One thing about cycling to work is that you really notice the changing seasons. It’s definitely getting colder round here and I don’t like it. Much as I’m looking forward to the start of winter for the simple fact that I’ll be involved in a glorious piece of theatre with a company I’ve long wanted to play with, I’m beginning to remember my dread of the cold. It wasn’t even that bad this morning. Just flecks of wet and the beginning of the ice wind. Still, my trusty Forest bike got me to work on time. More explorations. A tricky scene to stage, perhaps the trickiest. I only say a few words in it, but that’s even tricky too as then I’ve got to listen and fresh mint reactions. Still I know and trust the process so it’s all good.
Being in the room with Tim again is glorious. He’s a Canadian citizen now, and runs a theatre out there – The Shaw Festival. He’s been there over a decade now – their gain, London’s loss. Fiercely smart but seeking something true and live. His work was the bedrock of my early stage learning post Guildhall. He’s brought me rigour as much as he’s brought me a group of running mates – he’s the self described patron saint of The Factory. I expect the winters are even worse over in Canada. I was meant to go to The Factory this evening after rehearsals but the cold put me off the journey. I went home and had arrabiata pasta instead and now I’m edging towards bed again, in a full house. Tom is back. He’s streaming podcasts in the living room. Brian’s asleep. I’m writing this in the bath, just lying in warm water until I shrivel up.
Lucky RSC to have that building we are rehearsing in. It’s a complex. You can rehearse two shows at the same time, as we did. We have The New Real company upstairs – a new David Edgar play. David himself has been a presence in the building, along with occasional old friends coming for costume fittings for Buddha of Suburbia, which is being remounted.
Morning technically off tomorrow but there’s work I want to do with tennis balls just to make the lines come without having to seek them. Such a luxury to have 6 weeks rehearsal, to be in such a safe and fun room, just to be gainfully employed doing the thing I set out to do.
I should get out of this bath soon… The screen keeps steaming up.
AlBarclay 