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Chris Neville-Smith

Things I've done for the stage

Waiting for Gandalf archive page

Welcome to the archive page. This is where you'll find a few odds and sods that used to be on the main page but have been superseded.

Pictures

Chris Neville-Smith as Kevin on the Buxton Fringe bandstandBefore I had the current production photos, I had to make to with some video stills, as well as a shot of me taken on a performance at Buxton's "Fringe at Five" on the bandstand. As you may notice, video stills aren't great. But this is an archive, so here you are.

 alt= 'So you can understand that it was a bit of shock to say the least when she leaned forward and kissed me. Right on the mouth. On the lips. Well, it would be wouldn’t it, but even remembering it makes me go all flustered.' Kevin (Chris Neville-Smith)  stands there remembering and half-reenacting the moment. 'If your brother were alive ... if your brother was alive ...I got so sick of hearing that. I’m sure that if my dad had the choice then he would have preferred me to have been in the coffin. Just call me Farimir.' Kevin (Chris Neville Smith) crouches, trying to block out the words. Kevin (Chris Neville-Smith) begins reading The Hobbit, something he hasn't done for years.

Background and previous performances

Waiting for Gandalf premiered at Underground Venues, Buxton Fringe 2014, on Monday 14th July - Wednesday 16th July at 10.30 p.m.

Before Buxton, it previewed at:

  • The Empty Shop: Wednesday 2nd July.
  • The Old Church, Sacriston: Monday 7th July.
  • City Theatre, Durham: Thursday 10th July.

It was subsequently performed at Saltburn Community Theatre on Wednesday 18th March 2015 at Saltburn Community Theatre as part of the Drama Festival.

It was a originally small project I had lined up before rehearsals for Improbable Fiction got properly underway, with scratch performances a at the Cumberland Arms, Ouseburn, on the 22nd October 2013, and at Durham City Theatre on the 25th October 2013. But I originally came across Adrian Marks (and this play in 2011 Live Theatre Writers' Group, where we worked together.