The Swansea Experience!

Performed, “The Word Made Fresh” in my family’s home town of Swansea on Sunday. Great to perform in front of my family and of course, my Dad on father’s day. Also coincided nicely with my sister’s 40th birthday celebrations. Arrived on Saturday when there was a bit of a party which was great. We had a good time and a bit of a sing-song! Also spent some time with a couple who I probably haven’t seen in about 20 years. That was great, so good to catch up. Then I had to be up bright and early (6.30!!) to travel with my Dad down to a Swansea radio station where I was being interviewed on the breakfast show by local celebrity Kevin Johns. Walked into the building and sat down in front of the mike and then was on air about two minutes later! Had a good chat plugging the performance and what I’ve been up to. Enjoyed it and I think it went really well. I’m told I will be emailed the chat sometime. If that happens I’m hoping Joel or Tom or both will help me get that on to this blog so you can all hear my very early morning ramblings I gave about acting, the Abbey National and people throwing rotten fruit at me for yourselves!

My brilliant nephews helped me when we got to the Parklands Church for the 6.30 performance. The venue looked great and the stage was set up. Lighting and sound was sorted and off we went.

I’m going to get a bit spiritual now, but there’s no other way of putting this. You see about an hour before the end of the party for my sister on the Saturday night I started to get a really painful stabbing pain in my back. No, this wasn’t a nephew prodding me with a sharp instrument, it just started to happen. Well, it became so intense that I could barely sleep that night. I got up and did the radio thing and then became quietly concerned that my back could really hinder what I was hoping was going to be a very special performance. It got to the point that I was having trouble breathing because my back would hurt that much when I took a deeper breath. I didn’t want to take any painkillers because the bottle said they would make me drowsy and I wanted my head to be totally clear for the evening. Anyway by the afternoon Mum sprayed some stuff on my back which didn’t seem to help too much, but I’m assured it was “Deep Freeze” and not insect repellent! Then I layed down on my front for a couple of hours because I thought this might help. A few people had offered to pray for me earlier on and of course I was grateful, but there didn’t seem to be any immediate difference. We got to the venue and I was still really inhibited (the show must go on!!) and I was starting to work out how I would amend some of my blocking (movements) in the show to compensate for the pain I was in. So 10 mins before curtain up (or lights on which was more the case) the leaders of the event said a prayer for me, as I shared with them about the concerns I had for my back and again I was grateful that they prayed for me. And now, and can I just say I would never write these words unless I knew them to be true, from the moment my name was announced and I approached the stage for the show to begin, I didn’t have a single pain in my back whatsoever! I was feeling great! No blocking was needed to be changed, in fact I seemed even more energetic. And my back has been superb ever since! Wow! Take from that what you will. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the night and it was a great pleasure to publicly thank my parents for all the love and support they have given me in all these wacky endeavours I have undertaken in my 36 years of being alive! A great night, and a night I don’t think I will ever forget for all sorts of reasons.