Quickie

Very pleased to see Steve Mangan playing Robert Hooke in the BBC1 programme about Sir Christopher Wren, although it will rather colour my next re-reading of Neal Stephenson's Baroque Trilogy, in which Hooke figures as a minor, but still important character. I'm sure Hooke was much older than that though. And not quite quite as dashing, although he was terribly good at drawing fleas*. Funny how all the GW cast look so good in period costume.

Also very much enjoyed the Bearded Ladies' 'Speeding' Comedy Lab thing (particularly Ori's 'eye-narrowing' bit at the suggestion that an anecdotal air rifle pellet may not have missed her brain), which was a relief, as I was seeing Ori and Fay at eight thirty the next morning, and I find it almost impossible to lie before ten. Don't know why, but there we go. Fortunately, writers' meetings very rarely start before eleven, so it usually all works out fine. I'm squeezing a few more meetings in while I'm up in London, which is slightly cheeky, as GW are paying for my sole exclusive attention until the end of the week after next, but to be fair I'm just chatting to execs - not actually writing anything down. And I've promised Rob I'll make up the time on the same day, so it'll all work out fine.

Ori and Fay have particularly made me laugh this week.

FAY: (after I very nearly put my arm round her) Ooh no, I don't like touching. (very brief pause) Unless it's directly sexual.

ORI: (apropos of nothing) Fay's being paid to stay in a hotel this week. I'm not.

and finally-

ME: ... because I don't think all the lines have to be, you know, funny, even though it is supposed to be a comedy, although not-funny lines can still be sort-of funny as long as they're character-ish, sort of. Wait, no, I mean-
FAY: James, shut up.
ME: (grateful) Christ, thanks.

Rob, by the way, didn't seem to mind me posting details of his house interior all over the internet from when I stayed Monday night (possibly he's just grateful I didn't take any photos), so I owe him double at present. Although I might have caught his cold (not from naughty touching or anything, I have to make that perfectly clear), so maybe I can go back to just owing him the one again. I'll have to ring Agent Ginny and get her to work out the details for me. She likes my little calls.

Just so none of this weeks GW writers feels left out (like they give a monkey's), Richard has influenced me into finally buying Flann O'Brian's 'The Third Policeman', which I intend to read this weekend, and Stuart wrote a guyball scene which, when Billy the editor cut it together made me laugh so much I genuinely cried. Which I know is annoying, and slightly smug-sounding if you weren't there, but it's a relief to see stuff coming together, and it's definitely Not Crap.



*Hooke. Don't know what Steve's flea-drawing skills are like.