You’re late, and now people are peering at you from a tiny screen
A job interview - not my natural environment - and lots of lovely shows to tell you about
Teams is the enemy of the people
I had an online interview this morning, for the job of parliamentary reporter.
If I got it, I would spend my days writing up Commons debates and select committee wranglings for Hansard, the official report, available online to all who care to look up what on earth their MP has been saying recently.
The history of parliamentary reporting is one of powerful people reluctantly and gradually agreeing to tolerate scrutiny. I do enjoy one particularly ulcerous 19th Century Lord describing reporters as “bankrupts, lottery-office keepers, footmen or decayed tradesmen”.
Back in the present day, Teams wouldn’t let me in to my own interview, claiming “the account you're using doesn't have access to this meeting due to org policies.”
Fortunately I didn’t panic, and managed to be interviewed, slightly late, via my phone, though this did involve me describing some senior editor or other “smaller than expected”.
It was strange to see them all, these important people trapped on my tiny screen, as I hurriedly switched my notes over to the iPad. I hope they enjoyed the clearly visible Soviet Cosmonaut postcard behind my left shoulder.
My first few answers weren’t great, but I relaxed and got better. I think they liked me by the end, and were impressed with some of my answers, even if I did give one of them a heart attack with the phrase “post-publication subbing”.
I also made them laugh several times. Is this good?
If I do get the job - the written test is on Thursday - I’ll have a bit less time for some of my creative pursuits. But fortunately parliamentarians take a lot of holidays, so it shouldn’t impact me too badly.
Next Level Sketch - the poster!
The fabulous Amanda Robinson, Canada’s greatest export, has done a new poster for Next Level Sketch. All tickets for our spring and summer shows are available now - I strongly urge you to come to next Wednesday’s show particularly, as I have written a new sketch about death and capitalism.
I believe we’ll have this time oh once again
Myself and fellow Highchurch Martha are writing new songs at the moment, ahead of our gig at This Machine Kills Wasps in June. A lot of them seem faintly apocalyptic at present. We’ll try and organise some open mics when we can - watch this space!
Brighton Folk Choir: impending gigs!
My folk choir is gearing up for the spring season, with lots of interesting, weird and lovely gigs coming up, all listed on our website.
You can catch us singing to apple trees in Stanmer, taking part in a folk procession in Hastings, or teaching folk songs to 90s tv comedian Mark Thomas as part of the Brighton Festival.
Later on in the summer, there will be windmills.
Making art in the era of perpetual, algorithm-driven content
I think about this a lot, and fortunately Jen Ives, a brilliant comedian, has written about it much more eloquently than I could.
That’s it for now! Thanks to everyone who reads, means a lot.