The Inevitable New Year's Message 2015

2014 was one hell of a year.  For me, it's going to last well into January 2015.  I made a lot of plans and promises for 2014, most of which came true - but there are lots of loose ends, additional thoughts and wrapping up to do, so there'll be a lot on this blog about things that happened, and lots of things that didn't.
But what are my plans for 2015?  Well, to some degree, not be so rigid about my plans.  I'm primarily looking to tour my Everyman show and my house shows and properly get them out and about.  I'm also slotted to do a revival of another medieval play The Pride of Life.  Both feature Death as an important character.  So perhaps I should call 2015 my year with Death.
I will be doing lots of other shows around these project - short ones, long ones, some as big as your head - but a lot of this will be virtual work, existing online, or will appear as pop ups.  I am, frankly, exhausted.  2014 was great, in many ways, but it was a huge drain artistically and emotionally, and I don't see myself writing anything major for a while - or, at least, I don't plan to force myself to.  I may just end up doing it around other stuff.
There are still several projects which I've got on the go which didn't fit into 2014.

Invigilation – the Musical (a one-to-one project); Beware of the Blob & The Brain Eaters (a double bill of projects based around my love of B-Movies - gutted I couldn't fit them into 2014); Shiny Medusa (which will probably be music based); The Single Source of All Filth (which isn't really anything yet) and Metal Harvest (which is slated for some kind of development maybe this year).  These are all shorts, half written or in development.  I've also two full length plays I might write.  But, as I say, I make no promises to do any of the above this year.

I will be doing some more work creating recordings for my Before Shakespeare project, as this will fit in with the opportunities presented by Everyman this year.  It maybe I'll focus on plays by other authors this year, rather than by myself.  It might be a good change.

Whatever happens around Everyman, I can't do it without you - my wonderful readers, followers, friends and supporters.  I must take a moment to add a special thanks to Roz & Denis Brogan, Cecil Qadir, Heather Clayton & Richard Fawcett, Helen & Neil Arbon, Sue Clark and Adam Webster for contributing money upfront for my Artist Residency.
I will probably have a clearer package put together for fundraising in February to support the tour, but if you want to help support my work and I, then please make a little donation now.  There are no rewards, just my silent thanks - but any donation will make the new art of 2015 possible.  Thank you.

How Much You Want to Give

Thank You £1.00 GBP That's So Kind £3.00 GBP Thank You Sooo Much £5.00 GBP This Makes a Huge Difference £10.00 GBP Now I Can Really Get To Work £20.00 GBP Thank You, Thank You, Thank You £50.00 GBP

Beware of the Blob

I love B-Movies.  I've loved them for years.  The general cheapness, the lack of a decent script, the poor acting, the sense that they were filmed in less than a week.  They're often a bit boring, but luckily don't last too long and so don't outstay their welcome.  This was entertainment often created title first, everything else second.  "IT CONQUERED THE WORLD!"  Great title.  Terrible film.  Especially as IT doesn't really conquer anything very much, beyond a small cave.
I've been influenced by these films more than I'd perhaps like to think.  I've been guilty of creating a title first and show second a number of times.  This isn't one of those instances.  I came up with the plot over Christmas last year, sketching it out on long train journeys to and from London.
The Blob isn't quite a proper B-Movie, partly because it's in colour, has Steve McQueen in it and has reasonably good special effects.  It is a B-Movie in so much as it's a bit dull in many places and the script needs work.  But it is the film I will be homaging in Project 5, Beware of the Blob.  
It isn't a remake and it doesn't feature any material from the film - I can't afford it for a start.  The Blob of my story is something quite different and, though featuring a blob of sorts, it's a very different kind of blob.  It's a lonely blob.  A blob which sings.
In fact, much of the show will be sung - the protagonist and the blob itself will have a number of solo songs.  And the audience will very much be involved - for the most part blowing up balloons, which will be the body of the blob throughout the show.
If you haven't already got it by now, this is going to be a funny, silly, knockabout show - with singing, maybe dancing and a lot of balloons - something I feel most B-Movies have lacked.
Oh, and possibly some Elvis.  Not sure yet.
I'll also be performing a parallel piece as part of my Saturday Storyteller slot on Saturday lunchtimes.  It's a homage to another B-Movie, the wonderfully terrible The Brain Eaters.  Here is a blog that will tell you everything you need to know about the film, and some good detail about B-Movies themselves.  My story is a little different - a mix of B-Movie silliness and the story of someone whose brain is literally being eaten.  Whose words start fail to sense as eaten brain is what ah help.
So, that'll be on sometime in May ish 2014.  It won't be streamed online I'm afraid and tickets will be very limited in number so to be put on the waiting list for tickets email me now at contact@milkbottleproductions.co.uk