Scary Stage Times - Edinburgh Festival

Yes I did indeed perform at the Edinburgh Fringe festival 2010 in a sell out show produced by Two Shades of Blue www.twoshadesofblue.org.uk. The company is mainly made up of eccentric Oxbridger (the 2 shades of blue) students this time joined by Tim (our USLES dame) and I from Sheffield University. Alas, though we are also blue we could not persuade them to become 'Three Shades of Blue'. Here is the blurb from 'Indiana Jones and the Pantomime Horse' in which I sang my heart out as leading lady Patina del Fuego Amorizza Porcina Indirina Carlos.

Darrr da dah dah. Darr da daarrrrrrrrrr. Darr da dah dah. Darr daddddaaaaaaaaar daaaaaaaaar daaaaaaaaaaar. Rolling ball! Arghhh! With crossdressing.

This Summer, Indiana Jones faces his biggest challenge yet- looking after his high-maintenance mum in her retirement.

Luckily for Indy, his beloved Pat is kidnapped by treasure-hunting Nazis and only he can rescue her.

And so Indy is off on another rip-roaring adventure with sidekick and mother in two, hot on the heels of incompetent but evil villains, a feisty woman and a mysterious medallion.

With puns, guns, cunning double-disguises and funny songs, “Indiana Jones and the Pantomime Horse” combines all the best elements of traditional pantomime and rollicking adventure..

Personal achievements involved:

• being around people cleverer than me
• sharing a house with 30 gin fuelled divas(they're lovely really)
• singing(with key change) in front of a theatre-full
• committing to something scary
• being in crowds
• loads of other stuff

Really want to do it again if I have enough pennies.

The green fairy

This is my pensive green fairy. She is rather battered nowadays as she's moved from place to place with me. Sometimes on my door or by my bed or by my desk. She had 2 friends in a magenta fairy and a deep blue fairy but I don't seem to have photos of them and I didn't like them as much. You can't see very well on the photo but the face is quite realistic, I was also proud of the fabric of er skirt. I don't often use watercolours because I don't feel very in control with them. This also had some 3D bits with tissue paper wings, a twisted tissue bracelet and a fimo and tiny pearl flower in her hair.

Aladdin

We are coming up to the Summer performance(well, yes spring really) of U.S.L.E.S my pantomime group so I thought I would post about the production I was most involved in - Aladdin (2009). This was the first thing I had ever written that went on the stage with my dear friend Arkady. We also directed, I stage managed and together with Sarah and Emma made some of the most admired costumes and props we have ever had.

Basically it was a mix of the traditional Chinese laundry Aladdin using an Indian setting - mainly because I wanted an excuse to buy colourful saris. Our princess Amira got to choose her prince in a faithfully recreated revival of 'Blind Date' and our slosh scene involved Primrose the pantomime camel(played by Primrose the pantomime cow) causing Chess to fall into a washtub(splashed the first 2 rows), Arkady being shrunk in the washing machine to reveal a mini member of cast Becci, then stretching her through a mangle and rubbing her dry(making the switch back) to reveal Arkady once more. We had the Union Foundry at mates rates because Arkady has done so much work at TSC. And the music went pretty well too.

The baddies deserve a mention, Jacob was a hilarious Abanazer and Emily was a terrifying Genie of the Ring. I was so proud and exhausted.

The poster was done by Emma Metcalfe who is a (rather fabulous) illustrator.

Dalek Cake

This was one of the hardest cakes I've ever made. It's lots of pieces of chocolate sponge glued together with icing, iced over the top and decorated with mini marshmallows. It weighed loads and was rather difficult to carry on the train with my washing etc