Diary of a Suburban Squeen

1. I actually spent time talking about Hollyoaks at work. Last night I was forced (well, I say forced: more in the region of “Oh, don’t tell your father/grandfather/uncle what I just did… Oh, Martin/Brian/Miles, you’ll never guess what I just did!”) to tell Katie that I had even had the thought of Hollyoaks fic pass through my brain (it will never happen, I promise).

2. Tonight, we have no Guides, on account of half-term. Much as I enjoy Guides, this is a cause for joy. I shall go home, put some laundry on (for I have no clothes), watch the first ever ep of Life on Mars as what I got on a free DVD, and possibly some Torchwood, in an attempt to feel happier about writing Torchwood fic. I will not watch Jericho or Heroes, as tempted as I may feel, because (a) that would be naughty and (b) it would not be as much fun as watching it with Katie.

3. I thought I might have ticket woe today, but it turns out my travelcard is valid for one day longer than I thought. I am genuinely perplexed as to how this came to pass.

4. Question: Has anyone else ever leapt about in a fandom where they’ve never actually read/seen the original? I don’t mean like reading Highlander crossover fics, because that concept has been used in Every Fandom Ever, but like full on fandomming? I have read loads of Sentinel fic, actively sought it out, even though I hadn’t seen any of it until not long ago, and then only a couple of eps. Is this strange, or have other people had similar experiences?

5. _mardybum_ is so evil it defies description. You’ve got to love her. *g*

6. Did actually have some Guiding love today, on reading the magazine. Apparently International Women’s Day is coming up on the left, and the Activate section was full of activities to do on the theme of women and women’s rights etc. I just love belonging to an organisation that provides that sort of thing for girls and young women. Quote of the magazine: “Boys were invented to play football and watch TV.”

7. (i) *Therese Raquin – NT*
We saw this last month, and I have not yet written about it. It was good; the acting was excellent, likewise the set. The stifling, monotonous atmosphere was well portrayed. I loved the creepiness of the stroke-afflicted mother-in-law. But blimey it was melodramatic. All that tossing and turning in the second half when they were coming to terms with what Laurent had done – it was a bit overdone, I thought, and rather ruined the atmosphere. It was funny in parts, as well, with the two bods from their town – it helped emphasise the rut the characters were in, the way their lives were just on a repeat button.

(ii) *There Came A Gypsy Riding – Almeida*
Saw this last night. Again, I think it was a new play.* A family in Ireland goes to stay at their holiday cottage to ‘celebrate’ what would have been the younger son’s 21st birthday, except he killed himself two years ago. The play was about how the family dealt with their grief etc, and the first half was generally good. Eileen Aitkens may have had a dodgy accent (more Cold Comfort Farm than Irish), but as the older, barking mad cousin Bridget “more of a confused fairy”, she was very funny, and in the first half I liked Imelda Staunton’s Margaret (the mother) – partly, I will admit, because her entrance involved a pile of tea towels. It’s clearly a theme. Katie and I chuckled. Quietly, obviously. But, yes, the second half went a bit wrong. Bridget suddenly presented the suicide note that Gene had left, and Margaret went a bit mad and started banging on about him cursing them all. Very unsettling, not very convincing. It was like the current grief-fest in Hollyoaks, except more Irish. It got back on track later, but I think the emotional outpourings and rampant looniness halfway through spoiled it for me.


*Not that I think Therese was a new play; but the last thing we saw at the Almeida was, je pense.

1. I am a squeen not in the best of health. I am afflicted by a sore throat. There is woe.

2. Ah, Thursday night comedy: it is a fine thing. Watched (as everyone else on my flist seems to have done) Extras, That Mitchell and Webb look (ah, Sir Digby Chicken Caesar… the BMX Bandit…) and finally Mock the Week. I do like a bit of Mock the Week. And not just because of its name.

3. I have listened to the Wicked CD about three million times and am not yet bored.

4. Will be getting the first series of Dark Angel imminently, which I’m quite excited about, because I haven’t really seen how it all started. Sadly there will be no Alec, but I will bear up.

5. I am already quite bored of the Labour infighting at the moment. Also my cynicism reached new heights a day or two ago when the papers seemed to be full of Gordon Brown weeping over something. I’m sure whatever he was weeping over was weepworthy, but the timing is just so… *so*.

6. Rather splendid French market in Lower Marsh today and tomorrow if anyone’s planning to be in the vicinity.

7. There was chocolate brandy (apple juice) cake. Now it is gone. Oimi.

8. Brownies tonight. I volunteered earlier in the week to be a hibernating thing but Xanthe was not overly impressed.

9. I seem to have stopped reading. This is strange.

10. ( Vote by Ballot (Harley Granville Baker) - National Theatre, London, September 2006 )