Swear like a Schoolgirl, Dress like a Sailor

Theatre Stuffs

2010-11-01T18:56:00.005Z

So the reason I've been so slow with blogging (aside from inherent, though non-inherited, laziness) is that I've been on tour for most of the year with a kids show. And will be (drum roll) touring to (second drum roll) the fabulous (cymbal crash) the exotic (third drum roll) the awesome (drummer collapses with heat stroke) SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE for a month this Christmas. My excitement is pretty much uncontained. Woo!

The only downside is that we'll be crossing continents on the opposite path to the the amazing 1927 so will miss their new show at the BAC in Clapham this winter, The Animals and Children Took to the Streets.

But hopefully I'll be able to catch the talents fellows from The Suitcase Royale whilst I'm down under- their last show, The Ballad of Backbone Joe was one the highlights of this years Edinburgh Fringe.

My Only Friend

2010-11-01T18:42:00.003Z

Googling 'Charlie Chaplin The Circus The End' when a bit bored = Dill Pixels awesome collection of end screens from old Hollywood movies. They're a bit hypnotic. Click through the link on the bottom to see even more ends...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djll/sets/72157608369709836/with/3034839713/

Yes please thank you

2010-07-09T20:41:00.008+01:00

One day I will go here: http://www.muumimaailma.fi/in_english/

And meet my role model in all things small statured and grumpy:

And maybe go swimming in the lake.

(images from the lovely http://anninateatime.wordpress.com)

The Best Museum in the World ever

2010-06-10T20:56:00.009+01:00

One of my favourite things to do when I was off school sick as a kid was to create a museum in my bedroom and then charge my parents and my sister 10p to come in. 10p to essentially look at a labeled selection of my possessions. A level of business acumen I had obviously lost when I decided to become an actor...

Anyway, I haven't yet been to the Museum of Everything or the Johnson Museum of the Odd (though I have been to Pitt Rivers in Oxford, which is awesome) but the best museum I have ever encountered has to be Dennis Severs House near Brick Lane in London.

(Image from www.timeout.com)

Dennis Severs, an artist, brought the house in the 70's and created the home of the ficticious Jervis family from the 18th and 19th century. Walking through it is as though you're chasing the past and its inhabitants...

At Christmas they recreate Christmas past with their Silent Night events... GO! Take everyone you know! It's SO GOOD!

This is what they do...

2010-06-10T20:56:00.006+01:00

... at my resting job. And they are very good at it:

Migrations Highlights from Morreaux on Vimeo.

Bless og takk fyrir the the fiskur, Douglas Adams

2010-05-26T13:19:00.005+01:00

An Icelandic Arthur Dent. That is all.

From The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/gallery/2010/may/25/douglasadams?picture=363035244

Television makes these daily sacrifices possible

2010-05-19T15:10:00.009+01:00

My faux-norsk boyfriend loves Hal Hartley's movies, so I've seen few (though they can be a bit difficult to get hold of) His real favourites are The Unbelievable Truth and Amateur and last week we watched an old VHS of Trust, which was awesome. Sparse, theatrical and well, nothing much really happens, one of the comments on its IMDB page is titled "I love it! But why?" which is pretty damn accurate.

All pictures from Hal Hartley's website: http://www.possiblefilms.com/

Vampire Wizard Ninja Brothers from the Moon (or Possibly The Best Thing on The Internet Ever)

2010-05-14T18:25:00.003+01:00

So, lets say you're a 29 year old cartoonist with a 5 year old brother. And he writes stories about a cop with an axe (and his flute carrying secret cop brother) and you illustrate them. And they become all kinds of internet awesomeness.

Look here:

http://axecop.com

You will not be disappointed. Axe Cop is brilliant.

Thanks Ethan and Malachai Nicolle! (and Avocado Soldier)

Tears on Demand

2010-05-10T23:33:00.005+01:00

Foals and Jonquil are on tour together round the UK at the moment, and both do an awesome live set. Google/watch/listen to/buy their stuff. Marvel at Walter's impressive height, Yannis's ability to cry on demand and Jonquil's wide range of instruments. It's all good.

Tightwire Walking, Pretty Music Videos and Pain

2010-04-29T20:39:00.004+01:00

Whilst I could pretend that my tightwire class was this pretty and successful, the grazed and raw soles of my feet give away the truth... I am definately better suited to the hula hoop. The tightwire is still awesome to try though, especially for beginners as you pick up the basics very fast (its just the progression and the toll on your feet thats hard)

Norsk 3: Slottsfjell Musics

2009-10-09T12:57:00.013+01:00

Grahm Zilla and MC Isis in Thunderheist

After a hefty absence (trapeze-ing, hula-hooping, puppets and paid acting work got in the way) I thought it was time to return to Slottsfjell- Part 3 - The Musics and what I saw. I didn't see loads but what I did was awesome.

MC Isis from Thunderheist

Thunderheist were on at Kastellnatt, the evening part of Slottsfjell, that is run in a warehouse/circus tent across the harbor from the main event. They were great (go listen to Bubblegum or Jerk it, your ears will thank you) and I defy anyone to watch them without developing a crush on their lead singer who is both beautiful and fabulous and made me want to run away and front a electronic music duo in Canada whilst wearing very tight fitting and tiny dresses...

I can't remember who this band was but they had lovely two-tone spandex on

Whilst on tight fitting it seems only fair to mention that a large portion of gentleman in bands that weekend favoured lycra body suits. Sequined and non-sequined were equally popular.

I think this is Ungdomskulen. They favoured sequins.

Peachcake

Peachcake were unexpected and great. There were games and glitter and masks and umbrellas and a man with a lampshade on his head and a loud hailer and all sorts. It was fun. I love bands with an excess of stuff on stage. Especially if they are actually good as well.

This is Captain Credible

Captain Credible also had an excess of stuff on stage. Great stuff. A drum-playing electronic doll a vocoder and a time machine, amongst other things. He was really good -some kind of crazy synth-electronica-talking about nonsense hybrid. He was terribly apologetic and very English. Which amused myself and my glamorous lady companion Paul, but I think confused some of the Norsk audience.

That's First Aid Kit. There, behind the girl with the pirate eye patch.

First Aid Kit were on before Captain Credible and were quite a contrast but also great. Two teenage girls with guitars and lovely voices. A very good thing to listen to whilst sitting on a hill by a tower in Norway overlooking a fjord in the sunshine in July... Lovely.

Awesome Internets Friday

2009-10-09T12:26:00.005+01:00

If you know anybody in London, I dare you not to get hooked looking through these portraits:

http://thousandportraits.com/

I'm sure someone I know must be on there somewhere!

And James and Tat, this one is for you- who wouldn't wear "I Heart Unicorns" Perfume? If it was closer to your birthdays, I would be putting in a bulk order RIGHT NOW.

(link courtesy of the ever fabulous Gala Darling)

More Norsk: Norway Land Part 2 (The Reckoning)

2009-09-18T00:19:00.009+01:00

All photos by Smashy. Please ask if you'd like to use one.

Ah, yes, More Norsk. I figure if I gradually persuade two more people to come to Norway every July, eventually every awesome person I know will be there...

(and it will be just like my childhood plan to make everyone I liked move to an island off Scotland with mountains and beaches and forests but unusually balmy weather, where we would all have cottages and horses and a lot of lego, and a sweet shop which would be free)

The reason behind the yearly Norsk jaunt is the wonderful Slottsfjell festival (doubly wonderful because they asked me to perform this year) which is held in Tonsberg, a few hours away from Oslo. The festival site goes up a hill, circles a tower on the top, and overlooks a fjord, then the club part of the festival is over the other side of town, across the marina, in an old factory and a circus top. Which all in all, equals one hella pretty festival.

Norwegian festivals, it has to be said, also have the lead on good weather compared to those here in the UK... And the one day it rained, one local method of dealing with the wet was simply to take off most items of clothing. I have yet to see that in London...

Up next: Bands and Stuff at Slottsfjell

Jugglingspinster at Cargo

The Perils of Static Trapeze

Nights at the Circus Space

2009-09-17T14:49:00.000+01:00

50's Circus School images from:

http://images.google.com/hosted/life

Next week I start a trapeze course at the Circus school I sometimes work at.

Which is awesome.

But as the new skill I learnt this week left me with blisters and a sore arm, I may be in line for some serious bruising. I'm not called Smashy for nothing. This week I learnt to knit. Next week I shall learn to fall with grace from several feet in the air.

Fabulous dress WITH LIONS ON IT made and worn by the lovely Solanah, all images from her blog:

http://vixenvintage.blogspot.com/2009/08/running-away-to-join-circus.html

Ideally to practice I would wear a dress as fabulous as this but the crying and the sweating and the tearing and the blood would ruin it, which would be rubbish.

Norway Land: Part 1

2009-08-20T20:40:00.000+01:00

I finally have internets in my house and thought I'd celebrate by bombarding Facebook and Flickr and Blogger and all with pictures of my holiday in NORWAY.

Yeah, you heard me....

NORWAY

Part 1: Norway Land: Scando Supermarkets and Tasty Norsk Foods

So...

2009-07-26T12:13:00.000+01:00

My plan to be wildly efficient and start a blog and actually write that blog and have blog posts and blog pictures and blog stuff and all may have been a bit slow.

So. I am here.

Back to London after a visit to Norway and an awesome festival called Slottsfjell. Back to auditioning/resting/far too many not-acting-jobs/distracting myself with clothes and making stuff.

Yep.

On with the blog.

(the photo is of Norway's best snacky treat ever which is essentially a Kit Kat but not made by bad people, and with little storks drawn in the chocolate and with awesome packaging and a great name with translates as Quick Lunch. It would make an inadvisable meal but it is tasty. And the pick and mix in Norway has a lot going for it too)