auditions, part 1

Two weeks until the proposed shoot dates. We have our schedule all mapped out for this week - meet with the camera person, auditions, callbacks etc, but that's all shot to shit when Cici's attendance is suddenly required at a shotgun wedding.

Some diary-juggling later, and auditions end up being Monday and Tuesday. We've put together a provisional list of who we want to see and I email everyone with allotted times. Some people can't do what we've given them, others just don't respond. Much scheduling and rescheduling later, it's Monday night, and Cici and I are at our temporary production base (*cough*her mum's empty flat in W8*cough*) waiting for our first auditionee. I've emotionally blackmailed my sister to come and be our assistant - getting the door and so on - and it works out well with the three of us, as we all take a role in the script and read the whole thing through with the guys.

At one point we have a half hour break between people; we're sat around the table, talking over the script, drinking tea and eating mini eggs, and realise we've gotten a bit too sugared up when we've all got the giggles over the most ridiculous things we could ask people to do in the auditions - "Get them to stand up and sing a song." "To audition in the style of Julie Andrews," "-or as Hitler!"

The good thing about working with people you've grown up with? You know how to make each other laugh. The bad thing about working with people you've grown up with? You know how to make each other laugh. It descends into hysterics (for no very good reason) and we attempt to sober up before the next guy turns up, worried we'll end up giggling all through his audition for the wrong reasons. Luckily we get it under control and finish off the night with the lovely Dewi Evans, before all splitting back to our various parts of London.

We only end up seeing three people on Monday night after a no-show and couple of last minute bails, but it's a good learning curve and quite nice to ease into as the schedule for Tuesday is a bit more manic.