Phew – that was a hectic few days

13th October
So I’ve been to Poland and back, to the Animarkt festival in Lodz (Wooodge), for three long days of workshops in an old restored power station, which was a truly bizarre and lovely setting. A great bunch of people, and my students had varied abilities, but some produced some startlingly good work. On the last day Mars attacks! was shown in my honour, and a cake to celebrate my 40th years as an animator, though I was not going to send the cake back and admit it’s near the end of my 41st now. Delicious cake. Mars attack – a movie marking the start of a new technology is certainly looking a little awkward now, and I’d not seen it for ages, but was surprised at just how many of my gags and ideas were still in the film. Such a shame, in one way, that stop motion was not involved in the end.
A bit of an epic and stressful journey home, and then straight in to presenting my Tchaikovsky film and Matthew bourne’s swan Lake at the Garrick – heck that’s a good double bill, though I say it myself. Swan Lake is simply a masterpiece and always will be. so rich, so sensual, such an achievement. I never tire of it, though the ‘opera house’ scene does go on for ages and the Prince gets sidelined there. He needs a rest. But what a piece. So many of my friends were very sniffy about this, and didn’t take the chance to see it.
I had another trip to the RSC to see measure for measure, which is not my favourite play, but heck this production was thrilling. The scenes between Aneglo and Isabella as the deal was plotted were simply breathtaking, with the audience gasping at the audacity and relevance. A great production – and very ‘woke’ (heck I hate that word. But every box was ticked.
I’d like to say this week will be quiet and I can concentrate on the script i’m writing for the BFI submission but heck no.