mostly david ephgrave

I’m often surprised by how well Glyn’s and my radio show holds together when I listen back to it, compared to how I feel as we were doing it. That’s not to say I usually think it’s going badly, as I’m generally pretty happy with it, but in the case of this week’s show (which just went out), I didn’t feel in the right mindset at the time of recording, so was relieved to discover it flowed well when I heard it tonight. The problem is I’m hypercritical, particularly about myself, so if I’m not firing on all cylinders, I'm the first to negatively judge what I (or we) have done. I’m my own worst critic, which may come as a surprise when you read what others have said about me; the bastards. What I like about In Your Inner Ear is the freedom we have while we do it. There’s no-one to answer to, except ourselves, and I like to think we have good judgement. The format is simple, but seems to work. We draw up a pie chart, with the slices divvied ...

Today I had a casting in which I had to be a 'shy, nervous introvert'; something that was right up my street.  (The bit in inverted commas is taken directly from the casting breakdown; it's a bonus when you barely have to act.) I had to improvise an interview in character, while the casting director took the part of the interviewee. The concept of improv can provoke fear and trepidation in many actors (myself included) - but on this occasion I quite enjoyed it.  I also got a few laughs, which always helps; provided you're in on the joke. Before my appointment I had a quick wander around the outskirts of St Paul's Cathedral, as the casting was just a few minutes down the road. It's the first time I've been past in a quite a few years. My last trip was on the same day an official visit from Princess Diana, which should give you some idea of the timescale.   I arrived just as the clock struck eleven. It prov...