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Somehow I made it work.
Despite needing to write half a script and despite still being ill, I got through another long tough day and most of the work for AIOTM is now done. We’ve still got another three sketches to film and a whole lot of editing to be done and some animators still have some animating to do. But all six studio videos and the ridiculous challenge of the six audio extras are finished now.
It was a fun last day with the team, plus an additional cast member, Ross Mann who had rather uniquely paid for product placement of himself as an actor (and luckily turned out not to be a lunatic, but a throughly pleasant Scotch man), plus a visit from one of our animators Chay Hawes.
I am not sure I would have been able to make it through yesterday and even today, as the rehearsal came to an end I was a bit overwhelmed with tiredness, but perked myself up with an overdose of Lemsip and a bag of Haribo.
We had some technical issues which meant we had to retakes that we had already retaken because of technical issues at the last recording, but the audience stayed with us. It had all but sold out, so typically we are quitting just as we’re getting back to being popular again. But writing a last minute topical and ridiculous podcast is a relatively young man’s game. I have been ill for two of the four recordings and concerned that I might not get the script done. Back in 2010/11 I was able to stay up all night and write with no proper responsibilities.
As always amazed and humbled by the terrific hard work of all the team, both on stage and off. Whatever comes out of all this you can’t say we haven’t tried. The props are shoddy and we’ve made a joke out of the increasingly desperate adaptation of previous hats and suchlike as we’ve gone on. Excitingly we had a professional version of the hybrid knife, fork and spoon made, which I plan to take to Dragon’s Den, I also enjoyed attempting to get a room full of liberal comedy fans to chant “Send Them Home”.
Partly due to the retake retakes, we were right up against the clock, as we need to be out by 10pm to avoid extra charges that we can’t afford. Hopefully we will be let off the 30 second over run.
We had a nice drink after the show and tried to rescue props from the skip that the set is destined for. I have no way of knowing if what we’ve done is good or shit, but even if it is shit, it’s the kind of shit you’d want to take a photograph of to send to your friends.
The audio extra should be out very soon and we’re hoping to get all the rest of the show together by May, but we will see. I can only repeat my thanks to all the people who donated for giving us this opportunity and all the many people who have contributed to making it happen. Still a lot of work to do, but at least no more last minute rushes to write the studio scripts.
Now just the tour and the Radio 4 sitcom (and the remaining AIOTM buts) to go. It almost feels manageable now. And it’s an amazing indication that if you force yourself to do something then it will actually happen.
