Even more manic two weeks, barmy.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, just when you thought it couldn't get any more stressful.  It did.

Just when some semblance of normality crept up, when we all started to relax and enjoy doing the show, we all got the flu.  This week has been absolutely barmy.  We ended up having to cancel three shows, and do three others one man down.  I turned up one morning to find Ivan Stott, the man who can play any instrument, and who single-handedly drives most of the songs, lying unconscious on the sofa in the green room. He roused from his sleep just enough to say "I can't do the show".

We had half an hour to rework the show without him, and then it was on in front of 300 schoolchildren.  Bear in mind, the Princess had been throwing up solidly for two days, the bad uncle had started throwing up during the night and the genie had developed a fever that morning.  I really can't believe we got through it.  There were some ridiculous moments, but we definitely got through it.  There was a point where no one was on stage, and no one was doing anything about it so the genie jumped up in a state of pure delirium and started saying to the children “Who do you think is going to come on next? It's not Aladdin, and it's not his mother, who do you think it could be?” This went on for some time until the bad uncle was ready to go on, much to the genie's relief.

I'm writing this using a dictation software, it’s quite exciting.  I'm just talking and it's doing all the typing for me.  I feel like I'm in some futuristic film with Will Smith.

Colombia fundraising is all going very well.  Very well indeed.  I did the planned facebook blitz. Didn't quite raise the £400 mark I set myself.  No one's perfect. 

The cabaret at the Playhouse is looking to be really good.  Sarah Moyle, who plays Mrs Cratchit in Christmas Carol is proving to be a massive help in arranging it.  She sat me down last week and just blitzed the logistics.  Something I'm quite rubbish at so I was very grateful.  The acts are looking really good as well, I've got Scrooge telling a story, one of the ghosts doing the burlesque act, the ageing Dub foundation are going to sing “me pension song” and potentially the drummers from the Leeds Brazilian society. Who knew Leeds had a Brazilian society.  Going to try and get them involved definitely, they have a huge following so will fill the place. Also the director of Aladdin has agreed to dress up in a novelty costume and do a little number. If that doesnt fill the place I don't know what will. I’m going to try and get as many students along as possible just to try and make sure its full.

I've gone over the thousand pounds mark!  Very very excited.  I reckon if I start fundraising in and around the theatre I can definitely make £2000. It's just a matter of time and energy now. What with two shows every day from here till January 15, I just need to be super organised.  Not something I've ever been famous for, but there's never been a better time to learn.  And I tell you I am learning so much everyday.  If you are ever doing something of this kind my advice to you is talk to as many people about as you can, you’ll be amazed at people's generosity with their wisdom and their time.  Every person I’ve spoke to about it has helped me in one way or another. Just read back through and this it's littered with grammatical mistakes. Also my sentences are really weirdly formed because I’m talking in small chunks so the computer can understand me. That technology has foiled me again.

What other updates have there been. A Latin American bar in Leeds with a big brazilian following has agreed to support my cabaret and let me advertise there. Yes! Very exciting, quite a beautiful manager as well, always helps. Got quite lonely while I was ill, funny how illness affects you. Just felt like I was either sweating and coughing in my room or on stage being Aladdin, real cabin fever. Craved little catches of interaction with anybody. Feel sorry for really old people they must have that feeling non-stop. Think that’s everything, can’t wait till Christmas and hope on hope that my unicycle ride doesn’t get snowed or frosted off. Must think of a contingent plan. Possibly unicycling round the theatre or round a rehearsal room.

Also need to get onto press big time. Just need to start making phone calls and selling the story. Will go into work early and do that tomorrow. Boom! Say it’s gonna happen and do it. What an incredibly satisfying feeling.

Oh yeah also a journalist has really screwed me over, really let me down, dragged me along saying he will cover the story, I gave him an opportunity to pull out a while ago and he said no I’ll definitely do it, just pulled out on me yesterday. Coward. Ah well his loss, but now must find a journalist to cover it. Quick time.

Merry christmas

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Manic Two Weeks

We have had tech week for Aladdin and are now up and running with press night on Tuesday. Exhausting and Exciting in equal measures. 

Several newspapers are interested in covering this story with one definite confirmed.

And I have a new goal system set up to make sure that in this limited time I achieve all I need.

It has been a massive learning curve. I never realised that in an experience like this the more people you include the more it seems to snowball..

One morning I was thinking to myself, what would be the best way of making sure that the time I have from here is spent in the most efficient way possible. On a whim I decided to air that question with a woman called Katie Matthews. And since then the whole thing has just taken off. She recommended I set some goals and write them down, and then sent my story on to a friend of hers who works for bbc radio yorkshire. Someone else overheard us talking and has since put me in touch with a freelance journalist who writes frequently for The Times and is now trying to get a story together. I was then recommended to speak to the press team at the theatre and she has been obsenely helpful!. She has got the Yorkshire Evening Post to cover the story and has set me up with an interview for Radio Leeds. Haha! It's amazing, I love it, be good to people and they will help you out.

So the publicity side is going well. Also have a couple of very exciting ideas in the pipeline.

A Facebook status blitz. I get as many of my close friends to post their status as "www.virginmoneygiving.com/gregorybartlett Everyone donate even just one pound, we are trying to raise 300 in one day"

Also a sponsorship wheel set up in the theatre for everyone in the building to record their support. Will speak to the lovely Paula from press on tuesday. This one is a bit vague at the moment but I think it will work nicely.

So all in all very exciting developments. Setting goals is a great great game. You simply write down a few simple things that you want to achieve and give them to somebody. You achieve them. Tell that person. It feels so good. Its pure motivation and it wouldn't feel like that if you just went away and did the things. There is something brilliant about having it written down and having somebody to share that achievement with, it just feels brilliant. I recommend it hugely.

So by the time I speak to you next I will have done press night, I will have started fund raising in and around the theatre, I will have hopefully raised lots and lots of money, I will have gotten my sister a birthday present and will have done lots and lots of Aladdins.

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Hello.

My name is Greg. I am 22. 

I teach circus.

About five months ago I discovered a company called Circo Para Todos. They work in Colombia with street kids. Great company.

In about two months I am going to be working with them on their outreach project for five months.

At the moment I am also playing Aladdin in Aladdin at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

This is a record of my adventure, from fundraising all the way through to getting home and showing my Mum the photos.

So this is where we are at the moment.

Currently training for a nine and a half mile sponsored unicycle, rehearsing Aladdin, trying to get press coverage, trying to raise money and trying to get in contact with Shakira.

Unicycling through the streets of Leeds has been an interesting experience. It's a strange experience when you unicycle past somebody on the street, the first time it happens you make a bit of eye contact "yes that is right I am riding a unicycle" a bit of smiling might ensue between you both in recognition of the bizarre nature of the situation you are both in but by the third or fourth person there is only so much feigned enthusiasm for their interest that you can muster. We then move into a strange game of minimal eye contact and trying to pretend that I haven't noticed them stopping and staring or beeping their horns (if they're in a car). I actually find it quite awkward riding past somebody on a unicycle, often I don't want to overtake people because I feel embarrassed. It's hard to be in your own world when unicycling through a busy town, the attention on you is almost unbearable.

It is nice to think that I'm putting a smile on some peoples faces, a small consolation however for potentially destroying any chance of ever having a child. Experimenting with different cushion set ups to try and ease the discomfort.

I am extremely excited about this new phase in my life. I do worry that I might not do enough p.r. or write to enough newspapers and things like that, which is silly really because all I need to do is just do more p.r. and write to more newspapers but I still worry all the same. My mum is helping alot, she just finished the first draft of the press release. Tricky being away from home and keeping a mother happy, will have to work on that for when I go to Colombia.



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