09/01/07
What's in a name? -
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Right, before I start this - I want to tell you that there is a VERY VAGUE reference to something that happens at the end of Series Five of 24 at the very end of this entry. It really wouldn't ruin nothing, but if you are still catching up on them I thought it only fair to warn you, because I know that I would be pissed off if someone potentially ruined it for me. So, it's the very last paragraph, and is not a continuation of anything I write preceeding it so can be totally ignored if you are concerned. Never let it be said I do not take you into account. Right, here is the entry:
Tired doesn't even begin to cover how I am feeling, but I'm not going to whine about it because I am brave.
So, today (yesterday now) is the day when the year begins again proper professionally and I thought I'd make a bit of an effort.
I had a casting at the BBC but it wasn't nearly as much fun there without my missing-in-action writing partner Steve Morrison. Not as much fun I should say, right up to the point when I stepped on Paul O'Grady's stupid dog and made it yelp. Please do not take this as a sign of me condoning animal cruelty in any way, but if you are gonna let your dog just run about in a place of business then you have to accept that there may be a cumbersome and clumsy fat lad who is trying to learn lines for a Casualty casting and not neccesarily looking where he is going who may just step on said animal. With that in mind Paul O'Grady, don't look at the fat lad all disgusted as if he did it on purpose - even if the fat lad is laughing uncontrollably and considering doing it again.
So my casting was so-so, think it's a bit of a long shot. It was with the same guy who cast me in Doctors and to be honest, I was feeling rusty and distracted, and the fact that we were laughing and stuff in between readings meant it was then a bit harder to take it seriously enough. My own fault, lesson learned, blahdiblah, doubt I shall be reporting any trips to Bristol in the near future. Shame, cos I would have liked to do it.
This morning I did a radio interview (pre-record) for BBC Wales about my forthcoming gig at St David's Hall on the 16th January. It was a really nice interview (it's here somewhere for the next seven days) but we got into a bit of a discussion about my name.
Or my names.
See, my name - my real one - is Ian Boldsworth. Most people know this but I am telling you in case you don't. This is the name I use for acting stuff (and my brilliant appearances in Doctor Who magazine - Page 4, this issue, major article about me and how brilliant I am and...Oh, I can't lie to you, it's just my name). However, I have another name which is Ray Peacock.
I'm gonna put this as simply as I can.
The problem is - "Ray Peacock" started life as a character, that's the fucking root of all this confusion. So when people hear the name "Ray Peacock" they assume it is "that character that Ian does". However, Ian doesn't does that character any more (except on very special occasions but let's not mention that in case it confuses matters) but Ian has retained the name of "Ray Peacock" for comedy related issues, rather than fanny about changing it back to his real name.
I genuinely thought this would keep it simple. It has been a fucking nightmare.
The easiest way of explaining it is to say that, it's not a character any more, "Ray Peacock" is my stage name.
I think that's relatively straightforward, but it baffles every fucker. I was in the office at Avalon just before Christmas and one of the lasses who books gigs was on the phone to a club and I heard her say "I've actually got Ian Boldsworth in the office now". Thinking that they wouldn't have a clue who Ian Boldsworth was, I signalled to her to say "Ray Peacock". Through a series of chinese whispers the eventual outcome of this was a rumour that I had demanded to be referred to as "Ray Peacock" in the office and that I wouldn't answer to the name of Ian. This, of course, is ridiculous and simply not the case.
It's not a character any more, "Ray Peacock" is just my stage name.
In the run up to Edinburgh last year, I had my PR company coming up with outlandish stunts for me to do, repeatedly telling me that it would be a great thing for "Ray" to do, given that "Ray" was outspoken and brash and shouty and all of that. I explained that I wasn't doing the character. They came back to me with more outlandish stunts. I explained again that I wasn't doing the character. They said "but it's listed as Ray Peacock". I said "If you carry on reading you'll see it's called Ray Peacock - Out of Character".
They stared at me.
It took a long time.
It's not a character any more, "Ray Peacock" is just my stage name.
I'm not blaming anyone but myself, it was a stupid fucking decision but I am lumbered with it, because if I try and change it back it will just tangle the wool even more. To be honest, the name thing wasn't the half of it with the BBC Wales interview - I had to put him straight that I wasn't performing Big And Daft in Cardiff. It's a great thing the internet but there really is too much information on it.
So, to reiterate, and for the final time, and this is the definitive statement until I state otherwise on this public forum, It's not a character any more, "Ray Peacock" is just my stage name.
The other thing that happened today that I reeeeeeeaaallly want to tell you about, I can't. Because it is ongoing. But I will tell you at some point. It has made me laugh more than I have ever laughed - certainly in the last month or so - and I so desperately want to tell you about it but it would potentially ruin it so I'm not going to just yet.
I shouldn't have even mentioned it should I? Such a tease me.
And that's it for now, gonna go downstairs now because I acquired the first four episodes of the new series of 24 in London today and am going to watch them now. I need to get to the bottom of the thing with him being on that boat...
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