So, I've started writing, I've started planning and I'm on a roll.  There is less than a month to go and I'm excited but also nervous...What if no one likes our stuff?  What if no one likes the acts we've picked?  What if no one turns up or everyone turns up for the first one, thinks it's shit and never returns again?  Oh the usually worries that at the moment are merely niggling rather than taking over my life...so let's forget about them until a week before!

Like I've spoken about before I need to feel inspired to write and these are a few things that are inspiring me at the moment:

Frida Kahlo:   I watched 'Frida' last night and absolutely loved it.  I am so influenced by Spain and South America, the colours, the people, the music and this film encompassed all of them.  It was beautiful and sad and made me instantly want to be creative and believe that perseverance will reward you in the end..Even if you do only have one foot and can't get out of bed! (You have to know about old Frida to appreciate that one!)

Funnily enough I have just written a spanish sketch for our first nights show.  I hadn't felt inspired to write anything for ages and one night as I was leaving My husband's house, her Boy was picking (apparently it's music term!?!) a wee spanish tune on his guitar and I started messing about and talking in a spansih accent...The story of Susan and Carlos developed from there....

The Rugby:  Now last time I looked at Rugby (admittedly it was about 15 years ago) everyone looked like my dad and then suddenly the World Cup comes along and WHOOZERS!!!!  What happened?  I LOVED it!!!  The manliness, the blood, the sweat, the small shirts, RAHHHH!!!! MEN!!! "Look someone is standing on my head but I'm carrying on!!"  There are men grabbing between my legs and I'm loving it" So I suddenly need to know about Rugby and start discussing it with anyone and everyone and discover Reedy is also a big fan (Although not of English rugby...Ask him why?  Go on..Dare ya?) What I love about the Rah rah ruggers is it seperates the men from the boys.  'One tap and I'm rolling around in agony' Footballing little boys just don't interest me, 'Raahhh I'm bleedy and carrying on regardless with my big man thighs and my tiny hotpants' Rugby men!  Well, that's a whole new ball game.  I think I might write a sketch about rugby for Reedy.  This is a recent conversation we had:

Me:  Did you ever play rugby Reedy?

Reedy: Yeah, did it at school and, I'm not being big headed here mate, but I could have gone pro.

Me: WHAT?

Reedy:  I may be small Re, but I'm fast...They couldn't catch me.

Relationships:  As always I am inspired by all the different relationships in the world.  For some reason I find writing for boys easy and one realtionship on the screen I loved was in the film 'Little Miss Sunshine'.  It knocked the remake of 'The Thomas Crown Affair' off my most favourite film perch and took the crown.  The best part about that film, for me, is the relationship between the brother and the husband.  It was really unique and would never have worked with women.  Women are too complicated and discuss their feelings too much.  There is often underlying rivalry between two women and it wouldn't have worked with everything else going on in the film.  Basically, if you haven't seen it Greg Kinnear is the Husband of Toni Collette and Steve Cara-what's-it is her gay brother who tried to kill himself.  I don't know how to describe why I like it...Perhaps simply see the film for yourself and let me know what you think.

And that's about it.  We have our first two acts confirmed and they're brilliant and we're starting rehearsals next week...More later alligator...

Love

matt's little sister xxx