claytoncast

As a freelancer, life follows no routine pattern. Therefore most weeks one is lucky enough to do something special and unique that you may not do again. It's a shame therefore when one gets to the end of a week and one looks back and thinks that the past seven days were a bit dull. The highl ight undoubtedly was seeing "Hair" at the Gielgud theatre on Tuesday night. Rich saw the first night of this production last year on Broadway and was at the first night in London last week so I caught up with it with friend Lee on Tuesday evening and we loved it. My previous memory of it was some tatty revival at Her Majesty's in 1976 and d idn't understand it at all. This production positively heaves with energy, zing and sheer 70's love - the cast are superb and the songs come singing out across the years. It is a must. Not for nothing did Rich say it was one of the best things he;d ever seen on Broadway. Go now! Ok. Commercial over. the rest of the week wa

This week has bee n a weeks of ups and downs. At the end of last week I went for a casting for "Waking The Dead ' I was offered the role last Friday - two episodes in the new series. the role is quite a key role, though it would be wrong of me to say what function the character has in case there are any fans of the programme reading this. Suffice it to say they had found it a hard role to cast and were evidently pleased to get me. Of course the filming day for the first of two episodes clashed with Wednesday 21st this week when I am already booked by my good friend Debbie Manship to do a corporate video for her company Rolecall . She was not willing to let me go, and I an understand that. the BBC seemed incapable of taking on board that I was not free on that day and my agent the gorgeous Amanda had producers ringing her and pressurising her and upping the m oney - though let's not get carried away here - the two episode fee would just about have bee

After a happy and lazy middle class weekend entertaining my in laws over Easter, on Tuesday morning I was pushed head first into the inner city grit and realism that is the Aylesbury estate. The uniquely gorgeous Charlotte Benstead, a university friend of Richard's, runs a fantastic charity community project called Inspire based in the crypt of St Peters Church in Liverpool Grove just off the Walworth Road. It caters for all elements of the community both young and old with a huge variety of classes, projects and events. Bordering as it does the huge horrendous Aylesbury estate, soon to be demolished as city planners see the errors of their ways, it provides a welcome beacon of light and hope for many in the area. Inspire has a drama group, Real Drama, based there and this is who I have just spent the week working with. My friend and colleague Daisy Douglas was at the helm with me, and we found ourselves facing ten South East London kids ranging from 17 to 23 all with aspirations t

At this point I can barely reach the keyboard having just stuffed my third chocolate egg into my face. It's been a week of excess. An excess of theatre - The first birthday performance of "Warhorse" on Monday which I enjoyed it even more than when I saw it the first time. The fifth birthday of "Billy Elliott" on Wednesday night - a fabulous night with a finale of nineteen Billy Elliot's taking to the stage and a great party. An excess of people using our bathroom. We've had Richards parents staying from Friday and we have had a really fun weekend with them. The great thing about having visitors to London staying with you is that it makes you get out and take advantage of all London has to offer which normally we shun. So we have dined at The Ivy, visited the Tate and generally enjoyed the city this weekend. Sad to wave them good bye this morning. An excess of kidney disease. Two days of role-play - one in Bristol and a video role-play in Brighton working