That’s No Moon
We’ve had awesome moons with streamers of twisting cloud tearing past all week. The wind driving it’s been quite powerful – not so much here in Nottingham, but everywhere else seems to have been hammered. It makes cycling especially… interesting. My cycle route to and from work is an elongated ‘S’ which gives the blustery tempest every angle of attack. I’ve gone from almost motionless with wind in my face to being skittered across the road in front of lorries: fun.
I’m working hard at relaxing at the moment. I recognise that work is getting on top of me, as it sometimes does when there is much to do, but almost no plan of what and how it needs to be done. It’s frustrating working for people incapable of planning, or even committing their thoughts and ideas to paper / email. It means everything is subject to debate, the vagaries of memory and imprecision of spoken language. This is why I prefer to make proposals and such on paper – at least then we all know what at least one of us is talking about.
Reading has been a big release from work this week, I’ve read three short novels this week! That’s felt great, I do so love being immersed in a world. That’s how I like to drift off to sleep, imagining myself in their realm. It doesn’t really matter if it’s scifi, fantasy or war – even a terrifying tale like Let The Right One In was enough to delve into and go to sleep. Lego, as always is an excellent relaxant, although it does wick the hours away frighteningly.
I also got this great skull, for work. It’s the first part of one of those exploitatively priced partworks collections – How Your Body Works. This one does look pretty cool – it’s an ooman skeleton with some organs and bobs and bits. I had fun plugging the teeth in at work. It’s now a desk tidy and I’ve shoved stuff in his eyes. I won’t be parting with £4.99 or whatever it is each week. Part One – the skull was only 99p! Next week is the top of the skull, eyes and brain. That’s only £2.99…
Improv Musing
I went out on Wednesday to see my one-to-one client for improvisation and creative confidence (a genuinely scary cycling in the wind journey there and back), which was just the thing to respark my brain after a day of spreadsheet ennui. We’re exploring spontaneity and telling stories by focussing only on what has happened so far – it’s from that information that the rest of the tale will spring. Looking ahead isn’t necessary – I think that kind of planning is a different skill and can be built onto the sort of discipline we’re working on. I like the business of analysing the information we have at each point in a story and what they imply and we can infer about the context and history of the characters and places we create. There are also strong aspects of mindfulness and the importance of attending to the present. The vitality and essentiality of the present when improvising are amongst its most valuable therapeutic benefits. The confidence and self-assurance that people develop when they commit to improvising and evolving with a group of people are enormously heart-warming.
I did not, however, get any writing done last week. I need a new plan!
♥ Last Week’s Scribbles
This week, Monday 10th February 2014 – reviews of Sobar Nottingham and The Ned Ludd.
Events and Excitement
Friday 28th February
MissImp in Action – live improv comedy show
Thrilling all-action end of the month show sporting the best of MissImp inventing scenes and playing games.
The Glee Club
The Waterfront
Canal Street
Nottingham
8.30pm (doors open at 8pm) – £4.50 in advance/£6 on the door (£3 students/MissImp)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1419935891573539/
Sunday 2nd March 2014
Ten Thousand Million Love Stories
A two person, multi character improvised longform with Heather Urquhart and Jules Munns. This is a show about love, what it means and how we succeed and fail in it.
The magnificent Heather Urquhart and Jules Munn from the award-winning Brighton improv group The Maydays bring their two-person show to Nottingham. Ten Thousand Million Love Stories is a joyous performance from two actors at the top of their game. Preceded by the Fancy Pants Jam – a performance by Heather & Jules with local improvisers.
“The perfect balance between realism and comedy slapstick, these two comfortably jumped from one character to another, without ever losing their flow. The show was as funny as it was impressive” Brighton’s Finest
The Corner
8 Stoney Street
(off Broad Street)
Nottingham
6.30pm Fancy Pants Jam
7.30pm Ten Thousand Million Love Stories
Entry: £5
https://www.facebook.com/events/502130516564097/
