Dancing, dancing, dancing...

So, after a burst of creative energy, I've gone into a bit of a slump this week.  Partly because there isn't much more to be done to the first "Storyteller" show.  What has happened since last I blogged?  Well, Encounters with Trolls has a new title and has been completely restructured.  It now involves fewer magical creatures and is firmly rooted in a more real world.  Okay, there are still creatures called - at the beginning - Trolls.  But they are just another form of life.  They are not wholly magical.  Thus the new title... drum roll...

The Natural History of Trolls.  Which is more appropriate.
What this means is that in changing the nature of the Trolls I had to rip the original core idea out of the story.  Ow.  As it lay bleeding on the floor, looking up at me with angry eyes, screaming out: "why me!" I realised all was not lost.  I had ripped it out to put a new story in it's place, but the old story could be re-tooled and put back in as a parallel story to the main one.  Story 1 and story 2, running on parallel lines. 

But, that meant the show would be longer.  My second half would have to go.  Bye bye "After the Fall of the Gods of Commerce" it was nice knowing you. 

So now, instead of getting other storytellers in to join me and tell stories in the second half, now they will join me in Trolls itself.  Story 2 has been broken into chunks and will be that opportunity for new people to join me onstage.

And - and - we will still have a bit of time at the end of the show for a couple other stories that will be completely random funny stories that I like.
There, done, not complicated at all.  Phew.
So that was all done Tuesday / Wednesday when I was posting the vlogs 6 and 7. 
Then, as I rewrote the story to fit in the story 2, story 3 jumped up and said Hello, before going for my face.  So, not so close to finishing this draft, but the show is not definitely one story - plus the odd encore story - and that story (stories) is called The Natural History of Trolls.  Definite. 
And when I haven't been tearing my hair out?
Well, I had some people down on Saturday for a read through - thank you guys - of Amleth, part two, which went well.  It isn't a perfect play, but I went away and was inspired to do some good work on it during the night. 
And we approach closer to the launch of the Teaching Gods CD in May - the launch will be held in London on the 22nd May at our Ultimate Selection show.  Just been doing the posters.

Which are just a rejig of the old poster, but I'm sure no one minds that.  So I've also started rehearsing that in a fairly holistic way.  We'll have a lot more to do on it later, as the show approaches. 

Oh, and I'm also rehearsing at production of Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel for performance in May.  I was going to write more about that, put up the poster and tell you lots of funny stories but that'll have to be in a future blog - I've just run out of time today.  Looking fab, that's all I'm going to say.  Lovely.

Blatent Plug Alert: You may notice it's on on a Sunday, following a two week play called The Revengers.  This is no coincidence, as Mr Nader - who performs Keynote Speaker in TG - is directing the play and allowed us to take the spare night at the end of his run.  Not only that, you can get a discount to the one if you also see the other.  Both The Revengers and Teaching Gods for a snip.  Go, book your tickets now!

Okay, done now.  There are still lots of things I can't write about, so I'll stop now.  Hopefully I'll have a whole lot more to tell you soon.

Milk Bottle Productions Presents...
Teaching Gods: The Ultimate Selection

Written and Performed by Robert Crighton

With Special Guests – Catherine Eccles and Simon Nader.

For over two years Milk Bottle has been touring the multi-award winning Teaching Gods storytelling show – but all good things must come to an end.  Prior to the launch of a new show in the autumn Milk Bottle presents the very best stories from Teaching Gods for the last time.  Including the hilarious tale of The Alternative Seagull, the charming children’s story (not for children) Bink! and the madcap title story Teaching Gods itself.  ABSOLUTELY THE LAST CHANCE TO SEE!

Tickets £10 / £8 concessions

Special Ticket Prices for attendees of The Revengers (10^th to 21^st May at Barons Court) – Details below.

Show starts at 7pm – doors open 6.45pm.

Sunday 22^nd May at the Barons Court Theatre