Thinning Out My Life

Thinning out my life

I have too much.

Too many thing. Too many thoughts. Too much access to information and content and entertainment.

Although I would say I am an intelligent woman, I am also a bear of very little brain space and I honestly feel that I have filled it to capacity. I have hit the ripe old age of 28 and I have room for no more. There's no mental space left to process things which means that when problems arise I fly into a panic and cry rather than rationally sorting it out logically. This is turn makes me tired. So I go to sleep earlier. Which is great except then I run out of room in my day for all the content I crave. (Or that I have become accustomed to and feel I need to take in). As you might guess from my flying into a panic comment, I am an anxious person and even an unwatched video on my YouTube subscriptions gives me a feeling of not completing something, of missing a mark or a target. Oh yeah... that's not healthy. And finally physical space. I am in the very exciting position of being mid-renovation on a house that I have bought with my lovely Boy. That sounds wonderful. All that space. But what do I do with the 28 years worth of clutter and crap I've collected in the meantime.   (Ps. I really enjoyed that alliteration there, did you?) I don't just want to transfer it ALL to a new space and plus, the Boy's got to have some room for his bits and bobs too. I am a bit of a hoarder and feel guilt at getting rid of things. So my brain is full, my space is full and my time is full. Enough is enough. Time to thin out.

Step one: The brain.
I am sure once the house stuff gets sorted that will free up some room in my own personal head-hard drive but until then, stuff is getting delegated. In particular to my phone. Lists and reminders have become my go to coping device. Daily tasks at work pop up on recurring reminders. The shopping list is continually added to and ticked off in a never ending stream of not trying to remember what I've run out of. A spreadsheet for presents and events that require gift purchases. Yes. Yes I have one of those too. It hasn't solved all my problems but at least it's taken some pressure off my remains megabits of memory.

Step 2: My time.
So earlier this year I took the plunge and reduced my hours down to four days a week. And about a month after I did that I took on a one day part-time job at a bakers. This lasted a few months and then they wound down over the summer telling me they normally picked up again in the autumn and that they'd give me a call. During that time I bought a house and found my additional day off to be very helpful in a)getting stuff done and b) giving the aforementioned brain a break from all my work-related stresses. I found myself worrying about how I would cope once I went back to my second job. So with a heavy heart, but a brace decision for me I chose to quit. I felt guilty and like I was causing them difficulties but I had to do what was right for me. My time is precious and I can't fit everything I want to into it. Sometimes something has to give.

I have actively unsubscribed from various things across various social media. I figure less stuff coming my way with the potential to eat into my time has got to be a good thing. I am considering making a timetable of regular subscriptions like my podcasts so I know what is coming each day and where I am at with keeping up to date. It's a little thing, you might think it sounds like a daft thing, but it's a thing to help me stay in control.

Recently, with everything going on, I've turned down friends, great friends who I don't see enough because I haven't been able to cope with the idea of another thing, of losing the time for jobs and tasks and worrying. I am lucky that I have the most wonderful friends who understand and only send love and offers of help rather than get annoyed but this isn't how I want to live my life so I need to sort out some time management too.


Step 3: All. The. Stuff.

This is by far the biggest thing. Of course when I move I will have more than one room to fill with stuff but I truly don't want to move from one crowded space to another so I need to declutter and I need to start now. Things to tackle are:
* Clothes
* Shoes
* Bags
* Books
* DVDs
* Craft supplies
* Ornaments
* Keepsakes and memory stuff
* Paperwork
* Notebooks (I have so many notebooks!)
* Childhood toys
* Probably a ton of other stuff.

I never meant to leave my blog in 2016 and I wish I hadn't because I've done some amazing things that I wished I had blogged about. I'll have to see if I can't do a 'round-up' post to catch up. The thing is though, as well as all the fun stuff, this year has been a challenge and trying to blog in it just wasn't a good idea for me. But I know my little Internet corner will be there for me to whitter on in if I need it.

If you have read this far, or any of it at all, thank you.

I hope to see you soon
Love Charlotte x

Awards Ceremony #7PlaysIn7Days

Not quite the Oscars but I had a good time.

So...now I've had a couple of days rest from all of the constant play excitement I feel like I can write up my final comments on the Wakefield Drama Festival or as I have been, and always will be calling it #7playsin7days.

Where to begin? At the beginning where Paul the Announcer (I only found out his name in the last two nights) explained how the festival worked and I couldn't decide whether the idea of staying for the feedback was a good idea or not. Further in, where after Paul had made the same speech EVERY night and I was losing the will to turn up on time. I completely understand that not everyone went for all 7 nights and that he had to explain it for those who were new but it got pretty boring by night 3, I can only imagine the frustration of people who had been attending for years. Or do I begin at the end? Where the awards were given?

Yes... I shall begin at the end. I hadn't realised this at first, but there was opportunity to vote for your favourite play, actors and directors. I thought it was just a little gimmick in the programme but once the final play had wrapped up, 7 night ticket holders were invited to collect voting slips which I wholeheartedly did. 

If you have read my previous blogs on the festival, you might have guessed the Two was my favourite. And if you didn't, it was only because I was trying to be fair and positive about the other shows. Two was by far the best show, the best acted and the best directed. So that is how I voted. If they had had more than two actors I would have voted for them in the supporting actor/actress categories too. I did have my reservations though if they would win. Not because they didn't deserve it, of course they did! But they performed on the quietest night and they weren't the local companies which I had heard rumour generally pulled in the prizes. Myself, The Boy and our new in the real world friends fromTwitter gathered together to wait for the outcome. And boy were we surprised. Two practically did a clean sweep. I felt strangely proud for knowing it was the best. Clearly I am a theatre expert. Or, I just like a good laugh, well performed. Either way... I was happy and they looked shocked more than anything!

I would definitely attend the festival again. Although I might book the odd day off in between for a recovery day. I am not accustomed to going out so much! 

The audience was asked at the end to try to spread the word about the event, to help promote it and to make it more successful. I think this is a reasonable request, after all, I found out about the plays by word of mouth (well... Tweets but it's the sa,e thing these days) but it did feel a bit cheeky when the theare itself doesn't seem to promote its own event very well at all. It was hammered into me that this was the 16th year of the event but the first I heard of it was only a year or so ago. I didn't see that the tickets had been announced this year save for being told by my Twitter informant. The theatre have a Twitter account  but no one seems to have shown them how to use it. Maybe they advertise locally, in the paper... I admit I'm not in town very often and I don't buy the local rag, but I don't think I am that out of the ordinary. Having had my little rant, I will try to spread the word, I've got a couple of people in mind who might be up for at least a few plays if not all 7. It seems such a shame more people don't know about it and it was such an intense week... It really felt different and was quite a refreshing change, followed by what seems like quite a refreshing rest!

I'm off to try and think of something else to write about now... My #7playsin7days fodder has dried up now... Until next year!

Pip pip,

Charlotte x 

Trojan Women #7PlaysIn7Days

Night Seven.
They flogged that Trojan Horse. 

Night Seven! We made it to the end. But nothing could have prepared me for this. 5 out of the other 6 shows could be described as Comedy Dramas. Even Dracula had a laugh or two. But this. This was serious. This was a downer. Why on earth did they put this on for the final night? On Saturday night? I think it was because it would've put people off coming back. 

I'll apologise now, this isn't going to be very positive. I've tried but I just didn't enjoy it. 

A bizarre mix of ancient Greece and modern day refugee camps with bullet proof vests... I just don't think it was for me. Being made to watch what felt like at least 5 minutes of news footage about various terrorist attacks before the play had barely begun really put me off. I didn't understand what I had come to see and I don't really want to spend my Saturday night at the theatre being reminded that the world is a terrible place. 

The play itself lacked an interval and was a lot to take in without a breather. The choice to have cast members complete full costume changes on stage, in the dark, to wailing music was... unusual. I understand that they needed to show that a member of the general cast was now playing a specific role but why they couldn't just leave the stage and change there I just don't know. Especially since most of the time, immediately after the costume change, that character left the stage anyway! 

I believe was sat in the stalls, not that far from the front and there were several occasions where I couldn't hear what the cast were saying either because of poor projection, two many people talking at once or bad stage direction (talking into the floor is never going to work well). 

I did think Helen, frankly one of the only characters I can remember the name of, was quite good. She was strong, passionate and I could actually hear what she said for all of her scene. Winning. But this one scene couldn't save it for me. 

Closing the play with more news footage, this time including footage of a dead child was too much for me. I understand that it's real life. I understand it mirrored the death of a child in the play. I understand that I am in a privileged position to say that I would rather not see it on my Saturday night and that I will most likely never experience anything as harrowing myself. But, I still don't think it was appropriate, or at least that there should have been some sort of hint or warning of what was coming. I came expecting some sort of ancient Greek mythological thing, and that is not what I got. I'm glad I stuck it out and there were a few highlights but I wouldn't ever see it again, and to be honest I will be slightly wary should I attend the festival again, and that theatre group is performing. 

That's #7playsin7days. Just the awards ceremony to go!

Pip pip
Charlotte x

Blood Brothers #7PlaysIn7Days

Night Six
The big hitter

I read Blood Brothers at school. I'm pretty sure we did an exam on it. I've seen the musical and have the sound track on my computer. It's a big well known show and probably the first time I've been to see a shown where I already had not only a vague idea of what the story was, but that I definitely knew.

They didn't go for the full on musical, although there was an attempt at Marilyn Monroe. I know it started life as a play, but I think the songs add something extra. I like the story, those that I was with weren't so keen. It led to some disagreement during the interval and afterwards. Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy disagreement though. 

I must say I thought they were brave to take on such a well known play but the bold move paid off in that it really pulled in the crowds. It has been such a shame to see the smaller audiences during the week, I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be in a large crowd sharing the expected. As a newbie to the festival I found it a little strange when Paul the Announcer suddenly appeared on stage as the Narrator/Devil. While he did a very good job moving the play along and delivered all his lines with great strength, I found it hard to move past him giving the nightly welcome speech and the same brown suit he'd worn all week. 

Just incase you don't know, the story follows twin brothers, Micky and Eddie who become friends after being separated at birth. The birth mother, Mrs. Johnstone is a poor, single and superstitious. Due to threats from the welfare she gives one son away to the well off, snobby Mrs. Lyons, her employer. There's a love interest for both boys in the guise of Linda who brought me my favourite moment for my the play.

Linda had always been the best shooter, beating the boys when they were 8 with their toy airgun. 10 years later they're 18 and at the fun fair. Micky pays for a go on a game where you have to shoot 3 ducks down. She shoots once, the first duck falls, she shoots again and both remaining ducks fall. Linda is epic. As it turns out from an admission during the feedback, my favourite moment in the whole show was apparently a mistake but I think they need to keep it in of they ever do it again, and the adjudicator agreed with me!

One little niggle, if I am allowed, is that the cast seemed to forget the birth mother's name is Mrs. Johnstone not Mrs. Johnson. It's a small point but that 'st' sound is important to me. The devil is in the detail after all.

Something I hadn't appreciated before though was communicated to me in this performance. I had always been under the impression that Mrs. Lyons wasn't a superstitious woman but that she played on the superstitions of Mrs. Johnstone to stop her accessing her son, telling her if he twins ever met each other and found out they were brothers that they would die. Fair enough... I understand this. What I hadn't felt before was that it was this very comment that drove Mrs. Lyons into paranoia and depression. She drove herself insane, believing her own lies and that everyone was out to kill her son by revealing the truth. Or maybe that's not what happened and I've missed something else all together. I don't care, I enjoyed the show and that's what mattered to me.

One night to go!
Charlotte x

Holiday Snap #7PlaysIn7Days

Night Five
Farcical

Another night... and pair of couples with marital problems. Unlike Abigail's Party though this play was honest about the what indiscretions are taking place.

To quickly summarise, two couples have accidentally been booked into the same week of a Time Share. Hilarity ensues as their host fails to realise that he had been talking to two entirely different couples due to a combination of broken glasses and an increasing amount of gin consumption.

It was, to use a football phrase, a play of two halves. Pre-Interval comprises of each couple believing the other is the staff, plenty of made up Portuguese and the discovery that 'Wife number 1' is actually on holiday with someone who isn't her husband. Post-Interval reveals that the second couple aren't who they appear to be either and are also engaged in an affair! The couples argue over who will stay and keep the week which looks to be settled when threats to reveal one pairs indiscretions are made but the unexpected arrival of a mother in-law flips everything on its head again.

The plot might not have been the best I've ever come across but I thought the actors were great. Their timing was spot on and the laughs were frequent and hearty. Plus we experienced the moment of the week where the extremely drunk host staggers in during a celebratory moment and casually tips the champagne bottle in the hand of one of the guests so it discreetly fills his own glass. So smooth. You had to be their to truly understand the beauty of the move.

Mostly what I am after from a night at the theatre is to coem out the other end with a smile on my face and this play made sure that I did.

 Pip pip Charlotte x

Abigail's Party #7PlaysIn7Days

Night Four
Over the hump
This was the second play from the week that I had actually heard of. Abigail's Party. I had no idea what it was but I had a vague idea that it was from 70s and a quick scan over the blurb confirmed my suspicions. But still... I didn't really know what to expect.

The characters comprised of two couples and a single woman who all get together for a party.
Couple one was a very brash, bold woman (Beverly) married to a workaholic, straight-laced man (Laurence). I can only assume that have grown apart over the years and they were more alike when they met.

Couple two contrasted even more sharply. The woman (Angela) was... A free spirit shall we say, dressed in floor length skirt, floaty oversized blouse, poncho and hair ribbon. She also seemed, again being polite, to be a little dim. Having said that she was a nurse so maybe she just switches off outside of work. Her husband (Tony) however... Was a bloke. You know... Vest... England shorts... Spoke in single word sentences. I do not know how these guys got together at all!

And our final friend for the evening is a divorcee (Susan) whose daughter is having her own party down the road. We never actually meet Abigail... Even though the play is named for her.

Anyway... The general gist, is that everyone gets a bit drunk and either worries, stresses, shouts, flirts and argues. It was funny enough... But I really struggled with the surface level content of the play. It's so obvious that both couples are struggling in their relationships. Beverly is clearly fed up of Laurence spending all his time and attention on work, and he is evidently fed up of Beverly's lack of finesse, class and style. They are just not the same... He is so impressed with himself for liking olives and Shakespeare and I think sees himself as a bit posh. He tries to impress Sue, who seems to share his taste while Beverly makes it no secret that she is impressed by Tony's physique and 'manliness'. Angela is just happy to eat all the crisps.

There is a brief mention of childhoods which Tony snaps at, suggesting there is something deeper going on there and full on shouts at Angela at one point, ordering her to get up and leave the party even though she wants to stay. The tension between them really intrigued me as to what the difficulties were in their relationship, it felt to me that Tony might be controlling but again NOTHING came of the outbursts.

I won't spoil the ending but I was very disappointed that we didn't actually find out anything meaningful about the characters and their lives. Oh well... Can't have everything.

Pip pip,
Charlotte x

Two #7PlaysIn7Days

Night Three
Proper Laughs

So it turns out I have had reservations about all the plays in this festival. The idea that I was going to watch just two people for an hour and a half playing multiple different characters struck me as something that had to be performed extremely well or was going to be a disaster.

How was I going to tell who was who? Would the actors be talking to themselves? Not knowing anything about the play before hand my mind took me to places where I was going to be utterly confused.

Thankfully, no one had to talk to themselves, the structure of the play was that of individual scenes with either one character monologing or a male and female character interacting. At no point was the guy pretending to be an old man totalling to the landlord and doing some sort of terrible accent swapping which was what I feared would happen.

The actors themselves did a sterling job! Totally brilliant. If every they need a showpiece to prove they can do more than one thing, they should just tape that and put it on YouTube. If you can play, an elderly person, a boyfriend with a roaming eye and girlfriend who has had enough,a couple in an abusive relationship, a couple who have let themselves go, a weak man and a strong woman, a small boy and a married couple held only together by their business running the pub the play is set in you have my utmost respect. 

The characters came almost entirely from the actors themselves with only the slightest costume and hair changes to identify each new character on stage. The changes were extremely smooth and done at great speed. My favourite character had to be the woman in the fat couple who seemed to have headed to the pub just to watch telly and eat crisp. NEVER has eating crisps been so funny. But the most standout moment had to be the boyfriend with roaming eye jumping off the stage, shaking his bum in the face of one front row punter and seriously flirting with another who from my vantage point definitely looked to be a pensioner. 

From the feedback at the end it sounded like this was quite a different set up from the usual way of doing it and I think it would be a very interesting experience to see another pair attempt it. I don't know if anyone else feels this way about theatre but I always choose new shows rather than going to see something twice. However, there are a few things that I would be up for seeing again and I would definitely consider this one.


4 to go!
Charlotte xx