Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Based on a picture book, so it must be good.

If anyone's around Hammersmith on the 29th of April and fancies seeing The Wolves in the Walls, I think there's a few tickets left. I got mine ages ago (for the evening performance), but then I got the wrong month, so can't be too smug about it. I'm going with my ex-agent Ginny, who now works for the National Theatre, this being the one event I could find where our separate worlds could sort of just about come together.

I don't usually even contemplate going to the theatre, due to my occasionally mentioned 'reverse stage fright' thing ('argh, he's going to forget his lines! Or walk into the sofa! Noooooooo!'), but this is a kid's play, with loads of puppets in it, which for some reason circumvents those worries. I don't know why.

We're in a new tax year now, and I'm looking at my small blue book of invoices for the past twelvemonth, which I have to add up before sending on to my accountant. I can then work out how I'm doing relative to last year. I may even draw myself a graph, although I suspect it will look a bit wonky, having spent months working on my children's fantasy novel, which has now gone into cold storage for a bit. Publishers loved the synopsis and the opening chapters, then all seem to have come unstuck at the halfway point, so I need to rework it a bit, only I think I'd rather work on something fresh first, which currently has the working title of 'The Seven Sides of Ferdinand de Charabang'.

However I have just had some hundreds of pounds advance for the Green Wing DVD (more than four, less than eight), and the The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, which Ginny was nagging me for ages to join, finally netted me some moneys from repeats of Bob the Builder on obscure cable channels in Ireland, so weep not for me dear reader, for though I may be sort of skintish, I could still afford to get my £1 bag of smoked salmon offcuts from the farmer's market this morning. Phew.

UPDATE: hurrah! Cardboard Tube Samurai is back!

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hooray for the ALCS!

And Wolves in the Walls - have been meaning to get my act in gear think about planning to go to that, although I fear it may be a bit scary. It's the thought of the puppets I fear.

patroclus said...

It has apparently been doing the rounds in Scotland and got some very good reviews. I can't go (even though it's practically next door to my abode) because of my occasionally mentioned fear of sitting still for a long time. I kind of wish that one would go away.

Kirses said...

being skint is character building

James Henry said...

Blimey I must have oodles of character by now then. Oddly, I only have slightly less character than when I worked in a bookshop, which must say something.

surly girl said...

puppets? and wolves?

um. eek. no.

felinity said...

Ahh, god bless Mr Gaiman (and, of course, Mr McKean). The fact that none of us can go puts all the more pressure on you to write up a lovely witty review, you realise.

Anonymous said...

Y'know I thought I was the only one with that habit; I'm petrified for the performers on stage. Just harks back to moments of panic in almost-forgetting-my-lines-but-not-quite in youth theatre I guess...

But then, they're far more professional and capable than me so really there's no need, my fretting for them.

I believe I've hit a realisation in my life. Thank you James. And thank you, Wolfy stage people.

James Henry said...

I'm pretty sure I remember it being 'tree' in the script...

Anonymous said...

Since when did you get 'little wooden mug trays'?

You may answer that question because well, there were no other questions to BE rhetorical.

Rose said...

Though you might like this, James http://www.flabber.nl/archief/015823.php

John, Yoko, Animal from the Muppets and George W. Bush do 'Imagine'? Funny and moving. Superb.

Also, wolves scare all hell out of me.

Anonymous said...

yes! the tree/tray debate has come even here! :D

it really has been *hem* lively *hem* on lj community...;)

Rose said...

I particularly love the fact that it makes No Difference to the gag whether it's tree or tray...

Anonymous said...

It is indeed a small wooden tree. I must admit I didn't give much thought to how widespread these items might be, it was just that my mum had one.

All those who thought it was 'tray' are mugs.

Anonymous said...

while we're on the asking about gw:

is Lyndon gay?
or just deeply disturbed by all the girls at the hospital?

anyway, as i was saying, he *is* always immaculately dressed.

James Henry said...

Lyndon was almost supposed to be a bit 'mysterious' - and quite rightly dismissive of most of the women in the hospital as complete nutters.

He does get a bit more plot later in series 2 though, so I don't want to say too much...

Anonymous said...

ooh, more plot, excellent.

*lovely lovely, lovely Lyndon*

James Henry said...

I meant 'always', not 'almost'.

Tch.

Anonymous said...

I have a mug tray. But it's metal. My mug tree is wooden. For this reason I knew it to be tree.

Anonymous said...

Argh you SURE it's a tray specifically for mugs?

I could just be a ....tray...