|
October 20 2006 - Burst My Bubble!
|
Something rather exciting - professionally speaking - has recently presented itself. An extremely talented writer called Matthew Westwood contacted me with a request to appear in a new play he has recently written. I read the script, loved it and went to a read-thru last Friday. The cast is composed of 7 characters, one of them being Anna Wilson-Jones who I worked with for 8 months in a production of Dangerous Corner (or 'Dodgy Bend' as it was known within the company) and is now one of my closest friends, the mother of my God daughter Agatha, and a seriously talented actress. The other actors, none of whom I had met before all proved to be talented, enormous fun, and perfectly cast. So far, so very good. It's what I want as far as work is concerned; good work with good people. Matthew would like to start rehearsals in January and open in February, but this may prove to be a little ambitious as he doesn't have a theatre yet, but I don't doubt he will obtain one in the near future. Gosh! What fun! So... I have decided to return to Africa until such time as I receive the call informing me that the theatre is booked and rehearsals are starting. And what a difference that decision has made to the way I feel! I booked my flight and immediately felt a huge resurgence of energy: I know I will be seeing Miss Felix and the rest of the gang in 4 short weeks, and that knowledge allowed me to own how much I had missed; them, tent village, my friends and the vast continent that is AFRICA! I recognize that when I am there, I feel fully alive; living in the moment is a joy because I find so much that is beautiful, and I laugh alot, particularly with Sandy, and I'm SO EXCITED at the thought of seeing everyone again, and living in my tent, and turning on the taps in the bush shower, and cuddling my babies! I've become very aware that I rarely mention my life in London, and I think it must be because it is in such stark contrast to my life in Africa. Vicki says I live in a bubble, and she may well be right, but I feel it is the only way I can survive, deal with, urban life. In the bush there are no newspapers or television and the only news I hear is on the wireless and African so I am completely cut off from the horrors of the world that insinuate themselves into my consciousness on a daily basis in London. So I avoid going out as much as possible, except for essential journeys and to forage for food. I avoid newspapers, rarely watch television but admit to being wedded to my wireless. I love Radio 4 but try to avoid the news; quite difficult with R4: during one broadcast I heard that China hold executions on an industrial basis, they apparently perform between 8,000 and 10,000 a year, more than the rest of the world put together, and openly supply the organs of 50% of the deceased to hospitals who make a very good living out of supplying organs quickly and efficiently to both the Chinese and wealthy foreigners, I wonder how deeply the recipients inquire into the origins of their newly acquired liver or kidney and would they refuse, on ethical grounds, if they knew the previous owner had been shot in the back of the head? I also heard a 7 year old child whose father had been murdered and who was more traumatized than any 7 year old should ever be, cry, 'I just want my Daddy back'. Then there were reports on the latest crisis in the Middle East, North Korea's decision to test a nuclear bomb and its hatred of the good ol' US of A. By this time I was comatose with the horror of it all and aware that there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. Yes, I could join Amnesty International and write letters to the appropriate people and perhaps my efforts combined with everyone else's might, eventually have an effect. The reason I don't take that route is because if I had to confront evidence of mans inhumanity to man on a daily basis I would go insane with the horror of it all within a weekend and be carted off (not for the first time) to the nearest funny farm. Which would solve nothing and assist no-one. So, in the interest of self preservation I shall remain in my bubble until I return to the magic of Africa, where it will BURST! Amen to that!
|
|
