Morning everyone,
Happy Thursday.
How you all doing? I'm good. I am writing this early today as I have to take my computer into the genius bar at the apple store because it's had some problems for some time now and I haven't ever had the opportunity where I have a week that I feel I can manage without my laptop whilst it's being repaired, but I realised last week that I only have 2 months left on the warranty so need to get it sorted else I'll just forget. So I'll be back to my old slow laptop for about a week from today. Boo!
It's been a fun week actually. Last Thursday after I wrote my blog I just headed into London to meet Gemma who I work with in Wicked for a coffee and then had a quick meeting. While I was sat with Gemma, my friend Amy walked past who I haven't seen for too long and she said that her boyfriend, who's also my friend, Craige was outside chatting to our friend Brendan. Now this was weird because, myself, Amy, Craige and Brendan worked on Spamalot together 4 years ago and we got on so well that we would meet for a coffee an hour before starting work most days, and then we were all swings or standbys in that job so we would then just be able to sit and chat during the show most of the time because we were seldom needed on stage, so we were inseparable - Now the last time the four of us were together was about 18 months ago when the three of them came to watch me in Oklahoma! - so for the four of us to randomly just be at the same place at the same time was amazing! It put me in a very good mood. Love them so much.
After that, Gemma and I walked to work and the show on Thursday was good.
My friend Dom came to stay on Thursday night and it was nice to have a good catch up. We both had to be up early on Friday morning, him for We Will Rock You rehearsals and me for a meeting. I left slightly earlier than him, but then because my journey was royally messed up because of the trains, I ended up heading back a few stops to get on the same train as him anyway. Now because of all the rushing about, I accidentally left a bag on the train. I hadn't noticed until I got to just outside the venue of my meeting and then it hit me that my dance gear was in there, the sheet music to about 10 of my most used audition songs, a cheque book and my favourite jeans and a couple of other bits and pieces. So that was a pretty naff start to the day but hey ho, worse things can happen.
After that I went to rehearse in North London for a T.V gig I had on Sunday. My friend Aaron was choreographing for me again, cos he's great, and he and 3 other lads were dancing for me. So we rehearsed for a couple of hours, then I had to shop for an outfit for the T.V show before working out at the gym and then heading to work.
The show was good on Friday night. I was tired after a long day though so headed straight home afterwards.
I woke Saturday morning and packed my case for the trip to South Wales the next day so I wouldn't have to do it after work, then I headed to pick up a couple more bits of shopping for me and the dancers for the weekend.
After the matinee I had some music to learn with my Musical Director and then Paul and I (paul who's in Wicked was dancing for me on Sunday) had a cheeky rehearsal of the choreography before getting ready for the evening show.
I was straight home after work and got to bed as soon as possible as we had a very early start the next day to head down to Bridgend near Cardiff to do the Rhydian Show - he's the classical singer off the X-Factor a few years back who has the white/blonde hair. Well he has a new series on S4C so I was his guest doing a couple of album tracks and a duet with him. All part of my album promotion. I shall let you all know when it will be aired (November I think) but for now, check out my VLOG to see how we got on:
http://vimeo.com/29402087
Sunday night we all ended up chatting for a few hours in the hotel before getting to sleep as Paul and I were getting an early train back to London on monday morning. We woke to go for breakfast and I felt fresh as a daisy but Paul on the other hand was a little hung over to say the least., HAHAHA!
We slept most of the train journey back to London and then I had about 3 hours to kill before a meeting, so I headed for a swim and a steam which was needed after the busy weekend. After my meeting I met my friend Gareth who teaches for me on West End In Wales. We had a good catch up and walked from the Southbank to Trafalgar Square, then down the Mall past Buckingham Palace to end up in Victoria in time for work. It's walks like that that make me love living in London. I think all Londoners have a tendency to take this amazing city for granted sometimes.
I had some friends watching the show and they gave me a lift home afterwards which was good as I had a big suitcase full of outfits from the weekend, so didn't fancy lugging it on the train.
Tuesday I had an office day all day. Literally sat at my laptop and worked on the Album Launch and the T.V Special.
I am thrilled to reveal that the incredibly talented Ashleigh Gray is going to be at my album launch on October 16th to perform the duet written especially for us and my album by the wonderful Michael Bruce. This will I'm sure be the only time we ever perform this duet live (because it's really hard to breath when we sing it, haha) So if you're an Ashleigh Gray fan and are coming to the launch, you're getting an extra little treat!
We will also be holding the ultimate bowling contest where she will be the captain of one team and I will be the captain of the other and it whichever team gets the highest over all score wins! Sh-boom!!!
If you want tickets for the album launch then use this link. They're £10 for a whole afternoon of major P.A.R.T.Y!!! If you're coming, i'll look forward to seeing you there.
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/132843
Also my T.V special 'An Evening With Mark Evans' which is on November 13th (Sunday) in Cardiff now has a system set up for tickets. All you have to do to get your FREE ticket, is email steffan.watkins@boomerang.co.uk - and yes you heard me, all the tickets are absolutely FREE FREE FREE!!! I insisted that they didn't charge for the tickets so that i can ensure all my wonderful supporters can come along and be an amazing audience! So what are you waiting for? Sign up for tickets, it is so easy to get to and from Cardiff too, public transport is great, very regular trains, and if you want any help just ask Steffan who will liaise with you via the email address above. Seriously, any questions at all, just ask him.
The show is Welsh but I'll be speaking in English a lot when we're not rolling and chatting to you all in the audience and we'll do a lot of audience participation. I'd love you to be there to share with me what will be one of the highlights of my entire career - my first EVER T.V show! Sh-boom!
So after I finished sorting loads of stuff out in my 'office day' I headed to work to do the show. After work I came straight home and hopped into bed to catch up on the weekend's X-Factor and I have to say, considering most of the auditions they showed on Saturday night were the Cardiff auditions, I don't think Wales can be known as the land of song anymore - more like the land of WRONG! My goodness there were some dreadful people, and I know that it's all just in the way that it's edited and manipulated but I thought it was horrendous. Tulisa, one of the judges finally said what I've been wondering for years - "I don't understand why one of your family or friends haven't told you that you seriously can't sing" - You always get like 15 people backstage supporting these embarrassingly bad singers - do they not have ears???
I woke up yesterday morning and have to tell you that since being on my new diet that I mentioned in last week's blog, I have been eating this wheat and gluten free porridge (pure porridge oats) with oat milk instead of proper dairy and I LOVE IT!!! It's perfect everytime. Just felt the need to share that with you incase you fancy giving it a go! Whack a bit of honey on top and it goes down a treat.
After the matinee yesterday, one of the management came to chat to us all about the plans for this years WICKED DAY which is going to be on October 30th - if you're a Wicked fan, be there, that's all I'm saying.
I headed home last night after the show as I have a busy day today. I am taking my laptop in as I mentioned, then meeting my friend Nathan so he can teach me how to run the West End In Wales website myself so I can finally upload all the stuff I've been collecting and preparing for it.
Then I'm hitting Dean Street studios in Soho to record an acoustic version of one of my album tracks. Woohoo. Looking forward to it. Then i'll be heading to work.
NOW THEN………This blog you're reading right now, marks an exact year since my first ever blog back in September 2010 when I was touring with Oklahoma! and was writing from my digs in Cheltenham which was a lovely little cottage in the countryside. I decided to write my blog very much on a whim, after watching the Meryl Streep film Julie&Julia. I wasn't sure how long i'd keep it up and am so proud of myself for doing a whole year. I have never kept a diary or anything before this so I am delighted to be celebrating my BLOG-IVERSARY! The main reason I keep writing is because of the feedback I get from you all who read it weekly. So to mark the occasion I tweeted and facebooked asking for you to give me topics to discuss. So below I have picked 5 topics from some of you on Twitter and Facebook to write about, I mean it's only right that my anniversary blog should be the longest ever right??? haha I have cramp in my fingers and wrists already!
@amy1989hope asked : What's changed over the past year?
I am older and wiser. I find, with every year I just learn so much from the various jobs I do and life experiences I have and actually find this really useful as an actor because drawing on life experience when acting something is excellent because you have a much broader knowledge to invest into a character - That's why I always try and be brave and give everything and anything a go - within reason of course! ;)
@karlpiekaert asked: What have you learned about yourself through writing the blogs?
I've learned that I am even more disciplined than I originally knew. I'll be honest, there have been times when I have thought "oh god i really don't know if I can make the effort to write the blog this week" because it takes a good hour and a half at least nowadays - but I now know that once I start writing I can't stop and it's very therapeutic. I have always been told that the best way to clear a cluttered head is to write things down, so every Thursday I feel like I acknowledge everything i've been up to and enjoy looking back on it, then I post the blog and that's my focus quickly changed onto the week ahead!
@Shum65 asked: What are your personal favourite moments over the past year?
I have had an incredible year this year. Highlights would be, getting asked to play Fiyero in Wicked, creating and playing the title role in the kids T.V show Marcaroni. Having the chance to be home with my family for 10 whole days over last Christmas. Recording a pilot for my own radio show. Recording my debut album. My debut single getting to number 5 in the itunes world music charts, my friend Aimee's wedding. West End In Wales summer school. My holiday to New York. Filming the T.V documentary. Finding my manager and starting to work with her. Most importantly I've loved meeting all the people I have met this year, be it new friends, colleagues, fans, I love that within my life and my career I have the opportunity to constantly be meeting new people - Who knows who I'll meet next week or next year or in ten years - that really excites me!
@nannyt24 asked: Where do you hope to be in 10 years time and what projects would you like to work on in the years leading up to it?
I get asked these sorts of questions a lot and I always say that as long as I'm enjoying what I'm doing and I'm happy then I don't really care where I am or what work I'm doing. Having said that, I obviously have ambition and I picture myself doing things that I've yet to do - A small handful of those things are, originating a theatre roll, screen acting, I want to work in New York, I want my business WEST END IN WALES to have developed in many ways so I can help even more talented youngsters to perform and do what they enjoy. I want to release more records. I want to have lots more work things happening in Wales - but all these are just tiny fractions of life and as I said, if I'm happy then nothing else matters. In ten years, I would like to be writing that I have no regrets and no 'what if's' - I live my life positively and so I can't imagine I'll feel anything but content!
@saz008 asked: What sports have you tried/liked?
When I was at school we had to basically do everything, which I never really appreciated, I like to have choice and options so I can make my own decisions because I'm very independent and always have been, but hey that's part of the downside of being at school right?, you are always told what to do! The things I enjoyed most were all the athletics stuff for sports day and any racket sports. Outside of school I used to do athletics, swimming, badminton, tennis, and of course all my dance training. Nowadays I do a lot of swimming and the gym and dance classes. I want to learn to ice skate and ride horses and will hopefully do that soon! I love learning any new skills.
So I think that's about enough typing for this week and i'm sure it's taken you a long while to read it. I want to take this moment, during the day of my BLOG-IVERSARY to sincerely and genuinely thank you all for reading this and all the other blogs I've posted and for your continued support in all I do and in me in general! You're all amazing! Who knows where I'll be when I am writing my second year Blog-iversary?!
Keep loving your lives folks!
SH-BOOM!!!
Mark
