Is it really nearly Christmas?

Well it's been a week and then some!

It was 10 shows this week but I only appeared in 9. 

On Thursday I collapsed after the first show of the day and then could not regain my vision and balance. It was horrible. Really disorientating and quite scary. After a long time in A&E I was diagnosed with delayed concussion from having banged my head the day before.

Apparantly it's very common when you are very tired and have just recovered from a cold. Delightful!

So for the first time in my professional career I missed a show and someone else went on for me with the script.  I felt fine after a long sleep and finished the remaining 4 shows of the week without a problem.

Today has been my day off and I spent it trying to get the house in some kind of order before Christmas arrives. With both of us working all hours, we have been living in quite the pig sty!  I was very impressed with how much I managed to get done despite having to sit down rather a lot today to try and re-energise.

We both still have no sense of it actually being Christmas next week. We are both working so hard and are so tired, it's definitely going to feel odd on the day.

This next week is a killer in terms of show scheduling so come the day I am anticipating feeling more sleepy then I usually do. I try and spend my days off as silent as possible too as my throat normally feels battered after so many shows. Silent Night indeed!

We have no decorations, no tree and no time so it may be an interesting one this year, but we always knew it would be.

Next year the plan is to go away, whatever happens I will NOT be appearing in any Christmas shows, I have learnt my lesson!

The Big One was working all day today trying to meet a deadline tomorrow, he sent me this on email to help me keep my tired chin up. It's such a treat I thought I'd share it.

 

P.S Liza is 18 years old here, ain't she gorgeous!

10 shows til Christmas then only 26 more to go!

"As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is." 

~Eric Sevareid

A Perfect Day, Fantastic Evening and Lots of Blog Names

c/o Rodrigo Melo

Yesterday was my day off, my one day off after performing 12 shows over 6 days.

Last week I spent my day off on the sofa watching crap TV and refused to get dressed til 5pm. I was absolutely done in.

This week I got up at the leisurely hour of 10am and after a casual potter was ready to leave the house in my fabulous new shoes with The Big One by my side, off we skipped (alright I skipped, he strolled) to meet up with various chums.

my new shoes (h&m) - apologies for blurry pic

First we met my lickle sister 'Red' (who I hadn't seen in aaaages) and her new beau 'Berlin' for a Sushi lunch. She was so happy and it was so nice to see her smiling non stop. He was charming, chilled out and seemed a throughly decent fella, it was great to finally meet him.

After filling ourselves with mountains of dragon and hand rolls we met two of my loveliest friends -  'Irish' and 'Agent Buddy' for a cuppa and an all too quick catch up. I handed over the piece Agent Buddy had commissioned me to knit for a Crimbo pressie and luckily she seemed very happy with it so with a huge sigh of relief I bounded off to have a full body massage.

Amazior! 2 ridiculously lush hours later (!!) I started the hunt for new glasses, The Big One had gone home so via photo messaging he helped me shortlist them. Decision unmade however I headed home to a lovely dinner and a bit of a knit.

Perfick.

Today, after a 6:30am start and 2 shows I headed back to meet My Lovely Dad for dinner but not before we met The Big One at Vision Express who'd come in specially to help me choose the new glasses. I wear contacts almost every day which is fine (and necessary as an actress) but I needed new glasses and wanted them to be ones I would be able to bring myself to wear out of the house. Owing to childhood issues (I was stuck with a large pair of men's NHS frames up til I was 15) I don't trust my judgement on picking glasses so their combined help was much appreciated.

They were both very patient and together we went through the entire range of collections. Not too long later we all agreed on a very chic pair from the Marc Jacobs line. The Big One went to play footie and My Lovely Dad then took me for a curry in Soho for a good natter and catch up. We normally meet for breakfast once a week and since I started this theatre job we haven't been able to meet for weeks so it was great to see him and have a good yarn about everything - we definitely put the world to rights over Thali.

This particular job has often proved a real struggle but days and evenings like these really lift my spirits and re-energise me. Two shows again tomorrow and another 6:30am start but luckily my fun continues afterwards as my great chum B-Cup is in town for one night and we have much to catch up on over great glasses of cider.

Ain't I just the luckiest gal!?

"How can there be so much difference between a day off and an off day?
-Anon

Shame

Photograph: Karel Prinsloo/AP

I know this is my third post about the tuition fee and education cuts issue but tonight the vote went through and it was passed - in September 2012 any student who wants to go to university is facing tripled fees of up to £9k a year. They are facing a life of debt and no positive effect on the standard of education they receive at all.

I am so ashamed of our supposedly wonderful democratic government.

I am also so angry - angry that I was taken in and believed the Liberal Democrats were credible and filled me with hope at the general election.

The protests have been long, sometimes violent and I don't think over.  The dismissive tone of criticism about how violent the protests got totally misses the point. They are angry, they don't feel their voice is being acknowledged so they will rage and destroy in order to be heard and I feel they weren't left with many alternative options. Why on earth would you expect these young people to respect a government and system which has ruthlessly betrayed them. The student body overwhelmingly chose the Lib Dems to represent and speak for them. Now they are entirely disregarded by the very party they voted for.

There has been much criticism of the violence and extent of the protests, lots of tutting about how it could have been a perfectly acceptable peaceful protest. But what does that achieve?

I attended the enormous anti war peaceful protest because I wanted my voice along with over a million others to be heard - it was systematically ignored.

For the disapproving MPs and mainstream media to demand respect when none has been shown is so incredibly patronising and comically out of touch. It appears from eyewitness reports that the police were particularly aggressive and that the majority of protests were peaceful. This makes me wonder if all the media hype about how violent the protesters were is all just an attempt to discredit their voice. Maybe I'm just very cynical but can you blame me?

There are more cuts coming and many appear to be aimed at the lower economic sections of society or at least affect them the most. This is not the last of the protests and hopefully soon, our disenchanted and angry voices will be acknowledged. That is the point of democracy right?

“In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme.”

-Aristotle

Hanging in my Fantasy Wardrobe

Had a little peek at Rag and Bone's latest pre-fall collection the other day. BIG fan of that label, here are a few delectables I spotted and earmarked for the fantasy wardrobe that hangs in my head.

If you liked these you should see what else is hanging in there let alone what I am actually wearing, in my head (in reality -  it's ribbed grey tights, a Frost French denim dress and The Big One's grey cashmere jumper - but a gal can dream).

"Only great minds can afford a simple style."

-Stendhal

The Vote is Coming...

The parliamentary vote for increased tuition fees takes place tomorrow and the student protests are growing in number and determination. The coalition debate rages in parliament and I for one, have everything crossed that this will not get passed.

Education is a right, not a privilege and preventing students from getting a higher education due to fear of lifelong debt is a disgusting and backward attempt to clear the deficit.

By excluding an enormous amount of potential students from gaining a higher education we damage the future economic prospects of this country. We need a future and students are the future.

 I am still no where near to paying off my student loans despite it being 8 years since I graduated. I, for one, would not have been able to entertain the idea of a university education with the fees tripled.

Not everyone can afford an education, Mr Cameron. In fact very few can.

Maybe it's hard for someone of such a privileged background to fully understand what is financially viable for the masses but that is your job, to listen to the people you represent.  Do not be fooled by his desperate attempt to sell the 'student repayments will be less then they are now' line as what he is forgetting to mention that the repayments will be, for most, the rest of their life. Even then they admit at least half will never be able to pay it. That half will have that debt hanging around their necks all their working life. What an incentive to improve and educate yourself eh?

There will be many many people who have worked so hard to get the qualifications needed to apply for places, people who have worked against the odds, who are determined and focused and deserve the opportunity to improve their life, all watching with baited breath as to what will happen today.

Mr Clegg - looking pretty uncomfortable during PMQ but then so would I be if I was reneging on a promise I made to all those students who voted for me that I would seek to abolish fees...so much for all that 'new hope' spin.

Where on earth are the bankers huge repayments?

The apathy is finally dying, the student body is large and getting increasingly loud and I for one am shouting right with them.

"The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows."

~Sydney J. Harris

I know it's wrong but...

I am not proud but I have a weakness for dancing and singing movies - particularly cheesy ones - and the up and coming Burlesque movie starring Christina Aguliera and Cher has got me all a flutter.

I know it'll be awful in many ways but it's also be great fun...hopefully.

I got so excited about Nine and that was one massive disappointment other then the constantly amazing Marion Cotillard.

Opened!

The stunning roses HawkandFallow sent me for opening night.

Last week the show I am currently in opened and my amazing top suppporters, The Big One and HawkandFallow came to cheer me on and help me home.

For the first time in my career so far I am entirely OUT of my comfort zone and the process of getting this show up hasn't always been a joy - knowing they were out there and going to love me no matter what happened was a huge and not unappreciated boost.

They are my constant support in all things and I always feel so very lucky to have them.

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family.  Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. "

~Jane Howard