The play I wasn't in, but sort of was...

So happy to have had the opportunity to do a portrait for the Florian's production of Harvey in this, their 75th Anniversary year! Nicky Nicol as Edward P Dowd, with Harvey. I drew ideas from the original film painting, but apart from an homage to pose and style, I wanted to be updated and less creepy!! The company liked it and Nicky was very happy with it. Hope he'll get to keep it if he want's!

The other Western, the Fringe and the Monster...

Well 2018, what a busy year! Back east for another western, Attack on Tranquility, where I played Twitchy Simpson, store keeper. I love the atmosphere there during filming, but it's certainly the people that give it life. Made new friends too, Katie, Megan and Jack Daynes, not to mention David Milne! It was another good film by William Samson, with an original theme song by The Johnny Cash Duo and an additional outtakes reel...one of them with my own title 😆!! Later, in April 2019, which is when the film premiered in Aberdeen, Margaret Crystall from the provincial press did almost a full page on me, the film and practically everything else I've done. It appeared in the Inverness Courier and several other regional newspapers. Anyway, back to the end of 2018 and following on from Tranquility, I returned to Nairn and my annual role play for the Royal College of General Practitioners along with seven other actors. Always fun to do! Shortly after, I was cast in a short film as Stan in 'Legacy' for Morven Fik down near Dumbarton and with fellow actor Mira Vasiliu, which is doing the film festival rounds just now. About this time, I began working with members of the Dingwall Players in devising and developing a piece for the Edinburgh Fringe, which we eventually did in August 2019. The play was a who-dunnit, called 'Midges' and it went down very well with Fringe audiences!
Not very long after we returned to the Highlands, Karen and I were picked up for some on screen interviews by geneticist Neil Gemmell for a National Geographic documentary called 'Loch Ness Monster : New Evidence' on the Discovery channel! It was first shown on Sep 15th 2019. Next, I was contacted by Peter Whitely to do a piece with him on Word On The Street in Dingwall later in the year and I've already been asked to return to Nairn in a couple of months with the RCGP!!

The Western

Here are some pictures from last year's Band Of Outlaws....

The Acting

Well....busy busy. Following on from the outstanding Wizard Of Oz in Eden Court in March, I've been taking advantage of my seniors pass (yes, I'm ancient) and going down to Glasgow for workshops and even an audition in Film City! Not long ago I was also invited to work on a short film in Kilmarnock, for the Edinburgh 48hr Film Challenge, which was LOADS of fun and I also met some lovely people too! Recently, I've been invited to return to Tranquility Western Town to shoot another film this August. Last year's Band Of Outlaws was quite an experience! Also, I've again worked with James Boundy on some new headshots and they're great!  I've updated everything I can think of and a new showreel is now ready. So.... shoulders to the grindstone!!

The Photo Shoot

James Boundy, of Evoke Photography Inverness, took some photos of me the other day at Clava Cairns. Here's a sample...

The Card

The years after my fortnight on Outlander have been filled with various plays and teaching opportunities. In fact, I'm currently teaching with TFX in Inverness. The last big thing was Spamalot and we had amazing audiences and fantastic reviews.

But the big, BIG news (well, for ME it is!!) is......that I have finally been accepted into Actors Equity UK. The card came in December. Now, I know Equity will accept a certain quantity of SA (Support Artist) work for membership, but I wanted to be accepted through recognised acting engagements....such as my visitors interactive piece in the Scottish Museums retrospective on WW1 over a couple of days in Nairn and my weekend with the Royal College of General Practitioners, for final year students to get some hands on practical exam experience.

Of course, I had to choose a stage name, because Gordon Taylor was already in use. It had to be something not already on Equity, Spotlight or the IMDb and my eventual choice was to go with a family branch name - Ryde.  

My name was accepted and so now, that's me.....Gordon Ryde! Also, my LAMDA exam result from last year was 90 with a Distinction!

The Year That Was...

Well, sadly, after several years of dealing with the onset of dementia, my father passed away last October in Oberon NSW. We had Mum and Dad with us in 2011 and that was the last time I saw him. In November, I returned to Australia to stay with Mum and my brother Shane for a fortnight, although I couldn't make it in time for the funeral. We went through old photo's and albums and reminisced. Dad's ashes are still at home, with Mum. She wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet.

On a brighter note, the good news was that THE agency signed me and I'm (aside from Alana Hughes - Glasgow and Casting Collective - London) now represented by Lee Bisset, (despite my mistake) and have already worked on the BBC's 'One Of Us' in Edinburgh through her. In March, I was on stage for a week as Henry Miller in the Inverness Opera Company's 90th Anniversary production of Calamity Jane in Eden Court (VERY well attended and fantastic revues!) and was also signed to present an interactive/public performance piece over two days at the Nairn Museum, on their exhibition 'Drifters and Trenchers' a look at the effect the outbreak of WW1 had on Nairn and the local communties. It was part of the Scottish Museums series of events for 2015. Interestingly, it was someone I had filmed with a few years previously who recommended me to the organizers from all the way down in Napier University!
After 'Outlander' last year (E11/S1 The Witch's Mark) I worked in another couple of short films this year, including 'Last Rites' by Andrew Doig and 'I Am Gnome', by R Goodwin. I was also cancelled at the last minute for 'The Crown' with Matt Smith and John Lithgow, so....swings and roundabouts. But.... I was cast as Snout, the Tinker, in a local production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and have been studying for my first year's LAMDA exam, in the 'elite - silver' class. On top of that, I'm also a supply drama coach for the Stagecoach Academy. I'm on the committee for the Florian Theatre and I'm part of the team that have formed Highland Creative - a group of talented members from the many arts who have come together to pool ideas and make them happen. So....2015, not too shabby!!

The Mistake

I had been looking forward to my visit to Glasgow to be auditioned by an agent for a few weeks, but the snow and road conditions closer to the day were against us. There were total closures on the A9 just the day before. But early Sunday, with no indication the road was still closed, we packed the car, grabbed what we needed and set off. Aiming for the address on the letter head and arriving in plenty of time to find a car spot, we waited outside the business address, wondering why no-one had turned up. We waited....and waited. Finally and somewhat reluctantly, we made the decision to leave and head home. Upon arriving home that evening, I realised from the sheet I had NOT taken with me, that the address I was meant to go to was across the city from where we had been.....and I've not been sooooo gutted in a long time!!! What a stupid mistake to make, going so far for something so important and realising too late that I'd made such a bobble headed mistake!

The Stage!

Following on from Outlander last year, I continued with Drama Lab, part of Eden Court's Creative dept and was cast in a melodrama - 'Maria Marten And The Murder In The Red Barn' as Mr Marten. This is the only known photo of our performance....

As always, it was fun to do and I met even more talented and friendly 'new' friends!
Then, when hearing of the Inverness Opera's plan to celebrate their 90th production with 'Calamity Jane', I auditioned for and was cast, as Henry Miller - proprietor of Deadwood's 'Golden Garter Saloon and Music Hall'. We're in rehearsals just now, with our first costume rehearsal in two days time and scripts down in another week!!! Photo's and a new post will follow!

The Good Year

February was an interesting month. I was unsuccessful for 'Macbeth' one minute and the next, they wanted me! Some sort of mix-up they said. So off I went to Portree and spent 3 long days, made up to look as if I'd just returned from a fierce battle, trudging along remote paths and through bogs, heavily laden with sodden woolen clothing and a sack full of wood. But it was worth it! On the last day of filming as we came out of wardrobe, we were surprised to see boxes of whiskey and beer stacked against the wall. The AD said it was for us from Michael Fassbender, by way of showing his appreciation for what we endured without complaint to get the scenes shot.

Shortly after, Andrew Doig began filming 'The Loch Ness Secret Committee' and I played the part of Ian, a journalist. (It may be in with a chance for the Raindance Film Festival if it gets enough votes) A short while later, after failing an audition for 'Pack Of Lies' with the Florians, I was asked to work as a support artist(extra)with the Scottish Ballet during the Inverness leg on their extensive tour of Romeo & Juliet. What an experience!!! And I made a couple of new FB friends!

Then, the big news! My agent, Alana, asked if I could be available for two week's work down in Perthshire for 'Outlander'. Well, I was packed before I put the phone down! Actually, it is a longer process than that and there's a fair bit of nervous expectation. After all, once your CV and pictures have been submitted, it's down to the production team as to whether you're suitable....but in this instance, I WAS!"!! Dressed in period clothing (again) and sporting a wig, I found myself on set, filming the first of the series of adventure novels we had begun reading back in the 90s. I found out we were doing Ep 11/16 and we had Bill Paterson and Tim McInnerny on set with us! Again, it was long days and often wet, yet VERY hot on set in the old church at Tibermore. Day 2, As I had been made up as a chieftain, I was asked to stand at the front of the scene and yell abuse at someone on trial. A few days later, I was asked to walk through the town square in Culross, repeatedly shouting a curse to the accused in the Gaelic (after the AD told me what they wanted, the Gaelic coach came over and spent time with me).Finally, in some studio set scenes In Cumbernauld, I was asked (and again coached) to deliver a hearty greeting in gaelic in a banquet scene.

After completing scenes from 'Death And The Maiden' with Eran KB at Drama Lab, then later 'Death Of A Salesman' with Allan MacFadyen, I was asked by local filmmaker Tristan Aitchinson to work on a student film he was directing, called 'Happy Birds'. Following on yet again, I was cast as Mr Marten in the melodrama 'Maria Marten And The Murder In The Red Barn', to be performed by Drama Lab at Eden Court this December!

The Game

Having stayed away from posting for so long,(I don't know why!)I now know the answer to the question I asked myself a couple of posts ago.....'Where will this path take me"? Well since then, I've worked as an extra with director Ken Loach on his film 'The Angel's Share in June 2011. I was later contacted by the same Casting Agent Kahleen Crawford and invited to audition for a Scarlett Johanssen film 'Under The Skin' (which perhaps thankfully, I didn't get....plagued with issues and STILL not released!) After a successful run at the Florian Theatre with The Winter's Tale, I was accepted to a residency with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre of Scotland, which became the new highlight of my short acting experience and probably still is. Back home, I was engaged in a series of short films by Andrew Doig, including the Shep Baker series and these were shown in the newly created Loch Ness Film Festival (still going and picking up pace with Andrew and his dad Will). Following on in 2012 I was cast in The Diary Of Anne Frank as Mr Kraler and that received excellent reviews as well. In fact all Florian's productions do! It was a great cast - Otto Frank/Nicky Nicol, Peter Van Daan/Craig Manson, Anne Frank/Maree Murdoch etc. From there, I ended up being cast as an alien Lord Ompeko, in a short Sci-Fi piece being filmed in the the City Chambers in George Square, Glasgow. The short was a 'sizzler' reel for 'The Imperial Chronicles Of Parduum' and I was made up with blue contacts, white skin and long, blue hair. It didn't end up being what I had imagined it would be and I'll say no more about it. At least I got to meet and work with William Samson, Robert Howat and my friend from Inverness, the talented Katie Messenger. Following on from there, I was asked to play the lead in the Florian's comedy 'Daylight Robbery',which was to be our submission to the SCDA (Scottish Community Drama Association) competition for 2013. As Detective Chief Inspector Hornblower, I found the single lines more difficult to remember than the monologues, but it all went smoothly when it mattered. Karen was cast as well, which was a surprise to us both, because she's never really had any interest in acting. She only came along to the auditions to see how it comes together.... Success! We came second in the region and had to take the play to Nairn for the semi-finals. Although we didn't fare well, the adjudicator was full of praise for the production, our characters, pace and timing. He just wasn't impressed with the script by playwright Harry Glass.... He also singled me out as 'an assured actor, a confident actor' and one whom the theatre should count themselves lucky to have in their company!! Well.....I was beside myself. Was I really that good? But no time to linger. Karen and I had joined the Inverness Opera Company and were in rehearsals for Jekyll & Hyde the Musical, which was to be performed in March 2013 in the Empire Theatre, Eden Court. WOW!!! The sets up from London, the effects with fog and lighting, the orchestra, costumes, make-up, was everything I'd always wanted to be a part of and sharing it with Karen was an added bonus. I was cast as Jekyll's butler Richard Poole, although I was also his demented father, a poor man in the street and a Naval Officer at Dr Jekyll's engagement party. All were managed by quick costume changes, applying and removing make-up and facial hair, such as handle bar mustache and mutton chop side burns (made by me from crepe hair and latex, applied with spirit gum). What a success that was!! Every night, every performance - standing ovations and thunderous applause. The reviews were astounding! Sadly, it was a failure financially, as not enough people came to see it. Was it promoted enough? Were the posters suitably designed? Were people unwilling to see something they'd not heard of before? After all, it wasn't Oklahoma or South Pacific. Perhaps all of these. Then, nothing.....until out of the blue I was told about a film up by Gairloch and cast as an extra. It was 'What We Did On Our Holiday' by Andy Hamilton. It starred David Tennant, Billy Connolly, Rosemund Pike, Annette Crosby, Ben Miller, Jake D'Arcy and one or two others who's names escape me. We filmed at Red Point and were plagued with midges, but the scenery was spectacular! Following on from there, I decided to audition for the pantomime, Cinderella. No success. So, now I'm back at Drama Lab and enjoying it immensely. Andrew Doig has approached me about another part in a film he's about to make and I've submitted an application to work as an extra over on Skye in the film 'Macbeth' with Michael Fassbender. Wish me luck......!!

The Bard

After a few set backs (work), I landed the role of Camillo in Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale' for our first production of 2011 at the Florians Theatre in Inverness. I am surprised at how the language of the script, strange at first, now seems so normal! I can almost imagine speaking that way back in the day, when time was all you had and conversations were an art form, not an exercise in brevity as they can be nowadays. Forget the disregard for grammatical form by many urban inhabitants of the current generation and don't even get me started on text 'speak', the most appallingly lazy and impolite way of conversing since the first grunt.

The Plays

June 19th. The first play - The Great Cattle Raid, went down well. My friend Bill and his wife Bev were over from Australia and came to see the performance. Apart from missing one of the stage cues, which nobody else seemed to notice, I was surprised that I suffered from nerves not one jot. My first ever role - King Fergus of Ulster, with an Oirish accent and all! Later in the play I was Eoghan, a crow, a charioteer, a pig, a maggot, a ghost, a wolf and part of a great white bull. Being an ensemble, we all had multiple roles and of course never left the stage.
The confidence and thrill I had from that first play prompted me to attend a reading at the Florians theatre later in the month for their next play - Dad's Army. I was invited back to audition the following week and went for the role of the Colonel, which I got. What an experience! Not only did I get to work with some very talented people, but the costumes and set designs added so much to the performance. We played for five nights in September and had great reviews in the local press. I even sent a copy of the video home to Mum and Dad,who both enjoyed it. Now, acting is all I want to do!

The Path

It's been a two months now since joining the drama group and we've covered a lot already. This week, we've done a read through on a script that we're going to put together in a performance in June at Eden Court. The nerves have already kicked in, because although it has yet to be cast, there are 36 pages of lines! Don't mess it up, don't mess it up, don't mess it up....
Then perhaps I don't need to worry, because work hasn't agreed to giving me the performance night off yet...

The Theatre

Well, I finally took the bull by the horns and have done something I have wanted to do since High School. I've joined the Drama Lab at the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness. That's right! I'm studying acting in the evenings! Much like Art College, I'm happy and nervous all at once, because I want to do this, but still struggle with self confidence. Nevertheless, I am happy I got in and am committed to completing the first term to begin with. What will come of this? I really don't know.

The Gap

It's been almost a year since posting.....how fast the year has been. Our visitors came and went, then others came and went, but we weren't able to fit everything we'd planned into either itinerary. Then we went back to Australia for a visit to family and friends, returned to Scotland and faced the worst winter in decades. After the first falls of snow in mid December, snow and ice is still pretty much everywhere, apart from the roads. In amongst it all, Karen broke her leg sledging and is convalescing for a couple of months upstairs......
Hello 2010!!!

The visit

We have friends from Australia visiting us in a few days and it will be great catching up again. I've known Bill since the mid sixties and we shared a lot of good times over the decades since, even after we each married. But they only have a few days with us and there's so much to see and do. Where do we start? Aside from that, a wheel bearing has just gone on the car....
So, the train down to Edinburgh for the day, a day at Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle, a day out west to the Kyle of Lochalsh and Skye, a day at Culloden and Cawdor Castle or perhaps Blair Atholl or Fyvie Castle.....
That's a bit to get through. Throw in dinner at Tulloch Castle and the Kinkraig House Hotel, perhaps a show in Inverness and some Highland dancing at Strathpeffer and that might do it.

The 'Pewtah'

I've spent the last few days making a start on transferring all our old VHS home movies to my hardrive using Pinnacle 12, which after editing in Windows Moviemaker, I will then burn onto discs using Nero 7. I estimate I should be finished sometime within the next six years....
Why not do it all on Pinnacle? Because I get sound but no image in the editing window. Why not just use Nero 7? Because I can only transfer audio from the VHS, hence I'm resorting to using all three. I'd prefer not to, but I'm no Bill Gates, so it'll have to do.

The fire walk

Well, not really, but it was tense all the same. Short version...it wasn't cancer as the doctor first thought, but a blood clotting deficiency instead. Months of waiting, weeks of tests and hospital visits, but the outcome is that Karen is fine. Completely unavoidable, but I wouldn't want her to go through it twice. We were both nervous wrecks for some time....

The train

A long, long time ago, I can't remember when exactly, but I think it was the early seventies....I caught a train into Sydney. Actually, I did that more times than I can remember, but this time it was different. It was still one of the old 'red rattlers' that had no safety features whatsoever. People used to stand in the open doorways as it picked up speed between stations. I know I often did. Then there were those old, dark green, vinyl seats which years later were eventually replaced, because handfulls of socially challenged individuals from a younger generation preferred slashing, rather than sitting, on them.
I made this trip alone, so I was very likely on my way to the Australian Museum near Hyde Park all the way from Macquarie Fields, for the grand return fare of 5c. I say alone, but in fact I was joined by an elderly man, somewhere around Strathfield perhaps. Like many of his generation, he was open and conversational from the outset and I must have looked like someone who wanted company for the remainder of the trip.
But the truth is, I didn't.
Nevertheless I didn't change seats either, so the old man began telling me how much Sydney had changed since he was my age.
He told me of the Harbour, lit up like a Christmas tree with all the coloured lights on the ferrys and boats, of the young couples out on the town for the dancing, of the popularity of the boxing on a Saturday night, when crowds would turn out and a good time could be had for less than a shilling. He had been in the ring himself as I recall and had known a few of the big names in boxing back then. They were all gentlemen he said and he was proud to have been in their company. After naming them, he asked me if I had heard of them. When I said I hadn't, he told me I certainly would one day. If I had though, I wouldn't have known, because I forgot most of what he told me within minutes of getting off at Central Station.
It's now one of my many regrets.
Here was an eyewitness account of Sydney in the '20s and '30s, recalling things he had experienced, not just imagined from a grainy black and white photo. He remembered the sounds, the colours, the smells, the people.....many of whom had long since passed from living memory.
And I, just as you might expect from a 14 year old, couldn't see the value of genuinely listening, or asking questions......
Now I'm 51 and I would give anything to be back in that carriage on a hazy Summer's morning, heading into Sydney.

Think'n

I just realised. Most of the time, I consider myself to be reasonably normal and well adjusted. It's only when I turn my attention to arty things I've done, or attempted to do, I get all gloomy and depressed. Soooooo..... what's THAT all about? Why are we overly critical of ourselves, our abilities? As I said to an old friend recently, in art, the very thing that drives us can, if unchecked, hold us back. But I won't let it stop me.....not this time. I'll bide my time just a little while longer....watch tv....grab a beer.....

Th' Wedd'n

Karen and I were honoured to have been invited to Jamie and Tracy's wedding in Inverness, held at the Waterfront Hotel along Ness Bank a few weeks ago. It was another opportunity to wear the kilt and show off my swagger, which I hope in good faith, did not cause too much ill feeling among those given to a more delicate disposition.

The West

We took a drive out to Plockton the other day, taking photo's of the Autumn colours, as you do.... ......and went out on Calum MacKenzie's seal boat, the Argus - www.calums-sealtrips.com It was great, not only because we were among the very few that went out, but also because there was a squall that came over from Skye, providing some fantastic, bleak, dark backdrops for the cormorants, seals and otters we spotted. On the way home we stopped at Eilean Donan (above) and waited until dusk for some shots of the castle under flood lights, then made our way east toward Loch Ness and home, stopping at the Invermoriston Arms for dinner along the way. It's days like this you realise - it's a wonderful life Clarence, ....it's a wonderful life.

The Laird

Well, this is me in October 2008. Yeh, you've probably seen worse. Or have I not yet posted the pictures of me from the early eighties?

The Vision Splendid

It has been some time since I last found myself looking at shapes and forms about me, breaking them down as brush strokes and lines in my mind. So I was surprised when in the middle of a meeting at work, I found myself staring at the random patterns of a peeled label on the side of a piece of computer hardware, which I gradually recognised as a favourite place of mine in the Highlands, above Inchnadamph, So, has getting back in touch with a few from college recently been enough to steer me back to the canvas? If so, maybe I should have looked for them ages ago. Time will tell.

The Internet and Old friends

I was just randomly punching keys and visiting various internet pages when a familiar name appeared in my peripheral vision. Peripheral vision is the work of the rods, nerve cells located largely outside the macula (the center) of the retina. The rods are also responsible for night vision and low-light vision but are insensitive to colour.
But I digress........
Many years ago, in a different century in fact, I went to Art College in Tamworth, NSW. There were several highly talented individuals within our class and one of them was Charmaine, whose name I saw on the internet. So, now I'm searching for others I knew and one or two more have emerged, like Michelle and Kaye.
I'm delighted to see they are still painting and staying active, but at the same time it has shocked me into the realisation that I walked away from something I loved through a desperate lack of confidence - that monkey on my back that has stolen every banana I've ever been offered.
So now I'm miserable, but at the same time, inspired by these individuals, whom I miss.

Say what?

I am my own life and I take full responsibility. But seriously..... I really need to lose some weight

You are here

When the past has stepped aside for the present and the future is already elbowing that out of the way, where am I?
Probably where I wanted to be all along, but with absolutely no idea how I got here.....