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Penultimate day and I still didn't get loads to do - we'll see if I end up doing the anticipated bits or if time runs out for us. There are lots of characters in this film and I am not one of the main ones, so I may have to make the most of my limited screen time. I am still enjoying it and am impressed and fascinated (and inspired too) by the process. But most of the time this feels like a weird holiday that I've come on, where meals are provided in little takeaway trays and the accommodation turns out to be a bit basic and where the weather is so bad that I have to stay indoors reading my book. Occasionally I get pulled out of the room to go to a very cold medieval room where I am shouted out for being fat and ugly. But to be honest most of that is my favourite type of holiday. I'd pay for the last bit.
The cast that weren't required for the post lunch scene went on a little walk to look at the herd of deer that live in the grounds of the castle we're filming at. If I had encountered them as I trudged up the hill in the dark, carrying all my bags and mourning my lost tyre and my own stupidity, I think I might have died. But in that moment death might have been preferable to turning up to the first day of work in such a state.
I got my character's shoes very muddy and suggested we try and board and ride the train that usually takes visitors round the grounds, but was sitting unused at the moment. But then it looked even muddier over there so I didn't join the others as they jumped aboard.
We got the shoes cleaned up (my attempt was not great, but the wardrobe team did a better job) and I did one short scene in the early evening and then was in the background for the last hour or so, but decided my character would spend that time eating pizza and being on his phone, so that's not too bad a day's work.
Most of us have just one more day on set and things were supposed to finish for us at around lunchtime tomorrow, but with another Covid test int he morning I think it's unlikely that I will be leaving until 8pm. But on the plus side I can sleep in a bit in the morning.
I had a good chat with the director at dinner, who I share a lot of sensibilities with and who seems keen to help with other ideas. I don't know what it is about South Wales and me, but something seems to chime. Our earliest super keen fans came from Splott in Cardiff (one of whom ended up doing the illustrations for the Organ Gang), Chris Evans (not that one) is another Cardiff boy and has had an immeasurable part in keeping my career going (and then flourishing) and this team are based a little West of Cardiff (but thankfully not as far west as Swansea - I may be desperate for work, but not that desperate) and the director gets big stars (none as big as me obviously) to travel here, sometimes from America to be in his films. I guess there's an affinity between the South West and South Wales (we can see each other across the estuary), but there's Welsh blood on my Grandma's side and maybe that's what chimes.
I still don't like the constant rain though.
Hopefully Ally and the team put together a Twitch of Fun show tonight. Sorry I couldn't be there, but in many ways I think I just get in the way. Back next week guys. If you still think you need me.
