To be fair, the article itself does refer to “casting directors” but nonetheless here we are again, in 2023, and the meaningless term “casting agents” has made another unwelcome appearance in today’s The Guardian (It’s an interesting read, though.)

All I’ll say about #thatsmyjam is: it’s surely unusual for a BBC1 Saturday night prime time TV show to have ‘celebrity guests’ who are exclusively from US TV shows (or who live in the US.) Is it actually recorded in LA…? I miss Blankety Blank, with Su Pollard/Gayle Tuesday &c.

Just spat out my tea whilst laughing at this.

Oh Lord, I just heard someone say “shag” on #TheArchers

One of the highlights of today’s visit to the Christchurch Art Gallery was watching a gallery employee explaining to two boys (around 10 years old) what the artist’s intentions were when creating these… provocative… works of art.

Overheard in hotel reception, New Zealand: GUEST: A loud siren outside woke us up at 6am - we wondered what it was…? RECEPTIONIST: Ah, that was the call out siren for the volunteer fire service. GUEST: Hmm. Have they thought about setting up a WhatsApp group instead?

In Adelaide, for festival season (was last here in 2008.) Went to a couple of interesting Writers’ Week interviews today as part of the Adelaide Festival - one with David Hare and the other with Esther Freud. Also shared a hotel elevator (and weather small-talk) with Billy Bragg.

Shocked to wake up to the sad news about Paul O’Grady. Lily Savage was a brilliant & hilarious comic creation, and PoG brought wit and warmth to everything he did - radio, panto, prime-time TV, musicals… And his autobiographies are wonderful. Such a loss.

I’m watching the Olivier Awards red carpet (green carpet?) footage on TikTok* and all I can say is if Hannah Lowther tries to make Janet McTeer play that “buzz wire” game I will not be responsible for my actions. *first time for everything #OlivierAwards

Wondering if I somehow have a 2nd job (that I do whilst being unaware of it) booking the guests on Pointless Celebrities. Tonight’s guests include Beverley Craven, Patti Boulaye & Danny Care - which is spookily the kind of line-up I would come up with. #pointlesscelebrities

Justin Welby sounds disconcertingly like Michael Whitehall.

Call me a Eurovision purist, but I’d like more taffeta and less singing about body bags #Eurovision #Eurovision2023

The Spain entry feels like it has been lifted from a rock opera of The House of Bernada Alba #eurovision #Eurovision2023

For some reason, the staging of the Australia entry puts me in mind of that Cate Blanchett/Martin Crimp play at the NT a few years ago. #nichetweet #Eurovision

Wonder if there will be any songs from Blood Brothers in this section… #Eurovision

God bless Meg Johnson. What an act.

So sorry to hear of the death of the great Janet Dale - brilliant in plays by Bennett, Whelan and Shakespeare but most memorable for me as a devastatingly funny Miss Knag and Mrs Wittiterley in The RSC's Nicholas Nickleby. Rest in Peace. theguardian.com/stage/2023/jul…

Watching “Blur at the BBC” on TV and remembering my own ‘brush with Blur’ - I was at the National Theatre with Elaine Mallery in 1997, and Damon Albarn asked me, “Do you have a light?” during the interval of “Closer.” (I didn’t.) #blurnight

So sad to read this news today. Anita Carey obituary theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2…

I saw Gambon in the theatre a few times (memorably in A Number, Volpone etc) but the 1st time I saw him on stage was at Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough c.1990, in Ayckbourn’s Taking Steps & also playing the title role in Othello (with Ken Stott & Claire Skinner.) RIP Michael Gambon.