JULY 2010 UPDATE
I was impressed by the 'Drummond Will' last month and the audience really enjoyed it. It's a sort of updated Ealing comedy filmed in lustrous black and white! Good luck to the producer and director as they promote it. I'll be adding some excerpts when I update my showreel.
I'm appearing in two more short films this month. One of them, 'Mr Easy Guy', is based on one of my lyrics, with a great jazzy melody by BB Cooper. Am making progress on reviving my cabaret act and expect to perform at the Jewel Bar in Piccadilly in the next month or so.
Below is a photo from the beginning of the month, when I was a model (hey!) at a vampire shoot. This one is not especially vampiric, but nice and moody and taken by a clever photographer called Minna Waring - see www.minnawaring.com .
JUNE 2010 UPDATE
I have just acted in my third short film this year, a comedy about a man called John, who visits Lily, an earnest and enthusiastic spiritual healer. It was fun to make but quite demanding on a body unused to yoga!
Later this month I'll be going to the premiere of 'the Drummond Will', the feature film where I played a vicar. I am also attending a cabaret workshop, as I'm thinking of reviving my cabaret act as part of the London Fringe Festival, but we'll see ---
MAY 2010 UPDATE
Alas, I never got to the Turin festival because of the Icelandic volcano! However, according to a member of the festival team:
"I might say your short movie got quite a huge success. Some local radio programs talk about 'The Revelation of Reverend Jones' and the audience was satisfied indeed."
Well, you can't say better than that!
Last month I played a terminally ill father in a music video called 'Last Call'. Despite its gloomy subject, it was an enjoyable day.
At the moment I am working on 'Rumpert', the sequel to 'worldoflegends.com'.
MARCH 2010 UPDATE
Christopher Swann, a director who has won a BAFTA and an Emmy amongst many awards, has agreed to direct 'Swansea Rose'. See http://www.swannfilms.com/. I've been working with Chris to develop the script. On the many a slip principle I will say no more, but obviously this is all very pleasing!.
'The Revelation of Reverend Jones', the short from which 'Swansea Rose' grew, will be in the Torino LGBT festival, following their invitation to show the film there. Dove Rangla, the director, and I are hoping to go over there in April. As I look out at the miserable weather, a trip to Italy in the spring will be most welcome!
I played a tiny part in a short film with Ashley Walters last month.
JANUARY 2010 UPDATE
My fantasy novel - worldoflegends.com - can
now be bought on Amazon. What is more it even turns up at a reasonable price. I'm not too sure
if any of that will ever reach me mind! But do buy it. See
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=worldoflegends.com&x=20&y=19
See the vodcast on the MIshorts website. Pat Garrett, the director, and I talk about 'Just One More Bite', their featured film of the month. The vodcast remains viewable even after our moment of relative glory passes. Currently you can see it on http://www.mishorts.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=123:vodcast-7-just-one-more-bite&catid=1:vodcast&Itemid=15
In a welcome change of image from playing vicars, I recently agreed to show a more demonic side in some recent photos. Here are two!
NOVEMBER 2009 UPDATE
I have enjoyed playing the vicar in 'The Drummond Will', a black comedy in the Ealing Films tradition.
My particular favourite bit was delivering a eulogy from the pulpit of a village church. (Though it
was a devil to deliver with a straight face!) It's a really good script, and friendly cast and crew.
But goodness me, it is cold out of London in the depths of the late autumn countryside! But everyone
involved with the film thinks it should turn into something special.
'Still human where it counts' got a good reception during the tour of Bravo. I've
added a couple of reviews under 'Rock Heaven' on the musicals page.
OCTOBER 2009 UPDATE
I am just about to play a vicar - yes another! - in a new feature film to be made this autumn in the
south of England. It's a black comedy. This should be fun, although I had been wondering a little
about the action which requires the vicar to be tackled to the ground. Happily that scene has been
altered.
SEPTEMBER 2009 UPDATE
'The Revelation of Reverend Jones' won the award for best UK film under 25 minutes at the
International Film Festival Ireland, held in a wonderful country house hotel in Clonmel, Tipperary.
Unfortunately I wasn't there when the film was shown, but during my stay people kept coming up to say
'Oh you're the vicar' and how much they really enjoyed it. So I really enjoyed that! While there, I
performed some of my cabaret songs accompanied by CSL Parker, the extraordinarily gifted composer
and musician. (I also went for a trip round the local countryside, where the dramatic conclusion
was a risky hike across several fields to the magical ruins of Jonathan Swift's house. Unlooked for
hazards included ducking under electrical fences and walking past a large and increasingly
angry bull!)
I've included a photo of me with Binda Singh, who runs the AMRITSA series of festivals.
'Still human where it counts', a big number from 'Rock Heaven', will be be performed in 'Bravo', a
review of new musical theatre. This is produced by A Stage Kindly. The show will have a short
tour in London and Manchester at the end of October. See
www.astagekindly.com.
JULY 2009 UPDATE
The Road to Transylvania website has now had a complete revamp (ho-ho - on how many websites have I now made this feeble pun!) However, the site makes very plain what the film is about and what help is
needed. In fact I have had interest from a Croatian producer who can raise some money provided some of
the film is shot in Croatia, which would be a great idea. I now need to find at least one other
co-producer.
I have finished the first draft of the Reverend Jones script. It's called 'Swansea Rose', which is the
name of a type of china (in case anyone is interested!) as well as the virtual name of a character in
the story. Last month I went back to Swansea and found a club where some of the scenes in the film will
be shot, provided the owner is in the film. He's in! While I was there, 'The Tale of Reverend Jones'
was shown at the Swansea Bay Film Festival and got a really enthusiastic reception from an audience of
people from all over the world.
MAY 2009 UPDATE
The website for 'The Road to Transylvania' is now live. It is www.roadtotransylvania.com I am
intending to create an old master type painting of a vampire in oils for the
home page. However, it's so long since I painted anything, I keep finding
excuses for not beginning! I have even joined a vampire group (no biting though)
in my efforts to get it made and known!
I am just completing the first draft of a feature length script based on the characters in 'The
Revelation of Reverend Jones'. The script is called 'Swansea Rose' and it might
be made in Swansea next year, but that is a long way off! More information about
this will appear on www.scarletcherub.com in
the near future.
The three Scarlet Cherub shorts are still doing the rounds, with one currently nominated for an award in
a festival in Los Angeles. I am also looking forward to seeing 'Something for
the lamppost', a short where I played an eccentric customer, on its first
screening in a couple of weeks.
FEBRUARY 2009 UPDATE
The performance of ‘Goblins Don’t Scare Us’ went down well. Unhappily there are no
photos or dvds so far. May be never!
In January I took part in the first half of Kino Kabaret London, acting in two
very short films on a very cold day. I shall have another go when it comes back
later in the year. The results I saw on the first screening day were mixed I would say, but were inventive
and energetic. Also on the film front, I am beginning to move on my script ‘the
Road to Transylvania’. Read about it on
http://www.scarletcherub.com/40-0_filmsinprogress/3_TheRoadtoTransylvania/,
but there will be a special web site devoted to it in the next month or so.
I have decided to publish
my fantasy novel called worldoflegends.com. It is, or will shortly be, available
on through lulu.com. There is a special website for the story – www.worldoflegends.com - and you can
read part of the first chapter. There is also a brief synopsis on the new
books
page on this site.
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