"There was a man who dreamed of becoming an actor, so he spoke only lies... then it came true."

I wrote that a couple of years ago and couldn't figure out what it was. Not funny enough to be a joke, too short to be a poem. I classified it as a vague, philosophical musing and continued with my meandering existence.

Looking back at it now it seems almost prophetic, as I am now in the rehearsal stage of my first acting role in an independent feature-length film entitled 'Independent Women'. Coincidentally enough the NTW has recently finished a course of acting workshops in my local area of Blaengarw. I felt a duty to attend, to learn as much about acting and the film making process as possible before filming begins.

The workshops were conducted by Oliver Wood and the earlier ones were quite well attended but as the weather got better the attendance declined... This could v'e been disastrous for the project but Oliver and myself adapted our approach. We read lines from the "Independent Women" script and worked on my Improvisational skills.

He introduced me to the writings and principals of Bertolt Brecht and Constantin Stanislavski, which are still enriching and mystifying me in equal measure. We shared a love of the works of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Monty Python and Chris Morris. Which if nothing else proves our own good taste but furthermore is the foundations for a lasting friendship.

It was a challenging and rewarding experience. I gained a lot and was taught I have a lot to learn. He imparted the basics of a craft I doubt anyone fully understands and generally helped build my confidence in undertaking my first acting role.

We also had a laugh while doing it!