Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. As it is the week where love is in the air, I celebrated it in my own unique way. So without further ado, here is what I got up to on the week commencing 10th February 2025!
Short film:
This week I got a devastating blow about not being selected for a film festival. However, that's okay as we move forward instead of looking back. But I did get some news from 29th January about the film now being in the selection process for this festival as seen below, which for me is a big achievement, whether it actually gets screened or not. All I can say is watch this space.
Passion show:
My Passion show for Autism Acceptance week is taking shape very nicely, with me starting the layout for the second half of the event. I'd be lying if I said I was worried about audience numbers despite Paul Chuckle's advice in his book, but as long as I keep my reason for why this is important to me, I know I will thrive. So my aim for next week is to promote the event as much as I can, which will include people who I'm doing a course with at The National Youth Theatre, which I shall move onto next right now!
NYT Collective:
This week we didn't have much chance for a full meet up due to other areas outside of the course, but luckily I managed to fill someone in on what we did and what to do next. I'm glad about this, as any progress was better than none. With the section of the script now more or less prepped and my jobs done, one more catch up should be enough for the final session. Although it was abit disappointing that I couldn't do another meet up at the end of the week due to nearing the brink of burnout, but I know I had to look after myself, knowing that I will power through the final session!
Act On This podcast:
This week I caught up on an Act On This podcast with Casting director Sheraz Ahmed. This was a really good session, and he seems like a chill guy who is willing to give any actors, regardless of where they are at in their career a chance. There was even a lovely guest appearance from Rachel Shenton, who mentioned how her working relationship with Sheraz made her the person she is today. But overall, it was a really good session, and I may even reach out to him after looking at some of the other amazing work he has done.
I also started the latest showreel surgery with Chris Stone. As always very helpful to remind me of the key points in the showreel, and as always a brilliant scene created by Chris himself. I can't wait to continue it next week when looking at other peoples reels (which hopefully mine will be one of them) and seeing what tips and tricks I can use to implement into mine!
Coronation Street:
This week I watched episodes from 5th and 10th February. Robs definitely seemed abit on edge when Carla mentioned about the tests to see if he’s a match, but as I found out, he has a more dangerous plan, where it links in with the police officer who let’s just say has her own way of keeping an eye on him. But Lisa is not stupid, and it determined to make sure Carla gets the liver she so desperately needs. The aftermath of the fire was still filled with drama, and I’m glad max woke up. However, after David was framed by Andy, and Steve revealing the truth to Amy on where he was the night she called and his false alibi for Leanne, Shona discovered a shocking secret linking to Max when Kevin showed some CCTV footage in the garage. And let’s just say there’s already friction between the Platts. So this new piece of information could break them even more. And after going to a police interview again following a glimpse of Mason's funeral (where despite some disagreements, Liam, Dylan and Betsy were there for one another), Lisa could see Abi is struggling. And well done to Abi for reaching out and getting the help she needs. Especially with what’s to come for the Webster clan. Finally, Sarah made it clear to Daniel that Bethany is done with him, and I hope London goes better than last time. But I also hope Lucy Fallon herself is enjoying some quality time with her baby before she comes back to the cobbles.
Hollyoaks:
The village in Chester once again had tension, threats and a new storyline which may be a hard one to watch. I think Ro's plan to help Arlo following the news of Abe backfired, and after seeing spoilers, I have a feeling I may have to skip some harrowing scenes. Grace's plan to keep Mercedes away from Freddie seems to be working, as to avoid Cleo from getting sent to jail, she decides to plead guilty. But both she and Freddie are determined to stop it, but Jeremy will also do anything to stop the truth coming out. Finally, Rex’s offer of Dillon to have James’ old home May seem like a nice gesture, but with a horrible upcoming storyline, little does he know about the ordeal he will seek go through. Tuesdays episode of Hollyoaks saw Mercedes cutting all ties with Freddie, and I could tell he was not happy about it. That and the fact that Robbie still grieving for a baby that’s not even his, but I just hope he doesn’t do the dirty with Vicky again. But Robbie may be in for his own trouble as he makes a move on Nancy. But Donny may have made his own discoveries, but Jeremy is sure to keep sienna safe, what he’ll do about it is anyone’s guess. Rex’s friend Kat is also trying to lure Frankie into his plot, which is making me more and more nervous by what’s to come. Finally, it was a hard watch seeing Arlo Billy Ro. But I just hope that the sooner he tells Diane what’s really going on the better. Finally, Wednesdays episode saw Vicky finding out about Robbie's drunken pass at Nancy (which at least he was honest about), with Robbie not knowing about Vicky's kiss with Freddie. But after a pep talk from Dylan, she made a bold decision, which doesn't leave Freddie best pleased, knowing he already lost Mercedes. And following the last episode where Arlo literally tortured Ro, he still won't admit the truth to DI Banks (who made Arlo known that he is on his side which is very naughty of him), and poor Ro can't win bless him. Yes even though bullying can last for years and shows like this try to reflect the time scale, I just hope when spring comes, Arlo's secrets will be found out. Also after a ruined anniversary meal following Robbie's revelation, Darren decided to check in on Dillon's house party, where he meets Kat again and explained the full truth about his relationship with her. Rex is also gaining his way into Dillons veins, and when Frankie has noticed what he had taken, she instantly knew what was going on. But after seeing Darren and Kat in a compromising position (which I feel it was obvious she was forced to do it by Rex), I do wonder how she'll worm her way out of this one.
Eastenders:
This week, the build up to the 40th anniversary the week commencing 17th February brought explosive drama! Mondays episode saw Sonia and Lauren having an altercation after questioning Reiss’ motives (which followed in Lauren seeing Reiss having trouble with his car and acting shifty), but it resulted in Sonia having to go to hospital, where thankfully all is well, and she and Reiss got to find out the gender of their baby. And after a visit from Yolande, who had a lovely prayer with her, she decided enough was enough and needed to move on. But when she recognised the same item from the video and in her baby room, I have a feeling Sonia might be right on what Lauren is saying. Meanwhile in the street there was debates on Billy’s stag do, and also Cindy still being an unpopular resident after a clash with Ian at the restaurant. And Priyas attempts to make Ravi jealous and boil Cindys and juniors blood may have worked. And Denise herself is still getting some aggro from her family following her secret with Ravi. Finally, despite going to the doctors, Phil had only pushed Sharon away even further, so I do hope grants return will soon hurry up so he can get the help he needs. Tuesdays episode saw the whole pub watch a lost episode of martins grandad on a game show, but there was drama outside of the viewing. Kathy convinces Sharon that Phil will speak up when he’s ready, but something tells me that he’ll do the complete opposite. I also think Kathy is right not to trust Priya, as even though Ian is convinced she’s being nice, Cindy is being so devious in using her to get what she wants. Denise is also still making decisions on who she should be with, and even though Kim is going into full podcast mode, she is right on some things she said. But that’ll have to wait when she and Jack are visited by Sonia who after some tough grilling, finally figured out the truth and a finally free Bianca was the one who saved her. But with Reiss now on the run, the exits of Natalie Cassidy and Jonny freeman coming up, and the 40th live episode coming up, it’s going to be an interesting showdown indeed. Wednesdays addition saw Billy and honesty joint stag and Ben do, or as they called it, a sten do. It was great to see the guest appearance from cliff Parisi and rocky groves as minty Peterson and Gary Hobbs. I may have not seen both of those characters before, but they seemed like two very lively characters. and there was definitely drama both in and out of the event. What had happened to Brianna finally kicked in, and I think the last thing Jack wanted was to question her, but it was all part of protocol I guess. I’m just glad that Sonia was finally able to look after her. Denise is also still tempted by Ravi, and after thinking she was being moved Ian discovered he’s been made a fool of again after finding her and Cindy in a scheming manor. So something tells me he’ll play Priya at her own game. finally, after hearing from Mo the truth of where the money for Billy’s barbecue game from, the race was on to find Phil before he does anything stupid. But I think the next episode will see him take a trip down memory lane. Finally, we took a trip down memory lane when Phil started to see hallucinations. Jaime Winstone did a brilliant job at taking on the iconic role of Peggy, and Daniel Delaney and Teddy Jay who played a young Phil and Grant definitely got the characteristics on point. But in the real world, when everyone was hunting for Phil, Jay managed to get him to spill some of his troubles, learning with what happened with Lola (which I did read about). And good on Phil for at least opening up to him, but I know he's still not being fully honest with Sharon after seeing his dad from 1985 being the reason on why Phil is the way he is. But finally with the return of Linda Carter and Grant Mitchell (all thanks to Nigel), fingers crossed during the 40th anniversary week, Phil will be able to see that asking for help isn't a weakness.
Missing You:
I’ve heard good things about this drama, and anything Harlen Coben is going to be fantastic. I must say, Kat is the definition of Girl powers fighting crime and has some sass about her. But I can’t imagine what she must be going through when she has a blast from the past and seeks some answers. I also could tell that the man who supposedly killed her dad was a evil man by the way he looks. But the shock of Josh’s involvement changed everything. And all of the suspects made me wonder who knows about it and who was actually responsible for killing kats dad. Episode 2 “With it without you” brought delved more deeply into the case, with strange young boy Brendan coming into the picture. And her shock game when Brendan’s mother was also seeing Josh, giving her a real shock. And after some initial discoveries, staggers secret is revealed when he told her a link to Josh. I also do wonder what Stacy is hiding, and Titus seems like a someone you do not want to mess with and knows anything about anyone. And at the beginning he had no trouble causing friction between a married couple who revealed that the wife did the dirty.
Playing Nice:
This week I started another new drama, starring James Norton and Niamh Alger. Boy already I'm hooked on it, as the secret Pete and Maddie found out really changed their world forever! But I'm finding Miles a little bit scary, as his obsession over Theo is taking its toll, and after seeing Maddie with her boss and also Theo having an emergency trip to the hospital, something tells me that it'll all kick off. And I wonder of Lucy is deliberately keeping her son Daniel away from Pete and Maddie because of Miles or if there's another reason for it? Either way I'm excited for what's to come. Episode 2 of the drama sees the battle for keeping Theo begin. We’re also seeing what happened in the events before the show where after a potentially life threatening pregnancy, maddie went through post natal depression, which can’t be easy for any parent. But miles is twisting the knife at any given moment. But after some hesitation, Pete and maddie also decided to fight for their biological son David, and after Lucy seeing miles spend more time with Theo than David, I can see why Pete and maddie decided to do so. It’s also funny how miles and Lucy are putting on an event in David’s name when he doesn’t pay him any attention. But after maddie discovering a horrifying revelation from some old photos, Pete’s supposed article being published and a disagreement at the charity event leading to an arrest, the battle for both Theo and David will just get harder and harder.
G'Wed:
This week i managed to watch the first episode of the new series of this brilliant sitcom. Boy I forgot how good it was! Ted was given a difficult task by the headmaster when it came to the buddy system, and despite a rocky start, and a moment where Albie was rushed to hospital, Ted was able to help Albie whilst also trying to pursue a career in stand up comedy (which after a rocky start, he managed to pick it back up thanks to the late Vivienne). Reece also had the usual ongoing joke about his mum doing some dirty work, and having to suffer the humiliation of Con thinking that he and Reece's mum were having sexy times (which was quite funny). But Jodie managed to get herself a new job despite an outburst during the interview. I'm also guessing that Christopher and Aimee managed to get back on track with their relationship, and after a huge glow up, she and Mia-Louise managed to give Jodie a interesting pep talk. But it may be the start of a dangerous journey for her when she connects with a game player who may not be what he says he is! Who knows? All I can say is I can't wait to see how it'll play out in the new series.
The Assembly:
I've been meaning to watch this show with Michael Sheen for some time now, and it was better than I expected. The journalists definitely weren't afraid to ask what they feel, and Michael's answers were very intriguing. But all in all, a really good show and I wish there was a full series where they interviewed more celebrities. And I officially want to know how to join this group, as they all seem amazing!
Personal:
Valentine's Day:
This day is my least favourite day of the year, but I decided to make the best of it. As well as going to work at my day job, I also did things to celebrate the day in my own way. These included watching The Assembly as mentioned before, writing a blog on how I see the world (which you can see in the link below), and releasing two parts of a scene from my favourite Netflix period drama Bridgerton (which you can see in the links below). This just goes to show that this day doesn't mean you need to do the traditional stuff, but you can celebrate it in your own way. And whatever anyone has done, just know that you did it for yourself, not anyone else
Valentine's Day Blog: https://www.theautisticactress.com/post/valentines-day-special-how-i-find-romance-in-the-neurotypical-world
"I Burn For You" from Bridgerton Part 1: https://youtu.be/qEr19hRcM4g?si=O85Nkeiaens7PlvS
"I Burn For You" from Bridgerton Part 2: https://youtu.be/jzrSUT83B84
Exercise:
This week I managed to get my exercise routine back in tact after getting ill the week before. This week as well as doing my usual resistance training, I also did my usual Monday and Saturday 10k. The timings I reached the 10k mark this time were 14mins 58secs and 15mins 29secs (where you can see below the total number of Kilometeres I did on Monday and Saturday). I'm so happy with those results considering I was back from illness, and I can't wait to continue to push myself.
Darts:
This week I once again had another go at practicing my throws. I feel I did well, and managed to get a few trebles as you can see below. Once again, this was a perfect way to let out any stress and tension, particularly coming into next week when I am off to London and also prepping for my Passion show for autism acceptance week.
Premier League:
This week I was back watching some of the Premier League. Once again there was a technical fault from my end, but I guess I would need to make the best of it. I also noticed, now that we have a new TV system, I can't rewatch the missed games on catchup. This was a real blow, as normally on the early morning shifts the matches help keep me energised. But that doesn't stop me from falling in love with this electric sport. But I somehow managed to find a way to catch up on it by just abit. Not alot but just enough to know that I can catch up after all.
The Masked Singer:
The semi finals have finally made me realise who my guesses on the final 3 could be. I don’t know for definite but let’s just say that for one I have 3 options, and for the other 2 it’s a guess who the judges decided. And I just hope I’m right, because I didn't have long to find out. Because I soon moved onto watching the final of this guessing game, which was just brilliant. Danny Jones made a brilliant panelist, and I know I had my favourite character to win it, it was an extremely difficult decision and it could've been anyone's game. But all in all, it was a good series!
Hard times:
The difficult moments for me this week was not being able to see a show I previously took part in. I know it's not exactly a first world problem, but after seeing the show twice, performing in it back in 2022 and watching the film version with Donny Osmond as Joseph, it held a special place in my heart. But sometimes in life you need to know the power of saying no if you genuinely can't do it, and because I was cautious of my money following the backend of Christmas, it helped me make my decision clearer. Also as it was the week of Valentines Day, it did make me sink knowing I'm once again single (although depending on when you're reading this it might change), and it di make me feel lonely. But then I remembered that self-love is the best love at the end of the day, and I know that special someone is out there for me.
What have I learnt this week? Two things, both of which link to Valentine's Day. The first one being that if someone isn't there for you during your worst, then you don't deserve to be with them during your best! And also, whether that person feels the same or not, tell them how you really feel. Which I kind of done this week, but I know I can be braver in the near future. However, this was a good start for me. Baby steps as they call it!
See you soon for another blog. Until next time...
This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)
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