Neil Gaiman's American Gods being adapted for TV by Starz

I may have mentioned it before, but I bloody love Neil Gaiman! I’ve been a fan of his work for a long while, so naturally I was rather excited when it was announced that Gaiman’s multi-award winning novel American Gods is being adapted into a television series by Starz.

The series showrunners are Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal) and Michael Green (The River, Heroes), who will both be writing the pilot episode and are said to be creating a series that honours the book. In the official statement, Bryan Fuller said: "Neil Gaiman has created the holiest of holy toy boxes with American Gods and filled it with all manner of magical things, born of new gods and old. Michael Green and I are thrilled to crack this toy box wide open and unleash the fantastical titans of heaven and earth and Neil's vividly prolific imagination."

"When you create something like American Gods, which attracts fans and obsessives and people who tattoo quotes from it on themselves or each other, and who all, tattooed or not, just care about it deeply, it's really important to pick your team carefully: you don't want to let the fans down, or the people who care and have been casting it online since the dawn of recorded history,” Gaiman commented. “What I love most about the team who I trust to take it out to the world, is that they are the same kind of fanatics that American Gods has attracted since the start. I haven't actually checked Bryan Fuller or Michael Green for quote tattoos, but I would not be surprised if they have them."

The series will follow ex-con Shadow Moon in the modern-day United States as a war is brewing between the old gods (the gods and beings of ancient cultures and mythology) and the new gods (who reflect modern society’s obsession with media, celebrity, technology, economy etc.). I have very high hopes for this series!

And with the BBC currently developing a mini-series adaptation of Anansi Boys, as well as talk of a potential Sandman film (directed and possibly starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the future is looking bright, and made out of screens both big and small, for Neil Gaiman fans.

Sam Hain - Occult Detective: #3 The Grimditch Butcher is Out Now!

My third novella in the Sam Hain - Occult Detective series, The Grimditch Butcher, is out now and available to buy from Amazon's Kindle Store (£1.81/$2.99/€2.68, and equivalent prices internationally), or as a pdf eBook from the Sam Hain's Casebook website for £1.50.

"When a series of murders in the East London village of Grimditch catch Sam Hain's attention, he calls on Alice to aid in his investigation. With evidence pointing to the supernatural, and occult symbols appearing on the bodies of the victims, Sam and Alice must get to the bottom of things before more lives are lost to the Grimditch Butcher."

For more information about The Grimditch Butcher, and a free preview, click here.

Sam Hain - Occult Detective: A Night in Knightsbridge released, plus All Hallows' Eve FREE for a limited time only!

Sam Hain - Occult Detective: A Night in Knightsbridge (Episode II)
"On their first case together, Sam and Alice investigate an alleged haunting at a Knightsbridge townhouse. However, the two of them soon discover that they may be in for more than they bargained for..."

The second instalment in the Sam Hain - Occult Detective series, A Night in Knightsbridge, available on Amazon sites internationally for the Kindle (as well as for the free Kindle app for phones/tablets/computers/toasters) for £1.85 (or $2.99 USD/€2.67 EUR/¥312 JPY, and other such currencies), and as a pdf eBook for £1.50 from the Sam Hain’s Casebook website for people who don’t have Kindles or an app on their phones/tablets/computers/toasters.

Click here to purchase A Night in Knightsbridge from the Amazon Kindle Store.
Click here to buy A Night in Knightsbridge as a pdf eBook.

Sam Hain - Occult Detective: All Hallows' Eve (Episode I)
"On her way home from a Halloween party, Alice Carroll unwittingly stumbles upon a world she would never have believed was real. Just as her life is beginning to turn upside down and she starts to feel as if her nightmares are bearing down on her, Alice meets the one man who might be able to make sense of it…"

Also, the first Sam Hain story - All Hallows’ Eve - is absolutely FREE to download as both the Kindle edition and as an eBook for the 1st and 2nd of March. If you haven’t read the first episode and you want to in time for the second, the beginning of March is the time to do it!

Click here to download All Hallows' Eve from the Amazon Kindle Store.
Click here to download All Hallows' Eve as a pdf eBook.

It's Going to be a Sad Christmas... Matt Smith to Leave the TARDIS at the End of the Year

This article can also be found on Media Gateway.

The BBC has announced that Matt Smith will be hanging up his bow-tie and leaving Doctor Who during the 2013 Christmas Special, in which the Doctor will regenerate into Smith’s as-yet-unnamed successor. The news comes after months of rumour and speculation surrounding Smith’s tenure in the TARDIS. In a statement about his departure, Smith said:

"Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show.

"I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.

"Having Steven Moffat as show runner write such varied, funny, mind bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. It's been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven - he's a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world for the Doctor.

“The fans of Doctor Who around the world are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show (and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I've never seen before.

"Your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number 11, who I might add is not done yet - I'm back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special.

"It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the Tardis for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt."

I am sure I am not alone when I say I that Matt Smith’s portrayal of the Doctor will be greatly missed. Following on from David Tennant’s much-loved iteration of the character, Smith rose to the role brilliantly with an equally beloved portrayal of the eponymous Time Lord. Throughout his four years working on the show, Smith has displayed a phenomenal range of emotion and talent, providing consistently superb performances throughout the series. He has been a constant joy to watch, and is the very embodiment of the Doctor.

It will be a sad Christmas to see Smith’s departure, but he’ll be going out on a high note. I hope he'll be given the send off he deserves.

Thank you, Matt, for four fantastic years of time travelling shenanigans; it’s been absolutely brilliant. I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavours.

A Look At Star Trek Online: Legacy of Romulus

This article can also be found on Media Gateway.

Earlier this year, Cryptic Studios and Perfect World Entertainment announced their first expansion for Star Trek Online: Legacy of Romulus. The expansion introduces a third - and long-speculated - faction to the game, the Romulans, as they struggle to rebuild after their homeworld was destroyed by a supernova. It goes without saying that the STO community was a-buzz with the news!

I was honoured and privileged to be invited for the closed Beta test of the new Romulan faction. With a leap and a bound, I marched beneath the Raptor's wings and took to the testing server to try out life as a Romulan. (NB: This article may contain spoilers for the tutorial of Legacy of Romulus. You have been warned!)

Meet my character, Caius Ne'Ral, a former tactical officer of a Romulan Warbird, brought to the colony of Virinat a few short years ago by D'Vex, a man devoted to helping the Romulans rebuild after the diaspora. Now trying to start his new life on the colony, Caius has taken up work as a farmer, tending to the vineyards.  With its large, ramshackled marketplace, extensive vineyard and rustic housing, Virinat is quite a quaint and charming little colony - its certainly a far-cry from the former imperialism of the Romulan Star Empire.

After the loss of his homeworld, Caius took to a life of staring wistfully into the distance...

Some may argue that these aren't "true" Romulans as we're used to seeing in the Star Trek series, and they'd be right; so far on Virinat, I have yet to meet a vindictive, militant double-agent, and everyone's been incredibly friendly to my character. It may not be what some would call a traditional Romulan society, but I do like this new approach; a race of people trying to rebuild after the destruction of their homeworld and the destabilisation of their government. The imperialistic Romulans of old are still about, mind you, as their former intelligence department - the Tal Shiar - try to grip on to the old empire with a neutronium fist, and Empress Sela is trying to build an empire fit for her ruling, but the people of Virinat just want to lead a peaceful life secluded from the troubles and conflicts that mar the face of the Alpha Quadrant. It's a move that makes sense for a people without a homeworld or a stable government, and is a fine founding stone for the narrative of the New Romulan Republic.

But back to Caius's life. Some Khellids (a kind of large, flappy bug type thing) have been chewing through the irrigation pipes in the vineyards and Caius has been called upon to fix the leaks, blasting a few Khellids with his plasma pistol along the way. However, the Khellids are acting strangely aggressive, so Caius goes to investigate. In a cave not too far from the town, where swarms of Khellids buzz about as large buzzy insects are wont to do, there's a suspicious looking beacon. With the beacon deactivated, and a few Khellids splattered by plasma fire, Caius returns to the market place in time for an evening of festivity in this new and peaceful world.

I could get used to a life here.

Commemorating the founding of their settlement on this world, the Romulans settle in for a night of revelry. Fireworks sore into the ink-black skies, erupting into firey orange, sparkling blues, plasma green... Wait, that's no firework!

WHY CAN'T WE HAVE NICE THINGS?!

With the ground-works of this new Romulan settlement now established, it's all swiftly blown to pieces by the Tal Shiar. Grabbing a high-density plasma beam rifle, Caius makes a dash for the shuttlecraft where he, and other survivors of this onslaught, would make their escape. Escaping the atmosphere into orbit, the surviving shuttlecraft make their way to an abandoned Bird-of-Prey left in orbit several years ago - a ship I christened the Raptor's Talon.

Set a course for that interesting looking nebula, Mister T'Val.

This segment is another triumph for the opening of Legacy of Romulus; the first bridge officer to join your crew is a man you met on the surface of Virinat, and who helped you escape the devastation. The acquisition of a new officer prior to this (in the case of both the Federation and Klingon factions) just felt like buying a new commodity, but Legacy of Romulus has woven this new officer into the fabric of the story. The fact that he's a somewhat developed character means I'll probably keep him as a permanent tactical officer, as his dialogue makes him as much a part of Caius's story as the other central characters in the game.

In addition, having got main power and primary systems back online, you have to start scavenging for spare parts. Blowing apart debris from ancient, discarded vessels is a good start, as you start to collect components to turn this old rust-bucket into a functioning starship. It's just another thing that helps you engage with the narrative behind Legacy of Romulus and become a part of this rag-tag band of survivors in their exodus. As much as I like my Federation Vice Admiral, in his sleek uniform and state-of-the-art starship with a crew compliment of 2000, there's something about the story of these people from humble beginnings with their battered and worn clothes, forced to try and find a new life amongst the stars in their creaky old starship. The story is further embellished when you pick up a nearby distress signal from other survivors trying to escape the Tal Shiar. Engaging the enemy, you rescue the crew of these now derelict ships and beam them aboard your own.

Deftly evading plasma beams... Not bad for a farmer-turned-captain!

I didn't get to experience much more after this point, as the shard was taken down for maintenance (and there appeared to be a sudden increase in server-side lag), but from what I experienced thus far it had rekindled my excitement for Legacy of Romulus's release.

The story was engaging, weaving in core game mechanics as part of the narrative rather well, and if it continues in a similar vein then it will not disappoint! I encountered no bugs (except the Khellids!) in my first foray into Legacy of Romulus, and aside from the slight lag just before server maintenance the gameplay was smooth and thoroughly enjoyable. Some of the latest updates to the user interface, such as the ability to change the colour of your UI and the updated viewscreen/dialogue window, are a nice touch and create a more Trek-y vibe. The character creation screen has also been given a nifty new make-over, with it's over-hauled layout and dynamic background, which certainly looks good but might take me a bit to get used to! In fact, my only gripe with the experience was that during the cut-scenes, some of the subtitles went by a bit too fast, but I was able to get the gist of things (hopefully it'll be slowed down a bit for release on May 21st).

However, this is only the beta test for the biggest update to STO to date, and as Daniel Stahl stated in a recent Q&A, "This is an early build with many bells and whistles still missing. There is no VO yet and many of the cutscenes aren't finalized. You will find bugs and rough patches, but we would like to start getting feedback on the Romulans at this time."

All in all, Star Trek Online's first expansion looks set to be nothing short of spectacular! From the tutorial alone, Legacy of Romulus shows great promise and I'm looking forward to seeing where the course of events will take Caius and myself next...

Click here for more information on the Legacy of Romulus.

To sign up to Star Trek Online, which went free-to-play last year, please click here.


Bron's main character in Star Trek Online is Oracle@MorosAtum, an Arcturian science officer serving in the 12th Fleet.

Star Trek Online: Three-Year Anniversary

This weekend marks the third anniversary of Star Trek Online, and to celebrate Cryptic Studios are hosting a special anniversary event, running from Stardate 66552.4 through to 66590.8 (or 1st to 14th February for those who still use the 21st Century dating system). The event includes the appearance of the infamous Q on Earth Space Dock and Qo'noS, hosting parties and rewarding players for completing his tasks.

The three-year anniversary also sees the release of a brand new featured episode - Temporal Ambassador - starring Denise Crosby reprising her role as Lieutenant Tasha Yar from Star Trek: The Next Generation. In addition, players will be able to earn a free ship by completing this episode, with Federation players being rewarded with an Ambassador Class Support Cruiser, and members of the Klingon Defence Force with a Kamarag Class Battlecruiser.

Boldly go into the final frontier and celebrate STO's third year, and check out the infographic below to see what's been accomplished in Star Trek Online thus far.

Doctor Who: The Snowmen - Synopsis and Trailer

Christmas means one thing - or rather, one thing in my Universe - and that's the Doctor Who Christmas special. Admittedly, there's all that stuff about family and friendship and peace and goodwill to all men etc., but it's mostly about Doctor Who.

This year's Christmas special, The Snowmen, is a chilling tale about  monstrous snowmen with razor-sharp teeth, and not to be confused with The Snowman, the heart-warming story of Aled Jones and his snowy companion.
Here's the BBC's official summary...

Christmas Eve 1892 and the falling snow is the stuff of fairy-tales. When the fairy-tale becomes a nightmare and a chilling menace threatens Earth, an unorthodox young governess, Clara, calls on the Doctor for help. But the Doctor is in mourning, reclusive and determined not to engage in the problems of the universe.

As old friends return, will the Doctor really abandon humankind or will he fight to save the world – and Christmas – from the icy clutches of this mysterious menace.

The Snowmen sees the introduction of Jenna-Louise Coleman as the Doctor's latest companion, Clara, and will also guest star Richard E. Grant and the voice of Sir Ian McKellen. The episode will also feature some new aesthetics, with a new title sequence, a new outfit for the Doctor and a sleek new TARDIS interior which harkens back to the style of the classic Doctor Who series (presumably as an homage as Doctor Who the year of its 50th anniversary).

The Snowmen is billed for the slightly earlier time of 5.15pm on Christmas Day, and the trailer can be found immediately below this sentence.

Star Trek Into Darkness - Latest News and Theatrical Trailer

"Is there anything you would not do for your family?"

If you were thinking that I have been slightly fixated with the upcoming Star Trek film, then you'd be bloody right! The past couple of weeks have been rife with updates and teasers for the much-anticipated film, with the initial teaser trailer, new promotional pictures, character reveals and now, the release of the official theatrical trailer.

Two of the film's characters have been revealed; the first, played by Alice Eve, is Dr Carol Marcus. Carol Marcus was the molecular biologist who featured in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and was the brains behind Project Genesis, as well as the mother to Captain Kirk's son, David Marcus. As Star Trek Into Darkness is set in an alternate timeline, and with the Enterprise crew at an earlier point in their lives than in the events of Wrath of Khan, it's safe to assume that Eve will be portraying Dr Marcus at the time she and Kirk first meet.

The second character to be named, and is the one that has been sending fans rabid with speculation for almost a year, is the villain of the piece, played by Benedict Cumberbatch; John Harrison, a "one-man terrorist, who does despicable things for a noble cause." Cumberbatch hopes that his character will elicit sympathies, despite being a one-man weapon of mass destruction and psychological warfare. "He is very ruthless … He is not a clearly good or evil character," said Cumberbatch. "He is a villain but the actions he takes have intent and reason. He is a complicated character not to be judged by white-or-black, or good-or-evil. But this is the appeal of JJ's works and [why] I felt challenged as an actor."
JJ Abrams added: "The character is a villain and scary, but I was looking for an actor with humanity who audiences can sympathies with."

So far, so tantalising!

And lastly, the latest theatrical trailer for the film has now been released, featuring new shots and a decidedly more sombre opening (although things get kicked into high gear about half-way through!). The new, 2 minute trailer can be seen below, and a special 9 minute preview of the film will be shown at IMAX screenings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

All I can say is, 17th May 2013 can't come soon enough!

First Trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness Released

"You think your world is safe... It is an illusion, a comforting lie told to protect you."

These are the somewhat Nietzschean opening words of Benedict Cumberbatch's dark voice-over for the latest release from the Paramount vaults. After a year of absolute secrecy, the first glimpse of JJ Abram's Star Trek sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, is finally here (which can be seen below).

This minute-long teaser trailer is a web-only release, with previews of the first nine minutes of Star Trek Into Darkness to be shown at certain IMAX screenings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey next week. A longer theatrical trailer is also expected to be released around the same time.

Cumberbatch is very much at the forefront of this trailer, darkly intoning an ominous monologue over shots of a peaceful Federation city, which soon gives way to some decidedly more explosive sequences.
Star Trek Into Darkness certainly looks set to be an action-packed spectacle!

"Enjoy these final moments of peace. For I have returned to have my vengeance. So, shall we begin?"

Entertainment Media Show: An Overview

This article can also be found on Step2Inspire.

On the 1st and 2nd of October, London's Earls Court played host to a wide array of guests from film and television at this year's Entertainment Media Show. Much like London Film and Comic Con earlier in the year, the event's range of talks, Q&As and photo sessions with the stars draws thousands of visitors annually. Armed with press pass in one hand and a dictaphone in the other, I took to EMS to attend the talks and chat with a few of the guests...

First and foremost, it was hot. Ludicrously so. Being crammed onto the second floor of the conference hall in the ridiculously unwelcome return of summer heat was not a situation I would describe as pleasant. Even I, who vainly and stubbornly always wears a jacket no matter the weather, was forced to sling my fashionable attire over my shoulder due to the unprecedented heat... Christ knows how some of the Cosplayers survived in their elaborate attire!

Saturday was primarily Q&A day, featuring guests from Bill and Ted, Star Wars and Doctor Who. Starting the day were Dan Shor and Jane Wiedlin (Billy the Kid and Joan of Arc in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure) talking about their experiences on Bill and Ted, and their own excellent adventures since the film. Shor is currently president of ShodaVision, a production company which started when Shor went on a sojourn to the South Pacific in 2003 – since then, he has gone on to produce documentaries, television series, music videos and video streams. Wiedlin has recently acted in Doggie Boogie, The Casserole Club and I Want To Get Married, has released the third issue of her comic book series, Lady Robotika, has just finished a tour with The Go-Go's, the band that she and Belinda Carlisle started in '78, and has also written a couple of musicals. Alex Winter had also been Bill-ed (see what I did there?!) for the event, but unfortunately he was unable to attend due to other commitments.

Next up was a Q&A with Ian McNeice and Albert Welling, both of whom recently appeared in Doctor Who as Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler respectively. McNeice had had previous experience performing as Churchill in Howard Brenton's Never So Good at the National Theatre, but was absolutely thrilled to be portraying the renowned Prime Minster on Doctor Who. Welling had previously played Erwin Rommel in D-Day, and upon being cast as Hitler in Let's Kill Hitler, his first thought was simply “this is the highest ranking Nazi I could ever get!” At the age of 14, Welling had been visiting some relatives in Germany when, for the first time since the war, one of Adolf Hitler's speeches was broadcast. Watching the speech from beginning to end, unable to understand a word of what was being said, Welling witnessed the power of Hitler's oratory, and drew on his feelings from that experience to portray the role in Doctor Who.

Later on, Eve Myles (known for playing Gwen Cooper in Torchwood) spoke about her experiences on the show, it's move to the States in Miracle Day, and how she finds it a constant fear and a joy to portray Gwen. “Every time I put those leathers on and those guns come out of my arse pocket, I am nervous as hell. And as soon as that stops, it's time for me to do another period drama! I will do it as long as people want to see me do it. And I love Gwen Cooper, she is the most extraordinary, complex, flawed beautiful character I have ever had the privilege of playing.”

On both Saturday and Sunday, a small panel of Doctor Who guests held Q&As on the series just passed, Saturday's line-up being Nina Toussaint-White (Mels, Let's Kill Hitler) and Arthur Darvill (Rory), and Sunday featuring Frances Barber (Madame Kovarian) and Georgia Moffet (Jenny, The Doctor's Daughter), with Caitlin Blackwood (Young Amelia Pond) in attendance for both days. Highlights from these Q&As included: Toussaint-White would love to return as Mels if the opportunity presented itself; Darvill has started collecting taxidermy, and really wants a stuffed owl; Moffet has a deathly phobia of fish, and as the daughter of Peter Davison and being engaged to David Tennant, she's the first person to be both the wife and daughter of the Doctor, albeit in different incarnations; Blackwood has never tried fish fingers and custard, and is rather adamant she never will; and Frances Barber can silence a room just by uttering “an impossible astronaut will rise from the deep, and strike the Time Lord dead.”

On the Sunday, I was joined by my friend and colleague Josh Harris and his flat mates. Having recorded the previous day's talks, Sunday was to be more focussed on brief one-to-one interviews with the guests. Unfortunately, some of the guests (not least David Tennant) were consistently inundated with autographing and photo shoot sessions, so getting a chance to speak with them was near-on impossible. We were able to chat with Dan Shor, Jane Wiedlin, Ian McNeice, Joe Flanigan (Lt. Colonel Sheppard, Stargate Atlantis), and Paul McGann ('I' in Withnail & I, and the Doctor in the 1996 Doctor Who TV-film). I had also fervently attempted to talk with Arthur Darvill regarding his potential return to Doctor Who, and his recent work in the Globe theatre's production of Doctor Faustus, but due to his popularity I sadly was unable to grab a few minutes with him.

Overall, the weekend was mad, packed, and thoroughly enjoyable! There was far too much there to cover in just a single article, and more will be coming soon. With approximately eight hours of audio recorded, run-downs of a number of the Q&As and transcriptions of some of the interviews will be online sometime soon, so keep an eye out for them!

London Film and Comic Con 2011

From the 8th to the 10th of July, London’s Earls Court will play host to London Film and Comic Con. LFCC, now in it’s 7th year of annual conventions, will be holding a number of talks, photoshoots and autograph sessions with some well known faces from film and TV, as well as prominent figures in the comic industry. Guests this year include the likes of Back to the Future’s Christopher Lloyd, Doctor Who’s Karen Gillan and Star Trek’s Brent Spiner, to name but a small number of the guests!

The star-studded event will also play host to video game enthusiasts, budding artists, and cosplayers. It is the quintessential convention in every sense. Full information on LFCC can be found on the website at www.londonfilmandcomiccon.com

I will be covering the event over the weekend, writing about the talks held by the stars and guest speakers, as well as any news from the industry and the inevitable encounter with a gold bikini clad Princess Leia!

I’ll also be tweeting from the event, so be sure to follow @Step2DramaTV on Twitter for live updates.

Site Update - Shoot 2011

Just a quick post to say that images from my recent shoot are now on the website. Check them out!

www.bronjames.co.uk

National Novel Writing Month - A Retrospective

I went into National Novel Writing Month at the beginning of November with a spring in my step and a song in my heart, and with my wide and dewy eyes I gazed upon the word count that was to be my goal. 50,000 words.  Having only found out about this event 3 days into it, I would have to average 1851 words a day which, whilst seemingly a little steep, was perfectly manageable.

Under certain circumstances.

One of said circumstances is that you can keep your imagination from bouncing around like an over-excitable labradoodle. I started with a respectable and serious novel with deep philosophical and political connotations which would put our entire social paradigm into question, but before long I noticed small cracks starting to appear, revealing a sense of humour beneath it. Not that this novel didn't have room for humour, but the contrast between the main narrative and these snippets of wit and whimsy was so stark that it would have been more subtle to walk into an office with an electric blue mohawk and a 'My Little Pony' briefcase. It wouldn't work!


Unfortunately, my imagination spotted this and leapt onto the idea with the fervour of a horde of crazed rabbits that have just seen something that rabbits really like (don't think too much about that metaphor, I certainly didn't). Suddenly, I had the idea for the novel I was writing at the time, a sequel, a completely different novel, and about two or three plays running rampant in my mind.

There was also an infinite number of monkeys at my door wanting to talk to me about a script for 'Hamlet' they'd worked out, but I told them I had enough problems of my own and to come back sometime next week.

Anyway, in conclusion, I've decided to dedicate myself to my imagination, take it out for candle-lit meals, long walks, and write a novel in my own time rather than try and squeeze a story out within a month.

Great Gorilla Run

I know what you're thinking. "Bron, you charismatic stallion, it's been over a week since the Great Gorilla Run. Why haven't you Blogged anything?" Unfortunately, despite having a blog, I'm not the most frequent of bloggers. Regardless, the past week has been filled of it's own distractions to derail my focus from blogging (as infrequent as it is).

Well, what can I say about the event? It was a not un-windy day, and somewhat cold. Despite this, the gorillas still removed their heads to reveal they were actually sweat-drenched humans afterall. There was a substantial amount of supporters, mostly gathered around the start/finish line up Mincing Lane (close to Monument), where Bill Oddie awaited to hand out medals to each runner as they crossed the line to the sound of an all-gorilla percussive band.



I'm not entirely sure what else I can say about the event!
A thousand people hopped into some gorilla costumes and went for a run around central London, leaving pedestrians and drivers baffled. Most amusingly was the bloke out for a casual run, completely oblivious of the event, suddenly being overtaken by a band of gorillas. I sincerely hope he still doesn't quite understand what went on to this day...

Oh, and a most gratuitous thank you to Bill Bailey for posting about this event to his followers on Twitter - the Animal Ledger website received so many views from his tweet that the bandwidth had to be upgraded! Bill Bailey is a supporter of both the Sumatran Orangutan Society and International Animal Rescue, and we really appreciate him publicising this event in the hope of gaining more sponsors.

Great Gorilla Run

This Sunday, my friend Sonia will be joining a thousand other gorilla-costume-clad runners as they take to the streets of London in a 7km charity fun run to aid the plight of the great mountain gorilla, of which only 720 remain in the wild (gorillas, not runners). 


For further information and details on how to donate, please visit http://www.animalledger.com/greatgorillarun.htm


I'll attempt to blog the event whilst there, and write a few catch-up posts to fill in the almost-two-month gap between my last post and this one at some point too.

Website Updated

Pictures from Romeo and Juliet have now been uploaded onto my website. Thanks to Steve Hawker for these brilliant images!
More pictures from the performances will follow at a later date.

Yesterday we had our final rehearsal before the opening night. Things ran smoothly and quickly, with scenes slipping seamlessly into eachother. The occasional passer-by would come and receive a free preview of a scene or two before carrying on their way, probably unnerved by being spoken to by 16th Century nobility...

A few weeks back I did a bit of in-costume advertising in and about the town with... mixed reception. Some people were actually interested and obligingly took a leaflet (although probably only because they saw me reaching for my rapier), whilst others found it easier to turn a blind eye on the tall man in green. Personally I thought the doublet and cape were much more trendy than contemporary clothes, but each to his own!

Opening night is tomorrow night at Christchurch Priory House. 'Doors' open at about 18:30 and the performance starts at 19:30 (with a little introduction about ten minutes prior from the various supporting artists to immerse the audience into the story and lull them into a false sense of security!).

Romeo and Juliet - Update

Following the weeks of selected scene work and running the production's segments, we're now on to full run throughs. Given Shakespeare's love of wordiness, no doubt these will last long into the night! We're presently working with very few cuts to the script, but chances are some elements will have to be trimmed if it appears the audience won't be leaving their seats until midnight.

Opening night is in just under two weeks now - whilst it feels like this whole run-up has been brief, I also can't remember a time without it! Tickets are available from Christchurch Tourist Information and on the 'door' (although, being outside, there is no actual door... just a man called John).

Romeo and Juliet

After several weeks of running read-throughs and blocking some of the scenes, rehearsals for the open-air production of Romeo and Juliet have now moved to the performance space in Christchurch. Presently it's just a lot of grass with entrances marked by jumpers, but at least we now have a feel for our environment!

Having auditioned back at the beginning of February, I was cast as Count Paris. Despite being the suitor of Juliet and opposition to Romeo, I maintain Paris is no villain - he's merely courting the wrong woman at the wrong time given the central events of the narrative. That doesn't stop him from being arrogant, imperious and pompous, though!

A New Era

Following my endeavours to establish an official domain on the internet (currently in negotiations for a domain availible at competitive prices!) I have discovered the wonders of blogging. This is not my first blog, but is my first official blog. My numerous attempts to establish a website have seen many a blog post, but these are to be discarded now I have discovered Blogger.

What inticed me to join Blogger was my mobile phone. Amongst it's many attributes that make it more than a mere commodity, more of a hand-held companion, it has a blogging service that directly links to my Blogger account. It not only accesses Facebook, Twitter, and utilises an accurate GPS system, but when I take a picture with it's camera I can upload instantaneously to my blog! This means any random thoughts or events I encounter during my travels, I may update the cyber-population with anything from the mundane to the absurd.

This prospect probably fills many with excitement, anticipation and nausea, so I shan't delay with finishing this post. Especially since I've run out of things to say, (which is a first I might add!)

Welcome to the B-Logs.