April had a few pleasant days, and I even found myself out in some gardens that I live close to, reading a book for half an hour. As usual, a round up of what I enjoyed this month.

Comedy

The big one this month was Alan Partridge - Stratagem, live in the Odyssesy in Belfast. I’ve been a fan of Steve Coogan’s wonderful creation for nearly thirty years (!) so enjoyed the opportunity to see the great man himself. He didn’t disappoint, in this stage show in which he’s a motivational speaker delivering life lessons via powerpoint, a troupe of dancers, time travel, relaxation exercises and some traditional Irish music. There’s so many laughs to be had with Partridges general unease, his desire to be liked and his self delusion, and there were plenty of laughs. And it struck me a couple of times just how good Coogan is as a physical actor. As it was the first night, there was one wardrobe malfunction with a parka coat and I’m sure some of the material will be worked on, but all in all a great night, and so good to be in packed arena sharing laughter with a crowd.

Because he was in Ireland, the biggest cheer of the night was when one of Alan’s lookalikes, the Sligo farmer Martin Brennan, joined the show in a live link up. Here’s a wee reminder of Martin.

Television

I really enjoyed ‘Severance’ on Apple TV this month. ‘Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.’ It’s such an interesting premise with a great cast (great supporting roles for Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette and John Turturro) that works really well. This is the work-life balance dream - once you step into the lift at the end of the day as an ‘innie’, you’ve forgotten how you’ve spent your day working. Likewise, once you step into the lift next morning, you forget your ‘outtie’ life. Mark, wonderfully underplayed by Adam Scott, has undergone the procedure because he is mourning the death of his wife in a car crash and his ‘innie’ life stops him having to deal with the grief. Of course the drama starts when the two existences bleed into each and the workers begin to question the truth about their lives. It’s smart, funny and intelligent. Oh, it’s directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle, from just up the road in Omagh. Such a cracking opening sequence too.

App/Youtube

I think I mentioned before I am a fan of the ‘Making Sense’ podcast by Sam Harris, and it’s an app of his called ‘Waking up’ that I’ve been using a lot recently. Sam has his own guided meditations on the app, but it also features sessions from other teachers, as well as conversations, Q & A’s, lessons on theory - to simply call it a mediation app is to do it a great disservice and of all the pieces of digital technology that I use, I can easily say this is the one that has made the greatest difference to my life. It’s that good, and if you’d like to try it for free, here’s a link.

This month I enjoyed a conversation Sam had with a Buddhist Nun called Samaneri Jayasara, who is based in southern NSW in Australia. This beautiful interaction lead me on to her YouTube channel, where she reads teachings from the masters. Jayasara has the most soothing Australian accent and whilst I’ve been enjoying this during my bouts of insomnia, they can be listened to any time of day. It’s really hard to pick one, there’s quite a few, but I was listening this one today, as solitude is something I have been trying to embrace recently. This channel is a blessing.

Music

It’s been one of those months when I’ve been listening to a lot of meditations like the one above, talks about mindfulness, and some classical and jazz. The more I contemplate, the greater the need for silence. It stills the troubled waters, and helps me come home, to return to the present. ‘Smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly, into the mystic.’