sleep now?!

[memoryfloodsin]

Ok so here it is:

Went down to London with thedreamygirl and then met up with karaadora and wandered around nattering because Kara had to leave. It was starting to rain so I headed to the Donmar to shelter there, it was about 6.25. The actors walked past and I flailed a little and then Stark went past and was stopped outside the door by two chaps who chatted to him and got him to sign things. I figured I could go outside and see if maybe I could catch him but wouldn't be surprised/bothered if I couldn't. He was sooo nice with these chaps though. They took 1 photo with him and then tried to take the next and the camera wouldn't work - like 4 times! Stark just stood there happily trying to help. He started to turn away and I put my hand out and mumbled 'excuse me'. He turned round, and he really is astonishingly pretty and tall. I forget how tall he is what with him standing next to the mountain of Skarsgard. Anyway the conversation went something like this:

Me - I actually don't have anything for you to sign (thrust my sharpie and ticket at him) because you can't sign this (aforementioned ticket) as it'll void it. (cue Stark looking a little bemused) But I just wanted to say that you were incredible in Generation Kill. (breaths sigh of relief)
Stark - Thank you. (I turn to go back inside) What's your name?
Me - Elsie? (starting to shake a little)
Stark - (puts out hand to shake mine and makes direct eye contact) Thank you so much Elsie, it means so much to hear that (words to that effect, the shaking and lack of breathing made things quite fuzzy now).
Me - I'm excited about tonight. Thank you.
Stark - Me too, it's been great talking to you.
Me - Me too. (Did I mention the lightheadedness?!) (I leave, he leaves)

I was shaking so badly. I don't stage door a whole lot, only if it's someone I seriously admire or a performer blew my mind but all my stage door experiences have been good and downright awesome in some cases, Damian Humbley! I've had great fan meet moments at Cons and panels etc but I swear I've never ever had a stage door/con experience like that. It was the fact he took the time to ask a name and make eye contact and seemed so genuine. It was wonderful.

Inside the theatre I had a great seat and it wound up being directly behind Stark's girlfriend, who is English btw. Anyway he comes back in and sits next to her, cue me suddenly finding the ceiling of the Donmar seriously interesting - I may be a fangirl but I have boundaries. She was objectively pretty I guess, but they seemed from the bits I couldn't help overhear and unfortunately saw in my peripheral vision, absolutely adorable together. He kept smiling at her during the show and she was telling the guy next to her that Stark was her bf and was just soooo cute about it.

Fugitive Kind and this production of Streetcar have totally convinced me of Tennesse Williams' awesome. Claire Foy and Stark were my favourites, they were both phenomenal and seemed to be the two who were acting most, not that everyone else wasn't but when they were on stage it felt like a 'real' play not a rehearsed reading. I have finally seen Con O'Neill on stage!

All in all a really good night.


Today I got back to York and then had a job interview - no idea how it went, was shockingly under prepared though. Then went to see District 9 with Jen. It was amazing. I liked it a lot.

ETA: I totally forgot to say, as I was coming out of the loo at the end of the night the woman who arranged it all was talking to Stark about definitely contacting him future again and he was sounding v. enthused about coming back to London.

Also, if anyone from the UK wants a freebie try of Graze, then here's a code for you: DLBWQTMN. I've got some seriously yummy things from them, Korean Chilli Rice Crackers, Dairy Free Chocolate Beans, Dried Apple.

Comments

[aboutademongirl.livejournal.com]

*cheers* I'm squealing, and I'm not even the one who saw the wonderful Mr. Sands! He gives off this pretentious kind of air in photographs, but from all the fan accounts I've heard, he's not like that at all IRL. <3!

And *sighs* I knew Stark had a girlfriend, but that still didn't [and doesn't!] kill my SkarsSands shipper heart. I'm glad they seemed adorable together, though. Heh. And aww at your boundaries. Yeah, I would have totally felt the same.

[memoryfloodsin.livejournal.com]

He was absolutely the textbook definition of when people don't disappoint you!

It was v. awkward, perhaps it would've been less so had I not just spoken to him but that just made it even more 'look away, look away'.

[aboutademongirl.livejournal.com]

Aww, I'm just so happy. IDEK why. I wish I could have seen him on stage/ANYWHERE IRL. I can only hope he'll keep acting for a very long time! I just... GAH. I'm not exactly coherent right now. This is ridiculous. I'd probably have a heart-attack, if I were to see him.

Congrats to you for keeping your cool!

[wordsalone.livejournal.com]

This was sweet. Thank you for sharing!

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Hi, I was one of Hana's friends last night :)

OH MY DAYS STARK SANDS ♥_♥ I think is the only appropriate response here. Would you mind if I put a link to this post in my recap?

[memoryfloodsin.livejournal.com]

Hey! It was nice to meet you.

OMG he was just so utterly lovely. No not at all.

[eumelkeks.livejournal.com]

You're a very lucky girl!

As to the gf, totally understandable awkwardness.

[memoryfloodsin.livejournal.com]

I know! I'm sooo grateful that I got this opportunity. It also popped my 'rehearsed reading' cherry as well, and what a way to do it!

It was so awkward, I just kept looking anywhere else but there.

[thelackoflight.livejournal.com]

Eeee, I'm so happy that you got to meet him! You're so lucky. He sounds like such a great guy.

Awww, his gf is English? Haha, I totally understand the awkwardness. I'd feel so weird.

[memoryfloodsin.livejournal.com]

He was just so lovely y'know? Absolutely went above and beyond what I was expecting as a response.

She is indeed, either that or an American with a really phenomenally good ear for accents who likes affecting them all the time.

[l-s-d-me.livejournal.com]

You're so lucky!! I've read 3 accounts of people going to see that today and I think yours is my favourite because you talked to him, LOL!

[memoryfloodsin.livejournal.com]

I know! I know no-one talked to him (other than myself and the other 2 guys) when he was going out after the rehearsal and I know no-one talked to him outside the Donmar afterwards because he was with his gf and everyone just ignored them - rightly so, but I think some people might have caught him coming back in - unless he was soaking from the rain! He was just so lovely.

[l-s-d-me.livejournal.com]

I just love reading peoples accounts of meeting him. He really is one of the only celebrities I've ever seriously wanted to meet.

Stark being soaked by the rain is a very nice visual by the way.

[memoryfloodsin.livejournal.com]

I enjoy stage dooring because there are so many theatre actors who don't get the love their TV/film counterparts do and it's nice to be able to say they moved you or whatever but Stark is the only one where I dunno, he seemed so genuinely happy to have his work commented on, I can't really explain it. I'm definitely a fan for life now though!

Alas not the sort of rain we had on Tues night! It was a downpour that would've moved him from the 'sexy wet shirt' category to the 'drowned rat' category.

[l-s-d-me.livejournal.com]

it was a downpour that would've moved him from the 'sexy wet shirt' category to the 'drowned rat' category.

Oh no, haha, we can't have that!

[oxoniensis.livejournal.com]

I'm just so thrilled for you that you got to speak to him beforehand. And not in the least surprised that he was so charming. I really wish I'd arrived earlier now - I didn't get there until just after 7, and I was only that early because of the rain. I'd managed to dry off and didn't want to get wet again!

I'm really relieved no one went up to him afterwards - I saw him on the stairs with his girlfriend, and I was glad to see people were being considerate then.

I'm so loving reading everyone's reaction posts!

Good luck with the job interview!

[memoryfloodsin.livejournal.com]

I just can't really process it. He was just so utterly gracious and sincere. I was only as ridiculously early as I was because of the rain so I'm on team rain for the moment.

Same. I would've hated it if someone had bugged him whilst they were together.

Me too. Everyone seems to have really loved it. Although 3 people sitting around me left at the interval! O_o

Thanks, I had it this arvo - I don't think it was great - I was under prepared thanks to the Stark shakes - that's what I'm calling it now!

[oxoniensis.livejournal.com]

It's always nice to know an actor you respect is so gracious in person.

Three people left? Wow. I was so pleasantly surprised by the quality of it, so that's really quite shocking.

[memoryfloodsin.livejournal.com]

Yes, as I said further up he was the absolute personification of when people don't disappoint you.

Yeah, I know I was fidgeting - it was so hot and I couldn't get to my inhaler, but I was pretty shocked when they didn't come back. I thought it was fabulous and almost on a par with Streetcar so yeah shocking.

[oxoniensis.livejournal.com]

I'm just trying not to be disappointed that I didn't get there earlier - I was just mooching around, getting a drink and browsing shops to pass time, and could easily have got there for 6.30. Though, knowing me, even if I had seen him beforehand, I probably wouldn't have brought myself to speak to him, even though normally I chat with anyone and everyone!

You found it hot in the theatre? It was just right for me. Guess I actually managed to get my clothes right for once - I'm generally useless at judging what the weather's going to be like.

[memoryfloodsin.livejournal.com]

I normally don't stage door alone and I really was shaking sooo hard but Gen Kill was just so incredible I had to say something - it's like if it had been someone from The West Wing, my favourite TV show ever. I just couldn't not say something but my God was I nervous.

It was boiling in the stalls, and I just couldn't get to my inhaler so I was panicking a bit and just generally uncomfortable really which is how I know the reading was good because I stuck it out rather than leaving in order to breathe. My clothes were all wrong - not enough of them outside, too many inside. Stupid England.

[oxoniensis.livejournal.com]

I've never, ever stage doored! (Is that a verb? Ah well, it is now! *g*) It's weird, because I'm perfectly happy chatting to anyone I meet, but I think I'm so worried about being that irritating fangirl who pesters actors that I go too far in the opposite direction. I must do so sometime though - I think I might if he plays a role over here again, especially as he clearly appreciates it.

That sucks that you couldn't get to your inhaler - I guess it must have made it all feel warmer and worse once you started struggling to breathe. Layers were definitely key, though, and an umbrella!

[memoryfloodsin.livejournal.com]

It is a verb - well amongst theatre geeks it is.
There are always going to be some irritating fangirls at stage doors, particularly if that stage door is Wicked's but on the whole most actors seem to be happy to chat and the ones I've spoken to have been really gracious and just lovely, but I'm a theatre dork so they've normally been really obscure theatre peeps not the big names.

[askmehow.livejournal.com]

Aww, Stark! It's nice to know that the actor we're all fangirling is actually a gentleman and has manners! ♥

I was shaking so badly.

*pets* I know exactly what you mean. I didn't get a chance to go and see him either beforehand (couldn't; me and La Flatmate were in our seats only minutes before the lights dimmed) or afterwards (wild night out), but I would totally have been the same. I'm so glad that one of the GK fangirls actually did meet him.

On an aside: isn't Graze great?

[memoryfloodsin.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I just so wasn't expecting that level of graciousness and genuine thanks.

No-one caught him afterwards, he left with the gf and everyone thank God was respectful of that. I'm v. proud of the fangirls. I've loved him for ages and have wanted to see him on stage since Journey's End and normally things like that don't happen to me so I just can't quite believe I was that lucky.

Graze is fab. Although I got two boxes delivered whilst I was away and have now gorged myself somewhat - oops.

[monkeywonder.livejournal.com]

it was great wasn't it? I was a bit disappointed with Monday's reading but I really enjoyed yesterday's. I really like Tenessee Williams so I'm glad I got to experience these rarely performed works, and that they got such great people to participate in them! I hope they do contact Stark about something else, I was so impressed with him, I'd definitely like to see him over here again. I'm glad you got to meet him and it was such a great experience! :D

[fly-meaway.livejournal.com]

Oh thank you so much for sharing this. This was lovely to read and he really seems like such an amazing guy. You are definetly incredibly lucky to have met him and I'm trying very hard over here not to be jealous of you ;) But I guess you can understand that. I'm so glad to hear you had such a good night and yes, again, thank you for sharing :D