Hello m’dears!
Hope you’re all keeping safe and well in these strange times.
Had another episode of MOCKDOWN! on Sunday night, with my lovely guests Chris Clarkson and Ian Fox.
The link to the recorded show is below, join us for lots of chat about theatre and pantomime – and what the future may hold for live entertainment in a post-Lockdown world.
Stay safe my pretties!!
Dave x
No sooner had I started my MOCKDOWN! Sunday Livestream Podcasts, when I had to take a break last Sunday and this. But I’m delighted with the reason why… I’ve been in rehearsals.
This Sunday at 6pm (UK), I’m acting in a lovely online performance of a new play, SOUVENIR, by Matt Gurr, produced by UP ‘ERE PRODUCTIONS.
It’s a lovely play – and I have the amazing role of Iain. Here’s the synopsis…
“For the last 40 years, Iain and his closest friend Kit have taken secret weekend trips from Scotland to Soho to experience what life as out gay men could be like. Now aged 60, and in the wake of Kit’s death, Iain takes that trip alone for the first time and finds himself reliving old memories over one night that will change his life forever”
With Jay Olpin, Gregor Duncan, Sandy Jack & Yours Truly
Directed by John O’Neill and Jordi Williams.
Tickets are pay what you can with all money raised going to KeepTheatreAlive Up ‘Ere!
Fill in this form to claim your seat
Enjoy your weekend, keep social distancing, don’t trust the Tories, and help keep theatre alive!
D x
Hi folks!
Hope you’ve all survived another week, well, let’s face if, if you’re reading this, you HAVE survived, but, of course, it may have been a bit of a shit week.
This Government-led Shitshow rolls on… excess deaths, the collapse of the economy, right wing thugs on the streets… but at least I found a socially appropriate way to unload with 3 mates over a chat.
Yes, it’s Episode 2 of MOCKDOWN!
My guests this week are:
Kurt Brookes – Head of Development at MIM Productions and the producer of the upcoming BBC Radio 4 comedy series “The Likely Dads“. He is also the creator and co-everything of the webseries “Barry Pigeon Protects“.
Marie Friend – a born & bred scouser who’s now dead posh and living in Chester. Marie has trained with many acting practitioners across Manchester over the last 6 years , she is a Broadcast Journalist , experienced in Voiceover and TV presenting… and was last seen at the Hope Mill Theatre in Welcome to Shangri La…. along with myself, and my final guest…
Robyn Moore – a London born, British actress of Belgium and Polish decent. She has over 30 years of experience in theatre, film and television… including “Family Affairs” and playing Shirley Benson in “East Enders”. She also has over 20 years of experience teaching actors and professionals in acting and performance techniques.
A few links for you…
GET SCENE – the link that Marie mentioned.
Follow me, ROWE DAVID McCLELLAND on Facebook for future shows
Help arts freelancers through the EQUITY BENEVOLENT FUND
and if you want to help me, donations are appreciated at PayPal.me or Ko-fi
Thanks for checking in, thanks for watching the show, and stay safe!
D x
Greetings Dahhlings!!!
I hope this update finds you happy and healthy.
A couple of items for you… on the last post, I shared a video of me doing the opening Future Legend monologue from Bowie’s Diamond Dogs, a lyric I memorised at 16 and never forgot.
Today I have more remembered lyrics, and I’ve done a bit of a video production on this one. Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3, by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, is well lodged in my brain, and I will often rattle it off to the confusion of those around me… Until I get to the chorus and they realise what it is.
So here is my version of it. It makes me cheerful, I hope it does you during these Lockdown Days. My memory must be dodgy though, I missed some lines, should have listened to the original or checked the lyrics first!
Right, last time I told you about the new Barry Pigeon Protects episode, Barry Goes Viral, a special Covid-19 episode.
Happy to report it’s been selected for an online screening in the South Yorkshire Filmmakers Network Online screening event Tuesday night. Going to be a few other short films on the bill, so it’ll keep you entertained on Tuesday night.
It’s streaming online and features a Q&A, so put your very best Pajamas on, grab a glass of your favourite beverage, and see you there. Here’s the streaming link. It gets underway at 7pm.
Stay Sane. Stay Safe.
D xoxoxo
Hello my dears
I hope you’re all well and staying safe during this pandemic. I don’t know how it’s impacting on you, but for me, I seem unable to concentrate on computer stuff, hence the long wait since my last post. I just don’t have the willpower tou sit at a screen. I’ve had to force myself to write this today.
Similar tale with TV. I can sit to watch a show and I’m constantly pausing to check for phone updates. And I fall alseep a lot in front of the telly, despite sleeping well at night. It’s different ways of reacting to the state we live in I guess.
I’m trying to be creative, done lots of garden work, tidying, weeding, planting. I make lots of videos, dog walks, bird song, etc. More of that further down.
A couple of things I’d like to promote though… 5 years ago, I worked on a web series called Barry Pigeon Protects, all about a night security guard sharing his life via webcam. Lovely project written/directed and produced by Kurt Brookes and Andrew Birtwell.
My old mate Doug Thorp asked if I could rekindle Barry as a guest for his Broken Biscuits Online Cabaret.
I asked Kurt and Andy, and within a week we had it written, shot and edited. Due to lockdown, I shot at home with a green screen, and my old security cabin office magically appeared in editing.
Here’s Broken Biscuits Online No. 2. Barry Pigeon is the final artiste in the show… It’s well worth the watch as an alternative to the assault of information we have these days.
For those who want just a dose of Barry Pigeon, here’s the new episode….
And good new Pigeon fans, more Barry is likely to be forthcoming 🙂
I’ll update when I can.
Other bits of creativity overcome me. The opening of David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs album, the spoken track Future Legend, is something I committed to memory at age 16.
The words kept coming back to me recently, so here it is, performed as a monologue…
I have another favourite song committed to memory that I plan to make a video for. A more complicated production, but hopefully coming soon.
As mentioned earlier, I’ve been filming my daily dog walks, and sharing on my Facebook feed as Virtual Dog Walking for Shut Ins. I also post my daily Twitter Feeds… the sound of bird song captured in the park.
I’m putting these on to my YouTube Channel now, so here’s a link to my Virtual Dog Walks Playlist….
Okay, hope you enjoyed the walkies and the birds. I’ll keep adding to the Playlists so keep checking back.
Stay safe, love your friends and family – and tell them you do.
We all need it right now.
I hope to update again soon.
D x
Our lovely production of Welcome to Shangri-La opens on Tuesday at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester.
Had a fantastic time in rehearsal and now it’s ready for public consumption.
It’s funny. It’s moving. It’s dark.
We’ll get your room ready….
Coming to your Telly next Monday….. I’m in Doctors, BBC1 1:45. Had a super time shooting this, it’s a bit of different role for me. Can’t wait to see it.
If you can’t see it live, or record to your TV device, you can catch up afterwards here….
Coming up…. some more telly to air in January. Can’t wait 🙂
And finally….Remember to vote.
Please, I beg, VOTE LABOUR! Check out that Manifesto
Dave x
Hi folks! November already!
Time flies….
Been a busy few weeks. This past weekend I was on stage at York Theatre Royal in the TakeOver Festival with the lovely short play, THE SYLVIA SWING, written by Melanie Hopkins. If you’d like to see it, the video is below…
In October, I returned as Undertaker Albert Holdings in the play TRUMPET, based on the novel by Jackie Kay. Directed by Amanda Huxtable and produced by Shirley Harris at Vanitas Arts.
We had an R&D session on TRUMPET earlier in the year. The latest session was Digital Testing; adding the multimedia layers that bring the show to life. Plans are for a full production next year.
Coming up on November 25th in your living room – I will be in DOCTORS on BBC1. Smashing part I filmed a couple of months ago. I can’t wait to see it 🙂
So kids, that’s it for this update, stay warm and safe, vote wisely, VOTE LABOUR, and I’ll be back soon
Dave
I had a summer of horror! …..
Reading and recording the audiobook The Dead Room, by Luke Walker.
I love a good horror – and this one kept me entertained, both through my initial reading, and creating the world for the audiobook. Feedback so far has been brilliant, so please check it out!
Here’s a little about it… mybook.to/TheDeadRoomAudible
A week before Christmas, terrorists detonate dozens of dirty bombs throughout Britain and release a man-made contagion, leading Nicola Allen to begin a frantic hunt for her husband and daughter while a nation burns.
Fleeing from a horrendous event she refuses to speak of and desperate to find shelter in a dying country, Nicola’s sister-in-law, Cate, takes cover in a partly-destroyed hospital. Terrorised by visions of mutilated bodies and the screams of phantom children, Cate joins a group of survivors, all of whom are under attack by ruthless scavengers and looters.
If Nicola is to have any chance of finding her family and if Cate is to escape from the siege, they must reunite and then descend into the belly of the ruined hospital where the horrific truth of what truly connects the two women is waiting for them.
Waiting for them down in the dead room.
Sounds good eh? Go get it now!!!! THE DEAD ROOM
And remember – both Luke and I would really appreciate any reviews you may leave anywhere!
Happy reading – and listening…..
Listen to Radio 4 over the next two weekS to catch me as one of the historic voices in Peterloo: The Massacre That Changed Britain.
A fascinating insight into a long forgotten dark slice of British history.
I add my voice to historic accounts, letters and court scenes.
That’s Friday Aug 2 & Aug 9 at 11:00 – and available on your usual catch up services.
