14/7/2008 - Our last show.
The heart has a small hairline fracture.
It needs a break.
From everything...Writing, comedy, performance, life, love......
I'll be back but for now I must hibinate.
Hope you like the photos of the last show...it was a blast. xxx
See you soon
Love
matt's little sister xxx
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29/4/2008 - 5 hours!
That's how long we had him for. 5 whole hours.
After I wrote that last post or actually, thinking back, probably as I was writing it - I had a plan hatching in my little brain. Having been out with a boy for three years who always encouraged me to do anything (Not that!) I took his advice and thought...There's nothing to lose.
When I met Rhys Darby at Spank he had done his amazing stand up and at the end of it he said 'I'm back here in the UK for a couple of monthes, maybe I'll see you around' . The small plan that was then hatching in my head was 'Why not ask him to be in one of your shows?' I knew that the worst that could happen is he could just say no and the fact that I desperatly wanted my sister to see him was reason enough to just ask him.
Stage one: I found his Myspace page. On Myspace you can see when people last logged on and his had been that day which meant he was still checking in regularly. I'm telling you this because it's like a freaking graveyard out there - everybody has disappeared to facebook - or Facefuck or stalkbook as I like to affectionately name it. He replied to people's comments and left regular blogs - Check it out here. I added him as a friend and by Monday morning he had replied. Stage one complete.
Stage two: Ask him to be a part of your show. I sent a message. This is what I wrote:
From: me, him and them
Date: Apr 7, 2008 4:54 AM
Hey Rhys,
Thank you so much for being our myspace friend and like I said before, we saw you at Spank last night and thought you were brilliant. I'd never seen your stand up before but found it so refreshing and original and well just great!
Anyway, you said you were here in the UK for a couple of monthes and so I thought, there's no harm in asking...We run our own comedy night, 'me, him and them', which is also on at Lowdown at the Albany and I was wondering if you wanted to come and be a part of it one evening?
We're on the second Tuesday of every month and, very much like Spank, we have different guests on each month performing characters, sketches and stand up. Having seen your work on Friday, I just know that you would go down a treat at our night and everyone would love it!
We have slots avaible for our May show - Tuesday 13th or our June show - Tuesday 10th June. It's quite a tame night but it's always a great, quite large crowd and is always over by 10pm (It is a school night after all!) but if you wanted to come do 20 minutes or so that would be really great.
Please don't worry if you're too busy or you simply don't want to. You've probably got loats on at the moment but I just enjoyed your stand up so much that I thought I would at least ask.
Hope everything is going well and hope to hear from you soon.
Many Thanks
The title of the piece had been 'No harm in asking'. I tried to tell no one except weeman, so as not to jinx it. I waited. That night I got a reply:
Stage three:
Hi
Unfortunately Rhys is over here doing a film and will be based in Dorset in May and June so won't be able to make your gig. He is gigging this week in the build up to recording at the store next Monday, but apart from that is pretty busy on the film. If you have a slot tomorrow he may be able to do it, otherwise not possible, sorry.
Best Wishes
Mrs Darby
(Mr is at studio so not answering his own mail)
Oh I was so excited that she had replied to me and although it meant he wasn't going to be able to be a part of my night I just loved the fact that she had replied. She replied!!! I wrote back saying, what a shame because we were fully booked (The show was the next evening after all) but thank you so much for getting back to me. I rang Sister with massive laugh who told me I was a fool!
WHAT! She said, 'Get him in anyway, cut somebody, over run - Hollywood has asked to be a part of your night, you freaking fool!' It's too late, I said and left it at that.....BUT....it was always there at the back of my mind. 'America's next top model' came and went at 9pm, I scribbled down times within the show, cut my own piece out - Who else could I move, cut, kick out..Could I get him in? No, I'd already said no!
I went to bed.
A once in a lifetime opportunity was passing me by and I was going to bed with regrets. WELL!! I never like to see an opportunity pass me by.
'GOT OUT OF BED AND GO SEND HIM A MESSAGE'...I whispered to myself.
Stage four:
At 12.30am I crept down the stairs and composed a message to him. Luckily for me, he hadn't read the last one! I was onto something, I could smell it.
Hey Mrs. D,
On seconds thoughts, if Rhys is free tomorrow night then we would be more than happy to have him! Thinking about it, we can shuffle things about and would love to have him come do 20 mins or so?
I realise you did say it was a maybe so not too worry if he's too busy but if he does want to come down then we can pop him on at the end of the second half. The interval will be at about 9ish and he'd probably go on 9.30 - 9.45pm.
Just thought I'd give all the info, just in case. Let us know if he's up for it and hopefully we'll see him tomorrow at The Albany....No worries if not.
I went to bed that night knowing I had done my best and I slept like a baby (I always sleep like a baby but that night I slept like a baby who was well tired)
The next day I awoke to my phone ringing - An act was pulling out! WHAT!!!! Oh for god's sake! When your phone rings on show day, you know it's because something's going wrong. 'Keep calm' I screamed to myself and went dowstairs to check my myspace and there it was:
From: Rhys Darby
Date: 08 Apr 2008, 11:12
Yeah, that would be great if he can do tonight. He will be with you around 9 - 9.15.
Thanks
Rosie (Mrs Darby)
OH MY GOD!!!! I got him. He was coming to do my show. I rang Sister with massive laugh who whooped down the phone with me. WE GOT HIM!
That was it, I was on a role, rearranging the show, doubting my own performance, baking and icing my buns, packing my bags and then.....my phone beeped.
At 16.15, Rosie text me - Rhys had to get up really early the next day to film a scene that needed a lot of preparation. So sorry to let you down but he won't be able to make it.
Oh the fall from above. My heart sank. I was leaving the house in 5 minutes and everything suddenly didn't look so rosie (pardon the pun). I text Sister with massive laugh. I sat on my bed and phoned The Boy who likes Marmite who said this is what happens when you get Hollywood stars involved.
Oh well.
We move on.
5 hours though.
That's how long we had him for and those 5 hours of excitement, anticipation and pure joy where amazing - I'd do it all again if I had to.
Love
matt's little sister xxx
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7/4/2008 - Fallen in love.
In answer to my rhetorical question, last post, as to whether or not random people find us funny, we discovered the answer last Friday at Spank and the answer was NO!!
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! We went down like a sack of shit and unfortunately I just knew we would! HOWEVER...The night itself was life changing!
Dramatic I know but it was. I realised quite a few things, I met some lovley, very kind and supportive people and I fell in love with a stand up.
  
Rhys Darby.
He was beautiful.
Now, I know that sounds incredibly wanking saying that but I was standing with Colin from Colin and Fergus and when he'd finished his half hour slot we just looked at each other and Colin said it had been beautiful. I 100% agreed. There was no ego whatsoever attached to his act. There was no 'Look at me', there was nothing derogitory about it was just so funny and innocent but polished and I don't think I know one person who didn't love his act.
I realised I had such a lot of work to do. Basically the stuff I have been churning out has not been at all funny and I need a rocket up my arse. Rhys was that man who went up my arse!
Some of you may recognise him from Flight of the Chonchords - He's their manager Murray - so he's very successful now, faffing around in America but seeing him on that tiny, badly placed stage at Lowdown at the Albany, I wanted him to stay cult and do theatre forever. I never want him to sell out or change or.....Well, I'm waffling, I'm sure whatever he does he's going to do it just great. If you ever have an opportunity to see him live - Do not hesitate for one minute, book that ticket and go check him out. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.
We're on stage tomorrow night and I am exhausted...Don't know what's wrong with me. (Maybe it's due to the fact that I'm running a marathon on Sunday...Help!) Looks like it's going to be a big crowd too. Hope to see you there.
Love
matt's little sister xxx
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31/3/2008 - Gonna be a good one...
How do you know when you're going to do a good show?
I don't know what it is but I know that our next show, is going to be a good one. I've still got loads of work to do but I've got the hard stuff out of the way - booking acts, sorting out the music, thinking up our sketches - and so now all that is left to do is the fun stuff, rehearsals, cheographing dances, making signs, laughing lots. oh, I do have to write my solo piece but I wouldn't be me if I didn't leave it right until the last minute.
Speaking of solo work, I did my very first solo gig a couple of weeks ago. It went down like a sack of shit!! Oh I....well, I was just about to say I did have high hopes for it but that's a lie as I don't really think I had any expectations about it. I guess I was hoping that it would go down well but I knew that a large part of why it had been a success at my night was because the majority of people knew me. I went to this solo gig only armed with my over excited, pissed friend Catherine. She loved it. She also loved the whole evening which I actually thought was quite poor!
To start there were 20 slots!! I was placed second to last! I eventually went on stage at 10.30pm. Oh my god, if the audience wasn't asleep they were pissed and bored. I rushed it, was underconfident, I went out in a blackout and started when no one could see me. I've tried to forget about it and as My friend Daniel said just book your next gig straight away and forget that one ever happened....
SO....
Me and Reedy are doing Spank. Spank is another comedy night at The Albany but is far rowdier, drunker and harsher than anything I like to go see, let alone be a part of, but it's all part of getting the fear and seeing whether or not random people find us funny....
Keep them fingers crossed.
Love
matt's little sister xxx
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16/3/2008 - Working hard.
It was a toughie.
I don't mind saying that the reason why it was a toughie was because I hadn't put the work in....That and the fact that it was a hard crowd.(I need to blame them at least a little bit!)
After the last show, in february, I had a really interesting conversation with Colin from Colin and Fergus about putting in the effort. We were talking about some people on the circuit who work their asses off. Never turn down gigs, always looking at ways of improving their acts and in the end it's paid off. We realised that this was the way to go - It can only be the way to go. Putting effort in will result in rewards at the end and basically, I had not put enough effort into the last show as I should have.
I was resting on my laurels...(Actually I don't think I know what laurels are so I don't know why I said that!!)
The february show had been so brilliant that in my head I thought this one would just naturally follow on from that. Also, with regards to the opening section - which I like to treat as a warm up for my acts - I was relying on people who had seen the show before. Joking about things that they would know eg. I'm a crap singer and I don't let my husband touch me in public! I know that I have to write for people who have seen it before aswell as newcomers but I guess I erred more on the side of an audience who knew us and to my surprise, it was mainly filled this month with virgins!! Great but surprising!
Also, I was an act down which I thought would be ok but I need to remember that 3 acts should only be used in desperate times - Always strive for 4!! I've got a lot to get on with for next month to make it a good un but I seem to be overwhelmed by other factors at the moment. I am in the middle of jury duty that has gone on longer thatn anticipated and has been far more distressing than I thought. I'm not allowed to talk about it but basically the fact that I have to decide what determines someone's life is a pressure I could do without. Also, the marathon training was going really well until my practice half marathon last sunday which was great but I hurt my knee and now I'm worried about it recurring in the real thing. All this and I have to come up with a hilarious show once a month - What have I put myself up for?
As per usual, I am thinking and worring and procrastinating when all I need to do is bloody well get on with it!!
Oh I'm boring myself....I'm off for an hour and a half run in a gale with a pulled muscle in my back..Pah!!! Think of me!!
Love
Moaning matt's little sister xxx
Ps. I've added the last shows photos so you can view them on the right - All the carb eating I've been doing for the marathon seems to have gone to my face! x
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4/3/2008 - Oh la la...
I want my new character to look like this.
Mmmmmm..Haven't actually written it yet, given her a name or thought about the music...AND I'm in the middle of jury duty with time running out.
But still I want to look like this next Tuesday!!
Love
matts little sister xxx
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26/2/2008 - Music, food and love.
For those of you who don't know, I am running the London marathon this year. I was a little lost last summer and just decided I needed a goal to get my butt into gear and to get me motivated. Every year I go and see it and, no doubt like a lot of people, I come away saying...'I'm going to do it next year' but never really get round to actually doing it. My Husband ran it in 2002 and I've always wanted to do it before I was 30...So this is the last year I could do it.
I am loving it!!
I never thought I'd hear myself say that but yes...I am loving my training. I love the constant eating (Although it is bloody expensive) I love working out when to stop eating so I won't get a stitch, I love my dance pants and my gross trainers. I love getting up and going for a recovery run before breakfast, I love doing a a 40 minute Threshold run round the common and I love the fact that my ass is the highest it has ever been...Ever!!! It's strange how much my bodyshape is changing gradually. Last night I went for my longest run yet - 1 hour and 45 minutes and I just felt so great afterwards. I ran from work and zigzagged across all the bridges all the way down to Albert bridge which was just soooo beautiful. If you can get somebody to kiss you whilst standing on Albert Bridge, you are a very lucky person. Remember to look up as you cross it:
I then went into Battersea Park where I had to go for a wee behind a tree because I was desperate and I still had another 45 minutes to run! By the time I got out of Battersea park I was pretty much going back the route I had come and so needed an extra boost to push me on home.
Out came the ipod. Now I don't like listening to music with headphones mainly because I like to sing along at the top of my voice, or I can't help but dance..Not great when you're on a tube. But the main reason is because I don't like being that unaware of my surrounds. I will always take a book on a long journey as opposed to an ipod. However I knew I would need something if I was going to be running for 5 hours so I asked Bro dude and Sister with massive laugh for an Ipod shuffle for christmas and My Husband put her treadmill track on it.
It is amazing the difference it makes. I have discovered my favourite tracks to run to are all of Girls Aloud's songs, Eminem 8 mile and The Pussycat dolls. All have brilliant beats that make you believe you can do...You can actually run a freaking marathon!!
And all that - believe it or not - relates to my show. Music. I always need music or the radio on in the background when I'm working and it influences what I put on stage, the ideas that I come up with. I always like to have music in a show - dancing, singing or just with regards to the front of house music which I spend a lot of time picking. It's an important factor. I went to a comedy night of a really big double act and the music I walked into made me want to kill myself. On the other hand, I went to see Graham Poole's film night at the Albany and their FOH music was absolutely brilliant. It was all old school rocking tunes that got me and my friend bopping away in our seats.
I also saw The beautiful Mighty Boosh on Jonathon Ross and he was asking them who their influences were and they mostly named musicians and bands. Music had influenced them more than comedy. I'm not saying that is entirely the case with me but unfortunately there is so much shit comedy out there these days that I guess it's not surprising that people are looking to other artistic forms to inspire and encourage them, me included. Film, I think is a very big influence on my work.
In the next show - Easter extravaganza on Tues 11th march - I am doing another solo piece which has come about from Jamie Lee Curtis in True lies and Marion Coutillard as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose.
 
Whether it's funny or not is another matter...Hopefully you'll be able to judge for yourselves.
Until next time
Love
matt's little sister xxx
Ps. If you want to sponser me for the marathon is for a really worthwhile cause, would really appreciate it: My sponser page.
Hopefully I won't end up looking like this:
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21/2/2008 - Make it better..better...better
Oh it was so much fun and so brilliant and I had such a good time and we had great acts and I did my first solo piece and it went down really well and now I'm scared because the next one has to be bigger and better and what if it isn't and........
Breathe!
It was so great. In brief. I won't bore you.
At 11.30pm the night before someone dropped out. Oh the fear! He was doing two acts and he was playing the music at the end of our show. I turned up for a rehearsal for the final song and he looked like death - not warmed up...simply death. Bless him, he was trying to solider on and didn't want to let me down but I bravely said 'No, you're not going anywhere near my stage mainly because you're having trouble walking from room to room and...well, basically you can't breathe!' He very quickly downloaded 'Somebody to love' by Queen for me and I cycled home cursing my chosen career.
How did I manage to end up in this position with yet again too few acts? Not to worry, Lovely Colin Hoult from Colin and Fergus came to my rescue. I sent out a panic text saying please can you do more sketches. He came up with one better and found me another act. I was feeling slightly underconfident about our new sketch, not because it wasn't funny but because it's a very laid back and it was basically just us chatting - not to worry. The power of a wig and a scottish accent...Oh, and a jumpsuit is amazing. Also we sang our amazing song 'Platform 19' at the end and I - very surprisingly - was right on key. My friend Tim was actually quite disappointed as she prefers it when I'm screeching like a dying fox.
Anyway, then came my solo. I'd only finished the bloody thing about an hour before I left the house! (my procrastinating was at an all time high) and I didn't know how it would be recieved but it seemed to go down well. I do know though that I was performing to a room full of friends and the real test of whether it's funny or not will be in front of a completely neutral audience. Something I must do soon. I think we're going to perform our new sketch, Den and Denise, at Spank which is a another comedy night at Lowdown at the albany. We're not inviting anyone and so we'll really see how well it goes down - I'm slightly worried!
So, what with the last show being great - The next show has to be better and that is a lot of pressure. I have already bagged myself one brilliant gal who I saw in her one woman show at the Hen and Chickens. She is called Zoe Gardner and she was fabulous. There wasn't a period/boyf/reaching 30 joke in sight and I felt very inspired seeing her. She was terribly timid afterwards too and very endearing.
In the process of trying to upload a video onto youtube but I've been waiting an hour...Is that normal? Pah..I'm so crap on the 'puter's I hate them. In the meantime check out these video's made by friends of mine, I think they're great:
Neil Catchick: A Ramblers Tale.
Dan Taylor: Stackers
You might recognise a lot of the people in them as people I've worked with, went to uni with, good friends with and ....Well my husband is in Stackers!
Must go and write fabulous show and go for a run even though my right foot has been aching for 3 days now...Is that normal?
Love
matt's little sister xxx
Ps. Have added new backstage photos from our Valentine special. Look at the headings on the right. xx
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7/2/2008 - Procrastinating.
JESUS H CHRIST!
I didn't realise that I have such a problem but recently I have realised that I am the worlds biggest procrastinater.
And it is a problem because I'm not getting anything done. I've realised that I need a tight scheduale to get things done because if I've got all the time in the world then I will do anything, ANYTHING other than what I should be doing. For example, writing this blog. At the moment I have a show on Tuesday where I am doing my first solo piece. Is it written yet? Is it bollocks! I am doing 50 other things - including writing this blog - so that I don't have to sit down and do it.
I can't work out though whether I procrastinate over things I don't want to do or just things in general? Because although I love writing and sorting out the shows, I am finding it hard at the moment and so will clean the house, go for a run (I'm training for the marathon you know!!), do my washing, faff around on Myspace for hours and generally do anything other than sitting down and wrting my show.
I don't know what's wrong with me. I've still got loads to do for the next show - Choeograph a dance, learn a song....write a frigging sketch!! but I'm just not doing it...Honestly, where is this attitude going to get me in life?
Yesterday I came home to some bad news. For nearly two years now I have wanted this one agent to come and see me but she is always busy. I never seem to have any luck with her and once again she has something on and won't be able to come see my show. I've stopped crying and 'what do I have to do' ing about it because well, I think I expect it now. It should actually teach me not to put all my eggs in one basket but as I have recently and quite painfully learnt, I do not learn from my mistakes - Along with procrastinating, another great fault of mine!
However, a tiny thing boyed me on yesterday. When I was riding my bike home last night I went through some lights that were changing and would have been fine had it not been for an annoyingly slow van in front of me. As I looked to my left to see the traffic at the crossroads getting ready to go, I must have had a look of panic on my face as I realised I needed to step on it otherwise I was going to get squished. I caught the eye of a cyclist who was obviously waiting for me to make a decision as to whether to go for it or end up in a mess and he shouted at me 'Go, Go, Go, Keep going!' I stood up on my bike and pedalled my little BMX to safety. I kept repeating those words in my head, over and over again:
Keep Going....GO! GO! GO!
I keep telling people that I am holding on by my fingernails at the moment because, well, everything is a little too overwhelming but I am still here and I am still going. And I will keep going because that's all we can do.....Keep at it. Unfortunately, as a friend of mine told me recently, this businees I'm in is a game of endurance as opposed to how talented you are. Those who are successful are those who stick at it and keep going...go, go, going...they keep going.......
Having said that, I just met My Husband for brunch and ate far too much toast...I'm off to bed for a kip!
Procratinating see....Pah! What am I like?
Love
matt's llittle sister xxx
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27/1/2008 - Handing over the reins.
I am in love with this man!
Yes, I realise that last week I said I was in love with Tom Hanks but this is my new crush. Monday - Thursday at 10pm on the Paramount Comedy, 'The Office - an american workplace" is on and I am addicted. It is so brilliant. I'm not a fan of the the english version, it makes me so nervous and uncomfortable watching it but the american version is so different.
It feels like a completely different style of humour but is obviously based around the same principal. Also, in the american version, the supporting cast, I think, is a lot stronger and 10 times funnier. I don't just mean the 'Tim and Dawn' equivalent (Jim and Pam) but all the other characters are brilliant, especially Stanley who has me howling!!
That aside - I'll come back to Steve Carell though - Not being amazingly happy with the January show, I knew I needed to step up my game. With regards to Kenton and Bibi (the hosts of the show) I knew what I wanted to do. The next show is a Valentine special and so I had loads of ideas that I'd been thinking of for ages but with regards to the other two slots that we do I wanted to come up with something great. The first one, I'm going to do is a solo piece...Don't ask!!??...Just don't...I haven't actually written anything yet and...Oh, so scared can't even talk about it...ANYWAY..The next peice I decided to do, I thought we could improvise.
Now, For those of you who know me, know what a control freak I am and how hard it was handing the reins over to someone else...BUT...It was brilliant. I talk more about it here but as a work in progerss, Den and Denise are going well and I'm really looking forward to debuting them on Tuesday 12th Feb.
With regards to improvising....How chuffed would you be if this happened to you: I love him.
I'd be at class everyday if the possibility of this happening was...well possible.
Oh..By the way...I am singing in Den and Denise - I apologise now!!
Love
matt's little sister xxx
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17/1/2008 - Inspiration.
So, I have been unbelievebly creative these last few days and I've been loving it.
It's probably due to the fact that I haven't been at The Shop too much recently (I'm back to working part time now) but there are other factors and it's what I have talked about before which is inspiration. I have to feel inspired and happy to write and produce work that I enjoy doing and am pleased with. The last couple of days I have been customising some of my old clothes (one of my favourite pasttimes) and have been reading a brilliant book, The Kite Runner. Although I must say why it has to have teenage bum rape in it is just far too distressing for me to think about...I realise that is part of the book but I was in floods of tears the other night reading it...Apparently it gets harser! Oh help! Very good book so far though.
Anyway, I was going to write a blog here about how music inspires me to write (I'm currently listening to Fleetwood Mac  and Janis Joplin  ) and how I have to have the radio or music on in the background to be able to write...Not sure why, that's just the way my terribly over complicated and dramatic mind works but then I watched something on tele last night that reminded of what I really love to do and should do more often and that is watch movies.
I don't watch them enough or go to the cinema enough and I should because I always feel inspired after watching great movies. Recently I watched History Boys (I got the DVD for Christmas from my bro), there are great extras on it, and I also watched The Way we were, which was a b'day present from Old Flattie. So gorgeous and romantic but sad and well...unfortunately so me and probably the way I'm going to end up!! Anyway, they did make me feel great and got me thinking and when I think, I dream and when I dream, I write.
Last night, however, after having had to endure the football (I was sewing buttons onto a jumper though so I was mildly distracted) I was flicking through the channels and on BBC 1 was Cast Away. Soooooo many memories came flooding back about this film and I sat mesmerised for 2 hours. I first saw it at the Barbican centre in (I think) 2001...or was it 2002?...I can't quite remember but I saw it with someone I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. (I'm currently single so that never happened!! HA!) We loved it so much and we had our own private jokes from the film that so weirdly I thought of yesterday morning!!
As I sat there sniffing and bawling and wiping snot onto my new customised jumper I thought about how much I  Tom Hanks too. My friend, Schmemmers, told me last week that he was on Jonathon Ross and I'm so gutted I missed it. I just think he's the bollocks and about 2 years ago I went through, quite a long stage of thinking when (there's no if about it) I do meet him I would have to kiss him squarely on the lips. No need for a french kiss just a big smacker - that's all I want. I love him for Big, for Philadelphia, for Forest Gump, for You've got Mail, Cast Away, for finding and producing My big, fat greek Wedding, for having a lush wife, for being a secure man and a genuinely nice person but most of all for Joe verses the Volcano...Oh the teenage memories I have from watching that film at the Astra Akrotiri Cinema are prizeless!
  
So, I went to bed feeling good and inspired and in the mood to write a simply fabulous show for our Valentine Special on Tuesday 12th Feb. Reedy is improvising a sketch with me next week for the show so that should be interesting. I've realised that I learnt a lot from the last show too about what to do and what not to do to get laughs and so seeing as that's why I originally set up this night I see that as a good thing.
Off to write Kenton and Bibi Bainbridge...But before I do, I would like to reward those people who have been reading this blog (I think it's about 3 of you) Over the next few weeks, and before the next show, I shall post a code word on this blog that means when you say it at the door you shall get a discounted ticket. Don't be telling everyone about it....Keep it to yourself as it is simply a small thank you from me to you for being loyal and reading the shit that comes out of my head....
The Chain awaits being danced to in my kitchen.
Love
matt's little sister xxxx
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15/1/2008 - Uploading.
I have just spent the past two days uploading photos - Holy Mooks!! Never thought I'd hear myself saying that but yes, that what I've been doing and I am now bored shitless!!
I'm so un technical and have absolutely no desire to be technical in the slightest but I guess I must keep up with everyone else. So, I took some photos of the show - Well, us setting up at the beginning anyway and I wanted to show them all to you. I managed to UPLOAD them onto our myspaker site and put them into a slideshow...Very proud of that and I wanted to put them onto here for you all but I can't and it's too technical and I am losing patience with it all...SOOO....I have set up a Flicker account!! Eh!! Listen to me. It's on the right handside of this page and so you can view all our pictures from last weeks show. I shall be adding to them as the shows go on so check them out from time to time.
Anyway, We had a first show of the year lastTuesday and well...it wasn't one of our best. I don't know what was wrong with me but I had a case of the January blues and felt very down and depressed about everything and just wasn't looking forward to the show which is unlike me. Also, Reedy wasn't feeling amazing and we hadn't rehearsed as much as we normally do because Christmas and New Year got in the way. We got a great audience in though and the show seemed to go down well but something was bugging me and I've only just managed to work it our now.
GALS!!!
I have got such a stupid bee in my bonnett about girls in comedy and am forever searching for ones that make me laugh and inspire me. That's part of the reason why I set up this night to get all the gals I like on stage and to showcase their work. January's show had no girls except me. Now, i'm not saying the boys were bad - They were great, as I would have expected - but, as my bestie pointed out, it is a largely female audience that attend the show and I am not catering to their needs. I always said I would set up a night that I want to go to and always refer back to my little Josie Long quote:
'Set up your own clubs if you don't find ones that are doing anything different or exciting to you'
So, I'm back on the hunt for ladies who make me laugh and am getting really excited as there is a run of them coming up at the Hen and Chickens theatre and I can't wait to see them. Also, in our next show, which is a valentine special, I think I'm going to do a solo piece. At the moment I am writing such a load of unfunny shit but I guess I simply have to get on with it and try out my new stuff. In the words of my friend Daniel:
'Those performers who really want to do it will stick it out and realise that you have to develop original ideas and practice them relentlessly to make them work, (even then it sometimes doesn’t work). Comedy is a tough business and it’s a never ending process, you’re constantly learning how to be funny, how to use ideas, how to present characters, and at some point you might just realise that you can’t do it. The audience will soon let you know if you’re funny or not, and unless you are completely nuts, you’ll find out if you can do it or not fairly quickly.'
I am scared and tired and feel very alone and am doubting that I can do it at the moment but I am still plugging away at it...watch this space.
Love
matt's little sister xxx
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6/1/2008 - Ooohhhhhhh....
..hhhhh!!
Look what happened to my picture on the right hand side!! Oh!!!! I'm so crap on the computer that I can't get another one back there and now it looks like I'm a serial killer!! It should be this little pic:  although I'd love it to be this:
Anyway, this is just a wee post to say -
WE'RE BACK ON THE OLD MYSPAKER!!!.............me, him and them comedy myspace
It's taken me a while to get the faith back in myspace after they swiped the carpet from under my size 8's but I realised it was time to bite the bullett and get back on that old horse! It looks a bit brand spanking new - like bright white trainers - we need to live in it a little bit. So, If you were our friend before then come be our friend again - We've missed you!
Next show is Tuesday. We have three guest acts who are all going to be fabulous, I'm sure, we've got a great song lined up for the ending and the cupcake of the evening on Tuesday 8th Jan is going to be a chocolate cupcake with lemon butter icing and smarties on the top! Hey, who could resist that eh?...See you there...
Love
matt's little sister xxx
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1/1/2008 - Bonne Annee mon amies!!
That wee french title merely means Happy New Year my friends and let's certainly hope it is a good one.
It is 11.30pm on New Years Day and I am frantically trying to sort out the next show. Christmas and New year were smack bang in the middle of my 'planning and organising' time so the only planning and organising I managed to do was planning what I was going to eat next and organising my clothes into their least restrictive position. It's going to be a good one though and any problems people want to throw at me (The first one being the Lovely Maggie Service has pulled out due to glandular fever!!) I'll be able to handle them with a smile on my face and with a positive mental attitude because I tell you what people, what I am about to endure tomorrow is far worse than poorly written jokes, lumpy cake mix or acts dropping out last minute....Yes...It is the first day of the sale at The Shop! Think of me....
For those of you who are interested Lowdown at the Albany has a snazzy new website and we are finally on it! Yippee! It only took three monthes. Unfortunately there is a spelling mistake within our text but for that I have to blame myself...ooopps. Also, for those who know me, don't be thrown by The Pony Club - a new comedy night hosted by Adams and Rea (Bloody typical!) NO! That is not me!
Check it out here.
Hope to see you all on the 8th Jan...It's going to be a great new years show!
Love
matt's little sister xxx
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17/12/2007 - P.M.A
I live with a gazelle like, Kiwi who is incredibly beautiful, kind, positive and energetic. She is 6' with honey coloured legs up to her arm pits and a dazzling smile. She could so easily be a bitch but she's not. She is gorgeous and incredibly good for me. Her motto is (kiwi twang) 'P.M.A babe, gets you everywhere!'
Now with my incredibly pessimistic outlook on everything, at first I was a little dubious, but now I have adopted it as my motto too! P.M.A obviously stands for positive mental attitude and is now my new way of life (That is until the amazonian beauty moves out on Jan 13th....Oh booooo!) and has been a lifesaver for the last couple of weeks.
So, the Myspace dilhema was a complete ball ache as The lovely Simon and The fabulous Colin and Fergus were filming on the day of our show and so weren't definates for the show and with a week to go said that I should probably find other acts as they weren't sure what time they'd finish. Right, not a problem normally but with no myspace I don't know anyone to ask!! Went through my very small list of comedians but they were all busy (all working which is obviously great!) and so I finally asked my friend Magwar. I met Magwar about a year and a half at a comedy writing group we were both a part of. We didn't stay in the group long but our friendship has gone from strength to strength. She is a wonderful character actress who was going to be in the shows anyway in the new year when she had some new material written with a friend of hers - a bumped her up and she saved the day at the 11th hour by agreeing to do the December show - I knew it. I had P.M.A'd all day. Don't get me wrong, it was hard - I was moody for the morning at work, ignored the problem of no acts all day and on the bus home was quite close to tears but willed a little 'Something will turn up' into my head - then Magwar rang and said yes...Phew! Everything was going to be ok.
Everything was great, I had three acts (Ideally I always want four but three is manageable) I had baked my cupcakes, (For those of you who haven't been, there are free cupcakes handed out by the cupcake girl in the interval...Oh NOW you want to come!!!) Everything was done and then on the day of the show, I came out of the shower and found a message on my phone from one of my acts:
'err...Oh my god, I am stoopid! Hey there, that other gig that I wanted to go to after yours? Well, I forgot to write down that it's in Bristol!'
My little 'now happy and healthy but still with a small hairline scar in it' heart sank.....P.M.A....P.M.A...P.M...fucking A....Oh Jesus, what do I do?, I can't do a show with two acts!!!! Nooooooooo....ohhhhhhhh...P.M.A.....Help!...Shit!!...Help!!!....it's 1pm on the day of the show.....P.M.A......Ring Magwar...
Everything suddenly wasn't going to be ok....I phoned Magwar and told her she had to do another sketch...SHE HAD TO!!! I didn't care that she didn't know her lines, my icing of the cupcakes was all lumpy, my interval music was all wrong, I was running out of time and My husband wasn't around to help me carry my stuff to the theatre (See fabuolous photo below)...Oh I was ruined!!!
'No' I thought to myself. 'This is the old you. The new you, gets on with it and deals with what's in front of her'
And I did. Magwar saved the day at the 12th hour and said yes to doing another sketch, I left a text on Tony's phone saying 'Hey, these things happen, don't worry about it', I beat the shit out of my icing until it was at an edible standard and I hailed my dirndl clad ass with all my props all the way to the theatre myself.
The show was wicked and I loved it....even if it was a little short. I had so much fun and our acts were great and we ended the evening by all singing 'Do they know it's christmas time' together....What more could you ask for? For those of you who came then and the month before, thank you so much! I appreciate your support so much and I hope you all continue coming as there is so much ahead of us and sooooo much fun to be had. Let me know if you enjoyed it and what you liked and want to see more off.
Next show is Jan 8th and I hope to see you all there...It's gonna be a cracker!
Merry Christmas Kids
Love
matt's little sister xxx
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2/12/2007 - Split the difference
 Don't you worry guys there is gonna be a sketch based around these two next year, I PROMISE! In the 'X factor rejects' part of our show, 'Split the difference' is gonna make an appearance. I can't get enough of them! I'd love to meet them and see how they really are...Do you reckon they still share the same bed? Do we know how old they are? I freaking love 'em! Can you see the similarities between me and my brother on the little photo top right?
Love
matt's little sister xxx
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1/12/2007 - Probleme dans Le Paris
So, I realise it has been ages since I have written a blog but there are some really good reasons:
A) We did the show and it was brilliant...but also awful. The first half went really well and the place was heaving. People seemed to be enjoying it and I was in hysterics backstage laughing at Colin from Colin and Fergus. Then the interval happened and I was no longer in control - I suddenly realised that people were getting drunk and they were talking, moving about and...well, I realised backstage that I am a control freak and I simply have to get used to this new 'style' of evening. It's more a stand up enrivonment and very different to anything we've done before. Afterwards aswell, I was incredibly overwhelmed by it all. So many people kept coming up to me and I just couldn't concentrate on anyone or anything for more than thirty seconds. I came home, incredibly drained and didn't come down from it all for at least a couple of days. No time to write on the old blog because by then it was time for....
2)  Paris. Oh Mon dieu!! So, I went to Paris for a week and ended up staying longer. It was for my day job at The Shop and was just a brilliant experience. Paris was as beautiful and amazing as I thought it would be, the work was awful (Standing around Galerie Lafayette, the equivalent of Selfridges, trying to sell a brand no one has ever heard of) but I got to speak french all day and all my expenses were paid for. It was great but as soon as I got there they asked me to saty longer as I needed to cover peoples shifts - a couple of extra days in Paris isn't gonna do any harm I thought to myself. I had already written all my sketches I just needed to type them out and send them to Reedy so he'd have them for our first rehearsal as soon as I got back. So, Thursday morning I was typing away, also working on Myspaker - Booking an act - all was well and then I went to work. That night I had trouble getting onto Myspaker and thought it was merely me being tired or something to do with the computer. But again, on Friday night I couldn't get onto it.....to cut a very long story short - THEY HAVE DELETED OUR MYSPACE!!!!
D) Oh my freaking god....What the feck!!! What the hell is going on!! I'm gonna repeat it because I am in so much disbelief OUR MYSPACE HAS BEEN CANCELLED/DELETED....IT'S FRECKING WELL GONE!! Well, naturally, being the drama queen that I am I went into a complete downward spiral crying and despairing - I was in Paris, in the middle of booking an act who I only knew through Myspace - all that time and effort and the contacts I'd made. I have emailed them three times to ask what the problem is and haven't heard back from them - Load of SHIT!! So I am now back to neon pink blog and am trying to solider on without it. I don't know whether to start a new one or just leave it....Before you say it NO! I am not going onto facebook - NEVER!!! I realise I said that about Myspace a while ago, but I always knew in the back of my mind I'd eventually do a myspace for the business but facebook....NO...I don't want to weirdo's from school to find me!
Anyway...Positiveness is Reedy and I just had a hilarious rehearsal that went really well and now I'm off to Ben G Warwick's house to rehearse with him....It's all in aid of the christmas special that's just gonna be great...Hope to see you there on Tuesday 11th December!!
Love
matt's little sister xxx
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About Me
Follow matt's little sister as she writes, acts, directs, produces, dances, stumbles and daydreams her way to the top.
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This is her.
Special 
disappointment on missing out on all the fun, book now on
