I had a call from an agency that I hadn't heard from in about 15 months. Could I play a mourner at a funeral. It was in Ealing with a nice easy call time of mid-day. I guessed that this would be similar to my previous job with lots of people all moving around to make out the church was full when edited. When I got there someone else had arrived at the same time - Crispin. It was also his first job with this agency. Costume and make up pronounced us as fine so we went downstairs to sit in the bar area of this sports complex. Four men arrived but from a different agency, next, an older couple with a beautiful dog called Chou Chou who spent her time rather happily in her doggie holdall although, of course, with plenty of cuddles from us!
Eventually there were eight of us, seven men and me as the lady with the dog was a driver for one of the elderly gentlemen. Four were to be coffin bearers and four of us were mourners. Next stop lunch! This was to be, in my memory possibly the worst Cajun Chicken that I have ever had but however, I hadn't had to shop for it or cook it so wasn't complaining.
Once lunch was completed we got in to the mini bus to travel to location - a nearby cemetery - which we drove in to and then promptly out as the driver realised it was the wrong one. Easy mistake to make I guess as they all look the same. By this time April showers had taken a hold so we sheltered in the mini bus to wait for the appearance of the sun. You can learn a lot about people when you're all together on a not very big mini bus! Eventually the weather cheered up and we got out to stand in front of a disused church, currently being used as storage by local am dram societies. A hearse with a coffin and flowers fronted the church. Crispin and myself were used for specific reaction shots - sad, suprised, indignant etc. The person we were expressing these emotions to was the comedian Russell Kane who turned out to be the devil in disguise as he tried in vain to make us corpse!
Russell Kanes Live at the Electric begins this Thursday on BBC3.
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