinks he is, Sam may be right as he decides to quit, seeing Roy’s true nature. And Billy getting fired may have been a warning to ted, and he was right when confronting Roy. But I wonder who started the big fire both at the theme park construction and at the office? The penultimate episode aka episode 3 saw Des and his colleague Dani announced to the group stages to get a case. And after a first failed attempt (and I don’t blame Susan for snapping) and Susan and Tracey going rogue, thinking that Des was giving up, Des was on the hunt to prove that the RHA report was wrong. And after seeing multiple people including 1 at the university of bath, he came across Dr Panmen who had what he thought had a chemical that linked to the case, but that would mean potentially taking Tracey off of the case. But after something that Tracey said made Des realise that it’s the dust that caused all of it. And well done Susan and Maggie (who have put their differences aside for the interview) for telling their story on national television. And Peter did try and work his way back into her life, but despite him being an emergency babysitter, Susan managed to hit him where it hurts and made it clear that she wants nothing to do with him. I don’t know if she was like this in real life, but the confidence to do that is incredible. And with Connor getting suspended from school and complications after his surgery (which was managed to be fixed) it’s given her more of a reason to get justice. Meanwhile, Sam has clearly had enough of Roy, and whilst ted isn’t helping, he managed to stand up to Roy and Pat, and tried his best to be in the election, although it didn’t exactly go to plan. But a trip to see Des with the evidence may be what he needed to prove that Roy and the party are lying. 

Adolescence:

This week the series surrounding a young boy accused of murder got more exciting, which featured a moment in which the Goggleboxers reacted to. Episode 2 saw DI Basbombe and his colleague Mish go into Jamie’s school to make the students aware of what’s happening and what will take place. And there was drama left right and centre (and a lovely appearance from Melissa Johns, Hannah Walters and Robbie O’Neill). We saw Katie’s friend Jada really affected by it to the point where she hit Jamie’s friend Ryan and refused to speak to someone about how he’s feeling. And we got to see how much Katie meant to her. We also got to see Basombe's son Adam act all weird, and we saw why knowing the job his dad does takes up a lot of time. And after explaining what certain emojis mean and a reference a certain “influencer” stated (which I won’t say as he’s a hated man already as it is), we got a clear image of Jamie’s possible motive and why also Mish hates cases like this. And Bascombe catching Ryan was epic, which eventually led him to revealing his possible involvement. It also got to see a starting point of him and Adam rebuilding their parent and child love, and I loved the final shot from the school to Katie’s memorial, and Eddie paying his respects. Episode 3 aka the penultimate episode saw forensic psychiatrist Briony see Jamie and have their regular meetings, taking place 7 months after the murder in question. I’ll try and be as discreet as I can as I can see why it’s one of the most talked about episodes in the series. I also loved the moment where the yawn Jamie made wasn’t even in the script, showing that yes even though it was owens first tv credit he carried on like a true professional. And we got to see Jamie in all sorts of different emotions. From the cheeky young boy, to rages of anger, where after mentioning some of the things mentioned in episode 2, you can clearly see how influenced he was by what he saw on social media, leading to these outbursts. I was also shocked when he mentioned the reason why he got to Katie after a photo of her went around in the school, and a slip of the tongue may have landed him in hot water. But the end of the episode really took a toll on Briony, and kudos to her and anyone working in her profession to do something like this, as I can imagine it not being easy for most people. Now I can’t wait to catch up on the final episode pretty soon! 

This city is ours:

This week I managed to catch up on 3 eps of this crime drama set in Liverpool, two of which were written by the incredible Robbie O'Neill. And one episode I was tasting a delicious Burger King as seen below.

Episode 3 followed on from what Diana witnessed and wondered why he would do something like it, even though Michael explained his reasons. But a chat with Ricky helped him cover his tracks… for now. Rach also wanting to be part of the business giving her accountant background, and the gang had a hell of a journey to get Ronnie back to Liverpool without getting suspicious. But Jamie was on the hunt to reveal Michael’s worded secret. And I think spiking him was just the start. Diana also had problems back home when she visited her mum, and we got to see snippets of flashbacks revealing what happened. Episode 4 saw the follow on from Michael getting spiked. And thankfully whilst narrowly avoiding Ronnie’s body during a search back home, Michael constructed a new plan. First the encounter with Blink to keep an eye on Jamie and where he’s keeping the stash, and then meeting Billy (where Banksy got Freddie to lure him in), to hopefully do a job for him, which Diana saw and was even more fearful than ever. And speaking of Diana, she very nearly told Michael her past, but slowly mentioned that Cheryl came to visit. I’m surprised how Michael was able to keep calm about it. Mind you, he is a gangster. But now he has something else to look forward to when the IVF goes to plan! But Jamie on the other hand is spiteful of his deceased father. And all I can say is war is about to commence. Episode 5 saw one of Jamie's mates Bonehead order Blink to get the Lemo from Billy after it was stolen in the back room of the launderette. But by the time he got there, they were on the hunt for Billy himself, which with the help of Banksey's son Freddie, led to a thrilling car chase. It didn't end well for Billy, as now everything is gone. But with the funeral happening, and Elaine asking Michael to be the one to say a few words, it all got tense. There was still tension between Michael and Jamie, and Rach and Duffy had different views on Michael being the boss (and Rach made it clear to Michael that she wants her share). Diana also had her own decision to make on whether or not to tell Michael about what really happened, even though her mum was against it. During the funeral itself, despite a nosebleed, Michael managed to get through his speech at the service, and along with some of the gang, did the dance to "House of Bamboo". Elaine also implores Michael to seek revenge for whoever killed Ronnie, little knowing the truth of it all. But Jamie had a few words to say, which thankfully Michael covered it up with Grief and the drink, and I think even Jamie's girlfriend Melissa felt embarrassed by what she saw. But Cheryl, may be the one to reveal Michael's true motives after she requests to see a police officer at the service. Only time will tell.

Personal:

Exercise:

This week knowing that I'd have to slow down next week, I managed to get to my usual exercise routine. These include 3 sessions at the gym, and along with plenty of Yoga, 2 sessions on my dads exercise bike. The timings of when I got to the 10k mark included 14mins 57secs on the monday, and then 15mind 24secs on the saturday. Not my best I know, but at least I got into double figures around the 15 minute mark, which is all you can ask for really. 

Book:

This week I finished off the book “Unmasked” by content creator, speaker and disabled advocate Ellie Middleton. I’ve followed her content for a couple of years now, and I’ve loved her honesty of her journey from being diagnosed at 24 to all the amazing work leading up to this book. I’ve definitely had some takeaway and eye opening information from this book, and may revisit some of it when it comes to accessibility and inclusivity in the workplace, especially for acting. A brilliant read, and a brilliant Christmas present. I can’t wait to start her next one “How To Be You” soon!

Smear Test

This week I had my first smear test. I’ll explain later why it was hard, but the important part is I went and I tried. And that was all you could ask for. 

Darts:

This week I managed to get 2 sessions of darts practice in. As you can see below, I managed to hit a few doubles and trebles, which is always handy. And it helped me get some much needed tension and stress off of my chest. 

Premier League:

This week on the premier league was intense. Even though Gerwen Price isn’t my favourite player, his 9 darter was great. And like jump where’s produced a really good average. And Nathan Aspinal was brilliant in his semi final against Michael Van Gerwan. And I even managed to bash out a few songs to their walk ons along the way (including Nathan's, after he won the whole night). 

Gladiators:

This week in the second semi finals, there was quick defeats in duel, Apollo wanting to express how handsome he is as usual, and the contenders have definitely upped their game. And kudos to Zavia for keeping going despite an injury. Even though she won’t be in the final, she is just an example of how if you fall down you can always get back up again. And well done Mus for breaking the eliminator record again! It’ll be tight between the male contenders in the final and honestly… I can’t call it. It’s going to be an epic final! 

BGT:

Just when you think that the talent couldn't get any better think again. Before the judges even went into the studio, there was a choir who performed a brilliant song which had Amanda in tears. this was then followed by a variety of acts, including a Laser dancer from Vietnam, a strongman who held KSI in the air followed by him, Amanda, ant and Dec, a chicken man (which i skipped) and a drag opera singer who gave an emotional reason as to why she auditioned for BGT. There was also a singer where after a halt from Simon, gave it her all and is willing to gain some tips from the judges. And after the hacker blew my mind and also gave Simon Cowell "his golden buzzer", I feel I know who it is based on the attitude. 

Gogglebox:

This week there was more variety of shows watched by the armchair critics. I was impressed with some of their answers in “The 1% club” despite the finalists loss, and in “The Apprentice”, two people’s pitch went terribly wrong for different reasons. In “Black Mirror”, even I didn’t get what was being said about a life changing surgery, but I was also confused when the outcome of the surgery was surprising, and in the news, I shared their confusion and frustration when Donald trump made headlines again. I also managed to get snippets of their reaction to the act that I skipped on "Britain's Got Talent", and one celebrity's showstopper challenge on "The Great British Bakeoff for Stand Up To Cancer" did not go to plan. I also loved them cheering on Zavia in "Gladiators", and I must say, like them, I did feel abit squeamish in "Casualty".

Hard Times:

As mentioned before, one of my most difficult moments was going to my first Smear Test. Whilst it didn't go to plan (and I won't go into full detail as its quite personal to me), the fact that I went and did it was an achievement in itself. But now the next step is to have an appointment to see if I still need it done at a special clinic, and if I do what they can do to make the experience less comfortable. Another difficult moment was finding out that the person who was supposed to go with me on my London trip the following week now couldn't due to reasons beyond their control. But I understood why they had to decline, as the last thing I wanted was to overwhelm them. But thankfully I'm now going with a friend who I haven't seen in a long time. So at least I'm lucky enough to share the experience with a fellow creative and also have a proper good catch up. But all of this ended on a brighter note when a young girl on a bike came to stroke my dog Margo and was very polite. We need more kind children like her in the world.

What have I learnt this week? Don't overdo it, and know when the productive capacity runs out. So then you can take a break, and come back stronger!

See you soon for another blog. Until next time…

This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)