Day seventeen – Odyssey
Odyssey 24 is the name of the festival; there’s a new Odyssey every two years (though the last one was online, because of Covid), and this year the theme is..
September 7, 2024
Life in Lucknow
Day eighteen – Odyssey competes
Today began almost immediately with the first of the two group competitions in which I have worked with our group, the drama piece. Actually, I should not call it that,
September 7, 2024
Day twenty – Odyssey judges
It was the rock band competition this morning, with some impressive displays of musicianship and singing. I have made friends with a young man called Abhinav, the drum er in
September 9, 2024
Day twenty-one – a journey in space and time
CMS had provided a bus to take us to the station so no hassles along the way. But two observations made on the journey: a pair of schoolgirls on bicycles,
September 10, 2024
What does AESOP stand for?
Which is the rather charming question that I was asked by one of the cast over our newly-established WhatsApp chat group the other day. Asking a question when one doesn’t
June 20, 2025
Arrival in Lucknow
The journey itself was unremarkable, so that is fine. An overnight trip in Economy is never going to be much fun, but it passed, and we had to kill just
June 22, 2025
High drama
I suppose I ought to deal with the picture first, since that is bound to attract attention. First of all, I am fine. Not entirely fine, as I have a
June 23, 2025
Supermarket sweep
The usual pretty full day – three two-hour workshops, all pretty successful, though I am feeling daunted by the need to finish casting by the end of the week. But
June 26, 2025
Living the high life
We are being treated most royally here. CMS have provided us with a very modern, well-equipped apartment in a most prestigious district. Arvind, our driver, (which says quite a lot
June 29, 2025
Hospitality… or rudeness?
After the rehearsal today (which, despite the fact that we had to change rooms, and some were missing, and others had to leave early, was quite superb) one of the
July 1, 2025
Morris and Minnie Myna
Since apartment 415-P The Empire State Residency is not in permanent occupation, some feathery guests have taken advantage and moved in. The pair of common myna birds nesting on top
July 5, 2025
Two posh hotels and a bit of a laugh
On Saturday evening, Val and I had been invited out to dinner; our first proper fully social occasion here. Kaveri, one of the teachers in the INSET workshop, is a
July 7, 2025