And so the Journey begins....Again!!

It was in November 2003 that I first read Godfather Death.  Vic Mills had sent me a copy of his new one act play, in order that we might enter it into competition in 2004.  I was amazed and enchanted by the story, based on a Grimm's fairytale of the same name.  A casting reading was arranged and, it was decided that we would have two casts - one for competition and the other to share the performances at BLT in April 2004.  I was cast alongside Jim Halsey and Frances Jarman - in the non competition cast.  Dave Livingstone and Vic Mills were in the other cast - along with Frances.  It was a great time and a challenge, as I recall to rehearse two casts - but it was a really positive developmental tool for us as actors, and for Vic as a writer.  I was playing the characters of Duncan and his son Manny - in this twisted and dark tail (Dave Livingstone also played this role in the alternate cast). Jim played every other part (there were lots of them) - apart from Grace, who was played by the lovely Frances.  To cut a long story short, the other cast won the Gwent Festival and then went on to our first Wales final - somewhere we have since taken over 10 plays to, every year since.  GD was put to bed after the Wales Final and Vic moved on to bigger and greater successes.  So in 2011 we needed a play to take to Canada and to enter into the 2012 Gwent Festival - and Vic came up with the wonderful idea of re inventing GD...with a bigger cast, a different set and a different artistic feel to it completely.

As someone who has more or less given up performance, it is a bit strange to be back on stage and performing a role I first did over 8 years ago.   The Irish lilt has been worked on - basing all the character of Manny on Greg from Holby City....am a method actor, you see!   The lines have come flooding back (ish) and hopefully the Gwent Festival will be a success for us - I am also directing another play, by Graham J Evans - Biscuits....in which the writer and director of GD  (VR Mills) is playing one of the lead characters.....which has made rehearsals a bit of a challenge for the pair of us!  Biscuits is great fun and is completely different to GD - it does have an equally talented and dedicated cast though.  Competing against yourself is a bit of a weird thing to do - but something I have become used to, over the years.

Here is a photo of me with Shelley - who is playing the man eating Janey and the sweet character of Grace.

Canada beckons in a few weeks  and a competition against both local NS groups and also 9 other international companies - from Iran, South Africa, Spain, USA and a few others to boot!   We are all very much looking forward to it - though with a massive sense of sadness that our director, writer, guitarist and Devil - will not be making the trip this time.  However, there are 7 of us going - including Jerry Grummitt and Sarah Jones, who are on their first international theatre trip.  For me, going to the LITF is like going home.  I may live in Aberdare, but I have more close friends in Liverpool NS than in my adopted place of abode!  All my mates are in Blackwood or Abertillery or Porthcawl! Travelling is always part of my theatrical journey - as I trek to BLT 4 times a week - a 40 mile round trip.  Anyway - I digress!  My wife Peta and I have so many friends in Canada we are able to call on them for some help in our preparations - including building our large set.  Blair Raddall is a star for helping us!  We are all looking forward to seeing the likes of Blair and Deborah, Rob and Sonya, Mr Ball, Greg, Erica, Gerri, Margo, Susan (desserts at Lanes) Grant and Sarah, Rick, Richard, Libby, Susannah, Cole, Paige, Mike and Heather, Brent and Ellen, Victoria, Beth, Leslie, Valerie and probably a whole of other people that I have missed from this list (my apologies for my fuddled brain).  We arrive on the Weds and will have 5 full days in Liverpool!   The picture below is taken from Lane's - and overlooks the Mersey River!

This will be the first of many blog posts - I hope from all the cast and writer and even our shy, retiring and often out of the limelight, technical director!!  More to come on our final preparations for the Gwent Festival and our ambitious plans for Canada - including a live webcast of our performance for the folks back home!

Catch you all later.....Neil Maidman