Lamb Crumble
Aug 10, 2009
This should make enough to feed quite a lot of people!
Ingredients:
Filling:
750g lamb mince
2 sticks of celery
1 large onion
1 large carrot
2 peppers
1 large can sweetcorn
[You could probably chuck in a courgette or some mushrooms or some such too if you felt like it]
50g plain flour
A good glug of Worcestershire sauce
2/3 pint of lamb stock
A good long squeeze of tomato puree
Topping:
150g plain flour
100g butter
150g cheshire cheese
Rosemary
Thyme (or mixed herbs, but thyme is better)
Method:
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 (190c)
Chop up the veg
Rub the flour and butter until you have breadcrumb texture
Grate the cheese and mix this and the herbs in with the breadcrumby stuff, and leave for later
Fry the chopped vegetables in vegetable oil for 5 or so mins - use a BIG pan!
Add the lamb and cook until it's nicely brown
Mix in the flour, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, stock and any seasonings you may desire
Place the mixture into ovenproof dishes
Sprinkle the breadcrumb/cheese/herb mix over the top
Bake in the ven for about 45 mins
Eat! Good with green veg and mashed potato, or on its own as leftovers snack.
The smell of the cheese and herb topping is... 
Original recipe taken from Sainsburys website. Greatly adapted!
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- Latest reply: Aug 14, 2009
West Side Story Diary
Jul 8, 2008
So...on Sunday, I started rehearsals for West Side Story.
"But...David, aren't you rehearsing for Titanic?"
Yes, I am, but the rehearsals don't clash, thankfully.
"But...David, aren't you too old to be a Jet or a Shark?"
Yes, I am indeed. Which is a shame. However, I'll be playing one of the four adult characters, Doc.
"But...David, aren't you a few decades too young to play Doc?"
Yes, right again... So how did this happen?
- - - - -
A few weeks ago I had a chance encounter in the pub with the lady who is the musical director for this production, which is being mounted by a local Performing Arts school. I asked her how the production was going, and enquired about the adult cast members, explaining that whenever I've seen the show, I've been disappointed by the adults, who are just not anywhere near as good as the Jets, the Sharks and their girls.
Then, last Wednesday, another friend (who had played Bill in Me and My Girl) contacted me via Facebook and said "How about putting your money where your mouth is?" It transpired that they were down one adult male member of the cast, and my name had come up. So I went along, read the parts of Schrank and Doc for them, and they decided that they would transfer my friend from Doc to Schrank and have me as Doc, as we'd be better that way around. Half an hour later and I was rehearsing a scene with the Jets and Anita, where I shout at everybody. What a wonderful first impression to give them! This was the first time this scene had been done at all, and it was quite a horrible one, where the Jets taunt and almost rape Anita.
It's more thana tad scary coming in when the rehearsals have been running for quite a long time. The kids all know each other and know what they're doing. Old Doc/new Schrank at least knows them, but he's now at the same place as me in terms of knowing what he's doing - Schrank's scenes have not been rehearsed yet (though, to be fair, he hadn't done Doc's scenes very often).
The part is a nice one. Entirely spoken, no singing or dancing, but the scenes I do have are quite challenging, displaying a range of emotions. It'll be a challenge. Doc is normally played as quite old. He doesn't have to be, but I will still have to act and look a little older than I actually am, as he's supposed to be a surrogate uncle figure to Tony, the male lead.
It should be fun. Challenging, but fun. Performances are one month away, so I've got to learn and perfect this quickly. But I'll enjoy performing with my friend again (haven't done so since Me and My Girl in 2006), enjoy working with the talented energetic youth, and enjoy doing something somewhat different.
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- Latest reply: Aug 13, 2008
Letters after my name...
Jun 23, 2008
I have just received confirmation that I have passed all the modules for my librarianship course. I haven't received the actual piece of paper with my qualification on it yet, so I probably can't do it officially, but I can now add to my collection of letters after my name.
I don't tend to use 'David B, MA' which I am technically entitled to do, but in the professional context, I think I shall have to get used to seeing a 'Dip Lib' there. I could have studied for an extra year for the MSc, but the thought of dissertating on library studies filled me with dread!
David B, Dip Lib, MA
Hee hee. Dip Lib looks very silly. 
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- Latest reply: Jun 24, 2008
My Fair Lady
Sep 25, 2007
Tonight was the first cast read-through of My Fair Lady. I auditioned on Sunday and was cast as Freddy Eynsford-Hill, the typical tenor role (off-stage most of the time, hopelessly in love, but gets to sing a glorious song). It was the biggest read-through I've ever been to. In addition to the director and his assistant, there were seventeen people around the table, and we were missing one person. A rather vital person. Our Henry Higgins is on holiday this week, so the director had to read his lines in.
It went rather well. You don't expect wonders from a first read-through, but some people have a strong grip on their characters already, particularly some of those playing the walk-on parts. I got a few laughs, which was nice. I shall have to try hard to differentiate Freddy from Gerald, my character from Me and My Girl 2 years ago - they are quite similar.
Performances are 4th-8th March next year in our luvverly Marlowe Theatre. We won't be able to perform there for much longer, as its going to have a major refurbishment after next year's panto, which will put it out of action for almost two years.
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- Latest reply: Mar 13, 2008
Sound of Gershwin
Feb 20, 2007
In addition to rehearsing 'Kiss Me, Kate', I have also allowed myself to be roped in to 'The Sound of Gershwin' to be performed in May in a small theatre on the coast. It'll be my first show at this particular theatre, and I will have overlapping (but not clashing) rehearsals between now and the end of March. Foolishness, I'm sure!
We are starting to learn the chorus bits, which thus far include 'I Got Rhythm', 'Nice Work If You Can Get It', 'Lady, Be Good', 'They All Laughed' and 'Fascinating Rhythm'. Wonderful stuff. I'll also be singing a solo and a quartet. The quarter is the reasonably well-known 'Bidin' My Time' and the solo is called 'Who Cares?' They've managed to do something incredible here, and have given me a solo that I don't recall hearing before, although some quick research this morning (I was only told the title of the song last night) reveals that I do have it on CD. It's from 'Of Thee I Sing', the first musical to win the Pullitzer Prize for Drama. I hope it's good!
The group of people are fun, and (as so often happens) the women outnumber the men 2:1. Of the eight men, three are called David. What're the odds?
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- 38 replies
- Latest reply: May 30, 2007
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