Thursday 17 April 2008

The Darker Side of Inspiration

Here's a little tip, never go to see someone as talented and creative as Jonathan 'Juke' McErlean in an improvised AS Drama production. You will be captivated, enthralled and ultimately ensnared. From the very moment he walked on stage I was under his spell. Sporting a loose black shirt with ripped satin under-vest, gravity-defying obsidian hair, and accessories that would put Cher to shame, he truly was the devil's right-hand man. Now, Juke (his nickname in reality, not the name of the character) had a cohort whose name I didn't catch, but she was equally mesmerising. A dark, volumised tu-tu lay snuggly under the traditional silver studded belt that hung sensually from a close-worn leather jacket.

Now, the devil's two main men boasted more than spectacular costumes. They were, dare I say it, leagues better than some of the professional actors in show. Being only seventeen, it was inspiring to see how amazing they were, but also quite frightening since I'm already booked into GCSE Drama. I don't know how I can compete.

Anyway, both demons had a sort of habit. Juke played the contortionist unbelievably: the way he walked, almost like a slither; jumping (or rather, a continuation of walking, as the case was) from impossible heights and landing smoothly without the slightest bend of a knee; and finally, a sickeningly freakish backwards flip down a tiny flight of stairs, with his back arched into a perfect circle. I can't imagine anyone doing a better job of the role.

The girl would almost be at home with a travelling circus. Her prop of choice, a perfectly spherical (heavy!) crystal ball which she unceasingly rolled around her hands. She must have been practicing for months, it was that good. She caught the rules of physics by the throat and thrust them aside.

All in all, they were the two of the finest, darkest, most alluring characters I've come across, drama of literature. What's more they were fantastic actors. It must have helped that they were best friends, because their roles were so sensual, so mirrored, it was like listening to two halves of the same person. Words can't even do them justice; I should have recorded it.

So! Juke and his friend are the inspiration for my latest BA duo that should come about in a few months (Rosalie is still in the works =O). I can't wait to get my hands on them and contort them into something unbelievable.

Wednesday 16 April 2008

Distances

Very vague and mysterious for a blog post, no? Sadly the content isn't nearly as mystifying as its title.

Recently I've been noticing that I'm drifting away from some of my closest friends, and becoming more 'popular'. Now, I'm not going to claim that I have mastered the social structure and befriended everyone in the school, but I've handily made my way around the place. Unfortunately the popularity seems to come at a price.

This price was really only visible today, walking home from school with my close friend Megan (who, incidentally, was my cohort during the V-Day catastrophe =O). We began with small talk: discussing the horrid state of affairs at school, the general pressures teenagers are under; then, suddenly, things became a lot more personal. We both agreed that we had been drifting apart, and something had to be done about it. This is where the crunch came.

If I can be so bold as to conduct a brief interlude, I need to tell another small story. I've been friends with another girl, Hannah, for about two years now. We've never been nearly as close as Megan and I, but we're spending more and more time together, even going as far as to visit each others' houses. That may not seem so strange, but it was only months ago that the mere concept of an out-of-school meeting was laughable. So, we've began hosting little meetings at out houses every Friday night, where two other friends also join and we watch a movie.

Back to the current story, Megan and I had been trying to remedy the distance between us, when suddenly I remembered the last time I had visited her house. It was shamefully several weeks ago. During that euphoric (I need help v.v) meeting we decided to visit each other every single Friday. Now, that happened before the Friday Night Club initiated. In essence, I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. I would have lots of fun in both cases, and in both my friends are liable to get hurt if I don't show up.

So I'm in a bit of a dilemma. Best case scenario I work out another day for Megan, but her brother is absent only on Friday nights, giving us a chance to play the fabled Playstation 3 =O

I have lots of female friends. It's quite worrying.

Monday 7 April 2008

An Attempt to Capture Fleeting Thoughts

Courtesy of Selah, I've decided to start carrying around a notepad and a pencil. There are always so many ideas for stories, and more importantly poems, that always dangle themselves in front of me then float away. This way I'll maybe be able to recollect my thought train, even if the inspiration died by the time I get back home.

Anyway, I'm going to take my dog for a walk now. I'll consider it a test run for this ground-breaking idea =D

Sunday 6 April 2008

Shiny New Blog!

So this post does what it says on the tin. I fixed up my blog and made it nice and optmistic (sort of). Have fun.

It hurts the eyes more now =O

Thursday 3 April 2008

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

You'll have to excuse the mad ravings of a smitten fanboy, but Buffy is incredible. I've watched five episodes in twenty-four hours, which probably isn't healthy. I'm just so glad my DVD Boxset containing all seven seasons arrived; it took twice as loong as it should have!

I hate the postal service. "No. Don't bring it back to the post office if I'm out. LEAVE IT WITH A NEIGHBOUR."

Other than that, I've been pressing onward slowly but consistently with The Pure Land, a fascinating historical novel set in 19th Century Japan. The type of writing is odd, yet enchanting. Alan Spence writes with such fluidity that I can't help but be wrapped up in his untimely emphasises.

This is where The Pure Land's biggest problem lies. Although the writing is excellent, enrapturing, and endlessly delightful, I find myself being swept away bt the pretty words, unable to truly comprehend the actual plot of the story. He focuses on things like the way things are done, instead of the actual event itself. I find myself so lost in this delictable sea of adverbs that I become completely ignorant to the point of the chapter.

But alas, I'm really enjoying it. Who cares about the plot when you have pretty words and phrasing?