....and there's more

Hi

I got an email from someone the other day, via my website, and they said that they had gone back and read all my blogs since 2009......I wanted to say, I think you should get out more. But really is was very nice of her to bother. But the point is that really my life is quite boring.....However in saying that I really enjoy my life.
I read a music blogger's take on success in the music business the other day and he was pointing out that although it is very difficult to have the initial success the difficult part is to stay there. I totally agree. I am so lucky that I am still working all the time in a business that I love.
I am watching my children (Kate and David) both making there way in the music business and realising how difficult it is. Its a long process but I know they are going to make it.....and not the easy x factor way, but the slogging every night in a little club learning their profession way. It's the only way.
David has almost finished the process for the first single and hopefully it will be released via I Tunes in July. I think its amazing and everyone who sees the video loves it. But....its war out there and he's competing with hundreds of other great singles. Kate is doing her final Vocal Tec concert at the Shepherds Bush Empire on the 16th of June. So that's a biggie for her as well.
Jane and I are off for a little romantic break in Santorini and then she starts the whole Robbie Williams tour, Uk and Europe, so we wont see much of each other for a while.
Had the first panto meeting with Michael Harrison the other day and Peter Pan is going to be magnificent this year. I'm very excited about all the new elements.
So if we can just get a bit of a summer this year all will be well.
bye
x

Latest

Hi everyone,

Just about to fly off to Dubai to pick up the Queen Victoria. I decided to have a couple of days in Dubai before boarding. I had a nice trip on the Queen Elizabeth and another 5 days in LA. So up till now, this year has been very nice. I unfortunately mentioned to Jane that she shouldn't complain about the bad weather, as I don't.  She came back with the point that she wouldn't complain either is she had been to LA twice, Costa Rica, and Mexico.....Ah!!!! and my face was shut.
Bit of Panto news. Mr Paul Elliott (my friend and co-writer) has decided to hang up his panto crown. 45 incredible years. He now wants to go round the world with his beautiful wife Linda and continue producing hit shows. We will all miss him and I personally will miss all the great panto meetings we had throughout the year.
Ed Curtis is taking over the directing and Michael Harrison the producing and writing. I will still be writing the comedy stuff.....gets harder every year. We will have a new choreographer as well and a few other changes......but the boys are still together. Andy, Grant and myself will be meeting for Costa coffee on November 17th....or is it 24th....oh well someone will tell me nearer the time. Peter Pan is a difficult panto to do but its a great challenge and I know Michael has some magnificent ideas for us this year. So.......Book with confidence... Ok!!!!!
We are all well and Kate ripped the place apart at her show case (Vocal tech) last week. She is so good. David's single and LA video will be out in about 2 months. He's just getting all his ducks in line at the moment.
That's it for now I'm off to the sun....

Bye

Home again

Well just back from my first ship contract this year on the Queen Elizabeth. I do like that ship. The Queen Victoria and Elizabeth are my favourite ships for working on. The best theatres afloat. I went to LA for 5 days before I joined it in Long Beach. Did I mention I love LA. David and I went out there 3 weeks ago as well. David shot a pop video for his new single Pouring Rain. He has produced, written, and played everything on the song and also found a young Director in LA to shoot this amazing video. When you see it you will think it was a big budget video, but it wasn't. He is some kid. It should be out in a couple of months.
Kate has her first show case for 'Vocal Tech' tonight so we are really looking forward to that.
So I'm off and running now into my ship season and we have our first panto meeting next week .......
Watch this space. Interesting news coming up.
Bye
Allan

Hello again,

Well only 2 weeks to go. It has been another 'bumper' panto. As usual, great fun and packed. We have started to organise our last night party so we know its getting near the end. Our Christmas and New year were better than ever. Once again at the Prestonfield hotel. We are creatures of habit. But when you find the best you have to stick with it.
Very sadly Andy's mum passed away on Christmas day. He was terribly upset but like a true pro he never missed a show. He knew his mum would have wanted him to carry on as usual.
Grant on usual great form and the cast have been right up there with the best.
Ok here is my new year rant

BRITISH AIRWAYS..... I have amassed quite few airmiles (Avios) as you can imagine. The commercial on TV says 'Anyone can fly' yeh right. Not one single flight in business class to LA in Feb or March. What is the point of staying loyal to one airline if they don't let you spend the miles. I'm emailing them back and forward at the moment but as usual there customer service is terrible.

So I'm going to try and get facebook and twitter onto it. They don't like that sort of thing.

I'll be back home till end of February when I do a small Scottish Tour with a show called 'The pride of Scotland'
Going to Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and Glasgow. Never played the Glasgow Concert Hall, other than a charity show, so looking forward to that.

So please come along and say hello if you see it advertised in your area.

Bye

HI Everybody,

I've just been reading an article about how people hate round robins in their Christmas card telling everyone how everything is going. I suppose the rubbish that I write every so often is one of those round robins. But I suppose you would only read it if you wanted to so I might as well carry on.

Actually I could just copy and paste last years blog at this time of the year as it hardly changes. Its now my 15th Panto at the Kings and people still keep coming. Its amazing. We opened to £1.5 mil in the box office. That cant be bad. I have to say though every year it gets harder and we never take it for granted.....Granted....see what I did there!
We are still a work in progress with a few of the comedy bits but over the 10 days rehearsal period we ironed out the bits that were worrying us and we opened on Saturday matinee to rousing audience. By our last show on Sunday night it had all settled down and we had started to enjoy it. It always amazes me how much the audience love it when I realise I haven't a clue what's happening next. I think they believe I do it deliberately.....trust me I haven' a clue. Its funny to watch the new members of the cast as I walk around the stage waffling to fill in while my computer like mind searches for a hint of where we are in the script. Andy and Grant are on form and we have started winding each other up already.
Had our Monday off yesterday and it was great to just slob all day. Last weekend I went down to London to see two concerts, the Stones and Robbie Williams at the O2. Both were great but in all honesty I enjoyed "Matilda', ' I Dreamed a Dream' and "the Bodyguard' more. Don't know if that means I getting older or I'm gay.

Well hey ho as Larry Grayson used to say.

Ok I'm going to get myself together for the heavy 12 shows a week. And then my favourite Christmas at the Presonfield again with all the family, oh and David's girlfriend, Jessie, is joining us this year. This time last year David was a pop star. This year he is an out of work musician. He loves the challenge though. This time next year a pop star again.......

bye and Merry Christmas

Hello,
I think this will be the last blog before.....yes its here again....before Panto. Mother Goose. As I write we are nearing the million pound advance in the box office. How crazy is that. We will open with £1 million in the cash register. I remember not too long ago getting very excited when we passed the £1million mark about 5 weeks in. So any one of our panto family reading this ......thank you. We couldn't do it without your fantastic support.
So the script is all finished, we have made a nice wee advert for the TV and I have a couple of contracts left before decamping to Edinburgh. This will be my last year in the flat I have had for the last 5 years. It felt like a home from home but now the owner is going to rent long term so I'll have to look for some place new. Maybe I'll just sleep in my dressing room.
Everything is good. Jane is the star at the moment with two fantastic shows she is doing hospitality for, Robbie Williams and the Rolling Stones. I'll be flying down to see those shows..... cant wait.
David out on his own and Kate loving every minute of Vocal Tech. Its great to see her with a buzz again. So glad she's away from the negativity of Arts Ed.
Ok I'll speak after we open.....

Bye

Back to reality

Well back from LA. I do love it out there. I could see myself living there for about 4/5 months a year. We have such a great circle of friends/ex pats now. Anyway back to the rain and some hard work.
I went up to Edinburgh and Andy, Barbara Rafferty and myself did a work shop of 'Aunty May's Big Day' a play what I have wrote. It was fantastic fun and great learning curve. We put on a short performance of the first act for about 30 people and it went very well. I think I am going to try and put it on in some small venues (Ayr, Dundee, Perth) and see how it goes. If it all works then I'll hopefully do a Scottish tour in 2014. If God spares me (as mum used to say). The main thing is, it has got my juices going again. Great fun. Barbara and Andy are a joy to work with.
So I have Mr Stott's 50 Shades of Grant to do in Edinburgh in a couple of weeks then back to Cunard for a few contracts before Panto. The script was finished today. Paul has been working so hard on it this year. Mother Goose is a great subject for me. I get to be fat then beautiful.....ish. Oh yes and hopefully funny.
All is well at home and if the sun would just come out and give us an Indian summer all would be perfect.

bye xx