Joe Pasquale on toast

Wednesday 21st Feb. Casting in the morning for 'The Bill' idents. Sponsorship things that go either side of the ad breaks. I never get these things. I nearly always get voice work I go up for, but almost never get visual stuff. These castings are always a bit of a chore for everybody concerned. The producer/casting director/whoever's in the room have seen four hundred people already, they've probably made up their minds before you walk in the room, and it would be easier if they simply said no as soon as you walked in. However, you do them, and they do pay off occasionally. I got a presenting gig earlier in the year, so I can't say it's a total waste of time. That was in the city. Then I walked to Stephen Street, where I did yet more promos for Virgin On Demand. That's turning into a nice little earner. Then I walked further west to The Sound Company.
Spent the afternoon recording Frankenstein's Cat. Two episodes, and it was a lovely session. Joe Pasquale told us the story of the toast on e-bay. Apparently, someone put up for sale a piece of toast with his face on it, like those madonnas that appear in aubergines. But instead of a random pattern of burning, they had scratched a child-like drawing of a face on one side of the toast. It sold for 750 quid, and the guy who bought it went to see Joe in panto and came backstage for him to sign it. The guy was 'no word of a lie' - Uri Geller. He'd even varnished the toast so it wouldn't dry up and crumble. And people give this man airtime and buy his books.
My mum and brother (it was his birthday) turned up for the recording, so they were entertained for a while by watching some people standing in front of mics doing silly voices. Then a few of us went to the Yorkshire Grey for a drink. It's a very old and very small pub, much loved by BBC journalists and sound engineers, just at the end of Gosfield Street. I've spent a few evenings in there that I don't remember very well, which is perhaps a good thing. Also, since I stopped smoking I've realised how awful it is sitting in a smokey room. It won't take long for people to get used to this smoking ban that's coming in soon. They'll complain for a while, but people like to socialise, and the pull of the pub will be greater than the desire to inhale after a short time.

Comments

[Curtis Jobling]

Too funny - the toast story is a killer! Methinks Mr Geller has more money than sense.... Glad the family enjoyed the VR :-)