I don't recall exactly how I got drawn into this, but drawn into it I got. I also got the part of a terrible poet.

As an Australian who had been on Blind Date had been in this group's September production, for some reason, someone thought it would draw a crowd if he switched on the town Christmas Lights.
His name was Brad. It was decided to pretend he was Brad Pitt, hire a limo, plant groupies and papparazzi in the crowd, and pretend it was an American filmstar come to turn on the lights, when actually it was a minor local non-celebrity. I was one of Brad's bodyguards, complete with black suit and shades.

I have always been a fan of Spike Milligan and his work. The anniversary of his death seemed a fitting occasion to raise some money for a cause Spike supported. So I decided to do just that.
I booked Skipton Little Theatre, persuaded some friends to read parts, and found some Goon Show scripts to read. We read The Nasty Affair at the Burami Oasis, The Red Fort and The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler of Bexhill-on-Sea and raised a total of £70.00.

We read Wings Over Dagnenham, The Man Who Never Was and some of Spike's poems, and beat last year's total by a massive £1.05!
Except, someone turned up on the night after (which was a jazz concert produced by Drystone Radio), and was so disappointed they'd arrived 364 days early for the next one! They donated another £5.00, anyway.

With a slightly different line up at short notice, we read The Case of the Missing CD Plates and The Great International Christmas Pudding, both of which went down well with our small audience. Combined with a raffle and booksale in the interval, we raised £43.71.

As my sister managed this, the best unsigned rock act in the country, and I am a talented stage technician, it was only natural that I was their techie of choice for their first ever gig. It went down a storm.

This, their second gig, was even better - the band loved the venue and want come back and do more there. They were supported by Scary Uncle, the band that Lloyd (the drummer) was leaving to join.

In the midst of World Cup 2006 fever, Chris Moyles, the BBC Radio 1 breakfast DJ, did a pastiche of football songs. I heard it and had an idea. This video is the result - it uses the words for the version that was played after the first-round victory against Trinidad and Tobago, not the main version.

I was contacted through an industry website by Gary, as it appeared he was getting nowhere finding people to crew for him on the production. A profitsharing production, and would have been more fun to work on if the theatre hadn't been such an oven, though!

In order to keep my hand in, I volunteered for the tech crew for this, the British Science Fiction Association's annual convention. I came down a day early to help with the get-in, and stayed a day late to help with the get-out. During the convention, I found myself doing (at some point) at least one of everything that needed doing.

I again volunteered for the tech crew for a convention, and was offered a place on the core tech team by the head of production, John Hicks. In this role I ASM'ed the convention's play, as well as assisting with tech at other events over the weekend.

This was being run by the same people as did Orbital, and as I had enjoyed myself with them, I again volunteered for the tech crew. As well as helping set up and run the tech gear, I was also a "zombie" - I slept in the tech room as an additional security measure.

I was recommended by someone from SLT for this. I got a call a few days before, as the venue's usual ASM was unavailable for the day of the performance. I was given a lift up to Settle, felt rather out of place as it wasn't "my" venue, and spent the day rigging and testing lights for the production, which was one in a tour by the company. They paid me, and it was agreed that if I were free, I would be most welcome to do similar work at the venue again.

Once again was a "zombie" as well as helping out on the tech crew. Due to exhaustion in various forms, I mainly kept to lighting board and stagehand work.

First time for a while where I wasn't a zombie. Although not officially part of the tech team, I helped out with rigging and de-rigging for the dances, and the tear-down & get-out.

My sister got me in touch with the person organising this event. A writing group connected with the festival had between them been writing some Mills & Boon style pieces, for fun, and as they had a romance-themed evening event, they thought it would be a good idea to have a couple of extracts read. My voice was thought suitable, so I dressed as the male lead in a Mills & Boon novel and read at the event.

Tech crew general assistance and gophering.

As it was a recognised part of my repetoire, I was asked to play wannabe barbarian hero Nijel the Destroyer in a sketch in the opening ceremony.

General tech crew again, with more camerawork than usual.

General tech crew.