My house is starting to fill up with people and there is no space to breathe or just be in a quiet space. James has a fantastic suggestion of taking the hurling stick down to the park and letting off a bit of steam. We then run into town to grab James something to wear.
I am full of nervous energy and feel like the only person who I want to speak to is James because he is the only person who really knows how I am feeling.
More people start descending on my home, and we are late down to the screening venue. Its 20 to 7 and there are three people here. Shit! This is my nightmare. I quickly turn around and walk out of the building before I throw up.
Suddenly people arrive and there are random groups of people who I know from work, school, the gym, plus family, family friends, friends of friends. It overwhelming to say the least. What will they think of it?We show a slideshow of production stills before hand and then we are ready to start the screening. James and I walk out to the front and there must be about 100 people here looking at us. I hate talking in front of people and I make James do most of the talking.
I can’t sit and watch the beginning, I hate it, so I go outside for some fresh air and find Phyllis (who plays Nan) wondering around lost in the car park, I usher her in and then join James in the projection room.
We finally pluck up the courage to sit in the screening room at the front, and spend a torturous hour wondering what the people behind us are thinking about peppermint and more dauntingly about us. People laugh at some points, and gasp at others, I can’t be that bad then?!
The film finishes we make a quick apology to the audience and make a swift exit to collect donations to cover the screening. We get a really good response from everyone, and suddenly the high hits me and I remember why I went through all of the torture in the first place.We have a fantastic night chatting to the crew, actors, friends and family. This screening was terrifying and that was just people who know and love us. I start to wonder what a slightly more objective audience will have to say about it.
James: Yeah I felt kind of pukey all day. I don't know about Gab but I don't really like these kind of events as they involve being social, and I'm quite misanthropic normally! It doesn't help that I'm bunking work, which always makes me feel dodgy. This of course is about a year after we made the decision to make the film, so by this stage we're pretty tired of the project and thinking about other things, but to everyone else it is new and shiny and you have to feel all excited again. Which in fairness, I think we were.
