Brass for brass

I can't sleep. I think the fact that I'd forgotten to write this blog wasn't helping matters. Neither was Nathan, who, uncharacteristically, seems to be snoring his way through the night!

I'm sitting on a sofa, listening to the metronomic ticking of my ABBA clock, whilst the cars continue to swoosh past on the A1 below. As is always the case at 3.30am, I'm feeling a little reflective.

All sorts of thoughts are going through my mind. What will my next job turn out to be? If I can't find work, what will I do? Normally I'd try to sign on, but as a married man, I suppose that safety net is no longer an option. What sort of work could I expect to do in the short term?

I spent the evening decoupaging! Julie and Sam would be deeply proud of me. I've been making a beautiful little box to put all the letters the Brass cast have been writing to Cameron Mackintosh inside. I have cut up lots of images from the show, glued them to the top of the box and covered everything in about six coats of varnish. I think it looks pretty good in an authentic turn of the 19th Century sort of way.

The box has 21 letters inside. I suspect yet more will arrive in the post tomorrow. I'm really proud of the cast for doing this and have my fingers firmly crossed that something good will come of it. The idea that we'd be unable to do this recording is now unthinkable, particularly as a symphonic performance of the piece in London is becoming increasingly unlikely due to cost.

Perry from the cast came all the way up to Highgate this evening to deliver his letter, and sat and chatted to us whilst I varnished. Perry played Wrigley in Brass, and is now out of education and attempting to cut his teeth as a professional in the industry. I certainly don't envy him, but utterly admire his courage in giving it a go. A life-time of feast or famine lies ahead of him and, as an actor, he'll never ever be able to control his destiny.

Nathan's been cracking an old joke about actors rather a lot recently, which is funny, yet terrifyingly accurate. Question: "Why doesn't an actor look out of a window in the morning?" Answer: "Because it gives him something to do in the afternoon."

By the way, if you're reading this and have thought you'd like to make a donation to the Brass for Brass kitty, please feel free. Even if it's just a fiver, every penny counts. Remember, all the proceeds of the sales of this CD will go to the NYMT bursary fund, which gives young people who wouldn't normally be able to afford to do so, the extraordinary opportunity to work with then National Youth Music Theatre. And it's well worth it. Believe me. They get to work with people like me!

http://www.nymt.org.uk/support-brass.html

Right. 4am, and back to bed for me.