Saturday was the last night of ‘Orwell A Celebration’. I have not felt so sad about the end of a job for a very long time. Acting is such a precarious profession that I am very unlikely to play such a great part again, and one which is so suitable (ie. chubby, jolly man prone to bouts of depression and fury). Anyway, having read all the reviews, I am rather pleased with myself and very happy that it was so well received. It’s not easy going back to gigging in clubs when you’ve had a month doing a play that I think achieved something a little more satisfying than just getting laughs. Having said that, making people laugh is what pays the mortgage so I should shut up, take my head out of my arse, and be thankful that I don’t do a real job!
I’m off to Dubai tomorrow (without the family so don’t try and burgle the house – wife has friends staying and grew up in Derry! She will kill you!). I’m doing some gigs for the Laughter Factory in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. I’m quite looking forward to the change of scene after so long in the West End. I think it’s time to do some reading and start writing those sitcom ideas that are always buzzing round in my brain. I keep getting waylaid by other things in my life.
I actually got quite caught up in the Wimbledon men’s final this year. I really wanted Roddick to win because he’s a battler and works his arse off without getting the rewards he deserves (do you see the parallels with my own career). What a game! I was also pleased that Andy Murray didn’t make it. Even though I don’t have anything against him personally, I just can’t stand British tennis fans. I think I have a problem in general with fans of most sports. Football fans are often idiots with no sense of proportion about what’s important in life (ie.blaming the ref for one decision that goes against them while ignoring those that go for them; screaming abuse at players because they used to play for their club and had the temerity to leave; idolising Cristiano Ronaldo because he’s a great footballer but ignoring the fact that he is quite obviously a failure as a human being.) British tennis fans are so awful. They get so over-excited about any British player rather than looking at the player’s personalities and realising that good tennis players aren’t worth getting excited about because they are devoid of any personality. Henman was a bore and Murray’s a double whingeing bore.They don’t even have the slight interest of being foreign. I suppose if you’d done nothing but play tennis since the age of 6, you’d be a whingeing bore.I’d just love to see Sue Barker throw a bit of a curve ball at Andy in one of her fawning interviews:
Sue: So Andy, enough about tennis. Extra-terrestrials? Yes or no?
Andy: Well, I felt that my first serve went really well for the first two sets….er…what?
Sue: Okay, something a little simpler. You’ve got a girlfriend. Do you know what love is?
Andy: I like to win my service games to love.
Sue: Piss off.
