A scientist, working for the Military Industrial Entertainment Complex is given the mission to build a Supercollider for the family. We follow his globe-trotting exploits as he puts together the machine and meets various other agents. Meanwhile his wife is walking around the world on a tightrope and his feelings for her contrast withg his thoughts about particle physics and his employers. But how will his Guardian angel bring everything together?

Well, this was the second Edinburgh run for this show and while there were a couple of small script changes, it was pretty much the show that ran for 11 days four years ago. As I mention on the other page I only put it on for those days as that was the slot Mel and Sue were booked for but couldn't do the whole run. I'd been working 18 months straight and I really needed a break and it was a friend's birthday in New York and I so wanted to get out there. I did a coast to coast Greyhound thing afterwards, visiting Chicago, Mount Rushmore, Seattle and Portland and ending up in San Francisco. Fab.

Back to the point though. The 2001 run went really well. It was a bit of a chore getting up for an 11am performance in the Festival City, but once I got to the theatre I couldn't imagine starting the day in any better way. Audiences were smallish to begin with but averaged 30 or so in the last week and while noone's going to really have a belly laugh at that time of the morning, the reaction was always pretty good - lots of applause at the end and lots of smiles on the way out.

Erica Whyman's direction was inspiring again, Simon Oakes's music was just brilliant and Malcolm Rippeth's lighting was delicate and precise. Emma Barrow was a great stage manager - I don't know how I'd have got through it without her. Loads of people came up to me afterwards and told me they'd loved the show and that made it all the better for me. I spotted badge wearers and always made it a point to go up and thank them for coming to the show. I do have loads of the 'for the' badges still. If you'd like one (or a 'so ask me what I wished for' badge) just send me your address. All you have to do is make a donation to Shelter or buy something nice at a charity shop where you live and then you get a badge. Easy, huh?

I ran it again at the London Pleasance Theatre in early October and it got a super response once more. I don't know whether Supercollider will get another run now. I'd love to do it in the States as I have a feeling that it is the sort of show that would go down really well over there, but it's a question of where and when. If you want to know about future performances, or if you're from the States and would like to put it on, please email me and I'll drop you a line. Groovy!

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