Look what Edinburgh has done to me(!)

Date: 23/08/11
Author: Peter

I look like a drug addled maniac thanks to this place.
Nah, it's not really because of this city, I just haven't bothered shaving for an unhealthy amount of time. The bags under my eyes are due to lack of sleep, not heroin gauntness. The shows have actually been going pretty well, and we've just completed our third 'run' of five (all of which had a great audience response).  Had another rubbish review, but I'm just glad I can now refer to myself as 'misogynist' 'psychotic chav' Peter Fellows. That's something for the CV. See, there's always a plus side.

I've finally managed to walk to the peak of Arthur's seat (and do a stupid pose)-

As well as looking like an idiot on Castle Rock (which sounds like a place name from 'The Flintstones')-

Who know's what delights tomorrow will hold....

Updates for fun and profit....

Date: 19/08/11
Author: Tom

Wow, I really can’t see a project through, can I? It’s been ages since my last post, simply because I find it difficult to continue to write things that I feel are interesting enough to expose people to, or even write about day to day experiences in a way that doesn’t just sound like the contents of a tea stained piece of paper found on a hanging, decomposing body in a rat infested bedsit. My, that quickly degenerated into nightmarish nonsense (hmm, maybe I should re-name my blog “Nightmarish Nonsense” and have the background a picture of me pulling a smug, quirky, gurning face, perhaps whilst wearing a bowler hat…)

Anyway, yeah, I can’t see a project through… Or can I? Probably not, but for the purposes of ever finishing this post let’s say there’s a chance. Example - I’m up in Edinburgh at the moment for the Fringe Festival performing a run of original play “Killing Bill Gates”. This is my first time at the fringe, and indeed my first time in Scotland. I’ve been here for about 2 weeks and I think I’ve finally settled into the routine of wake up, eat cheerios, watch daytime TV (whoever said the media is a holdout of slackers?), meet up with people, go flyering, attempt to give flyers to attractive women for no reason other than the fact that I am a lonely, deluded individual, change into costume, perform, eat/drink, go home, more TV, sleep…

It’s actually more interesting than it sounds, and whilst there have been some undeniable lows (mainly involving attractive women mistaking you for a mugger during flyering), there have also been some fantastic moments, and I’m glad I didn’t completely sell myself short and chicken out at the last minute, as is one of my usual qualities.

Unfortunately, due to a combination of post show tiredness and spending a worryingly large amount of my time at the fringe drinking, I’ve not managed to see many big-name, ticketed peformers, however, I have seen a few up and coming acts that are genuinely deserving of greatness. Of particular note are “Bad Bread”, “Oliver Meech” and a slam poet who’s name escapes me which is unfortunate as this was supposed to be a plug *sigh*.

Anyway, I should probably bring this entry to an end, so all that’s left is for me to thank the kind folk who put me up in Edinburgh (and don’t kick me out for my strange, troubled sleep talking): Ben, Huw, Kenny and Luke. Thanks guys!

- Tom

Is Professor Green Just An Evil Michael Cera....?

Date: 14/08/11
Author: Peter

Since my last post things have improved (although not for Chris. See above).

After discussing life with director Josh and fellow cast member Tom over pie and mash (and beer) my mood very rapidly lightened. You could say the alcohol was a massive help, or just the fact that I really do love pie, but I think the main thing was the realisation that we're here to have fun. Yes, FUN! There's stuff I should be doing work-wise whilst I'm here, definitely, but I think lightening up can only help the pesky work ethic.
Creating the balance between social interaction and 'me' time is definitely key to my enjoyment of this month of my life.

Yesterday we had our largest audience ever (somewhere between 60 and 100 people), and there were laughs in all the right places (and some others!). Weekends are brilliant for performers here at the Festival.

I'm watching Ibiza Rocks whilst I write this for some reason. Has anyone else noticed how Professor Green looks a bit like an evil Michael Cera....?

p.s. Thanks to Arron and Scott for their wise words on tumblr in response to my downbeat blog :)

Killing Bill Gates: The Writing Process; an incredibly brief breakdown.

Date: 23/07/11
Author: Peter Fellows

In early October 2010, the eight of us got together in a large room at Christchurch house to discuss and pitch ideas for a stage play. We were kicked out of that room fairly promptly, but we managed to find another one (after a brief clash with a couple of business students) and I threw out my idea for a self contained one scene comedy following a group of charity workers planning to kill computer-dude Bill Gates, each for their own dark personal reasons.

I’d originally thought it might work as a sketch, but, as a being of limited creativity, I couldn’t actually think up another decent storyline to pitch to the others. So I went with this one.

Originally, we thought we’d be entering the Camden Fringe. Unrelated to the rest of this blog entry, but I thought I’d throw a fun-fact out there. Just because you don’t care doesn’t mean that it doesn’t matter. Ok, in this instance, it probably does mean exactly that actually. Ah.

As ‘the guy with the idea’, I was given permission to nominate two co-writers. This was a very difficult decision, firstly because the other seven are all great comic minds, and secondly because I felt it was important to find two people with a similar style/wavelength as myself.

So I chose Tom Harrison, whose every word is a nugget of comedy adimantium (or some other more valuable, less fictional item), and Sam Hutchinson, for his reliability, attention to detail, and to keep myself and Tom from just writing a huge monologue about paedo midget’s through history.

The other five have all shaped and improved the script since, in rehearsals and in-between drafts.

Five important things to remember about the writing process of ‘Killing Bill Gates’-

1.       We were often inebriated.

2.       We’re good friends, and spent an unnatural amount of time together during the process. Resulting in several ‘Top Gun’ jokes/references.

3.       Some opinions voiced through the characters are definitely those of three male writers’ who (at the time) were single. One character even utters the words ‘women f*** up everything….’ So, basically, apologies to the female side of the race. We aren’t actually sexist, just very, very lonely.

4.       Writing for specific actors, we had to be careful not to slip into comfort zones.

5.       Preferring to separately write a scene each, we would come together to work on each other’s progress. This often meant staying up very late (and me sleeping on their sofa, resulting in a heinous back problem which will only become fully evident in about 2025).

The script was finished around January.

I hope this blog entry hasn’t been too self-indulgent. I’m looking forward to reading everyone else’s opinions of the writing process an’ that, and I hope you are too. Oh yeah, we already established that you don’t actually care. Oh well, that’s fine, if you’ve read this far the joke’s on you.

Cheers x