The Angry Actress

Oh what fun it is to be an actress, to get paid for living lots of different lives and to transform yourself and play for the rest of your life... Yes, in an ideal world. Read here about the reality! "What's my motivation" for travelling to far-off student film castings, waiting for ages on a draughty film extra bus, performing to 400 screaming school children or doing unpaid photo shoots in swimming pools? Shakespeare knows!

Saturday, August 05, 2006

No Honeywagon?

For those in the know, a honey wagon is the portaloo usually found on film sets.
This week, I turned up in a field to record some voice overs with about 170 fellow actors, extras and singers for a well-known sporting goods manufacturer.
The honeywagon was sadly missing.
Yes, 170 adults of all ages (plus one toddler who was with his parents) had been bussed from London into the Surrey countryside, and were expected to sing "I feel pretty" for 2 hours -without a toilet!
I got off the bus with the call of nature resounding noisily in my ear, and asked where one might find the loo. I was told there wasn't one, by a rather stroppy woman who only revealed herself as the production manager after I asked her whether she was part of the crew, or a fellow singer needing to relieve herself.
I informed her that as I had no toilet roll on me, I wasn't prepared to poop behind some bush, and showed my surprise about the fact they expected all those people (some of them in their seventies) to use the bushes surrounding the farm...
She then asked me to calm down (I was calm, thank you), and turned to another crew member, using the immortal words: "I won't be having 170 people trespassing on this property" meaning the farm house whose occupants were obviously being compensated to lending their meadow to ****.
Finally, someone walked me to the house and a friendly woman with a fluffy Spaniel let me use her bathroom. I found it hilarious that there was only one loo roll in sight, she obviously hadn't prepared for the arrival of 100+ working bladders and bowels either!
As we assembled on the grass to start our singing, we were informed that the honey wagon had suffered a burst tyre (yeah right!), and we should all just pretend it was Glastonbury.
Not a place I have ever had any desire to visit (the loos are rumoured to be awful!), but at least it has better music...

2 Comments:

  • At 12:29 AM, Blogger aidanrad said…

    Hmm, sounds like constantly running and dancing for joy might have been the best approach, to fend off the public (in)conveniencing...

    Hope all's well now anyhow, and jobs-aplenty a-calling... Been Edinburgh-wards at all this summer?

    Best of...

     
  • At 8:17 PM, Blogger Anonymous Actress said…

    Did I give you this site, or did you happen upon it by accident!?

     

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