Thin ice - Alan Ford

Charles Harwood is an out-of-work actor, but fill-in jobs aren't for him. He doesn't want to drive a minicab, deal dope or have 'another string to his bow' - he's a purist. And without any acting to do, the main event of his day is an audition for an ice-cream commercial. But first he's got to get there?

It means escaping the bed of a regrettable liaison, avoiding death-by-juggernaut and trial by Job Centre. And that's just the morning. But though a corpsing mate means another job lost, the evening starts to look more promising when a chance encounter leads to a big night out complete with paparazzi, cocaine and sex.

This is Charlie's world, and that of most other actors in the business - a hand-to-mouth life spent in a state of controlled desperation.