Thursday 26 April 2012

Blog 93! Steps, Hens & Lots Of Rides!


Hi Everyone!

Happy Thursday!

Hope you've all had a really great week. Mine has been good 'cause for half of it I was not working! Woop woop!

So the last time I blogged i mentioned my plans for last Thursday were to head into town for a few bits and bobs and then watch one of my best friends in Matilda the musical. Well unfortunately my friend was signed off with a sinus infection and was not able to perform so I didn't end up going and am still yet to see the show. However I decided to just have a really chilled out day so I went for a swim and a steam and then had a men's facial at the spa in my gym which was amazing (and made me look 10 years younger!) - Then I read some more of my second book in The Hunger Games trilogy whilst eating some nice dinner and then booked myself in for a foot therapy for tired feet and legs in the Thai Square Spa in Covent garden which was amazing. It was 75 minutes of a guy with demon hands working on my feet, legs, hands, arms, shoulders and head and then did some thai stretching to end the session. I came out feeling like a new person and like he had pressed a reboot button for my body! Perfect!

I then lay in their relax lounge on one of their loungers and read another chapter of my book whilst drinking some herbal concoction that he gave me. It was amazing.

That evening I went to the cinema to watch 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' which I thought was great. Really funny and a great message about making the most of your life. I left feeling moved by the story and performances and inspired by the actors. I highly recommend it!
I then had a couple of drinks with a friend before heading home.

Friday morning I woke relatively early so I could head over to my best friend Sally's house to film a question and answer session with her fiancee whilst she was at the gym - all part of the preparation for the Hen Party I was organising for her for Sunday. She then came home and the two of us went to have a nice lunch in a sushi restaurant and decided to buy a bottle of bubbly to celebrate our friendship and life! We've been best friends for 10 years through thick and thin and I'm so proud and happy for her that she's getting married! 

So drinking at 1pm set the tone for the rest of the day. After a short shopping trip with Sal I headed home to meet my flatmate who had already prepared a large gin and tonic for my arrival (the first of many) and then we both got ready and headed out for dinner and cocktails before meeting some other friends for even more drinks and then at 8.30 headed into the O2 arena to watch STEPS live! It was an amazing night! We were all so merry and stupid acting because of the alcohol and the music blaring and everyone bouncing around and dancing to all of the songs they are best known for. It was really great fun. We then headed back to have drinks with the band and other guests in the bar which was nice and then staggered home! I laughed and laughed and danced and laughed and then laughed a bit more! It was one of the best ways to enjoy a night off work.

Saturday morning I woke and did the finishing touches to all my friends Hen Party preparations and then met a good friend of mine for a stroll around London, dinner and then we watched 'One Man Two Guvnors' at the Haymarket Theatre. Owain Arthur from North Wales who I know is currently playing the lead role, played originally by James Corden and he was superb. It was so great to hear a broad north Welsh accent on a west end stage. It's a great show! VERY FUNNY!!! Go and see it if you want to laugh a lot!

After a good sleep on Saturday night I woke Sunday ready and raring to go full steam ahead with my best friends Hen! We started with 3 hours of a champagne afternoon tea during which I'd organised a few games and fun stuff and then we headed to a cocktail bar before heading back to her parents place where we stayed the night! I was the ONLY GUY with 16 gals….. I managed to survive. It was a lot of fun and the next day we went to Sal's final dress fitting before the wedding (which is in less than 7 weeks!) She looked amazing! I was very proud.

I then headed into town to do a hard 2 hour work out at the gym with my trainer. I'm struggling to type now 'cause my shoulders are still really achey and they twitch every time I press a key on my computer! The things we do eh?!

I had a few friends watching the show on Monday night and I was very happy to be back at work after a change of scenery for 4 days.

Tuesday morning was way too early a wake up call for my liking but I brought it on myself. I'd organised an outing to Thorpe Park for a group of people from the show which meant I had to get up at 7.20am to meet them at the train station to all travel down there together. Although we were all very tired it was the best day we could have gone. The easter holidays had just finished and the weather has been so miserable, which meant that it was really quiet and we barely had to queue for any of the rides. We went on some of them a few times. It was great fun. The only downside at one point was that I was on a ride called 'Stealth' which launches you forward then straight up into the air, arches round a bend then you plummet straight back down again. It was amazing and the first time I went on it I actually felt like I was flying. Then the second time I went on it, during the descent when we were dropping at about 80mph, something hit my in the face. Something had clearly fallen out of someone's pocket and it felt like a wallet or sunglasses case or something, but the other guys who I was with said they saw something fly out of one of the front carriages and then it smacked my on my eye and my nose - So much so that I had a big lump on my eyebrow and it went bright red and my head was throbbing. I laughed it off but thinking about it, that was actually really dangerous! Didn't stop me going on again for a third time later on in the day though! 

By the time we were on our way back into London to go to work we were all absolutely exhausted. We all slept on the train and then I grabbed some food and had an hour's sleep in my dressing room, which meant that it was then extremely difficult to get myself going for the show but I managed to do it and it was a great show. I had my little sidekick from Wicked watching on Tuesday, Ben Stott and it was nice to know that he was in! I miss working with him and seeing him for an interval cup of tea in the dressing room. I think if I had a hot drink at the interval of Ghost I might melt from the inside out - i get very hot during the show because of how busy my track is and all the physical elements of the role! 

I had a long sleep on Tuesday night and then yesterday (Wednesday), once I managed to peel myself out of bed I headed into central London to buy some leaving gifts for my dresser, Holly who was dressing me for the last time last night - I was very sad about this. She was so great to work with and made what can be a tough job sometimes a lot more bearable just by having banter and making me laugh. She will be missed! 
Once I bought her a few things I headed to do a good hour in the gym before hitting the recording studio to do some more recording. I'm nearly done with it all and then I'll be able to let you all know what I've been up to!!!

Then before i did the show last night I was interview for a Welsh TV show call TAG, in which we were chatting all about Ghost and also my company WEST END IN WALES. I have a big announcement about West End In Wales actually. For the past 6 years each August I have held a summer school in North Wales to promote youth theatre and to give people the opportunity to be taught by myself and other west end actors for a whole week - however, this year will be the last ever summer school.
 I will still be holding workshops and doing various things in the area but after this year's course which is held August 13th-18th in St.Asaph the summer school will be no more.
So if you're between 10-18 and interested in a week's professional training then check out www.WestEndInWales.com for more information and to download your booking form! 

Last night's show was great, the audience were amazing. I really enjoyed it and then headed home to do some work online and then had a sleep which brings me to here and now - laying on my bed typing this and contemplating heading out for breakfast before a two show day!

Thanks for reading as always. I hope you have a great week!

Make the most of everyone and everything because when they're not around you really miss them! That is my quote for this week! 

Keep believing!

Sh-Boom!!!

Mark