It’s rather pleasant having a regular commute for a change. It was raining this morning, so I put on some extra layers and went in search of my Forest Bike. My area tends not to have very many of them there overnight, so in the morning you have to be quick to get one. I’ve considered clicking hire from my bed and then immediately pausing it, as twice now I’ve looked on the app to check if there’s a bike, seen one, put my clothes on and someone has rented it. This morning though I had one directly outside but it was one of the shit ones. These bikes take a beating. Some of them are faulty. My one this morning had a dicky speedometer that kept jumping to 30 randomly and cutting out the power assist. Without the power assist you might as well be pedalling a rock.
Still I made it to rehearsal in time to discover I wasn’t supposed to be in yet. It was good though to watch Jethro and Will work and to be in that concentrated room. I’ll be involved in this piece of theatre for a long time, so I want to feel as connected to it as possible. Detail and care obviates boredom. There’s always more to discover, not just in your own work but in the work of your colleagues.
Costume fitting, but not for Lodovico. For my generic “citizen” type appearances. Lodovico is being made up. I pimped out Lou and her making services to the designer again. Her parents live near Stratford. Then a spot of singing. As I thought, I am going to need to sing very low drones in ancient greek. Oddly enough I’ve done it before, in 2012, in Oxford and then London for our arty anticommercial joyful theatrical friendship group, the lifeblood of my work for years now, The Factory, in a co-pro with Creation Theatre, in the Norrington room of Blackwell’s bookshop, improvising Homer’s Odyssey. Happy weird days.
My bass is still there but it needs reminding. I’m all bunged up. I’ve been habitually pushing my voice higher than is natural. The musical director is a technical wizard though, so I reckon it’ll come back in time. Tomorrow I’ll be joining three proper opera bods to see what sort of a noise we can make.
And so to bed. I get a late start tomorrow and I think I’ll take advantage of it this time. I’m starting to wake up better now and I like travelling the same short route daily – I’ve started keeping an eye out for the same people leaving their homes as I pass.
Scattered thinking this evening though. I suspect a good sleep will wind the threads back together.
AlBarclay 