Do it your way.

Temping......

Simple. A temporary job. Temporary Employment. Perfect one might think for an actress or a musician or a performer. And you would be right, it is, in theory the perfect job for any 'resting' artist. Until this year i had never done it, I have always been lucky enough to have extremely flexible employers who allowed time off for auditions and shows etc. All this changed however when I decided this year to hand in my notice at my permanent employment. I felt I had done all I could for them and needed a change. A positive step forward. And so in the meantime... I tried temping.

WOW! What an experience. I was not prepared. I'm not sure what I expected? I have in the passed been accused of wearing rose coloured glasses, romanticizing situations, or just being oblivious to reality, but this was different. This was stark and real and absolutely wholly unavoidable. I agreed to a 4 hour shift of admin support. I have to say they were the longest 4 hours of my life. Fact. Never before in a work place have I felt so utterly useless and useful at the same time. I am used to aiming high, encouraging staff, creating an aspirational work place. Temping, for me, was none of the above. Although i knew i was helping on one level i just couldn't get out of my head that in four hours time i would be gone and whatever work i had started, wouldn't get finished.... Absurd right?

So that was it. 4 hours and i realized temping wasn't for me. Some might say his is a rash decision, i disagree. I think you know when something is going to work for you and when it's not. I admire anyone who is strong enough to go in to different places each day and work knowing that tomorrow they'll be somewhere else in a job they have no intention of forging a career in. I now know that I can not do that.

So the search is on for me to find flexible employment in an industry i enjoy :) i am pushing my links in the media industry, film and television. I figure if i'm going to spend 8 hours a day working (and it's not acting) then it needs to be something that inspires me; something i enjoy. And with a trip to Vegas, a trek around India and a new house to pay for i better find something soon.

The fact is, you do what you need to do, but that doesn't mean you have to be unhappy while you're doing it. Make your choices wisely, think things over, and if your doing something you don't like then change it. You are in control. You are not like everyone else, you're you. Doing your thing. So do it your way.

The Fighter.

I went to see this film yesterday with a good friend of mine. After all the press that has been flying recently about Bale's outstanding performance, i expected to see Mr Wahlberg pale in to the background; i was pleasantly surprised. Bale, undeniably, gave an fantastic performance; high energy, comedic, vulnerable and unstable. However it was the contrast that was created between the two brothers that ultimately made the film. Wahlberg plays a constant. Constantly over shadowed by his brother and ignored by his mother. His slow burning undertone of frustration is ultimately the drive that keeps him going, keeps him working, keeps him fighting. He is the character you can relate to most. When things are tough and people are negative put your head down and train. Focus. You have control. You're the one that can make things happen.

Some say he's not a leading man; i disagree, he walks the path that I wish to tread.

Extra Extra!!

Some lovely reviews from Tuesday's Press Night!

http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/5112?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+se1-news+(London+SE1+community+website

http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/londontheatre/reviews/tachellshortstuff2011.htm

The Morning After..

... Opening Night!

And what a night it was. I'm feeling very lucky this morning to be working with such a fantastic cast and crew. ShortStuff opened last night at the Waterloo East Theatre and to be entirely honest... we rocked it! Everyone gave it their all and from the feedback we received, it seems the audience loved it! There is something truly exciting about working with new writing as good as Anna Jordan's. All three pieces tackle different and challenging subject matters, making it impossible to look away.

Thank you for all the lovely messages of support that are coming our way, and a special little thank you from me to Mr Goodlass for his continued support.

The show is running until the 3rd March so snap up your tickets now! Tonight is also 'pay what you can'.. four shows for what ever price you can afford... amazing!

Here's a little taster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQHvcft4PDE

Love as always,

XC

ShortStuff!!!

...... my new nickname.

No not really, it's actually the title of the current play I am in; written and directed by the fabulous Anna Jordan (cue applause). 'Shortstuff' is 3 award winning short plays by Without A Paddle theatre company; Closer to God, Coming Home and Bed of Foxgloves. I will be acting alongside the very talented Peter Jordan in 'Closer to God'. The performances will take place at the Waterloo East Theatre on selected dates from Saturday 12th Feb - Thursday 3rd of March (Pay what you can night on the 13th!!)

http://www.waterlooeast.co.uk/page92.html

Use the link above if you fancy coming to see some new writing ...you will get 4 shows for the price of 1...... i for one can't think of a better way to spend an evening :)

Looking for to seeing as many of you as humanly possible ;)

Love as always

XC

Betty for life :)

I last wrote a mammoth 6 months ago........ I can't believe it has been that long! A challenging and eye opening time it has been; but after making a few difficult decisions we're out the other side with a brighter outlook!

After coming back from Shanghai, i threw myself into work and hid away in a shop for a couple of months. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of managing a flagship store, i really struggled to get back in to London life. I missed Shanghai and performing everyday so much, working in the store acted as a much needed distraction, although as my 2 months there came to an end i came to the realization that i had a big decision to make.

I have worked for the brand SweatyBetty for 5 years and they have always been an amazingly supportive and flexible employer. The people i have met through the company will be friends for life; they are all inspirational and strong women and i am so lucky to have had the pleasure of working with them. I felt like i had achieved all i could for the company and they had absolutely done more than enough for me, and so i came to the decision that my life as a 'betty' had come to an end. Sad as it is, i feel this is absolutely the right decision for me, right now. No matter what jobs i have done in the past, I know (and have always known) that i am actress first and foremost. I need to give myself the time to focus on my career, to work on my skills, to create as well as to be cast. I will always be grateful to sweatyBetty for the support they have given me, i am excited about becoming a customer but will secretly always think of myself as a Betty .....for life :)

Expo Expo ... read all about it!

Where to begin..............

For the last 5 weeks i have been away performing at the Shanghai World Expo 2010; an amazing opportunity and experience and one that i am now, strangely, finding hard to put in to words.

It feels like months ago that we were all huddled at Heathrow, praying the piccadilly and victoria lines would take pity on us and successfully deliver each member of the cast to the terminal 3 platform. Flying on the 16th June after 2 weeks of rehearsal in London we were excited to say the least!!!!

Met at Pudong airport by the AMAZING-banner waving-csm cheering, Evonne and Lulu, we were escorted to our hotel in Song Jiang; a town of 7 universities based on the outskirts of the Shanghai metro system. The 8 chinese actors who we were collaborating with on this project all attended Shanghai Institute of Visual Art ... SIVA... our rehearsal location for the next two weeks.

Our first night in Shanghai was a big get-together for all cast and crew involved in the project. Luckily we had our beautiful translator Shi, as none of us English folk could speak a word of mandarin... yet! Kareoke followed... obviously..... and we started the two weeks of rehearsal riding a massive positive wave.

Our time in Song Jiang was a real melting pot of experiences. The opportunity to meet and work with actors from a completely different culture was one that i thoroughly relished! The rehearsal period was intense and extremely fruitful, and despite our many differences in approach we also found we had a huge amount of similarities. Language became less and less of an obstacle the more we got to know each other, and as our trust in each other became stronger, so did the performance we were creating. There were also frustrating times during those first two weeks, an inevitable occurrence in such an intense period of time. I personally believe overcoming those obstacles made the whole experience more rounded and true and as a result much more fulfilling.

Toothpaste oreos, bullfrogs, home-made sushi and rain dancing will ALWAYS remind me of song jiang....... oh as well as the love/hate relationship with squatting toilets that i seemed to acquire!!

Then off to the Expo!!!!!! so we moved from Song Jiang to Hong Kou on the 1st July. What a difference!!!!! We went from suburban to city life in a day and i for one loved it! We could stroll down the street for breakfast, there were markets and a swimming pool, the tube was a 10 minute walk from the hotel and from there you could go anywhere in Shanghai!

The first day in Hong Kou was the most relaxed i had been the entire trip we had breakfast, and wandered around the markets and local streets then headed to the pool and spent the rest of the afternoon lounging by the poolside... Perfect! Then we went to the expo to tech the European stage........ Not so perfect. The next 24 hours proceeded to be possibly the most mentally trying and professionally frustrating experience of my life ... not even exaggerating... BUT ... at the end of it, we were the first British act on the European stage at the Shanghai World Expo 2010... and we SMASHED it!!!!!!!!!!! Never have i had a feeling like that and i think it'll be a long time until anything matches it.

Overcoming everything that was thrown at us to make it on to that stage was a real testament to everyone involved in the project. Determination and a will to succeed are strong traits of both Chinese and English culture, and both came in to play at that point of this project. We continued to perform twice a day (1x european stage1 x UK pavillion) for the remainder on our time in Shanghai to audiences ranging up to approx 500 people. Seeing the enjoyment of all the little children sat on the edges of the stage or singing along to the chinese songs (sticking their tongues out at the english :) made the whole experience .. just... unforgettable.

I feel extremely proud be have been a part of the collaboration between CSM and SIVA, and i hope that in the future other people will get the chance to have that experience. For me China has ignited a little something in my heart and i will undoubtedly be returning there in the near future. I am about to start mandarin lessons with another member of the UK crew so as soon as my communication levels are up.... i'll be on a flight... maybe this time Beijing???? x