Earlier on this month with the help of Gilian Moore at the Southbank centre I began a foray into jazz with two brilliant players. Coincidentally I was filming for something else at around the same time. . The Producer, Deborah had commissioned eight different films of which Channel Four would choose four to air to the nation. I decided on writing a poem for it. The Subject matter was Darwin as it is his 200th birthday in early February.
The poem is called What if? I suggested to Deborah that we could put the poem to music and film it at The South Bank where the rehearsals were taking place. Or did Deborah suggest it! Whatever. The film crew came and filmed The Pianist and the Double bass Player and I with the poem set to their music. We had rehearsed it for a matter of hours but knew that we had something.
I got the news today that the short film was chosen to be broadcast to the nation. I got an invite too from The Trustees and Director of The Natural history Museum for the launch of Darwin 200 where the film will fist be shown. I’ll keep the invite.
No doubt I would go were I not on stage at The Hammersmith Lyric. Talking of which, I performed my one person play tonight. For the first time, a preview. It’s called Why I Don’t Hate White People and I think it went well. It will be runing for the next three weeks.