joy riding

I feel like I am chugging up to the precipice of a rollercoaster. I am travelling more and more steeply towards the moment when gravity will take control. Soon I will hurtle through christmas, parties, presents and all, career sideways around the summer holidays, slip, slap, slopping on the way and then plummet several thousand metres towards the Fringe. Time is rushing up to meet me like a rhinoceros. I must remember to take a breath.
I am getting close to having enough confirmed to go to the printers. The plays are being cast. There's a few new ideas. Ziggy emailed me about some original music he would like to perform inside a giant picture frame in Cambell Park. Holly Ewens and collaborator Andy Hummel have come up with a bit of a twist for her second music event. I don't want to give any suprises away but it's now called 'The Blind leading the Blind'.
I am so pleased that we have such a good balance between music, writing and visuals. I would like there to be more installations though. Any wacky or weird ideas out there. I know some great places to put stuff.

rain makes it green

whilst I am sitting at the computer and talking on the phone today the rain is swelling the ground and growing that lush greeness out there.
I am already having a good day. After playing a bit of phone tag I got to speak to Lorraine from R-30, 'comedy for those who would rather have a nice lie down'. They are now confirmed for Sat 24th Feb. Another night I am looking forward to. Details and pictures will be on the website soon. I also had a chat with Artis who wants to put a blackboard music event on in the sand dunes. He is chasing the right permissions and logistics. I will hear back from him on Sat and will post any news.
I just got a phone call from Lewis Scott who had read an article in the Capital Times about Paekakariki's fringe. I was a bit suprised because I didn't know we had an article in it. He said I should speak to Apirana Taylor and Lynsey Rabbitt about a performance poetry gig with him. So I just did and they are going to look at the dates. So there you go.

torture!

As my 11yr old daughter said to me the other day, "there's only one torture about living in Paekakariki. On the way to school you can see the sea but you can't go swimming because you're going to school". Today I decided to go swimming, well walking actually, on the beach. Mr Tui was singing to me too sweetly to stay indoors.
So I haven't got much to report. I got a few emails. I sent a few too. Tidied a few glitches and that sort of thing, but I will be back tomorrow with something exciting to say I'm sure. There is this huge pile of stuff waiting to be unleashed and wrangled - the printing, the publicity. Today is just a lull before that storm.

Keep Talking

This morning I was pleased to see Holly Ewens and Shona Holborow arrive at my front door. We enjoyed a coffee and discussed my play The Blue Flower. Holly is playing Parsi the young runaway and Shona is playing Abbi the wily old lady of my piece. They came up with the lovely idea of having Janet Holborow play her Cello live for the transitions between live action and film. It is such a rich melancholy sound that will fit perfectly.
Then tonight I met with the Community Board Trust or the Community Trust Board to get them in the loop. They all seem to be happy about the ideas that I put forward. At the end of the evening I had a chat with Steve Burgess about the Youth Group helping out. A couple of them may bomb some signs and the Fringe Truck (Fruck), the infamous orange hotrod from Paekak. That would be cool. I would like them to help decorate the space with us so they have a sense of involvement and ownership in the whole thing. Then Mary Cornwell approached me with a very generous offer of help with the costumes for the play. She is a professional and worked for TV ONE for a long time. That will be another enriching layer to the whole piece.

Major Update to the Paekakariki Fringe Calendar

Lots of new dates have been added! Still time to submit your proposals.

VJ night Saturday 17 Feb 2007

Put it in your diary. We will light up the Paekakariki night with projected fantastics.

Calendars and Cabarets

Well tonight/tomorrow I am going to get up our provisional events calendar. I know I will have to change it quite a lot, but it will give everyone a flavour of what will be happening.
Had a good chat with Dempsey Woodley about the Comedy Night and the Cabarets. He has agreed to compere for us, which is great. I know he will make the night real good fun no matter what is thrown at him. I can see a dressed-up St Peter's Hall, full of people in comfy arm chairs with standard lamps and cocktails, all having a good time. A little Gypsy Jazz from Steve Sherry, a few laughs, a song and who knows what. All kept abuzz in Dempsey's capable hands. And all on my doorstep.

lights

Well we are filling in the diary and starting to confirm more and more events. I am starting to feel really excited. It's going to be a really full-on, fun three weeks. I spoke to Ben Fulton today about a narrative/musical/play about Nick Drake he would like to put on. It sounds really intimate and interesting. I also got an email from Claire Ashton who has two plays she would like to put on. Then got in touch with Julian from Pukerua Bay who works with projected stuff and VJs. There will be quite a few VJs. A three girl umbrella out of Raven vs Pony, Simulacra and possibly Renan from France. There will be a VJ/projection night on 17 or 18th of Feb. Julian is also interested in working with Emily Boonen on a homage to the old pub with a projection of the pub onto the old building.