Applying for another no doubt forlorn hope and retrieved these, taken by the wonderful Walter Hampson from the start of 2016. Oooft. Does that mean 4 years ago? Guess so. 

In case you missed it, this was #likes. 

I made the mistake of trusting the cinema app yesterday, arrived to see a 2D showing of 1917 (for surely it doesn't need any bells and whistles), only to discover it was being shown i'faith in two dimensions but in the 4DX screen. 

As I'd organised my evening around this screening, I grudgingly slumped into the screen. (Not quite true - I ran lightly as I was hoping I'd see an ad we've just launched.) And I didn't fancy waiting an hour and a half for the next purely two dimensional showing. 

But unlike Black Panther which I think only benefitted from the bucking bronco frolics, I did not feel poor 1917 was enhanced. I'd even go so far as to say it suffered. Possibly if you don't giggle when your seat shakes or when air is zipped past your collarbone, this unfortunate side effect might be avoided. But vulnerable me snickered through the calamity - which Sam Mendes surely doesn't want.

There's a valuable lesson in this, I think. It's a gorgeous film. Fabulous acting. Sumptuous cinematography. But perhaps using 4DX to try and recreate the heart-numbing bone-crunching blood-chilling stomach-curdling excruciating calamitous horror of World War One was a little crass. 

I might go see it again so I can sit still throughout.

So if I'm going to do this striking out on my own thing, I need a name, some sort of social media presence and I've convinced myself I need a website. Though I can't yet tell whether I actually need a website or think I need one as a form of procrastinating.

Over the festive time for example, I found it much easier to think about all the things I'd put on this imaginary website than I did about the actual script. Arguably the thing that is least important in comparison to the actual words I put upon the stage. 

The name itself is straight-forward enough. I've dreamed about being Lightbox Theatre since attending a coffee shop in Sydney three years ago. But some might say (and others have indeed said) that this is an unremarkable name in the context of theatre companies.

So perhaps there is another name that has been used previously, that consequently has an (albeit very meagre) online presence and could therefore be built upon. 

How handy. There is. When we did #likes in possibly also 2016, I needed a name as we entered a play competition that my almer mater was also entering. Then we were (I was) Production Lines. So we have a Twitter account (visit it! Follow it!). What more start does a company need?

But then back to the website. Do I need one? I guess I could cobble something together. But if only I knew someone that had more experience than me. I've been giving a lot of thought to the sort of person that could build a site of the quality that is called for. And I think it's possibly someone who's already built a site of their own. Maybe for a Resident's Association or something similar. Oh, but I don't know anyone like that. Back to stumbling by alone. 

Back to my day job and by night, I'm editing. 

A first read through scheduled for 2 February. 

It's amazing how much you can tinker with words on the page. 

Though I find most of my tinkering is cutting.

I'm really struggling to know long it's going to be. 

(Obviously I could just read it and time it. Lazy bones.)

I'm aiming for an hour and twenty minutes.

I've randomly decided that's the optimum length.

So I guess if I keep on cutting, I can always add stuff back in. 

Dropped off a contract here yesterday. I imagine it'll be looking a little less Christmassy next time we're in this neck of the woods. 

Right. Let's do this thing.