This little flat we are staying in is great, but it’s also pretty odd. It’s essentially a basement flat, stripped back and filled with white and cream. There’s a canvas print of a VW Campervan on the wall in the kitchen but it doesn’t feel sincere. Not much else in the way of art. Everything is new, and everything is IKEA. This is of note because there isn’t an IKEA on the island. Somebody has shipped this stuff over to put in here. It’s like the flat you design after some geezer in the pub tells you “You know how you turn a flat into money?”
We’re here for a month, so it’s working.
The heating sucks all the moisture out of the air. It’s so bad that they’ve put a humidifier into my room. “A dehumidifier?” asks Lou. No. A humidifier. To put a bit of moisture back into the air. Like the one my dad used to have by his bed in Switzerland because it was so high up that you woke up spitting blood from lack of moisture – especially if you’d been snoring. I used to put mugs of water on the radiator there. It’s that or get cold, essentially. I’ve done it again here. There’s two mugs on the radiator and the humidifier is roaring away to my right, although it’ll be off when it’s time to go to sleep. Which is soon now. It’s gone midnight already. I haven’t got a hot bath here so my switch off routine is a bit stunted. And these days are full, if today is anything to go by.
It’s a great space for the show, but once again very different. Intimate but with sightline issues. Crowded but spacious. There’s going to be a lot of joy in that little stone building up at the North coast of this little island. But before we get to that we are having to work hard to de-establish a lot of old habits, and coin the thing fresh for a Jersey audience. Luxury, to have a week of rehearsal for Carol, especially considering that other people are building the set while we get to go home to our IKEA haven and cook nice food.
I made red curry this evening. Start as you mean to continue. Plenty of veg and not too hot. Now I’m just trying to work out how to wind down. Hopefully I’ll be asleep by one. The bed in this faceless room is at least spacious and comfy. Dry air or not I’ll be happy here this Christmastide. Jack even found a little fake Christmas tree in a cupboard. We’ll decorate that later on.
AlBarclay 