Poor creatures. I forced them into improvising last night. And they even received this prospect with maybe slightly dourly faced but ultimate willingness. I love them fiercely already.

My dear friend Ingrid sent me this recently. I love it. And christened it with our first rehearsal for a brand new super duper Fringe show, skirt. Man alive, I love it already.

(Let's see how long this lasts.) 

It was full of injustice and harrowing horrors. Just what the doctor ordered. 

More magic. 

I didn't like this guy quite so much but Billy set the bar very high. Mind, Renz's last trick was stupendous. And I do still want to become a magician when I get a little spare time.

Saw Billy Reid doing magic last night. It was an excellent antidote.

I saw a very gripping play a week and a bit ago. Gut by Frances Poet. Directed by Zinnie Harris. On at the Traverse for a little bit longer maybe.

It's nicely topical which always gets a show brownie points. It speaks of a couple with a 3 year old child. The child is out for lunch with his gran. The gran is busy at the till in the cafe, juggling tray and purse and trying to pay, when the wee boy announces he urgently needs the toilet. A guy behind them in the queue offers to take him. Crisis averted. All good. But then the gran relays this episode to the parents and they slowly, simmeringly, seethe with uncertainty.

It's a great premise. We don't know and they don't know at any point whether the stranger did anything other than take the little guy for a wee. But the feverish, over-excited and suspicious world that we live in, works relentlessly on the parents, driving the mother in particular slightly mad. It's an extra great story line in this era of fake news. What is truth when it walked out of the cafe with the kindly stranger?

Mainly you should see this because the story nicely lingers. But it's also brilliantly directed, excellently acted, has pitch perfect sound, is thoughtfully lit and will chill you to the bone.

Though if you have small children, I'd maybe stay away.

Well, I was astounded by the number of people who came along to auditions.

Astounded isn't even an exaggeration or my (occasional) hyperbole. It was just very incredibly surprising.

Someone sent in a video audition. 

One auditionee turned up at 10pm to my surprise. 

The Wednesday audition had started at 7pm. 

I had a handful of round the edges auditions in addition to the scheduled sessions. 

My numbers were further swollen by the children in attendance bringing mothers, fathers and sometimes, siblings.

It consequently took a very long time. 

And I must commend everyone who attended for lovely, compassionate patience.

Both at the time and subsequently, while we shoogled and sorted and wondered and debated and decided. 

But hooveryray. We have a cast. Very happy days.