Highlights of The Week

It’s been a  week of rehearsals for Something Dark my  play which I am taking toSouth Africa next week. Each day I have biked through East London’s BethnalGreen and Shoreditch to Toynbee Studios.   Highlights include seeing Sinta Tantra the ascending art star  outside a gallery  in Bethnal Green. I got a sneaky view of herexhibition as it was being dismantled after a successful run.

I saw Lost In The Stars a musical piece recorded by radio three and directed by Jude Kelly with casting by mary King.  It was beautiful.  Though Tim Ashley of the guardian did an offensive job of coughing at key quiet moments Lost In The Stars was an uplififting night.  I met a gentle heroine of mine - Cathy Tyson a wonderful actor who recently  visited Ethiopia and whom I have secretly been a fan of for many years. She said she was a fan ofmine too. But I am sure she was just being nice.   

The great artist Michael Jackson passed away. My relationship with him won’t change in that I never knew him but his work through the medium of tv and radio shall continue as it did before.  Our entire relationship to death has changed since TV and film. On Saturday  John McGrath director of the national theatre of Wales  came to give his final directions on Something Dark. In the evening I went with the journalist to Buen Ayre an Argentinian eatery in  broadway market. My steak was the size of Manchester;  a great night to end the week.

The Highlight of my week  has been rehearsals. Something Dark is my true life story. Revisiting it is like finding an old friend.   I am taking it to South Africa next week which is like an old friend too.