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This week playwright-cum-Box Office Assistant Simon Harvey-Williams is feeling rather sorry for himself as this summer’s Eddie King show looms closer and he’s confronted with the realities of Making It Happen…

I feel I’ve hit what marathon runners refer to as ‘the wall’; Eddie King’s Unforgettable Tour of the Forgotten is now fast approaching and I’m finding myself waking in the early hours worrying about press releases, logistics and ticket sales. I’m not just tired, I’m exhausted, but I know I’ve got to plough on and that it’s only going to get more gruelling as August the 2nd approaches. But I’m not looking for sympathy (ok maybe just a little bit), because I know in the end it’s going to be worth it and I want to ensure all the effort everyone has put in is rewarded. The amount of hard work from all those involved in the project has been amazing and I think it will show in the finished production.

My Facebook page is now just one big glorified plug for the play and I’m half expecting my FB friends numbers to start dropping dramatically as people are bombarded with daily status updates - ‘Only 11 days until the greatest theatrical event of the year’, ‘Book now to avoid disappointment’, ‘Come along for a life-changing experience’ – I’m only slightly exaggerating. I think I’d subconsciously blocked out this side of the organisation of last year’s Eddie King show and somehow convinced myself that things just magically fell into place, but the last minute work/panic is now all coming back to me…

After a few set-backs, it looks like all the pieces are now in or about to start rehearsal, and there are some really great actors involved: Shane Morgan, Stuart Chapman, Dee Sadler, Laura Wickham, Jimmy Whiteaker, Neil Jennings - to name but a few. It’s going to be a fairly intensive couple of weeks for them and rehearsal spaces at the Tobacco Factory, Bristol Old Vic and Lansdown pub in Clifton are going to be in constant use for the next week or so.

Well my bed beckons and I’m really hoping I have at least six hours sleep before I start thinking about Eddie all over again.