Knightmare - The Recording
by Richard Howse

It was great!

We had trouble getting on in the first place, as Angel (the one who was going to be the dungeoneer) dropped out a week before going because she was getting bullied at school about it, a shame but that is life.

Anyway, we tried to get someone else to take her place, and on contacting the Knightmare crew we were told that the team had to consist of those who took the audition - Uh oh!

The Knightmare team woman we were in contact with told us that we couldn't go and it all turned into a bad dream (avoiding the nightmare cliché).

Rebecca and Rowena were both screaming down the phone at the woman to let us go, and we eventually 'persuaded' them to let us go. It was great to see them go psycho!

With failing at the first level - quite embarrassing really!

Tim had given us the rules of the dungeon which clearly stated Aggression breeds aggression - steer clear of weapons!

So, being fools we thought - "KEEP AWAY FROM WEAPONS!!!"

And hence forth we ventured into the dungeon... After spending about 1/2 an hour filming me descending into the dungeon and repeatedly banging my head on the portcullis that was a foot shorter than me - DOH! DOH! DOH!

The first table had amongst other things a green dagger. We spent about 1/2 an hour arguing about it - well I say we - I mean Rebecca and Rowena were at it hammer and tongs (all cut from the final edit) about taking the knife, and in the end we didn't because of what we had been told.

Later in that same blue room, I was stood over a chest brimming with jewels and finery... And an Amazon warrior leapt out, her blade at my throat, and only her bosoms seeable from beneath my helmet.

She wanted to know what I was doing. And I said: "Just admiring your chest" - Cut from the final edit!

A discussion ensued about getting her to go with us, but she wouldn't as she was looking for her missing green dagger.

Arrrgghhhhh - talk about sinking hearts! Gutted severely. We had to progress the next day on to meeting Motley the Jester.

The whole crew had known from the day before that we had already failed, that was the worse part - that they had given us the info that had led to our swift downfall.

Motley did not stay long at the end of the first level as the sound of a dragon descended - Oh s***!

My microphone was cut off as the fireball ensued - and like a 'plum' I stood there - quite surreal really - listening to other people discussing your demise!

I was stood there shouting into the microphone asking what was going on - hearing the licking flames and the voice of the dragon talking about frickasied human tasting lovely!

In the end I wasn't fussed about losing - I was sad that it had to end, and slightly angry that we had fooled ourselves into following the guidelines we had been given, but I let go easier than the others, especially Rebecca and Rowena (who argued in the taxi to home).

The crew wouldn't let us re-film because:

1. It didn't matter about the rules.
2. I guess it was really our own decisions to make.
3. The next team were already waiting to go.
4. The first team in a series can't win (or so I continue to tell myself).

A shame, but what an experience.

In the end it's not about winning - I take pride in the photos we got, which is why it's on my website. I must admit though that I missed the rest of the series, seeing that the second team beat the dungeon! Grrrrrr!

It twisted the knife a little more, especially as it gave the kids at school something else to moan at us about. Oh well! I could live with that, after all I got up and went and did it, I did something special they would never
do, and no one can take that away.

I had always promised myself that I would write to Tim once I had left school and plead with him to let me act on the show as that is the career I want to follow, but things happen, and I'm taking things easy with small parts.

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Richard's website is at http://pages.zoom.co.uk/r1x/

And click here to see a photo of Richard and his team, taken in the studio with Treguard and Majida! (and even signed by some of the cast).