Cons, festivids and Canterbury
I don't know if there's ever a right time to start planning a con, but I'm suspecting it's not the week before 
festivids when I'm trying to finish two vids - which also happened to be the week the internet EXPLODED (nooooooo, megaupload), and my main fandom went into wanky meltdown. Again.
So yeah, I've had no sleep for a week. Got a treat in by the skin of my teeth - except I didn't, I actually filled out the submission form wrong, missing some major info, and then went straight to bed so I only discovered this when I woke up to an email from the mods. *runs and hides in shame* Sorted it now.
(So much love for the
festivids mods though, who do a great job of running the exchange and being patient with those of us whose brains maybe aren't firing on all cylinders at the moment.)
And it's gone live while I was typing this! Good thing I checked before hitting post. Eeee, so many vids. :D:D:D
I flipping ADORE the Hello Dolly vid for me - We Got The Beat - which is dancey and full of joy and life and movement and colour and beautifully edited, fabulous vid. Yay, festivids!
So, life is pretty good at the moment, particularly fandom-wise - I had the BEST experience I've ever had in 12 years of fandom the other week, which I'm going to waffle on for a bit about under the cut.
Two weeks ago today (was it only two weeks ago? Feels like a lifetime...), I went with around 30 fellow fans to see Johnny Partridge in panto in Canterbury. Plays Christian in EastEnders, one half of my OTP; this guy:
Would have been very happy just meeting up with the girls - we took over the first floor of a sandwich shop and started setting the world (and EastEnders) to rights before the matinee, 'twas a blast - and seeing the panto, would never have expected what actually happened.
So, we saw the panto and it was brilliant. Johnny was fantastic (of course) - stunning voice, am so glad I got to hear him sing live - but the whole production was very well done, great cast. We took up nearly the whole front row, bar one scared looking family with kids in the middle, with other members of our group who booked later dotted around the theatre.
Somehow, Johnny knew we were there. Not sure if he knew before it started (we sent him a good luck card that mentioned the date we were going), but if he didn't he certainly worked it out during the show. We managed to make him crack up a couple of times by cheering/calling out in inappropriate places (panto = audience allowed and expected to misbehave, so it was okay), and raised the roof with our cheers at a line at the end of the panto about "could have turned out differently, [the Prince] could have married Syed". Pretty much the whole cast laughed at our cheers to that one, and Johnny - once he'd got his face back under control - added something like "coming soon to a TV screen near you!"
Final song, he basically sang it to all of us on the front row, pointing at us, grinning, waving and winking. As the curtain came down, he suddenly ducked down and waved frantically with both hands.
That would have more than enough. Fantastic show and he was obviously pleased we were there, that was good enough for me. But we headed round to the stage door just in case; I was very cynical about the chances of him coming out, and I don't think any of us had any real expectations that he would. Various members of the cast came out and the Fairy Godmother (Sue Delaney) stopped for the people waiting and to sign a few autographs. She grinned when she saw us and said "you're Johnny's lot, aren't you?" Then talked for a bit about how much she loves him and appreciates it when he walks around backstage with his top off. (A woman after my own heart.)
Then, after a bit of waiting...Johnny came out. We cheered a bit - of course - and he grinned at us and put his hands over his face in an 'ohmygod' gesture. We then held back and waited patiently while he did autographs and pics with the 'normal' people outside the stage door - then once he was finished with them, he came over to us.
I'm still blown away by it. He only had about an hour off between shows - he does 3 shows on a Saturday - and he spent more than 35 minutes talking to us. We did a group photo, but he then made sure everyone got a hug - a proper, squeezy Johnny hug, they're the best - and a photo and an autograph who wanted one. He chatted away to us for ages, asking what we wanted to know and talking to us about all sorts of things, including a couple of things about EastEnders he probably shouldn't have said. And all the way through, he seemed so genuinely thrilled and touched that we were there; he kept saying that it was 'amazing' over and over again, it was like he was so overwhelmed by it it was the only word he could remember.
Not going to type out the whole thing (35 minutes!), but a few highlights:
Anyway, after all this being the loveliest guy I've ever met (again - I've met him once before) stuff, we eventually went on our way and headed to the restaurant where we'd booked dinner. And after we'd been there 10 minutes, a bemused looking waitress came in with four bottles of champagne and said:
"Um...these are with love from Johnny?"
After we shrieked down the restaurant, she started handing out the glasses and asked who this Johnny person was (still looking a bit bemused).
"Christian from EastEnders...he's doing panto round the corner."
Her eyes lit up. "Oh, him!...He's rather nice, isn't he?"
Why yes, yes he is.
But it still gets better. While we were in the restaurant, we discovered that Marc was currently sat in the Marlowe Theatre, watching the evening performance of the panto. (Thanks to a very young member of the fandom who couldn't come with us but got her parents to take her the same day.)
That's Marc as in Marc Elliott. Plays Syed, the other half of my OTP. This guy:
It's a seven-week run, and he (and Meryl, plays Afia) chose to go on the same day we were there, entirely by coincidence. That's just nuts.
So we headed back to the theatre after dinner, and long story short, Johnny, Marc and Meryl came out of the stage door eventually and we managed to nab Marc while Johnny did autographs for the few normal pantogoers left. (Poor Meryl stood to one side a bit ignored, though some of us did speak to her and ask for a photo - she took it in good humour though and was also very sweet and lovely.)
The reason they were so late coming out of the stage door? They had been reading all the thank you notes we had left at the theatre to thank Johnny for the champagne. <3
Marc was a sweetheart - he seems shyer than Johnny (who was all "Chryedians? I love you guys! GROUP HUG!" whilst Marc was more "...you're the Chryedian lot, aren't you?" *nervous look* "There were 30 of you? Really?" *scared look*), but he was still very genuine, very warm, very humble, funny and self-deprecating, very willing to stop and chat and do photos and hugs.
Johnny came down the steps as we were talking to Marc and kind of hung back to let Marc have the limelight but was still lovely, laughing about the stars being aligned for us, and asking if we enjoyed the bubbles. After our heartfelt outpourings of thanks, he said it was the least he could do.
The least he could do? Jesus.
So we got a group photo with the pair of them (those who were left, a few had had to go home). Then Johnny grabbed Marc's hand, said "come on you, I've got to put him to bed", and they set off down the road to the nearest pub. Then they realised they'd forgotten Meryl (poor Meryl) and she trotted off after them.
So yeah. Unbelievable day. I have never felt the slightest inclination to fangirl over actors, never saw myself ever standing outside a stage door; but to be honest I'm still in this fandom for the actors rather than the canon these days. They are both genuine, humble, lovely, gorgeous guys who deserve all the love we send their way. Not leaving this fandom any time soon. :D (Hence the con!)
festivids when I'm trying to finish two vids - which also happened to be the week the internet EXPLODED (nooooooo, megaupload), and my main fandom went into wanky meltdown. Again.
So yeah, I've had no sleep for a week. Got a treat in by the skin of my teeth - except I didn't, I actually filled out the submission form wrong, missing some major info, and then went straight to bed so I only discovered this when I woke up to an email from the mods. *runs and hides in shame* Sorted it now.
(So much love for the
festivids mods though, who do a great job of running the exchange and being patient with those of us whose brains maybe aren't firing on all cylinders at the moment.)
And it's gone live while I was typing this! Good thing I checked before hitting post. Eeee, so many vids. :D:D:D
I flipping ADORE the Hello Dolly vid for me - We Got The Beat - which is dancey and full of joy and life and movement and colour and beautifully edited, fabulous vid. Yay, festivids!
So, life is pretty good at the moment, particularly fandom-wise - I had the BEST experience I've ever had in 12 years of fandom the other week, which I'm going to waffle on for a bit about under the cut.
Two weeks ago today (was it only two weeks ago? Feels like a lifetime...), I went with around 30 fellow fans to see Johnny Partridge in panto in Canterbury. Plays Christian in EastEnders, one half of my OTP; this guy:
Would have been very happy just meeting up with the girls - we took over the first floor of a sandwich shop and started setting the world (and EastEnders) to rights before the matinee, 'twas a blast - and seeing the panto, would never have expected what actually happened.
So, we saw the panto and it was brilliant. Johnny was fantastic (of course) - stunning voice, am so glad I got to hear him sing live - but the whole production was very well done, great cast. We took up nearly the whole front row, bar one scared looking family with kids in the middle, with other members of our group who booked later dotted around the theatre.
Somehow, Johnny knew we were there. Not sure if he knew before it started (we sent him a good luck card that mentioned the date we were going), but if he didn't he certainly worked it out during the show. We managed to make him crack up a couple of times by cheering/calling out in inappropriate places (panto = audience allowed and expected to misbehave, so it was okay), and raised the roof with our cheers at a line at the end of the panto about "could have turned out differently, [the Prince] could have married Syed". Pretty much the whole cast laughed at our cheers to that one, and Johnny - once he'd got his face back under control - added something like "coming soon to a TV screen near you!"
Final song, he basically sang it to all of us on the front row, pointing at us, grinning, waving and winking. As the curtain came down, he suddenly ducked down and waved frantically with both hands.
That would have more than enough. Fantastic show and he was obviously pleased we were there, that was good enough for me. But we headed round to the stage door just in case; I was very cynical about the chances of him coming out, and I don't think any of us had any real expectations that he would. Various members of the cast came out and the Fairy Godmother (Sue Delaney) stopped for the people waiting and to sign a few autographs. She grinned when she saw us and said "you're Johnny's lot, aren't you?" Then talked for a bit about how much she loves him and appreciates it when he walks around backstage with his top off. (A woman after my own heart.)
Then, after a bit of waiting...Johnny came out. We cheered a bit - of course - and he grinned at us and put his hands over his face in an 'ohmygod' gesture. We then held back and waited patiently while he did autographs and pics with the 'normal' people outside the stage door - then once he was finished with them, he came over to us.
I'm still blown away by it. He only had about an hour off between shows - he does 3 shows on a Saturday - and he spent more than 35 minutes talking to us. We did a group photo, but he then made sure everyone got a hug - a proper, squeezy Johnny hug, they're the best - and a photo and an autograph who wanted one. He chatted away to us for ages, asking what we wanted to know and talking to us about all sorts of things, including a couple of things about EastEnders he probably shouldn't have said. And all the way through, he seemed so genuinely thrilled and touched that we were there; he kept saying that it was 'amazing' over and over again, it was like he was so overwhelmed by it it was the only word he could remember.
Not going to type out the whole thing (35 minutes!), but a few highlights:
- The fandom did a fundraiser for Stonewall last year, and he told us he was not only proud of us for doing it but had donated himself, despite his bosses telling him he shouldn't. <3
- He kept telling us how much love he has for 'each and every one of us'.
- He said some really gorgeous stuff about the nature of fandom, including how as soon as something becomes popular there's always the people who want to knock it down.
- Apparently BK (exec producer of EE) fought really hard for including the (topless, same-sex) bed scene against all the higher ups at the BBC - good to know!
- We were all wearing wristbands and we gave him one - not only did he put it on, but he's worn it every single day since. (Some of the girls went back last weekend; he recognised them in the theatre and then actively went and found them after the show, still wearing his wristband, to chat to them again.)
Anyway, after all this being the loveliest guy I've ever met (again - I've met him once before) stuff, we eventually went on our way and headed to the restaurant where we'd booked dinner. And after we'd been there 10 minutes, a bemused looking waitress came in with four bottles of champagne and said:
"Um...these are with love from Johnny?"
After we shrieked down the restaurant, she started handing out the glasses and asked who this Johnny person was (still looking a bit bemused).
"Christian from EastEnders...he's doing panto round the corner."
Her eyes lit up. "Oh, him!...He's rather nice, isn't he?"
Why yes, yes he is.
But it still gets better. While we were in the restaurant, we discovered that Marc was currently sat in the Marlowe Theatre, watching the evening performance of the panto. (Thanks to a very young member of the fandom who couldn't come with us but got her parents to take her the same day.)
That's Marc as in Marc Elliott. Plays Syed, the other half of my OTP. This guy:
It's a seven-week run, and he (and Meryl, plays Afia) chose to go on the same day we were there, entirely by coincidence. That's just nuts.
So we headed back to the theatre after dinner, and long story short, Johnny, Marc and Meryl came out of the stage door eventually and we managed to nab Marc while Johnny did autographs for the few normal pantogoers left. (Poor Meryl stood to one side a bit ignored, though some of us did speak to her and ask for a photo - she took it in good humour though and was also very sweet and lovely.)
The reason they were so late coming out of the stage door? They had been reading all the thank you notes we had left at the theatre to thank Johnny for the champagne. <3
Marc was a sweetheart - he seems shyer than Johnny (who was all "Chryedians? I love you guys! GROUP HUG!" whilst Marc was more "...you're the Chryedian lot, aren't you?" *nervous look* "There were 30 of you? Really?" *scared look*), but he was still very genuine, very warm, very humble, funny and self-deprecating, very willing to stop and chat and do photos and hugs.
Johnny came down the steps as we were talking to Marc and kind of hung back to let Marc have the limelight but was still lovely, laughing about the stars being aligned for us, and asking if we enjoyed the bubbles. After our heartfelt outpourings of thanks, he said it was the least he could do.
The least he could do? Jesus.
So we got a group photo with the pair of them (those who were left, a few had had to go home). Then Johnny grabbed Marc's hand, said "come on you, I've got to put him to bed", and they set off down the road to the nearest pub. Then they realised they'd forgotten Meryl (poor Meryl) and she trotted off after them.
So yeah. Unbelievable day. I have never felt the slightest inclination to fangirl over actors, never saw myself ever standing outside a stage door; but to be honest I'm still in this fandom for the actors rather than the canon these days. They are both genuine, humble, lovely, gorgeous guys who deserve all the love we send their way. Not leaving this fandom any time soon. :D (Hence the con!)