claytoncast

 In eighteen days time I'll reach the grand old age of 55. I'm quite looking forward to it. When my friend the young Master Spiegel and I are playing bingo there are some numbers we feel have quite a good ring to them, and I think 55 is just such a number. Rounded, symmetrical, and adding up to a perfect 10. It seems that other people are also aware of my approaching age. These days it's remarkable where our personal data is stored and offers and e-mails based on my approaching birthday have now flooded my junk mailbox. One such invitation delivered by hand by the arcane method of Mr Postie  was an invitation from the NHS to have a health check. Evidently I'm at that age when it's thought to be a good idea. The word that attracted me on the flyer was “free". To avail myself of a health check I could visit one of several local pharmacies or my GP. Now given that our GPs practice has the organisational ability of a plate of jellied eels, several doc...

 I have just completed another day of National Youth Theatre casting auditions for the summer season. Lots of young aspiring talented people trying to find a place in one of the National Youth Theatre's events in this, the Olympic year. I've been doing auditions for the National Youth Theatre since 1984 and with the exception of last year I've managed to do at least one day of auditions every year since then. Over that time I think I managed to get a reputation as being a little fearsome. Demanding. Difficult to please. Whatever. I call it having high standards. I'd like to think that if you audition for me and get a high mark then it means you're almost certainly guaranteed a place during the summer. I have noticed this year after having had a break last spring, I seem to have mellowed a little. I might not be giving any more higher marks than I used to, but I think I'm giving more people the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps this is just a result of  getting...

Well it's all over now What has been a total of seven months in the planning and execution ended on Saturday evening and as they would say in Alan Bennett land" it's all over bar the shouting!" It was a great success. Like all good parties it was hard work and tested everyone involved to the nth degree, but it seems to have paid back in spades. For Janet and Jan, as anyone who saw it will know "Green Forms" was a big challenge for just six days rehearsal, but one that they rose to with style. A slightly hairy first night when a couple of pages went astray did not ruin the enjoyment of a packed house and the week just went from strength to strength. Thanks to our fabulous producer ( just a little biased here) we were sold out at every show and had queues for returns most evenings. There is nothing like the feeling of being involved with a big hit and that is exactly what we had here. Our fabulous crew team, all of whom joined us because they wanted...