Well, I did it! Just over a year from the first word to the first performance but I did it! I had a preview show at Bantock Park last night. 41 people turned up and their reaction was really positive. I was just happy to get through without freaking out/passing out/blanking out. Rehearsals before the event had not gone well; I had a panic attack in the middle of one! But last night it all came together and I managed to do the whole show with very few mistakes which probably only myself or Dave noticed.

It was really lovely to see so many folks who had helped me, such as Mike Luckins (who had mentored me), Alison (maker of Punch's hat and puppet Judy's hat) and my cousin Ste (puppet maker) all in one room to see 'The Professor Vyle Show'.

I forgot to hand out my evaluation forms in my excitement but I've been getting emails and texts about the performance which have all been very kind. I was over the moon with Simon Fletcher's appraisal. Simon is the Literature Development Officer for Wolverhampton Libraries and a poet and novelist. He said, "The Professor Vyle Show is a whizz-bang take on the horrors of daytime tv framed by the changing concepts of Punch & Judy theatre. Infused with the language of the street this is particularly appropriate for older teenagers and young people. It deals with issues of domestic violence, drugs, the legal system and the heartless slapstick of trial by tv. Emma Purshouse has got talent and a rare sympathy for those on the edge." I will of course be using this wonderful quote to try and sell my show! A lot of people suggested I try and take the show to Edinburgh and Brighton.

In my pitch to the Arts Council I said I aimed to reach audiences of 2000 with this show! I better get on with promoting it then. Only another 1,959 audience members to go!

I've booked a space for the preview of the show and I've gone and invited 50 people. Why didn't somebody stop me! Now I've put the pressure on.



Rehearsals are going OK again now but I had a cold and it really effected my breathing. A couple of times I couldn't get through the whole set and I was panicing like billio. I'm managing to run through it all again now but I got myself in a right pickle over it.



The biggest problems that I'm having at the moment are getting it so that you can't see the joins. The links between poems have to be timed perfectly with costume changes and use of props. It's a case of carefully blocking each change and then running through it again and again so that they become second nature. To give you an example of just how planned these now are this is the way I've had to script it...



Second Change


A wife who says, “lose the bad boy image or we’re through.”
A husband who claims, “she’s to blame!” So who’s telling it true?
Let’s give a big warm howdy doody
Please welcome our first guest…Judy.

The Professor looks towards the booth as though waiting for Judy to appear. He realises that he is needed to work the puppet and then disappears into the booth putting microphone in the holder on the side and dicky bow in trouser pocket. From inside the booth he delivers lines Please welcome my first guest Judy. He puts on Judy’s T-shirt, head and arms. Get out there woman. He puts on Judy’s hat.

Judy: I can’t I’m scared. The Judy puppet appears slowly to take a peek at the audience. She is wearing a Burberry cap, hoped earrings and her hair scraped back into a pony tail.
Judy: My Life; have you seen how many of them are out there. I ain’t doing it. Judy puppet disappears to floor position. Pick up slapstick.

Professor Vyle: OK, sweet, get out there and tell your story.
Pull Judy’s hair into postition
You better make it sexy, you better give us gory!

The sound of a slap is heard.

Judy: Ow! slapstick to floor postion.

Pulling T Shirt down Judy goes out to the front of the booth holding her face.



Judy: Alright, I’ll tell you about me and Punch.





Judy's Poem follows...





And that's only the second change! I've got another fourteen to block yet. How many days to the private view? What was that somebody shouted 15. Did I mention I'm working nearly all of the week after next and I've got a performance on the 15th that I've got to write some new material for.





Better get on with it.