Twelfth Night, Or What You Voted For closes tonight

 The final performance of Twelfth Night, Or What You Voted For is online tonight at 7pm.

You can get a free ticket here.

Those of you with a prior engagement have missed it.

Twelfth Night, Or What You Voted For opens tonight

The first performance of Twelfth Night, Or What You Voted For is online tonight at 7pm.

You can get a free ticket here.

Those of you with a prior engagement please consider attending tomorrow.

Twelfth Night, Or What You Voted For

I'm acting again. It's been a while.

I'm playing Antonio in an online version of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, which has been influenced by the recent departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union, hence the Or What You Voted For.

Unlike Brexit it'll cost you nothing. It's on the 5th and 6th of January at 7pm.

You can get a free ticket here.

Stewart Lee's Comedy ̶V̶e̶h̶i̶c̶l̶e̶

I'm not in episode five of Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, Religion, but I make a return in the last episode of the first series, Comedy.

Somehow Stewart Lee managed to forge on without me for a further three series until some fool cancelled the show. The subsequent Daveless series are also all available on the BBC iPlayer.

Stewart Lee's Global Financial Crisis

Another day, another episode of Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle. This time it's episode four, Global Financial Crisis, I have a more substantial role in this one. I speak actual words.

I am that vain, arrogant man.

Stewart Lee's Political Correctness

I'm not in Television, episode two of Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, but don't that put you off, it's still very good. Then along comes episode three, Political Correctness. Again, I'm in this only really very fleetingly.

Stewart Lee's Toilet Books

Possibly to help in these days of self-isolation, every episode of Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle has been made available in the UK on the BBC iPlayer.

I went to see this TV show being recorded with my sister. When we arrived at the venue, I took our coats to the cloakroom while she found us some seats. As we separated I said "don't sit at the front", I walked into the main auditorium and discovered that she had sat right on the front row. When the lights went I was still very much illuminated. I find myself featured far more prominently than I had expected.


I'll do posts on the later episodes, that lead to me putting this show on my acting CV, but in the meantime, I make a couple of very fleeting appearances in the first episode, Toilet Books. Thats's not why you should watch it though. You should watch because it's very well observed, very funny and really hasn't dated much in the eleven years since it was first broadcast. You can watch it here.

I have no idea about watching it places other than the UK.

General Strike 1926

The next show I was involved in was another of the New Factory Of The Eccentric Actor's mass cast historical epics. As the name suggests this one concerned the General Strike of 1926.

It was presumably intended for performance in 2006 on or around the eightieth anniversary of the strike, but it wouldn't be staged until September the following year.

I played a journalist and Charles, a toff turned bus driver who was enjoying the strike enormously.

This show was enormous fun and the cast were fantastic. There were 68 members of the cast. Here are just two of them: the late, great and much missed Matthew Eggleton on the left and the phenomenal Annie Firbank to the right.

Over the course of three nights there were somewhere in the region of 450 people in the audience. On the last night, just days before her hundred-and-second-birthday, Hetty Bower, a real life general striker, in the audience. She stood at the end of the play for her own rapturous round of applause.

It was featured in The Guardian's theatre blog.

Behind The Bike Shed

The first Behind The Bike Shed was held at Cafe 1001 on the 17th of March 2007 and with a repeat performance a week later.

The cast were Hilde Drevsjomoen, Raif Esendagli, Michael Everhard, Anna Sulan Masing, Verana Meneses, Joanna Strong, Sarah Wills, Nicola Young and I. All the scenes were written by Anna and myself.

Among the dozen or so sketches was Generic (the same script played three different ways as an experiment), Planet Of The Apes (now people would probably compare it unfavourably with Gogglebox), Bacon (about meaty confusion) and Jock (a riff on a Trainspotting obsession that came ten years too late).



It also included walk and faces, although sadly the links to the videos no longer work. They are probably lost forever...

The second performance was the better of the two, after we had learned how an audience might react to each scene and help push future shows in a more comedic direction. It set the pattern for later Bike Shed shows: venues other than theatres, multiple sketches and a mix of lighter and darker humour. Looking back, Anna clearly intended it be a more serious endeavour, but the scripts we were providing were only ever an attempt to make each other laugh.

Twitter Twatter #76

November 2019 on Twitter

pic.twitter.com/AuLdoGgaYi

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 1, 2019

pic.twitter.com/jfcI6VOXhm

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 2, 2019

"Carleton Bonfire & Fireworks"
After a long rainy day on Skipton Market I really wasn't in the mood to stand outside yet again, but I changed my mind last minute and popped over to a local bonfire and fireworks display to try and find some unusual angles. pic.twitter.com/DWfsfF91G3

— Tom Holmes (@TomHolmes_Photo) November 2, 2019

Remember when Theresa May's resignation went terribly wrong?#DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/t0BFeaKhJt

— spankybackpack (@spankybackpack) May 25, 2019

Absolutely incredible to watch this @jacindaardern video be pinged around the world. In the last 48 hours, it's seemingly gone everywhere from the UK to Pakistan, and has even gone viral in Lebanon - becoming another tool for protestors to push for change pic.twitter.com/7RyJvywHjJ

— Ashleigh Stewart (@Ash_Stewart_) November 3, 2019

So much respect... https://t.co/Y9Pgs9oXZZ pic.twitter.com/6R8JkmPFuP

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 5, 2019

What's the worst tagline in Hollywood history? @Davetweetedthis has suggestions for the shoddiest: https://t.co/YjTzsGqF0u

— Will Potter (@Hero_Collector) November 5, 2019

Taglines are an important tool in the movie marketing arsenal. If a good tagline can clearly help sell a film, then surely a bad tagline could contribute to its financial failure. David Black picks ten of the best and ten most dreadful. https://t.co/TRw6FqPtLp

— Hero Collector (@HeroCollector_) November 5, 2019

https://t.co/FwdbbSnpJV

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 6, 2019

If you've got it, flaunt it. https://t.co/FRNifjrTbX

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 6, 2019

Hey @BarnabyEdwards this guy ↓ just called you twerp, what do you say to that? https://t.co/jQXMurjArV

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 6, 2019

A brief timeline of foodbanks:

1997 - The Trussell Trust is founded. Labour comes to power.
2004 - UK has 2 foodbanks.
2008 - Global financial crash. UK has 22 foodbanks.
2010 - Tories come to power.
2017 - UK has 2,000+ foodbanks. #VoteLabour #jc4pm #ToriesLie#ToriesOut

— Axel Billingsley (@AxelBCreative) November 5, 2019

Boris Johnson's Promises v Truth:

"20,000 extra police"
Truth: 20,563 fewer police

"Biggest NHS investment for a generation"
Truth: 15% lower than the average annual NHS investment

"£14b for schools"
Truth: £2.6b

"40 new hospitals"
Truth: 0 new hospitals

The man is a liar.

— Barnaby Edwards (@BarnabyEdwards) November 7, 2019

Fake promises to get Brexit done
Fake numbers of hospitals being built
Fake NHS stats
Fake promises on schools
Fake Brexit deadlines
Fake statements on free trade and free ports
Faked videos
Faked adverts
All in front of a fake large crowd.

Welcome to the Tory Campaign Launch. pic.twitter.com/XOtV8LgRd9

— David Schneider (@davidschneider) November 7, 2019

Fake promises to get Brexit done
Fake numbers of hospitals being built
Fake NHS stats
Fake promises on schools
Fake Brexit deadlines
Fake statements on free trade and free ports
Faked videos
Faked adverts
All in front of a fake large crowd.

Welcome to the Tory Campaign Launch. pic.twitter.com/XOtV8LgRd9

— David Schneider (@davidschneider) November 7, 2019

https://t.co/Zokoog2NvT

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 8, 2019

"Inappropriately dressed man makes big deal about going to work in a chauffeur driven car" https://t.co/EtNSmAuPlH

— Otto English (@Otto_English) November 9, 2019

Really hoping @SamiraAhmedUK and @NewswatchBBC are going to be all over this. Old footage edited into new footage in a way that apparently benefits a PM during an election campaign. So many questions need asking... https://t.co/ldhmmFkNcG

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 11, 2019

£100m on Brexit ads
£8bn on No Deal prep
£13.8m on ferry company with no ships
£600m a week in lost investment/growth
Record £1.8 trillion debt
Lowest growth for a decade
PM who said "fuck business"

But, Tories, do keep telling us how Labour can't be trusted with the economy.

— David Schneider (@davidschneider) November 12, 2019

Tories, July 2019:
“Boris Johnson is a proven winner and a great campaigner. People love him!”

November 2019: pic.twitter.com/CmBeAfRG7p

— David Schneider (@davidschneider) November 13, 2019

#BeMoreFrazer https://t.co/dBAZ4LYh5s

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 14, 2019

Why do tweets of this video keep going missing? pic.twitter.com/8u8YPUUt1s

— Robin Wood 🌹 Free Range (@WOODHEAP) November 14, 2019

Try imaging Boris Johnson being in this video, instead of Jeremy Corbyn.

Nope, nor can I. pic.twitter.com/n4EagkQSMI

— Rachael Swindon (@Rachael_Swindon) November 15, 2019

Tories:
“There’s absolutely no need for everyone to have broadband. It’s a stunt!”

Also the Tories:
“The only way you can get Universal Credit is to apply for it online.”

— David Schneider (@davidschneider) November 16, 2019

After yet another fire likely caused by poor cladding, what will it take for this government to take fire safety seriously?!#cladding #GrenfellTower pic.twitter.com/WTQtWp1BJC

— Momentum (@PeoplesMomentum) November 16, 2019

2007

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 16, 2019

Did Sarah Ferguson marry one of the Osmonds?

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 17, 2019

Genndy Tartakovsky's 2D Clone Wars is the pinnacle of achievement in the Star Wars universe. Everything else pales in comparison. pic.twitter.com/oL3cGmAXtf

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 18, 2019

Liz Truss having trouble remembering the number 0.#politicslive #GE2019 #LabourManifesto pic.twitter.com/fSgfCAjaxq

— Haggis_UK #FBPE 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) November 21, 2019

We own https://t.co/OQ5hfKpVXw. Farage and co have sent us a long legal letter demanding we give it to him. Well, he can have the website... for a million quid, all proceeds to the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (price goes up £50k a day)

— Led By Donkeys (@ByDonkeys) November 21, 2019

Britain has had enough of Michael Gove.

— Ken Clarke (@MrKennethClarke) November 20, 2019

Earshot

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 22, 2019

Russ is a great guy. Be more like Russ. https://t.co/t2FR954OlT

— Vicky ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (@vicsto382) November 23, 2019

You appear to have disenfranchised John Hurt.

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 23, 2019

This is getting ridiculous @newswatchbbc @SamiraAhmedUK https://t.co/Ce4K0UvUf1

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 24, 2019

Meanwhile in the Tory Party... pic.twitter.com/yhNCVOsctT

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 24, 2019

South Dakota has recently made the news for its new anti-meth campaign "Meth: We're On It".

This is not South Dakota's first tagline in the news. In 2015, South Dakota tourism used the tagline "why die on Mars, when you can live in South Dakota?"

— Quite Interesting (@qikipedia) November 24, 2019

How can you have a politics-free adaptation? HG Wells was a socialist, who made many political points in the original novel. Have you read it, James? (Can't @ him because he called me fat and blocked me after I called out his lies about climate change).

— Joe Cushley (@TalentlessJoe) November 25, 2019

Our ex-landlord upped the rent from £800 to £1000 pcm just before Christmas with days notice. https://t.co/LPcZ8JcOIf

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 25, 2019

Is it me?

— David Black (@Davetweetedthis) November 28, 2019

There comes a point in the history of a nation where stupidity is indistinguishable from wickedness. That's where we are now.

— Philip Pullman (@PhilipPullman) November 28, 2019

AK-27

It's been a while since I've posted an acting post. It's time to change that.

In 2007, I took part in the New Factory of the Eccentric Actor's production of AK-27. The play concerned the 1927 visit to Mexico by Russian revolutionary, Alexandra Kollontai. Hence the name. Kollontai was only the third woman to serve as a diplomat in modern times. She was made Chargé d'affaires, a diplomat who runs an embassy but is not a formal ambassador, to Mexico. Alexandra was payed by Penny Dimond, who had made something of a career of playing her in a number of plays sets at different stages throughout her life.

Here's the flyer:


I played her son, Mikhail Alekseevich Domontovich, known throughout as Mischa. Due to the nature of her work, she was a largely absent figure during his childhood and he was raised mostly by his grandparents. Later, during the First World War, she used her position to help him avoid conscription. In 1927, Mischa was aged 33, while I was a sprightly 26.

This was the first New Factory production that I took part in at the Torriano Meeting House. Previously, I had only known it as a rehearsal space. It's a small venue which New Factory shows manage to cram with people testing the fire regulations to their limits. During one of these 'standing room only' performances I was waiting outside for my entrance through the front door, when Jeremy Corbyn showed up to see a huddle of people trying to watch the show through the window. Someone offered to get him in, but he refused to jump the queue. It was a brief conversation, but I was very impressed with his demeanour and principled reaction.

Wake Up And Smell The Ko-Fi

I recently set up a Ko-Fi page. It doesn't come easily to ask for support, but if people feel moved to offer support who am I turn that down? That would be churlish of me. Am I a churl? No, I am not. I churl for no one.

I have it on good authority that if you click on the Support Me on Ko-Fi button thingy below or over on the right hand side of your screen then you will be able to buy me a virtual coffee.

Carruthers Ten Years On: July 2008

Ten years ago, this month saw me posting parts Four and Five of the Writer's Meeting videos, as well as two posts featuring reactions from viewers and Tony Hawks.

Feel free to use the foolproof chat up line* in this one and let me know how you get on.

Since writing this, I have been through Sheffield on a bus, learned to drive and lost a lot more hair.

I'm very happy with titles of this one and this one, but I'm proudest of the last line of this one.

* remains untested

Carruthers Ten Years On: June 2008

So, it's ten years ago today that Mr Carruthers Presents... presented for the first time and as such I used the blog that month to promote the flip out of it.

Many of the references have dated (do people still remember T4?) and reading them back again I don't remember writing any of it. I feel I can enjoy them as if it was someone else entirely. Who was he?

I was really trying with the search for Carruthers posts at this point. It remains to be seen I doubt later posts would contain as many ideas as these three, and then I put him into a Where's Wally? (with apologies to Martin Handford).

I learned how to post an animated gif for this one, which is something I would struggle to now and I'm still pleased with the gag. Then I learned how to embed videos here, here and here, and reminds me we made the videos to promote the live show, but for obvious reasons they became much more of a lasting legacy.

This one made me laugh and I was clearly enjoying the asterisks.

I think I made this to accompany one of Gi's scripts and again I'm genuinely impressed by the effort that I put into what was essentially a riff on a sketch that maybe sixty people saw once.

Coming up with sitcom porn names was some of the most fun we ever had.

The reviews were entirely genuine, although I can't remember where I found them.

I was enormously proud of the show and so disappointed that we never quite managed to get the act back together. There were a myriad of reasons and it's not worth raking them up again now.

More Stewart Lee Downstreaming Opportunities

Thank you to everyone who got in touch to point out that I have neglected a number of downstreaming options for Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle and those who, adorably, thought that I genuinely believed downstreaming was a thing.

In addition to Netflix, it's also on the Amazon, the iTunes and on YouTube as well, but not the normal YouTube, the YouTube you have to pay for.

Either way, the DVD will be cheaper.

Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicular Access

Every few months someone will recognise me from Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle. It sounds astonishing after such a fleeting appearance. Initially, it meant that a run of repeats had begun on a succession of channels, slowly moving further away from BBC2 with the channel numbers going up and up. Channels I have never heard of.

More recently though, it's not because it's being broadcast. Instead because they are watching it online. Downloading it. Streaming it. Downstreaming it.

I wasn't entirely sure where, so I asked the latest person to mention it where they had seen it. Turns out it's on the Netflix.

Exploits Online

In around 2008 or 2009, I made an uncredited appearance in Exploits, a film written and directed by Alper Cagatay.

I blogged about it ending with an optimistic 'coming soon'. I was wrong about that.

Alper recently put the whole film online and I finally got a chance to see how my bit fitted into the story as a whole. My wife and I watched it the other day and she didn't manage to spot me, so it'll probably be almost impossible for anyone else.

Anyway, here it is.


Exploits - Feature film. from Alper Cagatay on Vimeo.

Santa's Little Helper

Yep.

The Princess Snide

I dressed as Ilsa from Disney's Frozen during a Princess Rap Battle for the amusement and confusion of children.

Yep.

Clifford Remembers Leonard Nimoy

Clifford Remembers the late, great Leonard Nimoy who died last month.



I hope people don't take this as insincere, because that certainly isn't how it is intended. I love Star Trek, more than Clifford and Nimoy is a huge part of that. I wasn't very quick off the mark with a tribute, but the thing is I wasn't sure what to do. And then as the days went on, the more stories about Nimoy that I hadn't heard came out the more I realised how much I was going to miss him.

His cultural impact should not be underestimated, Leonard Nimoy was a big part of what kept Star Trek an intelligent force in television and particularly in the motion pictures. He helped keep it honest. His story was far more than just pointed ears, "live long and prosper" and that salute we've all tried (go on, be honest). This is also the man who passed on Spock's advice to a mixed race teenage girl and ensured equal pay for Nichelle Nichols.

Thank you, Leonard.