HEIGHTS and Lows...Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Hi all

Well, what a day - Sunday, Bloody Sunday...

Sunday up to the show was pretty much a battle, getting the show in and teched in very difficult circumstances in a short space of time for a VERY technical show.  As well as the cast of RANK there were several hero's elsewhere doing their best to battle the 'Ghost' (more like a feckin DEMON) in the Machine of technology that caused a few niggles for us - DARREN McGINN, IAN CURLEY, HOLLY EVE WYATT and COLIN WARHURST being said hero's.  It's fair to say I was slightly dissappointed with the screening of THE WATCHER, the projector struggled to cope with the settings the macs were locked into - this left much of the film very dark indeed.   Time...the one thing that never runs out - yet there's never enough of it is there?  Nobody's fault, but this certainly won't be happening at future screenings of the film.

PRESS SCREENING THIS FRIDAY

If you are from the press or write a blog, there is a Press Screening of The Watcher this friday at the BBC in Manchester, please get in touch if you can attend and perhaps review it.

I'M FRANK MORGAN went down well in the morning screening, but The Lowry ran out of time to show the films for the evening show, out of our control there.   However as for RANK...? 

Jeni Howarth Williams (LISA) RANK - Pic:Ben Mottershead

The play went down a (solar?) storm with the audience.  The cast were absolutley on fire, knocking the show out of the park - I was proud to be sharing the stage with them.  It's a MONSTER of a show, enormously exhausting for actors, but a gripping ride - that said I am looking at trimming this behemoth down a little for it's next public performance, making it a leaner and meaner, emotional killing machine.  We certainly affected the audience judging by the fabulous feedback we have recieved, thanks to all of you that came...

I'm now looking at producing a DVD set of the trilogy - I'M FRANK MORGAN, RANK and THE WATCHER.  It's a fantastic showcase for the supreme Manchester/Salford/London talent involved in the tales, that's actors, producers, technical wizards - everybody involved in these productions - maybe they will all get some extra work and well earned recognition for their huge efforts in bringing these tales to life.  

RANK will return, aiming at Halloween week, somewhere around Manchester, a HALLOWEEN THEME to the evening...Everybody scream, everybody scream - in our town of HALLOWEEN...

So, what's next...?

I'm already clearing the decks for STRAWBERRY JACK - the next play in the series.  If you were at Sunday's show you will have heard his name during the play, the door man who had left Corny in the unconcious state he was found in by the Shirley, the Angel in Rank.  You'll also get to meet DEAF FREDDIE, a name heard in Paradise Heights in some of the other productions, but thus far he has not appeared in the flesh.  As usual the play will be a complete story of its own, you won't feel you have missed anything if this is the first story you see from Tales from Paradise Heights...oh, and Shirley returns...;)

Stay tuned for dates and venues - that's in addition to the show coming to the Sir Robert Powell Theatre in Salford.

Don't cry for Bad Lad, Argentina...

DIARY OF A BAD LAD goes on sale in Argentina

Finally, it's great to see DIARY OF A BAD LAD going on sale in Argentina! The film continues from strength to strength. I am so proud of being involved in this production, for a featrure film that cost less that five grand to make - it's got legs! 

The Double Disk DVD version is out here later this month...CHICO TIME! 

Joe x