Last night I was down in Peterborough to set the fireworks off at East Anglia's biggest display, the Firework Fiesta.  Despite getting DRENCHED in the monsoon-like weather it was really good fun and the celebrations weren't dampened down too much!  It was nice to be able to meet up with some cast members, too.  Anthony Williams, Brian Capron, Gareth Richards and Daniella Valvano were all just as cold as me (Aladdin costumes have a lot of flesh on show!) but spirits were high and banter was rife.  I'll be down there again on Thursday to turn on the Christmas lights in the Queensgate Shopping Centre - come on down and say hello!

What a day!  For my friend's birthday (damn you Stu!) he decided that instead of having a party, he would make us all do a 5km run for charity in Heaton Park, Manchester.  Nice.  Well, not wanting to take the easy option of just running around the course, Scott Clarke and I decided to get dressed up and do it on jump stilts!  What fun!  It took us a lot longer to get around than most people, but we must have used more energy than everyone else put together.  Shattered now but, hey, the trees of Manchester will appreciate us!  For more information on the charity go to their website.  http://www.tree-athlon.org/

Francesca Larkin, Chris Clarkson, Stuart Rooker and Scott Clarke.

Right, along with my new projects of learning two new languages (not saying which ones until I'm half-decent at them!), I have been challenged by a good friend of mine, Fiona J Keats, with whom I'm doing panto this year, to learn the ukulele BEFORE PANTO STARTS!  I begin rehearsals on 17th November so need to crack on.  Can anyone tell me where I can get a cheap, decent ukulele and also any tricks to learning how to play it.  I hate losing a challenge so I need as much help as possible!  PLEASE GET IN TOUCH!!!!!  Chris.

I'm very chuffed to be able to say that for each of the last 4 consecutive calendar months the website has had over 1,000 hits.  In total there have been over 10,000 hits since the site's inception nearly a year ago.  I'd like to personally say a big thank you to everyone who has helped update and manage the site for me for the last 12 months.  Also, to everyone from the 27 different countries around the world who have logged on!  Thanks!  Chris.

Well, I didn't win but then that's no surprise.  The standard was exceptionally high.  A couple from Italy won the overall prize.  There were well over 300,000 people walking around the pre-designated route in the centre of Arnhem.  In 4 hours I only took one 5 minute break!  I was shattered!  I would have taken much more but there were so many people around I felt like I had to perform as much as possible.  I'm now spending a few days with my Dutch friends in Arnhem and also in Amsterdam.  I'm being taught how to firebreathe tonight by Hienke - this may be my last blog post for a while if it all goes wrong!


P.S.  I've already been invited back to St Petersburg for next years International Festival which is nice!

I write this sitting at Manchester Airport waiting to board my flight to Holland for the Championships.  All my gear (a big box 60x60x80) has been checked in and hopefully will turn up in Amsterdam with me.  If not, looks like I'll be entering naked painted silver!  On the back of the Olympics I feel like I want a Team GB t-shirt....

Well the show is now over and so ends Edinburgh Fringe 2008.  We had a couple of nice reviews (check the Reviews page via the link on the left of the page).  It's been a great experience but absolutely shattering!  I've worked every single day for the last 5 weeks and also managed to squeeze in over 20 Fringe shows and many, many, many hours of socialising!  The best shows that I saw were The Elephant Man, Dancing on your Grave, Cloudcuckooland, Departure Lounge, Showstoppers and No Place For Dreams.  Thanks to everyone that I met up there from times of old and also to all of the new friends that I have made.  Please keep in touch!  Chris.

Last night was our first performance of Soul Traders at the Edinburgh Festival.  Due to a complicated tech on Saturday we actually used last night as an open dress rehearsal and made it free entry.  Despite the fact that it was our first run through on stage with props, costumes, lights, the band etc. it went very well.  One down - twenty two to go! 

Venue 112 at 7:15pm everyday until Monday 25th August.

Well, who says life isn't varied?  This morning I'm rehearsing for Soul Traders playing a 1960's banker with a bowler hat and a brolly.  This afternoon I'm dressing up as a punk for The One Show and walking around Finsbury Park in London being filmed.  This evening I'm auditioning for a show in which my character is a roller skating drag queen.  It's certainly not a dull 9-5 job this acting lark!

Week One has now gone and the show is slowly taking shape.  Mostly done singing and dancing so far (there will be a couple of fabulous moments).  Cast and creatives all seem lovely and we've already taken out shares in some local Bloomsbury bars!  Will keep you posted as to how it all goes........

Yet again I had a fabulous time down at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.  This year was the first when all of the cars were able to do the Hill Climb together.  The Ant Hill Mob were the new addition this year and so we had over 30 people all sharing a tiny dressing room!  Fortunately the weather was a lot better than last year so we were able to sit outside a lot more.  What made it even better for me was my good friend Scott Clarke was able to come along and play Dick Dastardly opposite my Peter Perfect.  Great fun!

All of the characters.  I'm centre bottom next to Penelope Pitstop.

Well panto has been arranged now - at last!  I'm really looking forward to working in Peterborough this Christmas (ironically my mum was working there today!) as it's a town I've never had the chance to see.  The Creative Team all seemed very nice in my auditions and it should be really good fun!  When I know more I'll let you know!  In the meantime, see the Coming Up... page for more details.

What larks!  Today I've been down at the BBC having a series of photographs taken for The One Show.  What with it's 1st birthday coming up they have decided to renew their posters, website and advertising with the new presenters.  Also ended up being interviewed (felt odd being the other side of the microphone!) for some cut-aways that will be used sporadically as fillers or as BBC adverts.  I got to pose with a megaphone.  Never done that before!

Yesterday I was offered the park of banker/broker George in the new comedy musical, Soul Traders.  We will be rehearsing in London for a few weeks before heading up to the Edinburgh Festival.  I'm really looking forward to going back there as I haven't been to the Festival since 1999!  Also, I get to work with my friend, Andrew Wright, again who is choreographing us.  If anyone is interested in coming along then check out the details on the Coming Up page.  The producers are hopeful that it may transfer to a London theatre after our stint in Scotland.

Well what can I say.  I have had, without a doubt, the best weekend of my life.  It has been an amazing experience working in Russia and also a fabulous opportunity to get to know people from all over the world.  I'd like to thank everyone individually for their support and hard work but, alas, I don't know how to spell everyone's name!  I'd love to go back and do it all again.  Hopefully next year, eh?!? 

Spaseeba. (if that is spelt correctly!)

P.S.  For those of you who don't know I was performing three different Human Statues in the festival.

Today the website had it's 4,000 hit!  I'm so chuffed that it has become so popular and I regularly get great feedback.  If anyone has anything to comment (good or bad) then please do leave me a message on the Contact page and, if you want, I will reply.  It has been brought to my attention that this feature stopped working for a while so please don't hink me rude if I haven't getten back to you.

I have launched a new page today - Film Clips.  You can navigate to it via the menu of the left.  Eventually I intend to get as many clips on there as possible but to start with only my two most recent tv appearances, The Royal Today and The ONE Show.  Enjoy!

I spent today on the sunny Southbank filming a section of BBC1's The ONE Show.  Great fun.  I got to run around with a loud hailer interviewing members of the general public!  Right up my street!

May I take this oportunity on this beautiful Good Friday (well, it is in Manchester anyway!) to wish you all a very Happy Easter.  Hope the Easter Bunny brought all the eggs you could poosibly eat!

Chris. x

Today I did the Sport Relief Mile in Manchester and it was GREAT!  I was helping publicise a new cartoon called The Likeaballs.  I did the whole course in just over an hour due to constantly stopping to shake hands, be interviewed live on BBC1 and play up for the cameras!  During the live show the Beeb also showed clips of me accepting a Guinness World Record certificate for taking part in our successful 'Keepy-Uppy' World Record attempt 2 weeks ago!  What a day!

Well, the episode of The Royal Today in which I feature is on this afternoon.  If you watch it (I won't be...) then feel free to comment on this blog or send me a message via the Contact us page with any criticism you want to share!

Was offered a few options for panto for next Christmas today which was nice - and it's only February!  Watch this space for more announcements.....

Despite doing 11 and 12 hour days I'm having a ball here in Nottingham!  Meeting loads of really nice Boots folk and having such a laugh with them all both in the bar and during the conferences and performances.  Would love to make it to the gym and pool here a bit more but spending any free time I have sleeping...

Although the website is only a few months old it's just passed the 1,000 visitor mark.  Visitors have come from 19 countries around the world; UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Poland, Japan, India, Netherlands, Spain, Philippines, South Africa, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, China, Egypt, Barbados, France and Hong Kong.

Thanks for your support!  Please feel free to comment on what you like/dislike by getting in touch on the Contact page.

Have launched a new page today with samples of my voice on.  Will hopefully get more samples on there as time goes on.  All material is Copyright.  Please get in contact if you'd like to hear full versions.

There are some new photos in the Performance Gallery section of the website.  They show me as Dandini in Cinderella this Christmas.  It really was a very enjoyable show!

Well, that's it!  Panto is finished for yet another year.  I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the production from the cast and crew through to the One From the Heart staff and the wonderful folk at the Wyvern Theatre.  I've had a great time and hope to catch up with everyone soon!

I would like to wish anyone who reads this a very Merry Christmas indeed!  Hope 2008 is a great year!

Chris.

Well, our first performance is over and it was very well received.  After 2 full dress rehearsals and no 'tidy-up' calls or anything like that we knew we were ready.  Nothing major went wrong and everyone seems buoyant.  Quite a small house for our first preview this afternoon but we're pretty much sold out now for the rest of the run.  Good stuff!

1 show down, 49 to go!

Right, week one of rehearsals is now complete.  All blocked, choreographed, sung through and learnt.  Lovely.  A really nice company and a very sociable crowd.  Also, it's the most organised rehearsal period I have ever experienced!  The director, Richard Frost, has a schedule that is regimented, ordered and (most importantly) stuck to.  It makes life in Swindon so much clearer.

Now planning a relaxing day off to go over lines, lyrics and dancemoves.  Oh, and hopefully get a round of golf in...

That's it, finished filming my episode today.  I've never worked on a more comfortable, relaxed and friendly set.  Everyone there was great.  I only had my last 'emotional' scene to do and I was dead chuffed that we did it on the first take!  Series will probably start to be screened around February time but I'm not on until Episode 47... 10 weeks down the line!

Today was my first day working on the new ITV daytime soap THE ROYAL TODAY.  I was on set for 6:30am so it's been a long day!  The cast and crew were all really nice and bubbly.  Got to film quite a few nice scenes in which I was able to do some 'proper' acting!  Spent the day covered in fake mud and dirt as my character, Paul Jenkins, is a Base Jumper whose friend, Kelly, has injured themself jumping off Filey Brigg in North Yorkshire.  The director, Chris Corcoran, was lovely and we ended up swopping panto stories all day!  The series will probably start to air in the New Year.

Just spent this morning in Liverpool recording a voice over for Hollyoaks.  Got very confused when I got to the studios as it's where they film both Hollyoaks and Grange Hill with both sets being intertwined!  Didn't know if I was in Chester or London!

I played a cheesy TV Presenter on one of those tacky Quiz TV type programmes.  TX is in November sometime.

Spent today wandering around MetroCentre on stilts whilst dressed as Prince Charming.  Big old celebration for the shopping centre's 21st birthday with loads of entertainers, a fun fair and a spectacular fireworks display.  A good few thousand people turned up and everyone really seemed to enjoy it.  I had a chance to catch up with a few friends and even made it to the pub to watch the South Africa vs Argentina game when I'd come down off of my stilts!  Marvellous!

Spent today filming selected scenes from Much Ado About Nothing.  SATS exams look at Shakespeare plays with specific reference to 'Key Extracts'.  Oddsocks Productions run workshops for schools on these (I have done a few myself) and also create a DVD for classroom use.  I played Don Pedro and had a wail of a time!  It was a very long day but great fun, particularly as I was working with some people that hadn't seen for ages and at a house in Warwickshire which is described as "like being at your mum's - only better" due to the owner, Helen, being such a wonderful hostess!  Hopefully will get some screen shots in my Performance Gallery soon.

Today is a very special day for me as my new website goes live.   There may be a glitch or two to start with but hopefully they'll be ironed out before too long.

Feel free to give me any feedback on what you think - I'll take good and bad!

Chris.