As a Story Teller you always think carefully about your performance, where you stand where in your mind  your characters are in relation to you the Teller, your voice etc! Obviously you have a script of sort floating in your head but it can be fluid- I will react to my audience. Acting in a play is obviously different because you have lines that others rely on for cues etc and you are directed by somebody other than you!  As I mentioned previously I have just been performing in Between Severn Tides by my Brian Dimmock– a play inspired by Under Milk Wood but located in our community near the Severn. At the heart of the story was a Second Coming this time the messiah was going to be female and certainly had a strong feminist theme running through it.

It was well received by all 3 audiences and the songs/music enhanced the whole performance. Many of you who know me well might be surprised I was actually singing in it (not on my own see one of the pictures below) – although I do occasionally have snatches of songs in my Story Telling but usually tongue in cheek.

The set, if you look at the pictures, was supposed to resemble a workshop hence the scaffolding and the sheets of corrugated iron. The cast were dressed in dull colours so we could  blend into the set. I started by wearing a jacket and trilby as a hen pecked husband and verger for the local church. When I throw of the shackles of my nasty wife Lavinia  I throw away the jacket and put on an ethic style hat as I run off with Meryl the Rock Chick on her boat!

I did enjoy being part of a team and it was in every sense a real community play and I got to know different people. It has taken up much time and I haven’t been able to develop new story ideas both writing and performing! I have a busy period coming up next month so I need to get down to some grafting.

Picture 1 -The cast singing (including me!)  Picture 2 My domineering and spiteful wife Lavinia  with me being hang dog!   Picture 3 Bradley (me) as ghosts with Meryl the Rock Chick!