>>>>>Killing Time<<<<<

Tonight's the night, then, for M - as I reminded her this morning before I was told to give it a rest, as her stomach was in knots and she was feeling sick. Testing times, indeed. I will probably have to force her into the theatre tonight, then maintain a tight grip until she's secured in her seat. Some people aren't being too helpful. Someone, who shall remain nameless, has asked what M knows about her subject matter (disaffected teenage dads). Forgetting, conventiently, that she has lived a life for 28 years, has worked in education, has worked with young people, is currently employed as a youth worker, has thoroughly researched her subject and, more importantly, that a play is a dramatic retelling of events and experiences and, in a lot of cases, is a work of fiction. Some people don't know how to encourage others, nor do they realise what an incredible accomplishment it is to actually get a play performed. And not only performed, but performed at one of the highest profile producing theatres in the country. The pressure is on M, of course. It's the not knowing what will happen during the performance, which she has no way of controlling, and the not knowing how people will react. You don't know if it's any good until the end, until you've gauged how people responded. In the bar, post-show, no doubt people will tell her how brilliant it is, even those who've not said the right things so far. That is what people do. The difference is that Fathers 2B is a brilliant script and a great piece of work for youngsters to perform. And everyone will realise that soon enough.