I have to tap!!!???!!???!

Hi Everyone,

I just got the details for the much anticipated Billy Elliot recall. It's next Tuesday on the 3rd, I have to prepare two songs one pop and one musical theatre. I have to perform a few lines with a Scottish accent and for the finalie I have to tap! Singing I can live with. Fifteen pounds on a song book fixes that problem, and I can imitate accents as well as the next guy, but to tap, I need tap shoes. They are not cheap and I am in no position to invest a whole lot of money in stuff for an audition that I might not get. So I've got a week to beg, borrow or steal a pair of shoes. Hopefully I can find someone willing to lend me a pair.

That's the big news from the week. Everything else has been really chilled. The normal routine of class followed by lots of job hunting. I did sign up with another recruitment agency who are going to send me out to Wembley Stadium the weekend after next, and possibly some other work in between. Hopefully I will be getting my first payment from the other agency on Friday which will help, but it won't cover everything. I'll just have to keep on keeping on. Something will turn up eventually.

I've got the talent agency's audition tomorrow. It shouldn't be anything too exciting, I've just got to sing something and I eventually decided on Moon River. It's simple and I can easily get the sheet music for it. It'll be a bit of fun if nothing else, especially as I've never sung professionally before.

Church was pretty cool this week. I got to meet a few more people, but also got some very encouraging words. As long as God is behind my expeditions, I know I don't have anything to worry about.

That's pretty much it for this little round up, I'll probably do an early post on Tuesday evening so I can let you all know how the big one went down.

Thanks for reading,

Rodney Cuthbertson

DreamChaser

I'm Waiting...... Again

G'day World,

There is not a lot to tell this week. I didn't have any auditions lined up this week so it's just been class and waiting for the next round of the Billy Elliot audition. I did manage to to get some work through an agency working at events. This agency just has a heap of people on its books and when someone needs a group of people serve champagne, run the bars and clear the empty glasses they just send us out. I did shifts on Sunday and Monday night at the British Museum and the Natural History Museum. They were basically functions that allowed big CEOs the opportunity to network, swap business cards and feed off the free booze and canapes. They were impressively high ranked people, Chairman of BMW, Grand Air Martial of the British RAF and more people of that sort of caliber.

Just figured out that my airline ticket expired on last Monday! I thought it was on the 26th! No wonder I've been on edge subconsciously since the start of the week! So I've passed the point of no return. I have got some cash stashed away that I've marked for my return flight to Australia. So if I do get sick of it here I can head home. I've got a bit of capital left in the bank so I figure that I can last till about the end of August. The events work will help, but it doesn't really pay that much and finding anything part time that will pay enough doesn't really exist. My best bet would be to wait until I've got some experience to put on my resume and apply for some high end waiting jobs where the patrons actually tip. There are a couple of more auditions coming up, and I'll hang on till then. But if the work doesn't start flowing, I'll just pack up my shop and head home. I'm not going to stay in London living off the bare minimum waiting tables. I don't think the end justifies the means and I would much rather be working towards something more tangible like a university qualification.

Just got an email from my agent telling me that the Billy callback won't be until August! AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!! So I've got to fill in an extra couple of weeks in London. Very frustrating! Oh well, maybe something else will show up.

I'm going to head to do a commercial class now so I'll rap this up.

Thanks for reading,

Rodney Cuthberson

DreamChaser

Week Two...

Hi Everyone,

Wow! I've been back in London for two weeks already! Time is already starting to skip away again, unlike in Georgia where it dragged on forever.

It's been a very exciting week. I spoke with the second agent, Melissa, on Friday and she was very interested in my resume/video. She proposed that if she could get it, I should audition on Tuesday for the role of 'Old Billy' in the musical, Billy Elliot. The character of 'Old Billy' appears in the second half of the show where 'Young Billy' and 'Old Billy' dance a ballet sequence together. You can see a video of this overly dramatic part here. As well as this there is some ensemble work for the performer to do in the first half. I had no idea of this at the time, but once Melissa had told me all about it, I said that I would give it a shot.

Saturday was the audition for the Dance INC agency. This one didn't go so well. The main problem being that they wanted funky street dancers for music videos, and I just don't do that sort of stuff. No doubt I could if I did the classes, but that's time and money that I would rather spend doing something else with.

Sunday I just chilled out mainly, put some cv's out for normal work, went for a walk to Candem Markets, which are always interesting, went to church and watched the world cup. Took some more pictures for your viewing pleasure via this link.

Monday started with more cv spamming followed by a frantic email from my agent telling me that she had got me the audition for Billy and that it was 12:00 tomorrow. So I rearranged my day to do some ballet and prep for that audition.

Tuesday was all about the Billy audition. They had three groups of with about 15 guys in each. I was in the last group which is good because the panel are more likely to remember you if you are the last thing they have seen. The audition was a very short ballet class. They did a couple of exercises at the barre, then told seven of the guys, "Thank you for coming." That left eight of us to perform this adagio that is one of the longest I've ever done. A whole three act ballet in one exercise! We spent nearly 20 minutes learning it, then only did it once. This was followed by a grand allegro that was very short and easy. All in all, I left with good vibes. Particularly as I was the only boy in my group who was able to do a specific jump called, double sout de basque. They finished the audition saying that they will be in contact with the people whom they wanted to see in the next round to sing.

Needless to say I spent most of last night and this morning anxiously checking my phone. After taking class, I ran out of patience and called my agent. I got the machine, but she called me back within ten minutes to say that the panel where very interested me and wanted to see me in two weeks time for the singing audition. (Boom!!!) To say that I was as happy as a dog off-leash was an understatement. Even the weather dumping a heavy impromptu shower, that soaked me, didn't dampen my spirits.

Also got a call from an agency called Admiral that sends people out on a casual basis to work at events serving food, working bars, ect ect. They interviewed me today (Thursday) want to give me some training and could potentially sent me out to work this weekend.

Adding to tomorrow's packet is the audition for the Royal Opera House's Niobe. It's a production that sounds very modern and is going to shown in September with an additional tour to Luxembourg in December. I've no idea what's going to be needed for this one, but I'll do the audition anyway. If nothing else, it's a free class.

So that's it for this week. No week in Georgia was ever this exciting!

Thanks for reading and who knows what will happen next week.

Rodney Cuthbertson

DreamChaser

And Back Again

Hi Everyone,

So now I'm back in London again. I had a couple of dramas making the return journey here but nothing that money wouldn't fix.

I got to Heathrow airport without any problems, but the cue at immigration was horrific. After spending about an hour in that cue, I cleared immigration and went to get my over-weight bag. I found the right carousel and waited for my bag...... and waited......... and waited. No Bag. Eventually a guy came around and and started taking the leftover bags off to let the next load through. Hmmmm.

Time to take action. I found the appropriate lost bag counter and gave the lady my bits of paper. "There's good news and bad news," she said. "Good news, we know where it is. Bad news, it's still in Turkey!" Why or how this happens I have no idea, but the lady assured me that it would be delivered to the backpackers by the afternoon of the next day.

After clearing all this up, it was midnight, and I wondered through the vast empty expanse of Heathrow trying to figure out how to get to the backpackers. I was going to take the tube, but that had finished for the night, as had the other trains and other major buses. There were public buses running, but I would need an oyster card with credit to use them. The only other option was to take a taxi. I shuddered at the thought of how much that would cost, but at least I should find out. The alternative was to hole up in the bus waiting room with a collection of similarly stranded passengers, and wait for the tube to start running.

It took me 15 minutes of wondering spooky echoing corridors and lines of shuttered shops to find the cab rank. I asked the lead cab how much to take me to Swiss Cottage. He said that it would have to go on the meter. I asked how much the rate was. He rolled his eyes and said that he didn't know. I looked at him a quizzical look and he said that it might be about 70 to 80 pounds! I was prepared for a shock, but that price was just way too much. I would rather spend the night in the bus waiting room.

I started to walk away, and the cab driver disgustedly asked my why I had bothered coming here. But then an Indian driver called out to me. "Boss, how many pounds do you have?" I had 100 pounds, but I wasn't going to tell him that. I told him that I would give him 40 pounds. He thought for a second and said 50 and that I was getting a good deal because he wanted to go home. I knew that it was the best I could do, so I thought I may as well take it. I had no problem waiting 6 hours for the trains to start running again, but I would miss my booking at the backpackers where I had told my lost luggage to be sent.

It all panned out in the end. I got the backpackers, spent the night there and the next morning moved to my new flat just around the corner. The luggage eventually turned up and I was able to have a much needed and enjoyed shower.

My new flat is a hostel in a house run by a baptist church. There are supposed to be seven people in the house at the moment, but I've struggled to meet or even see any of them. I'm sharing a room with a guy who is apparently called David. All his stuff is obviously here, but I'm yet to meet him.

I've been in London a week now and it feels rather strange being back. One of the weirdest things is that some people still remember me, even though I was only here for about three weeks last time. It's good in a way, because I don't have to start from scratch again.

Went to church for the first time in a year. That was a bit surreal.

Did some wondering around London and took some more photographs which can be viewed here.

I've spent most of my time doing classes and looking for work on the internet. I'm glad to say that I've had some success. I got in contact with a couple of agents and yesterday did a class for one. They said they were happy to put me on their books, but didn't know if there was much out there for me at the moment. I have an interview for a second agent on Friday and an audition for a third on Saturday. Also, just yesterday I got an email from the Royal Opera House who are looking for two male dancers to perform in a production in September that will also go to Luxebourg in December. The audition is on the 15th and I'm sure that it is going to be massively competitive. Who knows what will happen.

Next, I have to start looking for some sort of normal job. Back to the world of retail I guess.

So am I going to stay here or move back to Australia. As ever, I don't know. People seem to be interested in my dancing at the moment which is encouraging. I'm just going to sit tight on it for the next week or so.

Back next week with more adventures, and thanks for reading.

Rodney Cuthbertson

DreamChaser