Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. This week was more of a self care week, as the week after that I would be busy. But that doesn't mean that I was still developing my craft as an actor/creative. So here is what I got up to both in my professional and personal life whilst also taking more self-care time (which as you can see below Margo is finding it easy lol).
Professional:
Applied for jobs on spotlight and Mandy
As always I continued to note down some jobs on Spotlight and Mandy that have peaked my interest. Yes I may have missed some to nudge my agent on but I'm taking it as a positive, as whatever I have missed out on, I know greater things will be coming my way. But at the same time the sooner I apply for them the better, so for the rest of the week I was persistent on noting and nudging my agent on the jobs I saw and applying on Mandy the jobs that peaked my interest the most.
Act On This podcasts:
Throughout the week I listened to another act on this podcast with a lovely casting director in the form of Aisha Bywaters. I’ve seen her before and I’m glad to see her again, as she’s one of those people who you can just get along with. During the chat she recapped what she does, how her office worked and also brought someone on who was casted in Lenny Henry’s Three Little Birds and her process was incredible. and after her speech at the BAFTAs it’s safe to say I now need to watch queen or and we are lady parts. And all in all it was a good and informative chat indeed.
Acting Class:
One other thing I did was take part in my acting class. This week we did some improvisation games including combining two together. It was harder than it looks but somehow I actually won the game which was a first. We also played a game where one person needs to be standing, one needs to be sitting and the other one kneeling. It the changed from emotions to accents, and it’s safe to say that my Scottish accent still needs some work lol! We then continued our work on phone acting through an exercise. My one didn’t exactly go to plan but we gave it a good go and that’s all that counts. The final thing we did was look at some scripts for the next thing to look at. It was from a film called Carnage which is also a stage play. I also noticed that one of the scenes I did before when I learnt about drunk acting. So all in all an interesting session.
Filming My Own Stuff:
I also managed to film some of my own work this week. On the Tuesday I filmed the ending part of my half term sketch, where I’ve got some good moments in. But when it comes to the editing process that’s when I definitely need to sit down and pick out the best bits. On the Wednesday I filmed the talking moments in between. It did take a few attempts (which actually made really good content for the outtakes lol), but after about five minutes (as it should only take a minute max per take), I got there in the end. Now all I need to do is edit it and then post it online over the weekend. But later on I realised that due to a technical fault I couldn’t get the original video I wanted for the sketch. But when there’s a will there’s a way. And thanks to the art of improvising I may have found a way to work through it.
Self-tapes:
This week I managed to film another self tape for a casting I found on Mandy. And even though it was for two characters, the one I filmed was my non negotiable. So I’m proud of myself for that. I also got a message from the creative who posted a casting for the rehearsed reading on the Friday. Yes it wasn’t the answer I was wanting but the feedback I got from the tape was wonderful. And that was a win for me.
Shows I watched:
Coronation Street:
So far on the cobbles it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions. You’ve got to feel for Abi when the twins visit was cancelled as one of them had “Chickenpox”, but Abi had a feeling it wasn’t that at all. I can also see why Cassie is jealous as sometimes the people who are hurting or haven’t had the best start in life take it out on others. But I’m hoping she’ll now see the error of her ways and start fresh. And even though Joel is a secret killer, at least he has the decency to stick up to his parents when they were harassing Dee Dee (well the mother mainly). And I wonder if the proposal was a cover up or a genuine thing? Especially after making it clear to Ellie to get out of town. I also think that this war between Glenda and George isn’t going to stop anytime soon. But her possible newfound passion with Michael (which I really didn’t think he was the type of person), may be the distraction she needed. Toyah is also having to relive a traumatic moment when she’s arrested for “killing her baby.” I reckon that Leanne definitely had something to do with it and it wouldn’t surprise me if rowan set her up to it, especially after he set up an AI version of Oliver which is actually quite terrifying. And this weeks episode shows that a character like Rowan is not all shouting and being aggressive.
10th just brought more distance for Nick and Leanne, and it somehow brought him a little too close to Toyah. As part of me doesn’t blame them for that I dread to think how Leanne will feel when the truth is revealed. I’m also glad that Bobby decided to stay after helping Ken during a time of need, and I also know that for Paul, the rain after his appointment is something that he may not be able to see again now. And after putting things right with max, Kevin is on a mission to see who is the one spreading the videoed and I don’t think the mediation between George and Glenda did Debbie much good even though she was trying to help.
The first three quarters of 12th brought more trouble for Toyah after being tricked into thinking something happened to Leanne. They says that Rowan didn't do it but I wonder if he got one of his “minions” to make the call? I’m also glad that Michael stood up for Glenda when things got heated for a rival funeral service, and that I’m glad the documentary on Corey has been cancelled. That’s something Abi can focus on after the ordeal she’s still going through, and hopefully give her more motivation to catch the culprit. Finally it’s brilliant to see summer back but after seeing spoilers something tells me that the drama with her new boyfriend will make things more awkward.
Hollyoaks:
Hollyoaks brought in the drama! Mondays episode included heartbreak and anger for Misbah. But I wonder if she’s heartbroken because Zain needs space or if she still likes Donny? Dilly has also discovered something shocking when Zoe has done a runner, and it’s safe to say that the killing of Declan has really got to Beau. But I wonder if Kitty coming clean is the right move? But the biggest shock was Freddie ruining the plan for grace, and I wonder what’s happened to her as a result?
Tuesdays episode bought chaos. It’s safe to say that grace isn’t backing down into getting what she wants, especially after blackmailing her doctor. But it’s the opposite for Freddie as he may have lost Lexi forever. Hunters funeral also brought the drama. As the announcement of Zoe’s pregnancy stopped Prince from making a stupid mistake. But her next confession has definitely shocked me to the core. And even though I’m glad that beau and kitty are finally making a go of things, I fear their happiness is short lived when John Paul searches for answers.
Wednesdays episode gave Zoe some perspective on the baby bombshell, especially after what’s happened with Leela. I also think Marie is starting to be a little bit overprotective despite Tony helping out, and when Freddie discovers what beau and Kitty are doing I wonder what will happen next? And finally all I can say is Hannah is one bad girl and I’m not sure if Robbie agrees with her tactics!
Thursdays addition was drama for many reasons. Arlo was not happy on his taster day at school, and whilst I don’t agree with being violent towards Marie I can see why he’s mad. And with Beau breaking things off with kitty, I’m not sure if this is the end of her appearance on the show. Zoe is also out of her depth when she meets Prince and the rest of her family knowing that she’s having “Hunters” baby, and after Dave made sure Hannah was okay after her “accident” he may have gone a step too far with her. But I wonder who saw them doing the dirty?
Finally Fridays addition just kept coming. You do have to feel bad for Arlo for trying to make friends with everyone judging him, and after struggling to reconnect with Freya and Vicky, I hope that Ste keeps his word this time when he gives Leah concert tickets. But the Rex character may stop him in his tracks. Suzanne also isn’t messing about when she reveals that she’ll tell Cindy everything but Dave will have bigger things to worry about after falling for Hannah’s lies, only for the truth to come out. And finally after Arlo and Marie’s disagreement, she has more suspicions when Cleo mistakenly mentions Abe. And even though he’s supportive of Cleo for helping her with the application, the spoilers will show otherwise.
G’Wed:
the final episode of G’Wed gave me some bitter sweet feelings. I’m glad that Reece and Christopher have patched things up but I wonder what will happen now after that cliff hanger. I also felt bad for Aimee as if Christopher just told her the truth then maybe they can patch things up as well. But I’m glad that she and Mia-Louise have managed to build their friendship again after their argument on the choice of boyfriends.
The Responder:
The last episode of The Responder was also both a mixture of good and bad. Bad in the sense that I hoped for a better ending. But I’m wondering how Chris is even alive after someone attacked him on a body part where it could literally be game over for you. I was gutted that Casey made the decision that left Marco broken, but he knew he had to do what was best for Adele, and after Jodie nearly threatened Casey, I wonder how she'll cope after the revelation one of her minions said? Finally, I hope that Rachel will be able to move forward now that she's getting help after what happened in series 1.
Granite Harbour:
The final episode of this amazing show was full of drama. Even though Mac didn’t want to, when she found out malice’s secret involving the case, she knew she had to do the right thing. I just hope that malice will learn for when he returns or if he gets suspended permanently and has to seek work elsewhere. I’m also glad for Lindo for yes breaking the rules slightly but kept Mariam safe. And I think Mac could see he was only trying to do what’s best, and she should keep that in mind for the future. I’m also glad that the killer was finally caught even though I wasn’t expecting it. And Bart was right to be angry with the killer, as they showed no temporary for their victims in this. Now that the case is closed I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the team.
Personal:
This week was more of a personal focused week as well due to some busy things happening throughout the next couple of weeks. So here is what I got up to outside of my acting career:
Darts:
One thing I did this week was playing a game of darts. I’ve not played properly in a while so it was really good to get back into it and also release some unnecessary tension. And so far on the Tuesday the first game I managed to hit a double 3, and on the second game it took me a while but I hit a double 1. I think next time I play I need to count how many missed darts I do so I know what to work on next time.
I also had a mini game on Sunday. Despite stopping for bits of it due to lady problems, I managed to carry on. It took a few attempts but I managed to hit a double 4. And that was a good enough achievement for me.
Read book:
This week I continued reading an Actors Alphabet. Both chapters for the letters I and J were short but simple, as J in particular was when Julie was honest about her experience, and that if you are also jealous in some aspects, recognise it. For the letter K, if did give me some food for thought on when I have kids or caring responsibilities of my own, and for the letter L, it was interesting to see Julie’s way of learning lines, but as long as I have the graft for it, then that’s all that matters.
Learnt French:
Throughout the week I continued to learn my French as always. And as always I got bits done and two days where I managed to get 30 minutes of it done which I’m proud of to say the least.
Surveys:
This week I managed to catch up on some surveys. And after having to delete one of my accounts from last week, I felt I’m being more productive than ever with them. Abit like voiceover where you need to focus on one voice well, I feel that this is the same. Focus on one survey website and focus on it well.
Cooking:
Cooking once again was a brilliant part of the week. This week I made Ramen again, as I love the warm texture and the deliciousness of what goes in it. I'll be honest the presentation wasn't as good this time, especially on my other families. But if it tasted good (which is did), then that's all that matters. And once again it went down like a treat!
Stomach cramps:
Towards the end of the week I have suffered with menstrual cramps which can only mean one thing… my time of the month once again. Despite the pain feeling much worse this time, a hot water bottle and ibuprofen has once again done the trick. Yes we’re in the summer but if overheating abit helps ease the cramps then that’s the risk I’m willing to take. And also the many faces of Margo this week also cheered me up, and also a lovely visit from Barry the Brown Bird who came to have a wonder in the garden!
Shows I’ve seen:
The Piano: One of my non related acting shows which does relate to the industry to a point was The Piano. The first episode in Manchester was already off to a cracking start. This featured a woman who despite a rocky start delivered a beautiful performance, and a nine year old boy who played one of my favourite pieces from Chopin beautifully. But Duncan was the one who got the chance to perform at the final concert, as his song dedicated to his wife Fran was a proper tear jerker. And after discovering he has dementia as well (which was previously mentioned on a past episode of Gogglebox), an instrument like the piano is part of the healing process.
Episode 2: Episode 2 was also a cracker as there was once again so much talent. This time they were in Wales which featured a child prodigy, a woman who used the piano during a difficult time of her life and a woman who sung a beautiful Welsh song with a choir to back it up. But the winner of Wales was an inspiring man who back in. His home country would save his money to go to an internet cafe and watch lang lang and other musicians. Also given the fact he was self taught was also jaw dropping. And after a stiff start his second time playing felt more free. And I can see why Mika and Lang Lang chose him.
Squid Game: The Challenge:
On the Wednesday I caught up on Squid Game: The Challenge. It’s been a while but I’m glad I watched it as so much has happened. And I remember the exact moment as well. But also I loved some of the faces of the players when they thought they were playing tug of war when in fact it was something completely different. It was interesting to see how each player thought, from a gamer prodigy from London who had a strategy to the game, to an elderly man who used his gut instinct which helped his team to win. It was epic. But I can’t wait for the next episode when they’re faced with an impossible task.
Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency:
It’s not very often I get to watch a documentary. But I’m glad I watched this one. I know it’s been made a while ago, but I think it’s still relevant to this day. As yes the rates of suicide increased during the pandemic, it’s still a subject which many people fight today. Even I got emotional watching it, as especially during events like the anniversary of my mum, I definitely went on a downward spiral. During this documentary, Roman met many people. These included a group of friends who all lost a friend to suicide, someone who actually attempted it but what the shining light was, a teacher who stated how suicidal thoughts happen and also the family of Romans friend who took his own life. Roman even talked about a lowest time in his life, and how when he told his mum on the documentary, that’s the first time he told her. And it did shock me, but I guess it was also a relief as well. I also admired on how Martin opened up about a rough period in his life, and the help he received in the aftermath of it.
What have I learnt? Follow your gut, and life is too short so make sure you ask for what you want. As let’s just say I saw something that I want to do but need confirmation so that if I can do it, it’s great but if not then at least I can say I’ve tried. I would also say do your research. As I need to book my train and hotel tickets for an event I’m going to and after looking at the route there I think I may have a plan formulated.
See you soon for another blog. Until next time…
This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)
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