Hi everyone!!!
How are you? hope you're all well.
So...having been speaking about it since the beginning of my Blog a few months ago, Marcaroni is underway and the character himself has well and truly been born!!! Ha.
But before I chat about where i'm up to with it all let's catch up on what I did the end of last week.
So Thursday I had be at the Apollo Victoria theatre (Wicked) to have some costume fittings for when I start in February! The tailor they have making the suits for that show is a genius!!! I have never had anything fit me so nicely in my life. i had some costumes still there from when I understudied the role three years ago but upon trying them on again, I realised that working my butt off in the gym for the last couple of years, has in fact made a considerable difference to my shape as I could barely move in them - I looked like I was trying on my little brothers clothes or something. Very funny, and it's resulted in new clothes so I'll be feeling wonderfully smart on stage. Hurrah! Now all i need to do is remember what I'm doing and I'll be fine. Hahaha!!! I cannot wait to begin!!!
Thursday evening, i went round to my lovely friend Lucie's flat to have a good old catch up with her as it's been a while. We were at college together, and we've also worked together on two pantos, a few TV dancing jobs, Opening ceremony of the WMC, Night of 1000 voices (Twice), Chess in concert, and she was my dance partner in Wicked when we were in the ensemble! She's a wonderful girl, a good friend and VERY talented!
Friday I met my friend Graham in the morning and my friends Hollie and Michael in the afternoon which was all lovely. Michael had to leave early as he's playing the lead in the new show the Three Muskateers which is playing in kingston at the mo. Hollie and i wondered around Spitalfields market in east London for a couple of hours having a laugh and catching up.
Then I met my friend Dom (who was Rocky in the Rocky Horror Show) for a cuppa tea before he had to go into work as he's the assistant Dance Captain on Legally blonde!!!
So the end of last week was wonderful, just relaxing and making the most of some time to meet friends i hadn't seen for a while. The week was topped off by spending Saturday afternoon with my best friend Sally in the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park drinking mulled wine and eating christmassy treats. mmmm Yum!
Saturday night i sat at home learning Marcaroni script, setting up my new Macbook (which I'm writing on now - lovely) and watching the X-Factor! Not gonna talk about the X-Factor much as it's over now and i think it's consumed enough of our lives already, however I thought that all four acts in the final deserved to win. They were all very different but extremely talented in their individual ways and I believe they deserve a medal for dealing with the pressure!!! I had not even 1% of a glimpse of what they went through when I did the reality show Your Country Needs You for the BBC two years ago and that was stressful enough!!! It is really really hard trying to put yourself in a place in your head where you don't let things distract you and effect your ability to perform the best you possibly can in the live shows!!! Matt Cardle I think is great and deserves every success!
So then Sunday I travelled down to Cardiff (with an overpacked suitcase) to settle into my wonderful apartment which they have provided for me. I stayed at this complex 6 years ago when I worked on the Opening ceremony of the WMC here but this apartment has amazing views and it is lovely to have all this space to myself so I can focus on the job and learn scripts each night in peace!!!
I went in on Monday morning to discuss a few ideas with the choreographer of the programme Steve Alias who is great and we were working on the physicality of Marcaroni as I wanted him to be very animated and full of theatrical gestures (as he's an eccentric quirky composer) so that was fun. Then the exciting bit was deciding what he should actually look like. The costume has been made since a few weeks now but there was nothing decided on hair and make up etc, and daft as this may sound - it's actually very tiring sitting in the make up chair for hours having different things tried out on you. I think it's because I'm the sort of person who is always on the go that when you stop and sit still for a long length of time tiredness hits you! Anyway, we have decided on a look that I'm very happy with. The hair is slicked back starting with a ridiculously large quiff at the front that works it's way back into a long pony tail which our hair/make up lady, Linda, attaches every morning to my hair and it's tied together with a red ribbon! Not camp at all! Haha! It fits really well with the outfit. We all agreed that the hair looks the same as when the beast gets turned into the prince in Beaty and The Beast, the Disney film! Ha!
Yesterday was my first day on set and it was fun. Discovering the characters little 'isms' and what makes him quirky! I have based a lot of his theatrical arm gestures on what I used to do as my Emerald City character in Wicked three years ago. Very flamboyant and quite over the top. It's such fun! However keeping that energy at the moment is fine as we've completed 4 episodes but when we're on maybe episode 43 of 52 I might find it a little harder to look so fresh faced and jolly. Ha!!!
So all in all I am happy to be working on something so completely different. I'm very comfortable here in Cardiff (there's a pool so I go swimming every night - lovely) and all that I need to say is it's Christmas in less than 10 days now!
10 DAYS!!!!!! I cannot wait!!! I hope the weather stays ok for us all and that everyone of you stay safe during the wintery spells of snow and ice. Please be careful.
I shall blog next week which will be my last one before christmas. Hahahahahahahaha. Exciting! I'm starting my Christmas shopping on Saturday here in Cardiff. I'm only really buying for my nieces this year - everyone else in my life we just arrange to spend special time together instead which is more important to me than some jumper from Next that doesn't fit properly!!! Ha.
Keep in touch folks - 'Mark Evans' for the facebook page, MarkHEvans to follow me on Twitter (let's see who the first person to 'tweet' me on Twitter is, to tell me what the H stands for in my middle name!!! There's your challenge!!! Also my website address is www.MarkEvansOnline.co.uk (which will not be updated as soon as we thought I'm sorry to say, early new year now but still gonna be cool).
Stay happy folks - if you're feeling down think of how ridiculous I must look with a ponytail on the back of my head with what looks like a little girls ribbon on it! ha that'll make you smile (i'll post a picture as soon as they have been done and i'm given permission to- you won't believe how different, and young I look)
Big festive love to you all and warm hugs all round.
Mark
To find out more about Mark and his career visit his official website at http://www.markevansonline.co.uk/
