Van minus his wig
It’s been nearly a year. A year since my life has been completely changed. Now don’t panic, this isn’t the moment where I say I found god or anything like that so you can all breath a sigh of relief.

Almost a year ago rehearsals started for a little show by Burt V. Royal called Dog sees God: Confessions of a teenage Blockhead. Vertigo Theatre Productions would be the first theatre company outside the USA to put on this parody of a little comic strip called Peanuts, and I had been cast in it. To say I was excited would be an understatement, yes, it was a UK first and I was going to be in it, yes it was in a tiny fringe theatre venue in the heart of the Manchester Gay Village (tiny might be being slightly unkind) and yes I had not been on stage in almost ten years, but I just plain didn’t care. You see to understand quite how much this meant to me you have to see where my life was at the time, so let’s start there.

2007 had been a year of big change for me, the year had started with a proposal and feverish planning of my “Big Day” the day where I would get civilly partnered to my partner of almost 6 years. It was the start of what at the time I thought would be the beginning of my life as a “married” man. The first eight months whipped past like a thunder bolt until the big day itself August 26th. It was without doubt at the time the happiest day of my life. Little did I realise that barely seven months later and only weeks before the show’s premiere the dream would come crashing around my feet.

At the end of September 2007 I found on the internet a call for Actors, now following my wedding my life had changed slightly I was working from home but so was my partner and as such my work load was very much cut. I was getting restless and as such decided to give it a go. Two weeks after my initial contact I found myself on a bus to Ashton Under Lyne making my way to the address of a man who at the time knew as only Craig Hepworth. Now though I happily call him one of my closest friends, even if at times he does annoy the hell out of me with all his pushing to get the best performance out of me possible, in turn I probably completely annoy him with the whole fact that my line flubs during rehearsal have now become something of a tradition. But that’s by the by. The show I was auditioning for was something completely different from Dog Sees God as at the time it wasn’t even an option. I turned up at Craig’s Apartment met him, Adele Stanhope (the co-director and again now a friend) and Karl Burge the shows producer (and yet again close friend). It was all something of a blur I did my piece waited and found out I was in all in the space of an hour. I was a happy man.

A month or so passed and the first cast meeting was called, I was bricking it. The fat tall geek that was Stuart Armstrong (then) would meet his fellow cast mates. Arriving at Craigs apartment (almost an hour early) it took at least two cups of coffee and half a dozen cigarettes to calm my nerves. By which time the rest of the cast made there way in. I can’t remember the exact order so I won’t even try. All I do remember really was that was the day that I met some of the most talented people I’ve ever known and who I now have the pleasure off calling my friends. It would also be the day that my life would once again change and a new Stu was born.

That’s it for this entry but more are on the way. What I will say though is now is the time to get your tickets for Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead at the Lowry Theatre Salford Quays Greater Manchester. All of the cast myself included are stupidly proud of this show and we want you all to see it. Buy your tickets now at www.thelowry.com