Hello friends, family, lovers, brothers, somebody else's mothers. As some of you may already know I’ve been developing a character, cabaret, comedy show. I started painting things gold and Star Dust started to flow.
What’s with the gold?
Good question. Thanks for asking.
My mum died and in quite close succession my dad too. Since swimming around in grief I have found myself in both the darkest and lightest of days. Seemingly, nothing makes you feel more alive than when faced with death, (and me and my siblings did watch them both die each short and sharp) and nothing has sent me into such dark depths either.
And the gold?
I’m getting there..
We don’t talk openly about death and dying and grief, so when it does happen it is surreal, strange, shocking. I KNOW nothing can truly prepare you for losing those closest to you, so the shocking part may always be there, but grief is one of the hardest things we endure and almost kept behind closed doors, yet one thing is for sure it comes to us all in one way or another, and well death - that’s a dead cert.
This sounds fun...
Bear with… SO on this journey of pain and process, trying to understand where all the good stuff goes whilst trying to hold my head up I began to self medicate in the only way I know how…
Ok, now this does sound fun
… with a spray can and a makeup brush, and along came Star Dust. In therapeutic desperation I really did find myself painting things gold, and then I painted myself gold.
What’s the story behind Star Dust?
Well, Star Dust is the name like Blondie is to Debbie Harry. The latter Debbie Harry part yet to be found… maybe we can find it together?
Hang on - we don’t just donate - we NAME you?!
… Maybe?!
Star Dust has been in front of 4 glorious audiences, accompanied on the keys by Gold Fingers, the genius that is Robyn Herfellow, who has welcomed me into their home time after time for bedroom rehearsals around their keyboard - creating fresh sounds just for Star Dust. They are magic.
They sound magic
They really are. I think in a weird way, it's all a bit magic. Creative flow kind of magic
Ok. Sure, we’ll be the judge of that, keep on track please
Track? Well so far the path has been this:
1. Mum dies
2. Grief
3. Dad dies
4. More and more and different grief
5. Paint things gold
6. Write a lot
7. Paint myself gold
8. A Star Dust is born
9. Ask Robyn if they will play with me
10. Rehearsals in Robyn’s bedroom
11. Performance at Ripe - Scratch night - a first airing - tears and cheers and claps
12. Say YES when Tara asks me if I want to share an hour of work in progress in Edinburgh for a couple of dates
13. More rehearsals in Robyn’s bedroom
14. 1 mini rehearsal with Matthew Blake
15. 1 photo shoot with WenHsin Lee who finds the light in Star Dust
16. Do a London preview at All Is Joy, Soho - more tears and cheers and claps
17. Sit down and debrief with a coffee and a Carl Harrison
18. Have a zoom with Kat Watt and my costume is ON
19. One more rehearsal in Robyn’s bedroom hours before I leave for Edinburgh
20. Edinburgh show 1 & 2 - tech is a scramble, but people laugh and cry, and want to see more
21. Speak to Roz Coleman about being my producer, she convinces me to do a crowd funder…
… And here we are. Step 22. Ready and eager to keep up and ride the momentum, to ‘give the people what they want’ and develop the show into a golden hour or more of character, story, music, laughs and tears of gold.
Alrighty now you're talking
This is a show born out of grief. A show that cuts with loss and laughs with death. A show using what I know in theatre, entertaining and interacting with people to share in something which has become profoundly important to me.
It is an exploration of how grief and death has taken form in me and that maybe by existing in it together, by illuminating it through character and play we can commune in one of my favourite past times - a frolic together, to let the light in and make sense of it ALL a little bit more.
We love a frolic, hit us with THE AMBITION:
To develop this hour and share it before the year is out - ready for the next stage of development.
To hit the festivals with it and Get Programmed. Watch out West End!
To establish this character - to step into existence with this show and live on long after it - a ball of existential celestial alchemy, a personification of all that may be stardust.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
The hardest thing in the known universe might be asking for help. Making a show is expensive. It's why less new ones are being made, and without support artists have a tendency to break themselves for the art. It’s even harder asking when times are hard and summer is over…
And yet, here we are. Let me outline to you the game-changing difference you would make with your love.
By supporting this development process, you will be my personal posse, my wizards of Oz behind the magic curtain. I faithfully promise to keep you updated, in the loop, included, and cherished, and in the know of all the ‘gold’ being created.
You will be supporting & employing -
A Director - to give me the all-seeing-eye of quality and precision - the Universe to my Star Dust
A Musician / composer - a Da Vinci of devising, a Mozart of Maestros - and my North Star
A Costume designer - to be the golden thread in this fantastical therapy session
A Producer - because business is pleasure, darling
Rehearsal Space - bedrooms are lovely, living rooms too but imagine! What might come out in a stu stu studio
Venue - We need somewhere for Star Dust to land
A few trinkets - Star Dust hoards
A little light day makeup - Its written all over my…
Oh and me. You would be supporting me
With open arms and high-fives up high I truly welcome any and all contributions - however big or small you will receive love. AND THERE ARE INCENTIVES...
Keep the fire burning, keep the fire burning - this campaign will allow us to know how many names to put on the guest list for our work-in-progress sharing - venue to be announced - at the end of October / mid November. We will present the show in a beautiful setting, and you are all welcome.
Your support means the UNIVERSE.
Kat x