Thursday, February 25, 2010

Modifications are completed.

I've listened to 5 Chris Moyles podcasts and played the Sims and bought bed sheets. Also, I did 500 words of a Drama review before realising that maybe I was ever so slightly wasting my time. After emailing Miss Horn, she said that we only need to bring notes tomorrow. It took me 2 hours to do 500 words. I should probably practise some concentration techniques.

SUPER GOALS. WE LOVE 'EM.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

There is nothing more fun in life than sitting in the 6th Form Study part of the library while it snows outside. Really, nothing in life.

Media was cancelled, English was dull dull dull, although, Laura found the original Velolceraptor in her English book. Right now, Joe is insisting on the correct spelling of Velociraptor. Or whatever. No one cares.

And because of Rolo's unfortunate absent-ness, we are doing, well, nothing in Drama.

I want a blazer from UniQlo and I want to go and see The Wolfman, but most of all, I want to go home.

In other news, I'm still a member of Original Writing.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Oh, and I STILL don't have a war-related artefact.

Balls. Why can't they make things clear in Drama. Maybe that's what I'll talk about in my little one-on-one meeting later this week (I think). Actually, I already know what I want to say.
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?



Oh please, dear God, don't say this is what the series will be like.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

I was in the bath, and I thought that it would be productive if I were to do a longer-than-normal diary entry, as my recent ones have been like:

February 19th, 2010.
Tired, oh God, so tired. Just back from Anne's, bed now.

So I got through my second page (on A5) and got a hand cramp and stopped at the end of my sentence, which, in case you care, was about crab and salad.

In other news, tonight is the night that I finally get to sleep in my new room. It's not finished yet, I still need to fill a picture frame (which I hope to do at least most of tomorrow) and get new curtains, but the latter apparently won't be happening any time before Easter so I figured, 'screw it, I'll move back'.

This means that my roomwarming will happen soonish, I hope. I don't know when yet though.

Back to school next week. I don't have a war-related artefact for Drama yet, and Lord knows what I'm going to end up choosing. Hmm. I'm not looking forward to Drama at all actually. It's just such a pain in the arse and full of judgement and contradiction and embarrassment, mostly. Ergh, don't get me started.

Media, I don't even know. And English? I doubt it'll be the usual slog next week, due to PAPA DEAN insisting on 'coursework research' which means a double lesson of chatting and drinking diet coke.

'IS THAT A CAN OF COKE?!?!'

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to prepare for a delicious dinner and then bed in my new, super comfy...erm...bed.

Oh, and this is the staircase I fell down. Not even down it, down the back of it, the side closest to the kitchen area, the big gap drop bit (I promised to post this).

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

BARCELONA PICSPAM AND WRITE UP:

First off, these are no all my pictures. I took a LOT. And Photobucket is pants and takes forever and quite frankly I can't really be bothered to put them all up, but here are some of my favourites.

We had a good time, I think, I know I did. We saw lots of big, historical, famous things like the Sagrada Familia, we went to Parc Guell, we went round the market, strolled up and down La Ramblas which was very close to where we were staying. We went to the aquarium and saw Sand Tiger Sharks, we had Churros con Chocolato, I drank a lot of Cafe con Leche, we ate out at some great restaraunts.

We also saw actual Jake Humphrey off of the telly (CBBC and now F1) in a cafe, it rained for a lot of the time, I learnt how to play some card games, Dad took me on a walk down past an alley full of prostitutes and best of all, I fell down the spiral staircase and got bruises and all sorts. It was vair painful. Neil just laughed.

Hi, by the way.

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Adios, I'm off to Barcelona.

See you on the other side!

My coat is weighed down with books, harrumph.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

What was the point in today? I mean, really? I had another lie-in this morning, because my Media teacher had gone off with Neil's Media group to see the Britain's Got Talent live auditions, so my lesson was cancelled. I suppose an extra two and a half hours in bed is always a good thing.

So I walked in for English, and that was a total waste of time as I sat there and inadvertantly made weird noises and spent a good twelve or so minutes trying to find this one quote in The Handmaid's Tale.

At lunch, we discussed hilarious times in our respective primary schools (games of POLO, craft knives, injuries, puddles, Joe Medforth making fart noises etc.). It became quite obscure which was weird considering I thought yesterday's lunch was bizarre as Joe sat and nibbled cock/boob/arse shaped chocolates from his so called 'late-work-party'. Whatever, Joe, whatever.

And in Drama we drew a picture of the Globe and Lillie and I discussed weird connotations and the we went to the library and did research for two lessons. Which was a right bloody laugh, let me tell you.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

I woke up on Saturday morning, and after realising that I was on the sofa in Laura's front room after her sleepover, I said: 'Hey, hey - Laura and Anne, guess what? No rehearsals!'

What a great feeling it is to actually be able to say it and mean it. I've got my weekends back.

So I've done my English coursework plan, and Katie and I went and booked Corfu for the summer. That was yesterday. Today I've listened to calming music and baked cookies and read my book. I've also written a list of things I'd like to do in Barcelona, because we fly out on Thursday.

I shall have a bath later with a face pack and lots of bubbles and some music.

Tomorrow, we have Lysistrata in Drama and then coursework research (whatever that is) in English.

Diet cokes all round.

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Thursday, February 4, 2010

Drama A2 Devised Performances.

Well, they're over. Personally, I don't think I could have done any better with my performance - I literally gave it everything, and my all.

Our run-through in our allocated time was a mess, we had to start again because no one was focused and then just as we got to the OCD scene, we realised we hadn't been telling Neil when the lighting cues were, so we had to do that until our time was up.

This meant that whilst Laura and Anne's group were up on stage, we were doing our run-through in the music block. Which was exactly what I'd hoped wasn't going to happen, although I knew that it would. Half an hour before an exam you do not want to be thinking about changing facial expression or where you're standing or the order of movements.

So we set up as quick as we could, as we went last, and we were eager to get going and get through it. We stood in the centre of the stage and did some breathing excercises to calm ourselves, and had a group hug and said a few words. We went and stood behind the newspaper rostra whilst everyone came in, the lights went out, and we started.

Opening Tableau - We'd been having trouble with these, character-wise. The first one especially. It was important to get the speed right in order for the rest of us to be in position ready to catch Lillie. We nailed it. In my bit, where I'm 'attacked' and thrown off a bridge, using physical theatre, worked nicely and the transition into Lowri's tableau was neater than it had ever been.

Birthday Party - We cut the cake in rehearsals. It wasn't working. So Lowri had to change her line, and we all had to make sure we remembered our cues. I'd previously forgotten to say 'what you gonna wish for?' in rehearsals, but luckily it all went smoothly as well. Actually, that's a lie. When Lillie tried to move the cake down the table, she pulled the cardboard under it and the cake fell off and sat nicely on the rostra. Lillie quickly shoved it back on and continued with the scene. Nice save.

'The Bulimic' - Lowri's big scene, and also the comedy moment in the performance. Thank God everyone laughed, because if they hadn't then we would have suffered. The movement was nice, and all in time with each other.

Drug Addicts - The best performance of the M2M we've done. Hands down. The energy was perfect and everyone went 110%. It was my favourite of the two movements. The transition into Lillie's big lift was perfect. Usually, we barge into each other and make a mess of it, but this time it was quick and neat and precise into our positions, ready to go.

OCD Silhouette - I forgot which tape to pull, so I yanked them both and luckily the sheet fell and Ed and I got into position. I loved the toybox movements, both because they looked fantastic and also because Ed and I are behind a sheet, allowing us a few precious seconds to get our breath, get composed and go into our argument. I loved the argument. I just did. No more to say.

Authority Control a.k.a Me and Ed's BIG Scene - No word of a lie, a week ago I was dreading this. After the dress rehearsal, Rolo told me she could tell I was 'struggling' with my character. This scene required Ed and I to jump between four characters in the space of a couple of lines. I had to go from patronising vicar, leading a funeral where Ed would take over into policeman, and then I had to into my monologue as the grieving mother. Before the performance, I realised if I don't go for it now, I won't ever. So I did. I went for it. I gave it everything. I pushed myself into tears on stage, biting back my words, changing pitch and tone to emphasis my loss. When I felt the tears, that's when I knew it was going better than I'd ever hoped. I then had to go into 'angry male friend' after Ed's two lines, somehow channeling a bit of Ray Carling (Ashes to Ashes) into my accent and belting out my lines. I was later told that I made people jump - brilliant.

Final Ali and Becca Confrontation - They'd been struggling with their duologue. But they pulled it off perfectly. Me, Lillie, Lowri and Ed's movements were fine, although I tended to struggle in rehearsals with the behind the back twist moment, and removing the tape at the end, that all went fine as well.

Losing Control - I caught Sheps' eye during this, and she was wearing a light frown, and I thought 'oh God, she doesn't like it'. But we went for it, all of us. Ed was ripping down the newspaper, and Ali and Becca continued with their movements until the almighty clatter that was Becca slapping him in the face and Ali falling to the rostra. I delivered my line, we said our final, choral 'do you expect me to believe that?' and the lights dimmed, and went out.

Relief, euphoria, and a little bit of sadness all washed over me, and the rest of our group at the end. Immediately, we were swamped in hugs and compliments.

Extreme self-importance coming up - Along with people like Melissa telling me it was the best bit of acting she'd ever seen me do, Dad's thumbs up, the hugs, the 'it was brilliant, fantastic', Miss Horn telling me she was 'so proud of me' etc. came the news that I'd not only made Rolo cry, but I'd managed to make Sheps, the feared head of Drama, cry as well. For a couple of moments, all I could think was 'I made our examiners cry, I made our examiners cry, I made SHEPS cry', and then I just laughed and laughed, drank my diet coke, and headed off out with everyone else to Cafe Masala.

I was on cloud nine. I still am. The best performance I've ever done, hands down. And I'm just so happy, so so so happy.