Greeting of the Season

 Well!  Here we are, we've made it to the end of another horrid year!  Together.

Congratulations!  Just surviving has been a significant achievement.

Tallying up the year's results hasn't been as awful as it might have been with the on-again-off-again covid restrictions, lockdowns, and cancellations;

I managed to complete this list:

• Wrote and delivered a cabaret show at the ReX in February - the "Uh Oh Review"  with Stevi Cannon, Marise Wilson, and Kathleen Newman, 
  
• A fundraiser in the first half of the year to support a young woman and her studies in Kenya via Robins Nest Children's Homes
• A book launch soiree for Table Manners mid year [that's a great gift to give yourself if you haven't read it!  Published by Pegasus publishing {UK} , you can pick up a copy at most online bookstores or  order it in at your local library 
  
• Wrote and released a new album of songs - with no money but the help of a great friend.  If you haven't got a copy of Whimsical yet, why not treat yourself in the New Year?
• Wrote and recorded another single  "Cancellation Blues" and released on the music channel
• Completed 7 new videos for the YouTube music channel  and 10 new videos for the Sidestep Comedy Channel.   If you haven't caught up on them, the holiday break is a great time to settle in for a watch:   music channel:  maureen's music channel    comedy channel: sidestep comedy
• ...and by the end of the year will have set up another YouTube channel to tell the stories of some of the local creatives involved in the local Newcastle Arts community - in music, art, and theatre.  The story of John Rolf is ready to load up [and join a couple that were done last year. ]
• There's also a schedule of comedy videos in progress and waiting to be filmed in the new year...

All in all, not bad for a non-performing, covid-restricted, creative waiting for life to return to normal!

 Normal?!?! what the heck's that?!?!

Merry Christmas everyone and have a healthy, safe, and Arts-filled 2022   

Gettin' Outta the house!

 Well that last lockdown was a stinker!  A schedule of 12 videos to film for the Sidestep Comedy channel - Troupers with their costumes and props lined up ready to go - and all cancelled overnight!   Frustrated?  just a little!!  

But everyone's got a story, haven't they?  Let's just keep fingers crossed that we can all move forward from here and find a new normal.

So if you haven't subscribed yet, let me encourage you to do so now at Sidestep Comedy   where you'll also find a new comedy track playing.

Coming up on the channel:

• Retirement Bliss; the breakfast scene from Table Manners [the stage production - and the novel]  featuring Grant Bailey and Marise Wilson
  
• the Wallycom clips {2};  featuring Jenni Hayes from the stage production
• the Thunderbelly clips {2}; featuring Grant Bailey and John Rolph from the stage production
• Briar and Rose; a murder investigation featuring Shaun Evans and Kathryn Russell
• Infidelity: not what you might expect! featuring Marise Wilson and Maureen O'
• Working Girl; with original song from the Thunderbelly production, featuring Kathryn Russell and Lenore Parker
• Storybook Corner; another fractured fairy tale featuring the 3 blind mice
• ...........and more still under wraps
  

For the time being, if you haven't spotted it yet, there's a new track up on the music channel - Wise Woman - from the Undercovered album.  Check it out here:   Wise Woman

At this stage there are no live gigs in the pipeline although I may opt to re-introduce the Sunday Soiree program in December.  2022 may be a tad kinder to Musicians and Live Gigs.  Let's hope so.