Its now Monday August 18th, an ordinary day for most, people get up with their weekend behind them and get on with the usual routine of a Monday morning, phone calls, paperwork, making tea and looking forward to the end of the day. However my day, in fact my job is indeed a little unusual to say the least. 
Andy (centre) at a photoshoot for the Rocky Horror Show - Johnathan Wilkes (left) will return in the show in September and then will play the role of Danny in Grease at The Palace at Christmas. John Stalker (left) played the narrator in the show earlier this year |
I work in the press department at the Palace Theatre and Opera House and have done for a few years now. I always thought it would be a glamorous lifestyle, meeting celebs, drinking champers and eating nibbly things from silver trays at various opening night parties. However nothing is as it seems. Nobody told me that celebrities that I meet would have an awful habit of not only being late for absolutely everything, but are also somewhat testy at 10am on a rainy morning after a night of singing their little lungs out on stage the night before, having forsaken their long awaited lie-in to be cramped in a taxi (which is always late) with little old me. 
 Your job is to make sure your celebs are interviewed have their photo taken...  |
No-one told me that champagne is always flowing at parties, but your job is to make sure your celebs are interviewed, have their photo taken (without clutching a ciggie) and are sat where everyone can see them, but will not get hassled and always have a drink, but not too drunk, as no-one likes to see a celeb falling downstairs and ending up with their dress around their head. Once you've done all this the champagne is gone, the free beer is gone, the free wine is gone and the food has been scoffed. Picture the scene of a tired press person nicking cheese sarnies off plates and finally getting a glass of wine, which is actually an accumulation of the remains of 3 different glasses. Parties are long hard work and believe me when I say its no party for me. If I'm not auditioning dogs or working with 150 kids in the theatre for a week, then I'm stuck in a camper van with ten naked African dancers, trying to look at the floor and give road directions to Chorlton to a driver that doesn't speak English. A glamorous life - no, but very diverse. 
Things have to be better than the fiasco that was last year... |
Today is a special day as its the countdown to the Europride parade, so things are hotting up somewhat around here. Things have to be better than the fiasco that was last year. The whole event was nearly pulled and the parade was cancelled and then put on again within 24 hours, all the hard work from last year was wasted and we had to pull out. I stood and watched the parade with my partner Trevor, which was a sorry event of a few trucks puttering up Princess Street all looking a little pathetic. As a theatre we have to promote up-coming shows in our section of the parade, without over advertising and forgetting what the event is really about. In our float we will have Grease, Sing-a-long-a Wizard of Oz, Fosse and Rocky Horror Show. It has taken 2 months work to, firstly get producers to part with their pennies to be in the parade and then beg people to donate their time and services for the day. Grease will be my little project and has been a lot of fun to work on although a little weird. I have infamous drag star Miss Felicia (although she does prefer to be called a Gender Illusionist) as a Pink Lady, and the lovely David as a T- bird, safely ensconced in an old American Car surrounded by my muscle men Teen Angels. With Wizard of Oz, we have the promotional team of costume characters coming up from London. We have leggy male models for Fosse and Rocky Horror and more camp than you can shake a stick at. It will be a long old day, making sure that people are on time, and do not go out partying the night before, that all dressing rooms are ready and that no-one forgets to bring make-up, tights, thongs, angle wings and false Elvis wigs. More importantly it should be fun and I promise you it will be. On a personal note for me, I mentioned that last year that I watched the parade with my partner Trevor. Unfortunately Trevor died suddenly in November last year and this will be my first parade without him. Sad?, well no, more sentimental, I do know he will be there in his own way with a big grin on his face, because at the end of the day, that's what its all about - fun. Find out more about EuroPride by clicking here | 
