"Reaching the First Mile-Stone!

WEIGH-IN WEDNESDAY

I've finally done it - with another 2lbs Weight Loss this week

I've finally reached my First Mile Stone:

FIFTY POUNDS  (50lbs) WEIGHT LOSS SINCE JANUARY 8TH

So Maisie, my Darling, I need my Certificate and for the rest of you,

I'm off to MacDonalds for a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and some 

Super Size French Fries for a Celebration!!

"ENJOY!!"

"RELATIVE VALUES"

Last Wednesday I went to see "RELATIVE VALUES" by Harold Pinter at the theatre

bearing his name in Panton St.

This was a "relatively" unknown Pinter play that had Patricia Hodge and Caroline Quentin

in the Female Leads and a surprising Rory Bremner playing the part of the butler.

The real reason I went along was to have a reunion with some of the cast and crew of a play I

had done a while ago - "THE KINGS SPEECH". This had been organised by the

Wardobe Master Rod Bicknell and because we weren't going to eat until 10:30pm as

he was working on "Relative Values" - he suggested I came to watch the show first.

All well and good. Saw the play which I enjoyed - the second half more than the first -

and off we tottered to an old Theatrical Haunt of mine - the restaurant JOE ALLENS.

There were two tables booked for us with approx 15-20 people on each. Unfortunately it

soon became apparent by the lack of familiar faces joining the party - that it was 

more a Rod Get-together - than any acquaintances of mine!!

In the end - apart from Rod - there were two other people from "The Kings Speech",

both understudies - Adam and David. When I quizzed Rod over this he replied rather sheepishly "Well I told everybody you were going to come" - which really made me feel great. Still the evening wasn't entirely a bust - I had a rather delicious rotisserie chicken!

"THE KINGS SPEECH REUNION"

"THE FOUR MUSKETEERS"

Adam, Rod, David, and......

This Weekend saw a return to the dizzy heights of my SCI FI CONVENTIONS. This Saturday

and Sunday saw me signing autographs at the London Comic Con - whose venue was, a massive barn of a place - THE EXCELL CENTRE in London's Docklands. This was a really big 

Convention with probably thousands turning up - mostly in costume of one sort or another.

(I will be displaying some of the more bizarre outfits in a moment!) Quite a bit of a palaver to get to -

from Brentford I took the overground to Waterloo - then the Jubilee line to Canning Town

where I changed for the DLR to Custom House. By the end of the journey one finds one self

surrounded by Super Heroes and Monsters a like. At least you know you're heading in the

right direction when the Tube is throbbing with a ghoulish gathering carrying every conceivable

homemade weapon of Mass Destruction. Sitting next to me on the Saturday was a familiar face,

Nina Wadia, better known as Zainab Masood from EastEnders.

Nina Wadia

In fact there were a couple more there from my favourite soap, 

Cheeky Chappie, Alfie Moon (Shane Richie)

And Bad Boy Nick (John Altman) 

Sitting across from me on the Sunday was an American TV Legend,

Henry Winkler, The Fonz from "Happy Day" Henry was there to promote 

another of his Children's Book on Dyslexia.

THE COSTUME GALLERY

"Alrightee Then! - Ace Ventura"

Nice Hair!

The Joker

My New Best Friend!

Not sure about this one!

Pretty Good Superman.

"Breaking Bad" including the Blue Chrystal-Meth.

From behind he was just in his boxers like the original Walter White 

It's got to be hot in there!

Cool Iron Man in his Wheel Chair.

Yes, that is a fella on the right!

Alien Creature!

"COCKY'S GIRLS"

I have been asked if I would do a Rehearsed Reading of a Play written by

Steve Gooch called "Cocky's Girls" - it is about Alfred Hitchcock, and all 

the women in his life - his wife, his daughter, his PA, and his actress's. You 

normally do a Reading like this if the playwright wants to get feedback from

Industry People or Theatrical Producers with a view of mounting the Production

in the future. The Reading will take place at The Club for Act & Actors in

Bedford St, Covent Garden on Tuesday the 10th of June at 3:30pm. We will

use the morning to rehearse. Steve has asked me to read the Great Man

himself and I've already checked out Hitchcock's voice on

You Tube to try and get a handle on it.

I've already worked with Steve Gooch on a Musical he wrote about the Women Pirates

Ann Bonney and Mary Read back in the eighties at the RSC's home then - The Aldwych

Theatre in the Strand. The First Night did not go well - at one point a canon was fired from

the deck of the boat on Stage into the audience - "We give up!!" some one yelled back,

another person cried "You've shot Milton Schulman" (The Drama Critic of the Evening

Standard). I'd never heard boos at the Curtain Call, but we heard them that night! They

took the show off by the end of the week.

A young Charlie Dance was in the cast along with Charlotte Cornwall and Diana

Quick. It was a shame it wasn't a success as I loved playing my Pirate!

Steve Gooch

This Tuesday I met up with Steve again at a meeting to discuss the Reading.

Jules Melvin who will direct the piece was also there along with Steve's partner,

Christine who will play Hitchcock's wife Alma. The meeting was held - at my

suggestion - at an old haunt of mine -  Patisserie Valerie in Old Compton Street.

It took me all my will power not to order one of everything you see in this 

photograph:

Mille Feuille is a particular Fave-Rave!

Unfortunately it was just coffee for me - may be one day........

ANOTHER WEEK.....

Well there it is another week,  another Blog - thanks so much for reading it and

thanks as ever - for all your comments...