Seven New Work Festival This Saturday!
Current mood: blessed
Category: Writing and Poetry

Hosted By: Becky Cherriman
When: 08 Mar 2008, 15:00
Where: Seven Artspace
31 (a) Harrogate Road
Leeds, LS73PD.
United Kingdom
Description:
Becky Cherriman

Click Here To View Event

If you make it, please come and say hello.

Currently reading : The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within By Stephen Fry Release date: 17 August, 2006

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New stories with sound and music posted on Ms Writer Speaks
Current mood: musical
Category: musical Music

I have been working with musician Jonnie Khan to put sound and music to my stories.  Some of these I performed at Landfill last Wednesday.  Here are a few shots from the night at Seven courtesy of David Lindsay. 

Leaving the stage after A Thousand Moths

Manque

Curtain call

We recorded the tracks a few weeks ago and they are now up on my Ms Writer Speaks site.  It was so exciting to be in a proper studio and I think that Jonnie's input really enhances my writing/performance.  It would be lovely to know what you think. 

I'm really looking forward to developing my performance and storytelling with Landfill and with Jonnie.  I'm a busy bee at the moment with regards to my writing and am trying out lots of new things.  I've a few things in the pipeline with other musicians and have been sending Jigsaw off to agents again - only 3 rejections so far!  I also sent my flash fiction off to Notes From The Underground.  They rejected the stories too but the editor was very sweet; he said that they had all really enjoyed reading my stories and would love to read some more.  I've sent a couple more so fingers crossed.    

Currently listening : Raise the Alarm By The Sunshine Underground Release date: 02 October, 2006

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Scandal, sound and the schoolgirl - Landfill 20.2.08
Current mood: full of cold
Category: full of cold Parties and Nightlife

If you are not interested in watching me (as narrator) and actor (Edmund Harding) provoke controversy with my darkly comedic sketch 'Pizza Dough' or being the first to see me perform my flash fiction to sound produced live by Jonnie Khan or watching me play the cheeky schoolgirl in Mike Nelson's play or watching English Kate perform her monologue Spiderbaby, I can guarantee that you will be interested in something the other members of Landfill have to offer. 

Fast moving theatre for a fast changing world with short sketches, extracts of plays and flash fiction.  This Wednesday 's event will include a solo acoustic set by William Gray of The Smokestacks.

Landfill's unique brand of entertainment combines short theatre pieces, comic sketches and flash fiction into an evening of rapid fire entertainment. Production and sets are minimalist by design with music also incorporated to form an evening of humorous, stimulating and thought-provoking entertainment. 

Venue: Seven Artspace, 31(a) Harrogate Road in Chapel Allerton (next to Casa Mia Grande), Leeds, LS7 3PD.
Date: 20.2.08
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm 
Tickets : £4, £3 (conc)

To reserve a seat, please call 01132626777 or email info@sevenleeds.co.uk . 

Hope to catch you there!

N.B. Some of the plays will be script-in-hand. 

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How sheepish can a bunch of actors look during a curtain call?
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

Hi all, I hope January isn't proving too difficult for you and that you are still managing to find some sunshine. 

Just thought I'd share a link to the Landfill site.  You might be particularly interested in having a look if you are an actor, musician, visual artist or performer of any kind as we are wanting to involve all sorts of creative people. 

Here is a photo from the blog I posted about our opening night which was on 28th November last year: 

                                                                                photo by David Lindsay
(From left) Edmund Harding, Helen Crawford, Ben Tagoe, Katie Brown, Becky Cherriman (Ms Writer), Mike Nelson

How sheepish can a bunch of actors look during a curtain call?

Our next night is on Weds 20th Feb.  Hope some of you can make it.

Currently reading : Eva Luna By Isabel Allende Release date: 01 August, 1989

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Performance at The Primrose on 23rd January
Current mood: animated
Category: Parties and Nightlife

..> ..>

	Music, silliness and me with more stories for your entertainment.

Line up:

The Air Freshener Man
Mister Manana
Becky Cherriman
Paul Jeffery
Get Back
Dylan

Cost:           £3 ..> ..>

Time:	7:30pm - 11:30pm
Location:	The Primrose Inn
Street:	280 Meanwood Road
City/Town:	Leeds

It would be lovely to see you there.  Come, come, come...

Currently listening : Because of the Times By Kings of Leon Release date: 03 April, 2007

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English Kate exhibits artwork
Current mood: angsty
Category: Art and Photography

English Kate exhibits artwork as part of an open exhibition at The Light building in Leeds.  The exhibition has been organised by the artsandminds network, which is situated within the mental health landscape of Leeds. Drop in and see various artworks including 'Hope' by Katie Brown.

The exhibition runs from 16th Jan at 5 p.m until 30th Jan at 5 p.m. 

Don't miss it!

P.S.  Kate's painting is now on the BBC website - how goddamn exciting.
P.P.S. I went to see the exhibition yesterday and there are some interesting artworks there but Kate's by far outshines the rest.   

Currently reading : The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists By Neil Strauss Release date: 06 September, 2005

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Still, at least I have Myspace weirdos to cheer me up
Current mood: mildly amused
Category: mildly amused MySpace

I just received this message from a potential suitor:

Hy Sweetie

helloo

Am nnanna luis, i want someone to spent the rest of my life with
I honestly,i really wanna know you more and learn of you better Please,pardon me if i did offend you by what am going to say .
I must confess that you drop dead geogoues and very attractive too i cant help to write you an email please dont get me wrong,i really wanna
know and learn of you better,i can hardly wait to get a reply from you..Please contact me on my personal email {nnanna.luis@yahoo.com}

nnanna

Anyone got any idea what geoguoues are?

Currently listening : The Very Best of The Pogues By The Pogues Release date: 11 April, 2001

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The death of a friend
Current mood: grieving
Category: grieving Life

This week my friend died.  She was found dead in her bed on Tuesday, her wedding anniversary.  She was married to one of my closest male friends but they had been estranged for over a year.  I organised her hen night.  I was one of the best men at her wedding (I know that's unusual but so am I, so is he, so was she).

This woman was young, beautiful and bright.  She had a drug problem.  Apparently she had been clean for a year.   And now she is dead.

I can't stop thinking about the effect this will have on her husband who, at the age of 30, is a widower.  This man has not exactly been a clean living guy but he has a good heart, has been there for me when I've needed him and - despite the differences in our personalities and our choice of lifestyle - I love him.  He says that he is trying to distract himself.  He says that he feels numb.  No shit.

We don't know how to grieve properly in the west.  On Wednesday morning my 10 year old son saw that I was upset.  He said, "Mummy, think about something else.  If something is really upsetting, I make myself think about something else.  I think and think and think about the other thing until I forget about it."

I told him that sometimes it is important to let the sadness out because if we don't, it can hurt us more.  But afterwards I realised that this is what (under the guidance of child psychology) we train our kids to do.  When they want something we don't want them to have we distract them.  When they fall and hurt their knees we distract them.  It seems my son has internalised this; when something is really painful he pushes it away and thinks about something else. 

So when do we make room for grief?  When do we mourn for this woman who should have had a whole life ahead of her?       

Currently listening : Used Songs (1973-1980) By Tom Waits Release date: 23 October, 2001

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Birthday Story
Current mood: thoughtful
Category: Writing and Poetry

I haven't posted any new writing for a while so thought I'd put one up.  It's one of the pieces of flash fiction I performed at The Primrose on Sunday.  The Primrose was a good night and a fair few people came down to support me so a big thank you to them and to Paul for inviting me! 

I will be doing a set there again on 23rd Jan and was also asked to do something extremely exciting (but I'm keeping that one under my favourite brown hat... for now). 

Here it is: 

BUILDING CASTLES

You mapped it all out - our house in the country, you tinkling on the piano, me nurturing stories till dusk, the waterfights in the wild flower garden with our three kids.  We window-shopped for retro wedding outfits we might one day wear.  There were Christmas cards to the two of us.  We even invested in an orthopaedic mattress, 'This is important, for the future,' you said. 

I came to see it all as you did, grafted my dreams onto yours.  I touched the heads of our children – grubby, tousled and happy, heard the rush of air as you pressed those piano keys, inhaled the mahogany furniture, the Victorian rose bush you said we'd grow.

Then - as we curled up on my sofa - you placed your hand on my tummy and rubbed round and round, 'You could have my baby.'  Round and round you rubbed.  And left me.

And now, when I think of those words, of your round and round hand, I know that moment was real, that and the seeds you helped me to plant. 

As always, comments are welcome.

32 years of love to you all xx

Currently listening : The Complete Recordings - 1951 - 1969 By Howlin’ Wolf

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Landfill, The Primrose and Cover The Mirrors
Current mood: fluctuating
Category: fluctuating Parties and Nightlife

The Landfill event was a resounding success. Thanks to everyone who made it down. Look out for a blog about the opening night soon and for upcoming Landfill events.


Hosted By: Doc at The Primrose - Ms Writer to headline
When: 09 Dec 2007, 20:00
Where: The Primrose
280 Meanwood Road
Leeds, LS72HZ
United Kingdom
Description:
Doc at The Primrose - Ms Writer to headline

Click Here To View Event

The line-up will be:

Becky Cherriman (spoken word)
Accolade (rock/indie)
John Iackaveli
Aidan Marriott (acoustic/ folk/roots)
Aflightoremember (acoustic)

Best wishes to you all,
Ms Writer aka Becky Cherriman

P.S. If you fancy a raunchy and engaging read, make sure you try Faye L Booth's first novel Cover The Mirrors. It explores themes such as Victorian spiritualism, friendship, sexuality, class and feminism and is very difficult to put down!

Currently reading : Cover the Mirrors By Faye L. Booth Release date: 02 November, 2007

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