Tag Archives: placebo

Snake Oil or Medicine? by Dr Kathleen Thompson

Posted on by



Every day we read on the Internet, in newspapers or in magazines about wonder drugs. With all these miracle cures around it is surprising that so many of us still suffer illness. Surely we just need to pop one of these pills and all will be well?

But maybe, just maybe, some of these potions can’t cure cancer, can’t make people with arthritis dance in the streets and can’t make you lose ten inches off your waist-line in a week?

If you have incurable cancer, or constant arthritic pain, you wouldn’t want to miss a useful treatment. So how can you know whether claims are genuine or snake oil?

Approved medicines are tested in numerous clinical studies, usually in thousands of people. Study data are scrutinised by regulatory authorities (FDA in USA and EMA in Europe) before doctors can prescribe them.  Thus there is firm evidence that they work, and a great deal is known about side-effects or safety issues.

However, anything can be advertised on the Internet – Google has no truth filter.  Impressive-sounding study results may not be scientifically sound. So here are some clues to help you assess them (See Table): Snake Oil or Medicine? by Dr Kathleen Thompson tableplacebo

1. Has the ‘medicine’ been tested against placebo (dummy medicine)? If people believe they are receiving a beneficial treatment, they often feel better, regardless. Most studies should include some patients who only receive placebo, to make sure any benefit is due to the real medicine.

2. Measures of benefit (endpoints) should be chosen before a study starts. Eg an influenza medicine may measure fever. If fevers don’t improve, one can’t then change the endpoint to, say, sore throat, just because these improved more. Some symptoms will improve by coincidence, and it isn’t valid to cherry-pick the best results. This is often done in unregulated ‘studies’ and can make a treatment look better than it is.

3. Always check how many people were tested. If a study only had two patients, and one received real medicine and one placebo, even if the patient on the real medicine did better, it could have been due to chance. Statisticians calculate how many patients are needed to give a reliable result. Unregulated studies rarely include enough people.

Unapproved studies are not always checked, so there is more opportunity to ‘cheat’—results may be changed, ‘patients’ invented, or data from any patients who didn’t improve may be removed. Where the study was performed, and by who, may give reassurance on this, or not.

A respectable study will be written up as a report, and will be published in a good scientific journal. Be careful though – some ‘journals’ have impressive titles but are not what they seem. You can check them on Cite Factor (see below) to be sure.

I hope this helps you decide what you can believe. If in doubt, do ask your doctor’s opinion. And remember, if something seems to good to be true – then it may well be exactly that.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co,uk

Further information:

http://www.citefactor.org

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/info/understand

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice

 

 

Dr David R Hamilton… Self Love at BAFTA

Posted on by

On Sunday 6th July 2014, I was at BAFTA waiting to see Dr David R Hamilton (PhD), not really knowing what to expect and thought how many people would be either Watching Wimbledon, or getting their BBQ ready for some Sunday lunch. As I look around at the audience, it is evident there is a high female content, so thought that maybe I was not really meant to be there and made sure that I could get to a point in the event and leave were it not for someone like myself . I sat and waited and Sunita Shroff announces that David Hamilton will be coming on stage and a rapturous applause greets him as he takes to the stage. He has a warm demeanour, a soft Perth accent and gracious in the welcome before starting his talk. He gave a little info about himself and how he gave up being an Pharmaceutical engineer, or Organic Chemist, as he typified.

Credit: http://drdavidhamilton.com

Credit: http://drdavidhamilton.com

What I found fascinating was not the fact he had science to back up the theories that doctors and scientist either were scared to admit, or commit to, but opened himself up to the fact he is just as vulnerable as all of us. No piousness or judgemental accusations… not even a snide underhand remark, which was easily the best thing about his whole talk. He was one of us and as flawed and capable of making mistakes like the rest of us!

Delving into the medicine side of things, Dr Hamilton said that the placebo effect account for 80% of the drugs efficiency, which makes sense. As the more expensive the drug, the better it works, even though it may be the same as a cheaper version. Humans definitely are strange… and are contradictory in situations that should be obvious. For some reason, more means better, when it can actually mean just the same!

Mentioning long term effects, Dr Hamilton mentions things we should all know, but we really do take for granted. For example stress! We all know how bad it is for the body, but do we know what it does? It causes micro tears around the body, which means the repairing and swelling of these micro tears makes our blood pressure rise.  And this in turn causes cardiovascular distress! So, why is it we hate people so much? This too is stress! Self inflicted, but it is stress none-the-less! A rise in Cortisol a lowering of Oxytocin and deliberately calcifies our own arteries! The problem is, is it healthier to be happy than sad, but we don’t teach this! We are so far apart from our families and friends that being happy almost seems like a luxury, or something saved for a special occasion.

After going through the benefits of a simple thing, such as a hug (which raises Oxytocin and makes you feel good and be healthier) Dr Hamilton went on to give The Roseto Effect as an example. I remember reading about this when I was younger, but didn’t think much of it until the points raised were made apparent! If I miss out all the parts leading up to the conclusion and condense it, it will make more readable sense, as I still have much more to say.

The basics of Roseto, Pennsylvania were that the men had a lower heart disease rate than anywhere else in the US and the reasons could not be found as an obvious source. They did all the naughty things from smoking to drinking and eating fatty foods, but the main reason was not down to the water, area, or anything material, but something immaterial! There was little stress! Ironically they did everything we should do today. There was no keeping up with the Joneses. Houses were very close together, and everyone lived more or less alike. The elderly were revered and incorporated into community life. Housewives were respected, and fathers ran the families. Basically they were together and loved each other! Empathy, kindness, compassion… all the things the modern society are thin on. Oh, we have it in waves, but it should be the dominating factor, not something used sparingly. Social interaction and compassion leads to a life of longevity and better health!

Before we broke for lunch, we were given a very good, feel good meditation with affirmations… I would say it here, but I feel that you need to go see Dr Hamilton for the full experience! I would also be doing him a disservice for not giving the full credence it deserves!! I will use it for a more positive outlook and think that everyone should have it, even if it’s to get your day started and ended on a good foot!

The break for lunch sparks debates and theories with everything being positive, so a job well done! It was also great to be looking forward to a second half of more positivity.

Being married to an actress, it was almost fitting that Dr Hamilton started the second half with a short film from his wife, Elizabeth Caproni, Called The Angel. Not a straight forward one, but ones that we don’t see, until we open up to see them! It was a very cathartic and understated short, which fitted in nicely without being pretentious. As his wife is dear to his heart, Dr Hamilton is naturally proud of her achievements and her ability. And rightly so! She is writing and directing with her own production company (Pocket Rocket Productions) and doesn’t look like stopping either!

Dr Hamilton continued with positive affirmations, especially when you can say your wife screened her short film at BAFTA, so that is a good way to look at how real they can become! Even giving up his well paid job to become a public speaker and author could also be proof that his affirmations are solid and work. I think that everyone got their own piece of need and want from the affirmations and maybe that is all that it is supposed to be!

One of the anecdotes hit home with me and that was when Dr Hamilton mentioned how he was bullied at school! The problem with children are they learn more by environment than by what is taught to them by teachers and parents and ironically this was both in this instance. Coming from a background that was hard pressed for cash, a time came when his teacher asked the pupils to bring 15 pence in for a school trip! However, when he was at home, he felt guilty about how he would hear his mother cry about the money they didn’t have and being unable to by Christmas presents for the children. So with the guilt for not being mindful with his own pocket money, he didn’t bring the money in for the trip and like most teachers of the day she embarrassed him in front of the class by giving the other kids big yellow badges, which alienated him from the rest of the class!

I believe, Dr Hamilton, when he says that children are born devoid of hate, self aware and full of love and yet they are reprogrammed by adults, which shows where the real issue is. The aptly named Self Love Deficit happens in the first 6-7 years of their life and then when life’s difficulties occur, we tend to reflect back to those childhood situations and the adult mentality regresses to being that child again and rarely dissipates throughout adulthood as it has become habitual and part of the subconscious.

The thoughts can be reprogrammed to think more like a positive person and habitually so. After all the brain is like a muscle and can be trained with enough repetition. Therefore mental atrophy is akin to muscular atrophy! Basically, if you don’t use it, you lose it. If you don’t feed the negativity, you cannot have that process anymore.

Dr Hamilton went on to say something which was totally prophetic, but should be basic knowledge! You cannot disentangle the emotions from the brain chemistry, body chemistry, or respiratory system. For instance, when you’re upset, you are usually slouched over, or head is down, but changing your posture automatically changes the way the body reacts! Standing up straight and lifting your head can change the whole dynamic making you feel better! Same with stress and anxiety. These can make you sweat and once you cool down, you feel better, but if you add the change of thought to add to it, you can make the situation more positive than negative. Minimising the time spent in misery will make a healthier outlook, but that is obvious, right?

As Dr Hamilton was getting to the conclusion of the talk, he reminded people to always be themselves. By that he meant no mask that is trying to please everyone. You may not get the whole amount of people, but you get the ones that are meant to be with you and empower you. The right people will expand you as you will them being in each other’s lives. Expanding your thoughts and life may put you outside of your comfort zone, but your thoughts and body language can push the envelope and your life will match your attitude!

My final thoughts on the seminar are that I have a problem with it! And the reason is that far too many men are missing out of life skills and embracing self love, because the closest thing to self love is not the one that should be discussed due to its graphic nature. I am talking about those people that think being macho is relevant! It may have its place, but it should not be all who you are. The fact women have switched on to better themselves proves why men are getting left behind! Anyone who wants to keep their attitude on a poor level needs revaluate what exactly they want from life!

If after all that you want to have the changes, but not go to the seminars… then buy one of his books, check out his website. He is also on Facebook, so you have no excuses. His website is www.drdavidhamilton.com, Twitter is @DrDRHamilton and Facebook is David R Hamilton PhD

Thank you to BAFTA for being open on a Sunday and for Sunita Shroff for hosting, who can be found on the website www.sunitashroff.com And BAFTA is www.bafta.org

 

First-ever Sundance London Short Film Competition Winner Announced.

Posted on by

EXTRANJERO WINS FIRST-EVER SUNDANCE LONDON SHORT FILM COMPETITION

Film by Daniel Lumb and Crinan Campbell from north London to screen at Sundance London

Extranjero, a five-minute film from Daniel Lumb and Crinan Campbell, was announced today as the winner of the Short Film Competition at the first-ever Sundance London film and music festival, 26-29 April at The O2. The film will screen as part of the official Short Film programme at the festival and is available for immediate viewing here.

Extranjero, shot over just two days, gives the viewer a unique and unusual take on immigration as it follows a refugee trying to run from his past as well as the confusion in his own mind. Lumb, 32, from north London, and Campbell, 31, also from north London, met as flat mates six years ago and submitted the short film after friends encouraged them to.

Launched in November 2011, the Short Film Competition, a collaborative effort with the Royal Borough of Greenwich and Ravensbourne, invited UK-based filmmakers to enter original pieces between three and five minutes in length around the theme ‘Story of Our Time.’ In addition to Extranjero, finalists for the competition were: Bonsai, by Ben Williams; Two Doors Down, by Scott Ward; The Story of Our Time, by Sam Gould; and This Film Was Shot on Digital, by Ian Waldron Mantgani.

Lumb said: “Extranjero is quite an experimental film. We wanted to comment on people you don’t really know about, and Extranjero was the result. Winning the competition is a dream for both us. As film geeks it’s amazing to be associated with Sundance.”

Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said: “The jury was struck by the high level of craft and ingenuity in the submissions. Filmmakers embraced the theme ‘Story of Our Time’ and created wonderfully diverse and entertaining films. Ultimately the jury selected Extranjero for its commanding cinematic storytelling and arresting visuals that offer an alternate perspective on an imperative global issue.”

Chris Roberts, Leader of Greenwich Council added: “We are delighted to support Sundance London, and this competition will help showcase our local filmmakers to the world. The Royal Borough of Greenwich has a wealth of locations that includes everything from industrial warehouses, the largest expanse of parkland in London, historic buildings and a wealth of riverfront locations. The rich diversity of locations makes Royal Greenwich an ideal backdrop to film and have attracted productions as diverse as Children of Men and Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Previously announced events and performances for Sundance London include: a rare intimate concert performance by Placebo; Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird performing Maxinquaye; a performance by Rufus and Martha Wainwright following the world premiere of Lian Lunson’s film about the music of their mother, folk singer Kate McGarrigle; and screenings of 14 feature-length and eight short films from the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A.

Sundance London, supported by Presenting Partner Sony Entertainment Network, takes place 26-29 April at The O2. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.sundance-london.com.

SUNDANCE LONDON: FILM PROGRAMME UNVEILED FOR INAUGURAL EVENT

Posted on by

London can never have enough film festivals, and the film legend that is Robert Redford has brought Sundance to our door. I am so excited.

14 Films Make Their UK Premieres, 26-29 April at The O2

London, 7 March 2012 — Sundance Institute and The O2 announced today the programme of 14 narrative and documentary feature films that will make their UK premieres at the inaugural Sundance London festival, taking place at The O2 from 26-29 April. These films premiered in January at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah – the premier independent film festival in the United States.

“I welcome the opportunity to see how people in the UK experience these films,” said Robert Redford, President and Founder of Sundance Institute. “While they are American productions they speak to universal experiences and global challenges.”

He went on to add, “Sundance London also is the perfect opportunity to continue our long-time commitment to growing a broader international community around new voices and new perspectives.”

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “Sundance London grew out of our desire to help American independent filmmakers expand their reach, and we are happy that these 14 filmmakers are joining us on this adventure. Their participation has helped us to not only create a programme for Sundance London that reflects the diversity of our film festival in Park City, but also that helps build an enduring legacy of American stories that speak to international audiences.”

Alex Hill, Chief Finance and Strategy Officer of AEG Europe, owners of host venue The O2, adds: “All at The O2 are very excited that the inaugural Sundance London film and music festival is nearly upon us. The 14 films which Sundance Institute is bringing to London reflect the strength, depth and breadth of American independent cinema that showcased earlier in the year at the Sundance Film Festival. They complement an exciting music component with performances from Tricky and Placebo, and our opening night event An Evening With Robert Redford and T Bone Burnett. In what is arguably the world’s most culturally diverse city, The O2 is proud to be hosting such a prestigious festival.”

In addition to film screenings, Sundance London will host live music performances and events each evening, including the previously announced Opening Night event An Evening With Robert Redford And T Bone Burnett, Placebo in concert and Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird performing Maxinquaye. Also on offer to Sundance London audiences will be unique opportunities to attend panels and hear guest speakers talk about the part they play in making films, documentaries and the role of music in modern cinema.

Forthcoming announcements include the festival’s short film programme, special events and additional music performers.

Programme information and ticket packages are available at www.sundance-london.com. Individual tickets will be on sale in early April.

Top 10 Common Faults with Human Thought

Posted on by

When you think about it the human mind is an incredible thing. Cognition, the act or process of thinking, enables us to process immense amounts of information in the blink of an eye. Take just walking down your high street for example; you are multi-tasking walking with taking in stimuli such as sound, smell all whilst looking out for the latest offers. You may be consciously thinking about one specific thing, but you brain is processing thousands of subconscious ideas.

Unfortunately our cognition is not perfect, and there are certain judgment errors that we are prone to making, and left unchecked there are certain habits we can fall into with our thinking which can limit our success. In my own journey of change NLP played a huge part as the key statement is ‘That as you think, so you are’. It shares a lot with the field of psychology ideas that ‘Thought is linked to behaviour’.

I’m going to share with you the top ten faults. If any of these ring true for you don’t worry; they happen to everybody regardless of age, gender, education, intelligence. Some of them are well known, others not, but all of them are interesting. I am sure everyone will find that one has happened to them, (I myself have been prone to several) hopefully you recognise when they are making an error in the future.

 

10. Gambler’s Fallacy

The Gambler’s fallacy is the tendency to think that future probabilities are altered by past events, when in reality, they are not. Certain probabilities, such as getting a heads when you flip a (fair) coin, are always the same. The probability of getting a heads is 50%, it does not matter if you’ve gotten tails the last 10 flips. Thinking that the probabilities have changed is a common mistake, especially when gambling. For example, I am playing roulette. The last four spins have landed on black, it has to be red this time right? Wrong! The probability of landing on red is still 47.37% (18 red spots divided by 38 total spots). This may sound obvious, but this bias has caused many a gambler to lose money thinking the probabilities have changed.

 

9. Reactivity

Reactivity is the tendency of people to act or appear differently when they know that they are being observed. In the 1920s, a manufacturing facility commissioned a study to see if different levels of light influenced worker productivity. What they found was incredible, changing the light caused productivity to soar! Unfortunately, when the study was finished, productivity levels decreased to their regular levels. This was because the change in productivity was not due to the light levels, but to the workers being watched. This demonstrated a form of reactivity; when individuals know they are being watched, they are more likely to be motivated to change their behaviour, generally to make themselves look better. Reactivity is a serious problem in research, and has to be controlled in blind experiments (“Blind” is when individuals involved in a research study are purposely withheld information so as not to influence the outcomes).

 

 

8. Pareidolia

Pareidolia is when random images or sounds are perceived as significant. Seeing clouds in the shapes of dinosaurs, the image of Jesus on a slice of bread, or hearing messages when a record is played backward are common examples. The common element is that the stimulus is neutral, it does not have intentional meaning; the meaning is in fact the viewer’s perception and reflects as much about them as the situation. So if you are looking for something like a woman in am image you are much more likely to see just that.

 

7. Self-fulfilling Prophecy

This is perhaps the most powerful fault with human thinking. A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that causes itself to become true. For example, I think my relationship with my significant other is going to fail, so I start acting differently, pulling away emotionally or I refuse to trust them because I have had negative experiences in the past and I think that every partner will cheat on me. Because of my actions, I actually cause the relationship to fail. This is a powerful tool used by so called “psychics” they may implant an idea in your mind and you eventually make it happen because you think it will.

When you start realising this it actually becomes quite shocking. There is an argument to say that Economic Recessions could be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because a recession is 2 quarters of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decline, you cannot know you are in a recession until you are at least 6 months into one. Unfortunately, at the first sign of decreasing GDP, the media reports a possible recession, people panic and start a chain of events that actually cause a recession.

 

6. Halo effect

The Halo effect is the tendency for an individual’s positive or negative trait to “spill over” to other areas of their personality in others’ perceptions of them. This bias happens a lot in employee performance appraisals. For example: my employee, Biff, has been late to work the past three days; I notice this and conclude that Biff is lazy and does not care about his job. There are many possible reasons why Biff was late, perhaps his car broke down, his babysitter did not show up, or there has been bad weather. The problem is, because of one negative aspect that may be out of Biff’s control, I assume that he is a bad worker.

The Physical Attractiveness Stereotype is when people assume that attractive individuals possess other socially desirable qualities, such as happiness, success and intelligence. This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when attractive people are given privileged treatment such as better job opportunities and higher salaries.

 

5. Group Polarisation

Sometimes called Herd Mentality or Mob Mentality, this is the tendency to adopt the opinions and follow the behaviours of the majority to feel safer and to avoid conflict. At its most common form this is none other than peer pressure. We see Herd Mentality in recent incidents such as the riots, but do you notice it at Christmas when everyone wants the latest toy or is perhaps looking at the latest fashion? Creating a must have attitude in consumers is the staple diet of Marketing execs and if they can create it even through viral exposure they will at any cost; all it takes is a group of people who think something is cool, and it catches on.

 

4. Reactance

Reactance is the urge to do the opposite of what someone wants you to do out of a need to resist a perceived attempt to constrain your freedom of choice. This is common with rebellious teenagers, but any attempt to resist authority due to perceived threats to freedom and/or choice is reactance. The individual may not have a need to do the specific behaviour, however the fact that they cannot do it makes them want to.

Reverse psychology is an attempt to influence people using reactance. Tell someone (particularly children) to do the opposite of what you really want, and they will rebel and actually end up doing what you want.

 

3. Hyperbolic Discounting

Hyperbolic discounting is the tendency for people to prefer a smaller, immediate payoff over a larger, delayed payoff. Much research has been done on decision-making, and many factors contribute to the individual decision making process. Interestingly, delay time is a big factor in choosing an alternative. Put simply, most people would choose to get £20 today instead of getting £100 one year from today. Assume that the interest rate is 9%, at this interest rate, a rational person would be indifferent to taking £91.74 now, or £100 a year from now. However, it is interesting how much less we are willing to take immediately rather than wait, would you rather have £100 a year from now, or £50 immediately? How about £40 immediately? Where do you draw the line?

There are huge connotations for a society who thinks this way. Just imagine how many people are putting off their pensions because they would rather have the money now than to start saving. Just imagine how many people are getting into debt because of quick fire loans of £1443% apr – Yes I have seen them.

My personal nickname for this is P.I.G – Personal Immediate Gratification and I don’t mind saying that it is the one that I had the most problems with. Essentially it is the ability to put off immediate gratification in favour of a longer term gain. If you read Frost regularly I’ll have more on this in the next few months

 

 

2. Escalation of Commitment

Escalation of commitment is the tendency for people to continue to support previously unsuccessful endeavours. With all the decisions people have to make, it is unavoidable that some will be unsuccessful. Of course, the logical thing to do in these instances is to change that decision or try to reverse it. However, sometimes individuals feel compelled not only to stick with their decision, but also to further invest in that decision because they have sunk costs. For example, say you use half of your life savings to start a business. After 6 months, it is evident that the business is going to be unsuccessful. The logical thing to do would be to “cut your losses” and drop the business. However, due to the sunk costs of your life savings, you feel committed to the business and invest even more money into the project hoping that the additional cash will turn the business around.

Just to be clear on this – faltering on the border of failure is not always a bad thing; many successful people I know have come close to bankruptcy many times, many relationships have bordered on the edge of breakdown and in many cases people come through stronger and more educated than before; in fact some would say failure is almost a pre-requisite to success. The key becomes knowing when to walk away and when to stay.

 

1. Placebo Effect

Number one in my book has to be the Placebo effect. This is when an ineffectual substance that is believed to have healing properties produces the desired effect. Especially common with medications, the placebo effect has been observed when individuals given a sugar pill for a real ailment reported improvement. Placebos are still very much a scientific mystery. It is theorised that placebos cause an “Expectancy Effect”, (In cases of uncertainty, expectation is what is most likely to happen) individuals expect the pills to cure their ailments, so they feel cured. However, this does not explain how the ineffectual pills actually cause a reduction in symptoms.

The term “Placebo” is used when the outcomes are considered favourable or positive, when the outcomes are negative or harmful; the term is called “Nocebo”

10 random things you pick up on set as an actor.

Posted on by
Catherine and Genevieve on the weirdness of their careers….

howtobeasuccessful_actor_book_cover

I had the idea for this article when an old friend asked me what I had been up to. The answer was: lots of stuff that seems very weird if you’re not an actor. I called Genevieve and she agreed. We have to let people know how bloody weird our lives get. As an actor you always have those moments when you’re dressed like someone else, on a set that is made to look somewhere else, saying lines that a writer wrote. It is utterly surreal and you realise that this is my life. So, here is our top ten in no particular order…
1. Don’t drink the props…
I once watched an actress drink half a bottle of neat blackcurrant cordial as the production person in charge of getting grape juice couldn’t find any on time. Of course she felt incredibly sick. You never know what’s going to be in your glass or cup, it’s like drink roulette, it could be sparkling apple or it could be ginger beer. It might be cold coffee, or it just might not have sugar in it. It might be one take, or it might be twenty. It’s just not worth the risk.
[Genevieve]
2. How to pickpocket.
Filming can be boring. Incredibly so.  It was while sitting on a Pokerstar commercial ( a shoot that was actually fun. Mostly due to the amazing cast and crew. ) that I learned a rather old school trick that should help if the acting work ever dries up. How to pickpocket. Basically, you ‘bump’ into someone. Then you apologize. When you bump into them you swiftly grab their wallet  out of their pocket. They are so distracted that they don’t notice. Also they do not feel it as you hit them somewhere else. Genius!
Note: I take no responsibility for anyone actions or legal issues that come from trying this.
[Catherine]
3. How to dance like a drunken youth…
…In freezing subzero conditions, in a mini skirt in the dead of night no less. There I was literally contracting hypothermia on the set of The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus, I was vaguely aware of the Director; Terry Gilliam; telling us to be more lively and act more drunkenly…in the same way I was vaguely aware of my toes. Before I knew it, I was being used in a drunken dance demonstration; being swung about by a be-hatted Terry who was doing a brilliant impression of a raucous drunkard.
[Genevieve]
4. How to stamp on the original Eighth Dr Who’s head without hurting him.
At the beginning of the year I was cast as a 17 year old thug. I complete stretch if you know me. I got a part in the up coming TV series ‘Luther.’ I had to stamp on Paul McGann’s head. Because Paul is such a big star I had to first meet up with the stunt coordinator so I didn’t actually smack him in the face. Or worse. Kill him.
So at a brewery in East London I met up with the stunt coordinator. Who promptly hits me in the face. It hurts. I get the irony but I laugh it off. So, on set – kep out of the way of the stunt coordinator’s elbows.
[Catherine]
5. No matter how good your work is, nothing is sacred.
I spent a good hour in a Holby City make-up chair while various injuries were applied to me. My unfortunate character; Shazia Khan; was supposed to have been in a car crash and as a result had a horrible head and leg injury. The leg injury was pretty spectacular and grossed everybody out. I get on set and was so disappointed when they decided to give me a blanket and the wound got covered up.
[Genevieve]
6. How not to embarrass yourself in front of Dustin Hoffman.
The title is actually a lie. I did not manage this, I have met Dustin Hoffman a few times now and he is quite lovely. On the set of Last Chance Harvey I saw Dustin waving and smiling. I smiled and waved back. Only to realise that he was waving at the person behind me….Mortified to this day. He was nice about it though.
[Catherine]
7. How to survive a zombie apocalypse…
In an apocalypse, the only thing you need is well trained zombies and a fight coordinator!! Especially when fighting zombie hoards with nothing but your bare fists and a toy banjo. In all seriousness, the last thing you want to do is damage yourself/other actors/a grade II listed building. Some inexperienced actors can get carried away and not realise that what they’re doing could be dangerous. So always listen to the person in charge.
[Genevieve]
8. How to motivate an actor to push you down the stairs.
On the set of ‘Zombie Apocalypse’ I not only decapitated a zombie ( lots of fun, done with special effects and precise spade movements ) I had to throw a zombie down the stairs. This is obviously not a real zombie. it’s a person and I don’t want to kill him. After two takes he is not feeling it. So, he says to me ‘If you hurt me I will buy you a drink.’ The next take the director gets his shot and the zombie comes up to me limping and says: ‘I owe you a drink.’ Oh well. All is fair in love and film-making.
[Catherine]
9. How to work with imaginary characters and scenery…
…in front of a green screen, when the other actors can’t be bothered to sit in as they assume they’re not in the shot, working with fictional monsters, people materialising a meter in front of you. You may or may not be provided with a tennis ball on a stick. You’ll look and feel ridiculous but remember…it’ll look amazing in the end.
[Genevieve]
10. Brian Moloko will show you how to put a drip in your hand.
At Three Mills Studio in East London, with make up that makes me look like a junkie, I met a childhood hero. Brian Moloko and he showed me the correct way to put a drip in my hand. Doubt I will use this skill but if a career in nursing ever beckons….
[Catherine]

For more on acting and how to be a successful actor, check out my book: How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur.